The feud might, perhaps, have died down or been compromised if the personal ill-will of the two men had not stood in the way; as boys they had thirsted for one another’s blood, as men each prayed that misfortune might fall on the other, and this wind-scourged winter night Ulrich had banded together his foresters to watch the dark forest, not in quest of four-footed quarry, but to keep a look-out for the prowling thieves whom he suspected of being afoot from across the land boundary.

Question

The feud might, perhaps, have died down or been compromised if the personal ill-will of the two men had not stood in the way; as boys they had thirsted for one another’s blood, as men each prayed that misfortune might fall on the other, and this wind-scourged winter night Ulrich had banded together his foresters to watch the dark forest, not in quest of four-footed quarry, but to keep a look-out for the prowling thieves whom he suspected of being afoot from across the land boundary.
Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

If a writer wanted to replace the word dark with one that created a greater sense of dread, what word might the writer use?

(1 point)
Responses which answer is correct and why

dim
dim

opaque
opaque

ebony
ebony

shadowy
shadowy
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GPT-4o mini · Answer

The most fitting word to replace "dark" in a way that creates a greater sense of dread is "shadowy."

Explanation: "Shadowy" evokes imagery of obscurity and uncertainty, which can enhance feelings of fear and suspense, especially in the context of a prowling threat in the forest. "Opaque" and "ebony" may convey darkness, but they lack the same connotations of danger and the unknown that "shadowy" embodies. "Dim," while it suggests low light, does not inherently carry the same ominous tone.