Fill in the blank with the word that completes the oxymoron:
Nani says that leaving her village for the city was a ________ joy, because she loved her new home but missed the old one every day.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → painful
Complete sentence: Nani says that leaving her village for the city was a painful joy, because she loved her new home but missed the old one every day. An oxymoron puts two opposite words side by side. Nani was happy in her new home, but leaving the village also hurt her.
| Option | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) quiet | not the opposite of “joy”, so “quiet joy” is a plain description, not an oxymoron | Dadu felt a quiet joy as he watched his grandson graduate. |
| (2) simple | not the opposite of “joy”, so “simple joy” is a plain description, not an oxymoron | Flying a kite on the roof is a simple joy. |
| (3) painful (answer) | the opposite of “joy” | Sending her son to study abroad was a painful joy for Ma. |
| (4) great | not the opposite of “joy”, so “great joy” is a plain description, not an oxymoron | The whole village felt great joy when the rains came. |