Which adjective means an action performed routinely with little enthusiasm or care, as a matter of duty?

Which adjective means an action performed routinely with little enthusiasm or care, as a matter of duty?

• A. Obfuscate
• B. Perfunctory
• C. Rancour
• D. Rueful

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is a word that describes doing something as a routine duty with little enthusiasm. That word is perfunctory. Perfunctory means performed merely as a formality, with minimal effort or care, because it’s a duty or routine rather than a genuinely engaged action. It captures the sense of something done quickly and without real attention, just to check the box. For example, a perfunctory nod or a perfunctory inspection conveys that lack of real investment. Obfuscate means to make something unclear or hard to understand, which isn’t about routine behavior. Rancour refers to bitter, long-lasting resentment, not a dull, duty-bound effort. Rueful describes expressing sorrow or regret, not a lack of enthusiasm or care in action.

The idea being tested is a word that describes doing something as a routine duty with little enthusiasm. That word is perfunctory. Perfunctory means performed merely as a formality, with minimal effort or care, because it’s a duty or routine rather than a genuinely engaged action. It captures the sense of something done quickly and without real attention, just to check the box. For example, a perfunctory nod or a perfunctory inspection conveys that lack of real investment.

Obfuscate means to make something unclear or hard to understand, which isn’t about routine behavior. Rancour refers to bitter, long-lasting resentment, not a dull, duty-bound effort. Rueful describes expressing sorrow or regret, not a lack of enthusiasm or care in action.