Which term means 'difficult to arouse'?

• A. Laceration
• B. Latent
• C. Lateral
• D. Lethargic

Answer: (D)

Understanding arousal levels is about how awake someone is and how readily they respond to stimuli. Lethargic describes a reduced state of consciousness where a person is sleepy and slow to respond. They may be difficult to arouse and require more stimulation to become alert, though they are not fully unconscious. This fits the description “difficult to arouse” best. The other terms don’t relate to wakefulness: a laceration is a tear in tissue, latent means hidden or dormant, and lateral means toward the side.