Read the passage and answer the questions:
It is with the gravest import that we relay intelligence from the Continent, where the machinations of foreign Powers betoken a perturbation most grievous to the tranquillity of Europe. Reports reaching our office, albeit through channels of dubious veracity, intimate that certain Ministers of State, long disaffected, have entered into clandestine parley, thereby imperilling the precarious Peace recently brokered at Amiens. The populace, though desirous of repose after protracted tumult, remains uneasy; their apprehensions stoked by pamphleteers whose incendiary declamations find ready purchase amongst the credulous.
Meanwhile, at Westminster, the Commons are engaged in fervid debate upon the propriety of augmenting naval armaments, lest perfidious designs render our shores vulnerable. It is the sentiment of many learned gentlemen that vigilance, tempered with prudence, is the surest safeguard against the perfidy of hostile ambition. Further dispatches are awaited with no small degree of trepidation.
What is the closest meaning of "grievous" as used in the passage?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
Painful or serious
Explanation
The word grievous is used in the passage to describe a "perturbation" (disturbance) that threatens the peace of Europe. To find the correct meaning, we look at how the word intensifies the severity of a negative situation. Painful or serious is the most accurate choice, as "grievous" means causing severe grief, suffering, or damage, or being exceptionally serious and grave.
Key Points
Word: Grievous
Meaning: Very severe, serious, or causing great pain and sorrow.
Contextual Clue: In the text, a "perturbation most grievous to the tranquillity of Europe" implies a very serious and damaging threat to peace.