N2 Vocabulary · Test 133

Option 4 ひにく (皮肉) means 'sarcasm, irony' — criticizing someone in a roundabout, spiteful way. The stem いじわるないいかたでかんせつてきにひはんすること ('criticizing indirectly in a mean-spirited manner') is the definition of 皮肉.

• 1きのどく (気の毒) means 'pitiful, unfortunate; feeling sympathy.' It describes feeling sorry for someone, not mean-spirited criticism.
• 2ぶっそう (無惨) means 'cruel, atrocious' (or 物騒 'dangerous, alarming'). Neither sense matches 'indirect, sarcastic criticism.'
• 3よくばり (欲張り) means 'greedy, greedy person.' It has nothing to do with criticism or sarcasm.

• 皮肉ひにく — sarcasm, irony; sarcastic criticism
• 気の毒（きのどく） — pitiful, unfortunate; sympathy
• 無惨ぶっそう/むざん — cruel, atrocious (also 物騒 ぶっそう = dangerous)
• 欲張よくばり — greed, greedy person
• 意地悪いじわる — mean, spiteful
• 間接的かんせつてき — indirect
• 批判ひはん — criticism

Option 2 なまける (怠ける) means 'to be lazy, to neglect one's duties.' The stem めんどうだと思って、仕事などをしないでいる ('thinking it's a bother, not doing work') is exactly the definition of 怠ける.

• 1もうける (儲ける) means 'to earn money, to make a profit.' It is unrelated to laziness or avoiding work.
• 3ためらう (躊躇う) means 'to hesitate, to waver.' Hesitation is about indecision before acting, not lazily avoiding work.
• 4ふるまう (振る舞う) means 'to behave, to act; to treat someone.' It does not mean to shirk work.

• 怠なまける — to be lazy, to neglect
• 儲もうける — to earn money, to profit
• 躊躇ためらう — to hesitate, to waver
• 振る舞う（ふるまう） — to behave, to act; to treat
• 面倒めんどう — trouble, bother

Option 3 ほがらか (朗らか) means 'cheerful, bright, lighthearted' and is specifically used for personality and disposition. The stem 性格や態度が明るいようす ('a bright/cheerful state of personality or attitude') is the definition of 朗らか.

• 1おだやか (穏やか) means 'calm, gentle, mild.' It describes a peaceful temperament, not necessarily a bright/cheerful one.
• 2さわやか (爽やか) means 'refreshing, crisp' — typically used for weather, breeze, or a person's impression, not specifically for personality brightness.
• 4にぎやか (賑やか) means 'lively, bustling' — describes activity/noise level of a place or event, not personality cheerfulness.

• 朗ほがらか — cheerful, bright (personality)
• 穏おだやか — calm, gentle, mild
• 爽さわやか — refreshing, crisp
• 賑にぎやか — lively, bustling
• 性格せいかく — personality
• 態度たいど — attitude

Option 4 器用 (きよう) means 'dexterous, skillful, clever with one's hands.' The stem 細かい作業が上手にできるようす ('being able to do detailed/fine work well') is the definition of 器用.

• 1謙虚 (けんきょ) means 'humble, modest.' It describes attitude, not manual dexterity. (Note: the first kanji in this option appears garbled — see issues.)
• 2懸命 (けんめい) means 'desperate, with all one's might, strenuous.' It describes effort, not skill at fine tasks.
• 3貴重 (きちょう) means 'precious, valuable.' It is unrelated to dexterity or craftsmanship.

• 器用きよう — dexterous, skillful
• 謙虚けんきょ — humble, modest
• 懸命けんめい — with all one's might, strenuous
• 貴重きちょう — precious, valuable
• 細こまかい — detailed, fine
• 作業さぎょう — work, task

Option 1 ラッシュアワー (rush hour) means the time of day when public transportation is most crowded with commuters and students. The stem 通勤や通学をする人で交通機関が混雑する時間 ('the time when transportation is crowded with people commuting to work or school') is the definition of rush hour.

• 2オートメーション (automation) means 'automatic control/mechanization.' It is unrelated to crowding or commuting.
• 3スケジュール (schedule) means 'a plan or timetable.' It does not refer to a specific crowded time period.
• 4プラットホーム (platform) means 'the boarding platform at a train station.' It is a place, not a time period.

• ラッシュアワー（らっしゅあわー） — rush hour
• オートメーション（おーとめーしょん） — automation
• スケジュール（すけじゅーる） — schedule, timetable
• プラットホーム（ぷらっとほーむ） — platform (train station)
• 通勤つうきん — commuting to work
• 通学つうがく — commuting to school
• 混雑こんざつ — crowding, congestion

ほんの means 'mere, just a small/trifling amount.' The definition 問題にならないくらい少ないようす ('so small an amount that it is not a problem') matches ほんの, which is used before words like 少し or わずか to emphasize how tiny the quantity is (e.g., ほんの少し = just a tiny bit).

• 1やや (稍) means 'somewhat, slightly' — it indicates a moderate degree, not an amount so small it is negligible.
• 3いくぶん (幾分) means 'somewhat, partly, to some degree' — again a moderate degree, not a trivially small amount.
• 4なにぶん (何分) means 'anyway, in any case, for some reason' — it is used to excuse or explain a situation, not to describe a small quantity.

• ほんの — mere, just a (tiny/trifling amount)
• やや — somewhat, slightly
• いくぶん — somewhat, partly
• なにぶん — anyway, in any case

特殊 (とくしゅ) means 'special, exceptional, having qualities different from the ordinary.' The definition 普通とは違った性質を持っていること ('having qualities that differ from the ordinary') matches perfectly.

• 1面倒 (めんどう) means 'troublesome, a bother' — describes inconvenience, not unusual qualities.
• 2複雑 (ふくざつ) means 'complex, complicated' — describes intricacy, not deviation from the norm.
• 3困難 (こんなん) means 'difficult, hardship' — describes difficulty, not unusual nature.

• 特殊とくしゅ — special, exceptional, peculiar
• 面倒めんどう — troublesome, a bother
• 複雑ふくざつ — complex, complicated
• 困難こんなん — difficulty, hardship

くわえる (含える) means 'to hold something in the mouth (between the lips or teeth).' The definition くちびるや歯ではさんでささえる ('to hold/clamp between the lips or teeth') matches exactly.

• 1なめる (舐める) means 'to lick' — running the tongue over something, not clamping it.
• 2しゃぶる means 'to suck' — drawing something into the mouth and sucking on it, not holding it between lips/teeth.
• 3かじる (齧る) means 'to gnaw, nibble, bite into' — biting off pieces, not simply holding.

• くわえる — to hold in the mouth (between lips/teeth)
• なめる — to lick
• しゃぶる — to suck
• かじる — to gnaw, nibble

そそっかしい means 'careless, clumsy, hasty, lacking calmness and attention.' The definition 態度や行動が落ち着かず、注意が足りないようす ('attitude and behavior are restless and attention is insufficient') matches perfectly. Note: the stem contains '高度' which should be '行動' (see issues).

• 1あつかましい (厚かましい) means 'shameless, brazen, impudent' — about audacity, not restlessness.
• 2とんでもない means 'outrageous, absurd, unexpected' — expresses shock or denial, not carelessness.
• 4みっともない (見っともない) means 'unseemly, shameful, embarrassing' — about appearance/reputation, not lack of attention.

• そそっかしい — careless, clumsy, hasty, lacking calmness
• あつかましい — shameless, brazen
• とんでもない — outrageous, absurd, unexpected
• みっともない — unseemly, shameful, embarrassing