Okeke had gone as far as to say that enoch should not be hidden in the parsonage, because he would only draw the wrath of the clan upon the pastor. mr. smith had rebuked him in very strong language, and had not sought his advice that morning. but now, as he came up and stood by him confronting the angry spirits, mr. smith looked at him and smiled. it was a wan smile, but there was deep gratitude there.

based on the context in which it appears, what does the word wan most likely mean in this excerpt?
a. cheerful
b. mocking
c. strained
d. suspicious

Based on the context, the word "wan" most likely means C. strained.

Explanation:

Both adjectives, wan and strained, may refer to someone or something who looks tired, exhausted. Even if we didn't know that, we could reach that conclusion through context clues. In the excerpt we are studying here, the narrator tells us that Mr. Smith has previously argued with very strong language. However, he is no longer arguing. It sounds as if he's gotten tired of it, as if he has no strength to do it anymore. He only offers a wan, pale, strained, tired smile in return to what is being said to him.

the correct answer would be:  

a. adverb phrase