Synonyms

'Stake' in a business context means a share, interest, or investment in an enterprise. 'A share or interest in a business' is the correct definition. 'A passing interest' is too weak, 'a cut of meat' refers to a literal stake as food, and 'a decision to leave' describes quitting, not having a stake.

'Dour' describes someone stern, serious, gloomy, and unsmiling. 'Serious' is the closest synonym among the options, capturing the key characteristic of a dour person's demeanor. 'Cheerful' is the opposite, 'sarcastic' is a different trait involving verbal irony, and 'unpredictable' refers to being changeable rather than stern.

Ardent means showing intense enthusiasm or passion. Keen and enthusiastic directly captures this meaning. Slow and steady, wise and knowledgeable, and stiff and formal describe unrelated qualities.

Optimistic means hopeful and confident about the future. Hopeful is a direct synonym. Reliable, religious, and sanctimonious describe unrelated qualities - trustworthiness, faith, or fake piety.

Pitiless means showing no pity or compassion - cruel and merciless. Cruel is the correct synonym. Sympathetic and show kindness are antonyms. Without humour is unrelated.

Ruddy means having a healthy red color, typically describing a complexion. Reddish in colour is the correct meaning. Repugnant means offensive, colourless means without color, and wrinkled describes texture.

Authentic means genuine, real, or not fake - the original rather than a copy. Genuine is the correct synonym. Honest is related but different. False and fabricated are antonyms.

Prone to means having a tendency or inclination toward something - often something negative. Tendency to be affected by something correctly captures this meaning. The other options describe different concepts.

Veracity means truthfulness, accuracy, or honesty. 'Truthfulness' is a direct synonym. 'Avid' means enthusiastic; 'strong' is a general adjective; and 'greedy' means wanting more than needed - none relate to truth or accuracy.

Contingent is the correct synonym for conditional. Conditional means depending on or subject to some condition, and contingent means the same - occurring only if certain circumstances are met. Euphony refers to pleasing sounds, rendezvous is a meeting place, and arraign means to charge in court.

Choleric means hot-tempered or easily provoked to anger - it's the correct synonym. Surmount means to overcome difficulties. Conflagration is a large, destructive fire. Lilliputian means extremely small or tiny.

Emetic is the correct synonym - it means a substance that causes vomiting. Refractory means stubborn or unmanageable. Imponderable means difficult to weigh or estimate. Eloquence means fluent or persuasive speaking.

Adverse means unfavorable or hostile - it's the correct synonym. Matriarch is a female head of a family or tribe. Invulnerable means impossible to harm. Condole means to express sympathy with someone in grief.

Chameleon is correct - it's a lizard known for changing color to match its surroundings. Scruple means a moral or ethical consideration. Depredation means attacking or plundering. Whimsical means playfully quaint or fanciful.

Granulate means to form into grains or grain-like particles - it's the correct synonym. Diversity means variety. Relapse means deterioration or falling back into illness. Acclimate means to adapt to new conditions.