Which word means lowly, miserable, wretched, or pitiful?

Which word means lowly, miserable, wretched, or pitiful?

• A. Expunge
• B. Abject
• C. A Priori
• D. Sclerotic

Answer: (B)

This item is about picking a word that expresses an extremely low, degraded, or pitiful condition. Abject fits best because it directly conveys that feel of being utterly miserable or without dignity—phrases like “abject poverty” or “an abject apology” show how complete the misery or degradation is. The other options don’t capture that sense: expunge means to erase or remove, which isn’t about mood or condition; a priori refers to knowledge or reasoning independent of experience, not a state of being; sclerotic describes physical hardening or rigidity, not emotional or moral worth.

This item is about picking a word that expresses an extremely low, degraded, or pitiful condition. Abject fits best because it directly conveys that feel of being utterly miserable or without dignity—phrases like “abject poverty” or “an abject apology” show how complete the misery or degradation is.

The other options don’t capture that sense: expunge means to erase or remove, which isn’t about mood or condition; a priori refers to knowledge or reasoning independent of experience, not a state of being; sclerotic describes physical hardening or rigidity, not emotional or moral worth.