Perfunctory most nearly means:

Perfunctory most nearly means:

• A. Thorough and meticulous
• B. Done routinely with little interest
• C. Spontaneous and enthusiastic
• D. Suspicious and wary

Answer: (B)

Perfunctory means something done with little interest, care, or attention—a mechanical, routine gesture rather than a thoughtful or engaged effort. So, when you see “done routinely with little interest,” it matches the sense of performing something in a barely-there, box-ticking way. That’s why this option fits best. The other ideas describe different attitudes: thorough and meticulous implies careful, complete work; spontaneous and enthusiastic suggests energy and eagerness; suspicious and wary relates to distrust. None of those convey the sense of a task done simply because it’s routine and with little engagement, which is at the heart of perfunctory. An example would be a perfunctory nod during a meeting, just to acknowledge someone without really listening.

Perfunctory means something done with little interest, care, or attention—a mechanical, routine gesture rather than a thoughtful or engaged effort. So, when you see “done routinely with little interest,” it matches the sense of performing something in a barely-there, box-ticking way.

That’s why this option fits best. The other ideas describe different attitudes: thorough and meticulous implies careful, complete work; spontaneous and enthusiastic suggests energy and eagerness; suspicious and wary relates to distrust. None of those convey the sense of a task done simply because it’s routine and with little engagement, which is at the heart of perfunctory. An example would be a perfunctory nod during a meeting, just to acknowledge someone without really listening.