“Miserly” means not generous with money, which is very similar to the meaning of the word “parsimonious.” “Magnanimous” means generous with money and noble; “egregious” means appalling and horrific; “commanding” means in control; and "dear" means loved by and important to.

“Imprudent” means not prudent, not wise, or not careful. The prefix "im-" means not, as does the prefix "un-," so the correct answer is “unwise.” As for the other answer choices, "distressing" means causing apprehension and distress, and "operational" means able to be operated or working.

"Mater" is the Latin word for mother, so it makes sense that "maternal" describes a woman who has motherly qualities and acts like the popular idea of how a mother should act. "Motherly" is thus the correct answer.

"Vociferous" is an adjective describing someone or something "characterized by noisy and determined shouting." Frustrated, angry, and violent all have a negative connotation to them, which vociferous does not. And rustic simply means natural, or wooded, so that describes more of a physical quality than an audible one. Loud is the best answer. Hint: the root of "vociferous" looks a lot like "voice."

Someone who is "loquacious" is talkative, garrulous. To provide further help, "corpulent" means fat; "pulchritudinous" means beautiful; "innovative" means creative, good at coming up with new ideas; "magnificent" means brilliant, spectacular.

Jocular most nearly means "joking." The term usually has to do with humor or jesting. For example, "she was beloved by all because of her jocular nature."

The other words are all antonyms, except for "athletic," which is unrelated.

"Jovial" is an adjective that means "cheerful and friendly," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "cheerful" or "friendly." While both "excited" and "affable" might look like potentially correct answers, "excited" doesn't mean "cheerful and friendly," so it can't be the correct answer. "Affable," however, means "friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to." Because "affable" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "jovial," "affable" is the correct answer.

"Taciturn" is an adjective that refers to people and means " reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "saying little." "Loquacious" might look like a potentially correct answer because it has to do with speech; one can recognize this by noticing the prefix "loq-", which is a root meaning "talk." However, "loquacious" means "tending to talk a great deal; talkative," so it is actually an antonym of "taciturn" and cannot be the correct answer. "Reserved," however, when used as an adjective, can mean either "slow to reveal emotion or opinions" or "kept specially for a particular purpose or person." Because the first meaning of "reserved" is synonymous with "taciturn," "reserved" is the correct answer.

"Illustrious" is an adjective that means "well known, respected, and admired for past achievements." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "well known," "respected," or "admired." Neither "forgettable" nor "substandard" can be the correct answer, because each word has a meaning that is nearly the opposite of "illustrious." "Preeminent," however, is an adjective that means "surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way," and because it is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "illustrious," "preeminent" is the correct answer.

The word "loquacious" means talkative. The best choice is "garrulous," which means excessively talkative. Considering the other options, "esoteric" means not well known or intended for a very small and specific audience, "brazen" means brave or shameless, and "tranquil" means peaceful.