Which word means 'Horrible or unpleasant'?

• A. Abominable
• B. Gratuitous
• C. Somber
• D. Incandescent

Answer: (A)

The idea here is capturing a strong sense of disgust or repulsiveness. Abominable fits that perfectly. It conveys something extremely bad in quality or character, eliciting a sense of horror or moral revulsion. You can use it for things that are truly appalling, like behavior or conditions, and the word carries a weight—almost universally negative.

Gratuitous describes something unnecessary or unwarranted, often excess or extreme for its own sake, such as gratuitous violence. It doesn’t inherently mean horrible or unpleasant in quality; it’s about being excessive or unneeded.

Somber refers to a mood or tone—dark, serious, or gloomy. It feels emotionally heavy, but it’s about atmosphere rather than something being abhorrent or repulsive.

Incandescent means emitting light or heat, or metaphorically, brilliantly bright or passionate. It’s positive or neutral in tone and has nothing to do with unpleasantness.

So the best choice for “horrible or unpleasant” is the word that explicitly signals extreme negativity and repulsion.