What does the word enervating mean in the excerpt below?

Working sixty-hour weeks under constant administrative scrutiny proved profoundly enervating, eroding the clinical staff's morale and cognitive acuity.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. causing one to feel completely drained of energy or vitality

  1. Step 1: Analyze context: long grueling work hours eroded morale and acuity, indicating physical and mental exhaustion.
  2. Step 2: 'Enervating' means causing someone to feel drained of energy or vitality; exhausting.
Answer
causing one to feel completely drained of energy or vitality.
Why not the others: 'profoundly exhilarating and intellectually stimulating to all' is the direct antonym (invigorating); 'financially rewarding and resulting in rapid promotions' relates to remuneration; 'strictly temporary and easily resolved by a brief pause' contradicts profound cognitive erosion.

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