"Emphatic" is an adjective that means to express something forcefully or to put emphasis on something.

"Gregarious" means outgoing and talkative.

"Dubious" means doubtful, or uncertain.

"Bleak" means desolate and depressing.

"To understand another's feelings" is the answer students will select if they misread emphatic as "empathetic", which means to understand another's feelings.

"Poignant" means heart-rending, or something that evokes sadness. "Poignant" is said poin-yent. 

None of the other words is synonymous with poignant.

"Pompous" means annoyingly self-important, excessively solemn in a forced or affected way.

"Sharp" means able to cut or puncture something, or colloquially it can mean intelligent.

"Wary" means watching for danger, being cautious.

"Eerie" means strange or weird, and is sometimes spelled "eerie" as well.

"Dormant" means "inert," unmoving, asleep or comatose.

None of the other words are synonyms of dormant:

"Rife" means abundant or plentiful.

"Dutiful" means obedient, following one's duties or conscientious.

"Rocky" means rough with stones, pebbles or rocks. Often dormant is used to describe inactive volcanoes, so "rocky" is meant to be a trick answer that triggers an association with dormant volcanoes.

"Wakeful" means awake, not asleep, or attentive. It is the opposite of dormant.

The adjectives "sheer" and "utter" are synonymous. "Sheer" means nothing other than and utter means complete, absolute, or total. Here are two examples of their use: 1) His "utter" fascination with the magician made his mother smile. 2) He used nothing but his "sheer" imagination to draw the comic. The other words are not synonymous with "sheer."

"Portentous" means "ominous" or foreboding. A portent is a premonition or a forewarning.

"Irrevocable" means can't be taken back, or can't be undone; final.

"Timorous" means fearful, afraid, or shuddering.

"Reckless" means careless, irresponsible or negligent.

"Frigid" means very cold, or unwelcoming.

"Apropos" means "relevant" or suitable; appropriate for a situation. The final "s" is not pronounced.

"Obedient" means compliant; describes someone who obeys.

"Grave" means very serious or gloomy.

"Inventive" means new, original, creative.

"Unsuitable" means inappropriate or not proper. It is an antonym of "apropos."

"Cardiac" means "related to the heart." For example, a heart surgery is a cardiac surgery.

"Healthy" means fit, active or strong.

"Cancerous" as an adjective means malignant, deadly or extremely harmful.

Words with the prefix "neuro" are related to the brain. For example, a brain doctor is a neurologist. 

"Pulmonary" means related to the lung. For example, a pulmonary disease is a lung disease.

"Monetary" means "financial" or related to money.

"Tedious" means boring and time-consuming.

"Sanctimonious" means self-righteous, hypocritical, smug.

"Redolent" means pleasant smelling, aromatic, or pungent.

"Plausible" means believable, possible or persuasive.

The correct answer is "complex." 

"Intricate" means very complicated or detailed.

"Complex" means consisting of many different and connected parts. The term "complex" is a synonym of the word intricate.

The adjective "enviable" means desirable, likely to be envied or wanted by others. Additionally, "cogent" means (of an argument) reasonable and convincing; "listless" means lacking energy and enthusiasm; "miserable" means very sad; "wanton" means random and destructive.