For this question, choose the option nearest in meaning to the word or phrase in italics. The debater made a very scurrilous remark about his opponent.

1. Analyze the question You are asked to find the word closest in meaning to scurrilous in the sentence: "The debater made a very scurrilous remark about his opponent."

2. Explain the concept Scurrilous (adjective) means making coarse, insulting, or abusive statements, often ones that damage someone's reputation. It describes language that is vulgar, offensive, or slanderous. The related noun is scurrility.

3. Step-by-step solution

• A. false: A remark can be false without being scurrilous. This describes untruth, not insult.
• B. abusive: This means insulting and offensive, and it matches the core meaning of scurrilous.
• C. fake: This means counterfeit or not genuine, which has nothing to do with insults.
• D. sharp: A sharp remark may be witty or cutting, but it is not necessarily vulgar or abusive. It is close, but weaker and less accurate.

Because the sentence is about a debater speaking against an opponent, "abusive" fits the context very well.

4. Answer The correct option is B. abusive.

5. Exam tip Link scurrilous with scurrying dirt: a scurrilous person throws "dirty" words at others. Other words with a similar meaning are vituperative, abusive, defamatory, and insulting. In JAMB vocabulary questions, always check the tone of the word (positive, negative, or neutral) before choosing. Here the tone is clearly negative and insulting.