Select the most appropriate synonym for the highlighted word in the given…

Concept

A synonym question asks you to identify the option whose meaning matches the highlighted word as closely as possible in that exact context. "Idyllic" describes something charmingly simple, peaceful, and visually pleasing — often used for a calm, natural, or rural scene that feels almost picture-perfect.

Application

In the sentence, the traveller describes Kerala's slow-paced backwater lifestyle as idyllic, responding to how naturally beautiful and calmly charming this simple rural life appears to him. Among the given options, "picturesque" conveys exactly this sense — a scene or quality that is visually attractive and pleasing, resembling a picture — matching what "idyllic" intends here.

Contrast

• "Idle" means inactive or not in use — a state of doing nothing, unrelated to the visual charm or beauty that "idyllic" conveys.

• "Chaotic" means marked by complete disorder and confusion — nearly opposite to the calm, ordered charm the sentence describes.

• "Unpleasant" means causing discomfort or dislike — the opposite of the pleasing quality that "idyllic" conveys.

Since "picturesque" matches the visually charming, scenic sense of "idyllic" in this context, it is the correct synonym.