Topic: Antonyms,

Best Answer Explained in Below-:

The term "pleasure" refers to a state of enjoyment, satisfaction, or happiness derived from experiences, sensations, or activities that are perceived as positive. When seeking its antonym, we look for a word that represents the opposite concept or a condition that contrasts with feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Among the options given:

A) "merriment" suggests joy and fun, which is aligned with pleasure.
B) "pain," on the other hand, denotes physical or emotional suffering, discomfort, or distress, which starkly opposes the notion of pleasure.
C) "happiness" also aligns with positive feelings and thus does not serve as an antonym.
D) "hypocrisy" refers to insincerity or pretending to hold beliefs that one does not actually possess; while it may carry negative connotations, it is not directly related to the emotional states associated with pleasure or its absence.

Therefore, "pain" (option B) is the correct antonym of "pleasure" due to its clear contrasting nature—while pleasure signifies a state of well-being, pain signifies a state of suffering or discomfort.