The word “docile” comes from a number of Latin words related to the notion of teaching. In English, we can find words like “docent” (a guide or lower level university teacher), “doctor,” and “doctrine.” If someone is “docile,” he or she is “able to be taught.” Such a person is likely submissive to one instructing him or her. This is the most general usage of the word. Consider a sentence like: “It is always a joy to have a room full of docile students who gladly receive your instruction instead of fighting you every step of the way.”

The word “gregarious” might have a number of “positive” connotations for you. Above all, it is means “friendly” and, even more, “liking being around others.” It comes from Latin for “flock” (as in “flock of sheep”). It is likewise related to words for “gathering together” like “aggregate,” “congregate,” and “segregate.” Among the options given for this question, “sociable” best expresses the sense of liking the company of others.

The word “vivacious” is derived from a number of Latin terms related to “life.” Think of the words “survive” and “revive.” Both have to do with living—either continuing to live or coming back to life. In a sense, the word “vivacious” could be said to mean “lively.” Often, it is used to speak of woman’s temperament that is both lively and attractive. However, it can be used more generally and thus can mean buoyant, cheerful, active, animated, and so forth .

The word “perennial,” literally means “through the year.” Often, it is used to name flowers that last multiple seasons—they live from season to season (even if not in flower). The “-ennial” portion of the word is related to “annual” as found in (for instance) “biennial,” meaning “taking place once every two years.” The best option among the proposed answers is “enduring,” for the word “perennial” is regularly used in this wide sense as opposed to “passing” or “fleeting.”

Do not be tempted by the “odor” words that are presented as options for “odious.” The base word for “odious” is really “hateful,” not “smelly” (or something of the like). The best option is “repugnant,” for while that word might be used to describe something that is physically disgusting, it can likewise mean merely “very distasteful.” The word “repugnant” comes from Latin roots related to the notion of fighting or “boxing.” A “pugilist” is a boxer. Something “repugnant” is something “resisting” one’s sensibilities (like a boxer—metaphorically speaking, of course).

Although the word “sensual” is rooted in the notion of “being derived from the senses,” it has taken on a negative connotation of being “fleshly” as opposed to “spiritual matters.” The word “carnal” means “pertaining to the flesh.” It comes from the Latin for “flesh,” and can be found in the English word for “meat eater,” namely “carnivore.”

The word “vivid” is related to words like “vivacious,” “survive,” and “revive,” all of which have to do with being alive or liveliness. While the word can mean “lively,” it is often used to describe brilliant colors. The word “radiant” best captures this sense, for the word “radiant” means “shining” or “emitting energy.”

The word “diffuse” comes from roots that literally mean poured away from. The “di-” prefix means away from or down from, and the “-fuse” means to pour. This latter is found in words like “infuse” (meaning, literally, to pour into) and “effusive” (meaning pouring out, implying that someone “pours out” a great amount of something like praise). As a verb, the word “diffuse” means to scatter or to spread out, as when one diffuses a smell into a room or when an idea diffuses through an entire population. The word can likewise be used as an adjective, basically having the meaning of the past participle of the word, namely “scattered.”

"Desolate" comes from the same roots as "sole" (alone), so it makes sense that "desolate" means stark and deserted, so "bleak," which can mean bare and gloomy, is the correct answer. 

As for the other answer choices, “archaic” means ancient, outdated, old-fashioned; “discreet” means wary or purposely subtle; “resigned” means accepting of one’s fate; and “explicit” means obvious and not subtle or hidden.

"Liber-" is derived from the Latin term for free, so it makes sense that a “libertine” is a person who behaves without regard for moral or societal rules about sexual relationships; most often, this word is used to describe men. This means that “philanderer" is the best answer choice, as a “philanderer” is a man who has casual sexual relations with women. As for the other answer choices, a “philosopher” is someone who studies philosophy, that is, questions that concern the nature of being and knowledge; an “instigator” is someone who provokes or starts conflict; an “imitator” is someone who copies someone else; and “testament” means evidence, proof, or something that serves as evidence of a fact.