Select the word that best completes the sentence.
The reviewer's praise was so ______ that it read almost like an insult.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: E. faint
- Step 1: The result clause "that it read almost like an insult" shows that the praise was exceptionally feeble, unenthusiastic, and minimal, evoking the idiom "damning with faint praise".
- Step 2: The adjective faint describes something weak or barely perceptible. Highly enthusiastic words like lavish, heartfelt, and generous would constitute genuine praise rather than an insult.
Answer
faint.
Why not the others: Lavish describes excessively generous or ornate praise; heartfelt signifies sincere and deeply felt endorsement; generous denotes abundant and benevolent commendation; unstinting means given without restriction or limit.
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