Chagrin is best defined as

• A. A sense of pride after an achievement.
• B. A lingering sense of calm.
• C. A feeling of being very annoyed, disappointed, or embarrassed because of failure, disappointment, or humiliation.
• D. An episode of laughter.

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is a specific mix of emotion experienced after a mistake or humiliation. Chagrin is a blend of being very annoyed, disappointed, or embarrassed because something went wrong or you fell short, often with a sense of self-conscious discomfort. It captures that sting of irritation tied to a failure, along with the embarrassment you feel about the situation.

This fits best because it includes both disappointment and embarrassment, not pride, calmness, or laughter. Pride describes a positive feeling about achievement, calmness is a peaceful, relaxed state, and laughter is amusement—none of which align with the uneasy, self-conscious mood chagrin conveys. For example, missing an important deadline and realizing the slip publicly would likely trigger chagrin rather than pride or calm, and it wouldn’t be just a laugh.