Choose the most appropriate option to fill the blank in the given sentence. The tiny deer stood looking at them with eyes.

English Language & Comprehension ·Previously asked in SSC CGL 2025

View the full solved paper: SSC CGL 2025 Tier II (19 Jan 2026)

Question

Choose the most appropriate option to fill the blank in the given sentence. The tiny deer stood looking at them with eyes.

  1. A. Stationary
  2. B. Arid
  3. C. Transparent
  4. D. Luminous (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — Luminous

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Luminous.

Key Points

  • The sentence describes a deer's eyes, so the adjective must plausibly describe eyes. Luminous means giving off or reflecting light — precisely how an animal's eyes appear in low light.
  • The distractors fail on sense: stationary (not moving) describes position, arid (dry, barren) describes land, and transparent (see-through) is not a property eyes are said to have.

Additional Information

  • Deer and many nocturnal animals have a reflective layer behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum, which is why their eyes shine — the literal basis for the word choice here.
  • Luminous also carries a figurative sense of brilliance or clarity, as in "a luminous performance".
  • Related words: luminescent, incandescent, radiant, lustrous, resplendent; the shared root is Latin *lumen*, light, which also gives illuminate and luminary.
  • Watch the near-homophone trap: stationary (not moving) versus stationery (writing materials) — a distinction tested in its own right.

Topics covered: Fill in the Blanks Vocabulary