Question

Based on the context of each excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Winter Dreams," choose the definition that most closely matches the denotation of the bolded word.
inauspicious, threatening, foreboding
a gloomy, depressed state of mind
to misuse or treat with irreverence

At these times the country gave him a feeling of profound melancholy—it offended him that the links should lie in enforced fallowness, haunted by ragged sparrows for the long season. It was dreary, too, that on the tees where the gay colors fluttered in summer there were now only the desolate sand-boxes knee-deep in crusted ice. When he crossed the hills the wind blew cold as misery, and if the sun was out he tramped with his eyes squinted up against the hard dimensionless glare.
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She was watching him closely and the silence was embarrassing, yet in this crisis he could find no casual word with which to profane the hour.
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"We'd like to get a caddy," said the nurse. "Mrs. Mortimer Jones sent us out to play golf, and we don't know how without we get a caddy. "
Here she was stopped by an ominous glance from Miss Jones, followed immediately by the smile.

Answer 1

melancholy- a gloomy, depressed state of mind

profane- to misuse or treat with irreverence

ominous- inauspicious, threatening, foreboding

Answer 2

Melancholy is best matched by a gloomy , depressed state of mind. Depression or dejection appear as definitions in the dictionary.

Profane means not devoted to holy purposes and in the list of definitions that would be to misuse or treat with irreverence.

Omnious means portending evil or harm , so threatening ,inauspicious , foreboding closely match the denotation of the word.