Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the highlighted segment in the given sentence.
O’ Henry's short stories are read all over the world till now because they are pithy.

Correct option is D

The correct synonym of the given word is (d) concise and expressive.
Given word – Pithy:
‘ Pithy’ means brief, concise, yet full of meaning or substance. It refers to language or expression that is short but impactful and meaningful. (Hindi meaning: सारगर्भित / संक्षिप्त लेकिन प्रभावशाली)
Example: His pithy comment ended the debate.
Correct answer word – Concise and expressive:
‘ Concise’ means brief and to the point, and ‘ expressive’ means able to convey meaning effectively. Together, they mirror the exact nature of “pithy”. (Hindi meanings: Concise – संक्षिप्त, Expressive – अभिव्यक्तिपूर्ण)
Example: The speech was concise and expressive, capturing everyone’s attention in just a few words.
Synonyms: terse, succinct, brief, meaningful
Antonyms: lengthy, wordy, vague, verbose
Meanings of all the other given options:
· (a) Fascinating and lengthy – Interesting but long (मनमोहक और लंबा) – Opposite in length to "pithy"
· (b) Elusive and unreal – Hard to understand and imaginary (पकड़ में न आने वाला और अवास्तविक) – Not related to clarity or brevity
· (c) Exaggerated yet short – Overstated (अतिशयोक्तिपूर्ण) – Contradicts the precise nature of "pithy"