We generally think of "hazy" in terms of the weather. On a hazy day, it is hard to see because the air is full of some sort of material, usually water vapor though it could also be something like smoke or any other material that creates some kind of cloudiness. Among the answers, the only wrong one that should be tempting is "thick," for haze can be thick. Perhaps also "rainy" is tempting, but to be "hazy" means something other than to be wet and rainy. (It is about making it difficult to see—as said earlier.) We also use the word to mean vague. A "hazy idea" is one that is not very clear. Another example is "hazy memories," meaning that something is hard to remember in its details—it is not a "clear" memory.

The word "vocal" has several meanings, though all deal with the voice. They come from similar Latin roots, ultimately derived from "vox" or "vocis," meaning voice. A vocal person is "outspoken," not hiding his or her ideas or feelings. Such a person rarely speaks in an indirect manner. Instead, he or she is very direct in expressing these ideas. When something is "blunt" it is neither sharp nor pointed; however it can be very flat—like a wooden board. A blunt person's opinion will be expressed like a large flat board of wood—openly and without any kind of covering up! Thus, a vocal person is "blunt" in this sense—stating things directly.

The word "dull" has many meanings, though they do have some relationship to each other. We often think of a "dull knife" (or something of that sort). This means that such an instrument is no longer sharp. Dull colors are sort of like this. They are not bright or "sharp to the eye." Think of a dreary day—it is dull. Likewise, we say that someone is "dull" when he or she is not very intelligent or interesting. This is so because he or she does not have a "piercing" intellect that can handle intricate problems. Thus, of the options provided, the only option that directly defines a possible synonym is "blunt."

The word "bright" is a great example of how we metaphorically use language in everyday speech. We will sometimes say that someone is "bright" or that an idea is "bright," meaning that it is intelligent. Such "brightness" is like an "intellectual light bulb," helping to illuminate some topic with insight. Hence also, we will call someone "dim" when he or she is not very intelligent.

The word "critic" comes from Greek and Latin words that mean to judge. When we "critique" someone or something, we give an opinion about that person or thing. Likewise, a "critical remark" is one that judges something, generally negatively. The word can also mean important when used as the adjective "critical." For example, at a "critical time," it is necessary to judge something one way or the other. This actually comes from the idea of judgment mentioned earlier. Something is "critical" because it requires a judgment—right now. By extension, we say something is "critical" when it is "important."

Here, you must be careful not to use the word "sensible" as though it means able to be sensed. In that meaning, you would be referring to something related to one of the five senses—taste, touch, smell, etc. Two of the options try to trick you in this way—"tangible" and "olfactory;" however, these indicate individual sensible things but are not even acceptable synonyms for "sensible" in general in the way mentioned above.

Instead, we also use "sensible" to mean practical or showing common sense. Think of when we might say, "It was a sensible decision to come in during the storm, for otherwise, Johann might have been struck by lightning." Likewise, we could say, "Wilhelm was always quite sensible, refusing to express grand reflections on the meaning of all things." Thus, something that is "sensible" is "balanced" and not extreme.

Physically speaking, the word "dull" is contrasted to something that is pointed or sharp. From this meaning, the word can take on various other meanings. For instance, it can mean stupid—as though someone is not "sharp" enough to penetrate into some topic. Likewise, it can mean boring, as though something is not very "piercing" and interesting. This is the way that the word is being presented here among the options provided. For example, think of how we can say, "That was a dull class." This means that the class was boring and uninteresting.

The word "blunt" is a kind of antonym for "sharp." Whenever something is "blunt," it is flat—like a blunt club used for hitting other people. The word can be used to describe physical objects, but it also is able to describe personality traits. A "blunt" person is someone whose words can "hit you like a flat board of wood." Such a person is honest—so honest that he or she doesn't "hold anything back."

You certainly know the "physical" and literal meaning of "settling." Whenever you "settle" into a location, you start to inhabit that place. Thus, "settlers" are new inhabitants or colonists. Whenever someone is said to "settle" on an opinion, he or she decides to have one or the other opinion on a matter. A person who is of "settled" opinion is someone who has a determined and decided opinion on the matter. Hence, "determined" is an acceptable synonym for this question.

Whenever something is "remote," it exists at a distance. Thus, a "remote" star is a star that is far away, and a "remote control" is a kind of device that we use to control something at a particular distance. A person can be described as being "remote" as well. Such a person has an attitude that makes him or her seem distant. He or she could also be described as being "detached" or aloof.