Select the correctly spelt word out of the four alternatives.
English Language & Comprehension ·Previously asked in SSC CGL 2025
View the full solved paper: SSC CGL 2025 Tier II (19 Jan 2026)
Question
Select the correctly spelt word out of the four alternatives.
- A. Grosteasque
- B. Grotesque (Correct answer)
- C. Growtesque
- D. Grostasque
Correct Answer
Option B — Grotesque
Detailed Solution & Explanation
The correct answer is Grotesque.
Key Points
- Grotesque — meaning comically or repulsively distorted — is spelt with -esque, the French-derived ending.
- The distractors mangle either the opening (*Growtesque*, *Grosteasque*) or the ending (*Grostasque*).
- The reliable check is the suffix: -esque never appears as *-asque* or *-easque*.
Additional Information
- The word comes from Italian *grottesca*, describing the fanciful murals found in excavated Roman grottoes — the same root as grotto.
- Other -esque words worth knowing: picturesque, statuesque, burlesque, arabesque, Kafkaesque, Romanesque.
- The suffix means "in the style or manner of", which is why it attaches so readily to names.
- With unfamiliar spellings, identify the word's family first — recognising *-esque* as a standard ending settles three of the four options at once.
Topics covered: Spelling Vocabulary