“Palpable” means able to be felt or sensed. This is very similar to “tangible,” which means able to be touched. As for the incorrect answer choices, “explicable” means able to be explained; “invulnerable" means not open to being attacked or damaged; “repressible” means able to be repressed or hidden; and “malleable” means able to be manipulated or able to be changed and molded.

“Gaudy” means bright and colorful, although it is usually used in a negative way to suggest something is so uncomfortably bright and colorful as to be tasteless. So, "colorful" is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “shameful” means embarassing or causing shame; “meaningful” means important, significant, or containing meaning; “suspenseful” means causing anxiety due to not knowing what will happen; and “awful” means terrible. (Note how the suffix "-ful" generally means full of.)

“Garish” means tastelessly showy and flashy and thus not having good taste. Thus, "tasteless" is the best synonym amongst the given answer choices. As for the other answer choices, “furtive” means secretive or trying to avoid notice; “implacable” means unable to be appeased; “fruitless” means completely unsuccessful; and “essential” means necessary.

"Gossamer" and "translucent" both mean luminous or see-through. "Opaque" means clouded or muddy. "Brusque" means curt or surly. "Assiduous" means hard-working or diligent. "Abrogate" means to formally put an end to. 

"Ossified" and "petrified" both mean hardened or bony. "Pliable" means bendable or adaptable. "Nefarious" means heinous or sinful. "Prodigal" means wasteful or reckless. "Tortuous" means twisted or complicated.

"Unctuous" and "oleaginous" both mean oily or slick. "Blunt" means straightforward or candid. "Ingratiating" means fawning or servile. "Tendentious" means biased or prejudicial. "Tortuous" means twisted or complicated. 

"Sinewy" and "brawny" both mean tough or stringy. "Germinal" means budding or initial. "Irksome" means annoying or irritating. "Mutinous" means rebellious or defiant. "Personable" means friendly or sociable. 

You might think of the word strident as meaning “strong” or “determined.” The word is often used in this manner and loosely can mean this, merely presenting an opinion in a forceful manner. The first meaning of the word is “rough” or “grating,” as in a “grating and loud sound.” Thus, someone who defends a position very strongly and with much passion might become strident in voice, that is, harsh sounding in vocal tone.

"Impervious" means not able to be penetrated, so "impenetrable," which also means unable to be penetrated, is the correct answer. "Porous" is an antonym of "impervious"; it means having holes through which things can pass. None of the other answer choices are related in meaning to "impervious": "conceited" means self-centered or full of oneself; "incessant" means continual or without pause or break; and "delectable" means tasty or delicious.

"Shiny" is an adjective that means bright or glossy in appearance. "Glossy" is therefore the best choice, since it is a part of the definition of "shiny." Considering the other choices, "dull" is an antonym of "shiny" that means lacking polish or color, "alluring" means very attractive, "abhorrent" means detestable, and "persistent" means dogged and resolute when referring to a person lasting for a long time when referring to things.