N K Das Verma’s Word Power Vol-1
1. Occur (v) (occurred- v2/v3)
 The incident occurred outside the
police station around 7 pm.
Syno- Happen, Take place, Befall, Chance,
Betide
2. Eat (v) (ate-v2/eaten-v3)
 Experts recommend eating plenty of
fruit and vegetables.
Syno- Consume, Gorge, Devour, gobble
Anto- Fast, Starve
Note: Gobble is used to eat something very
quickly.
3. Break(v) (broke-v2/broken-v3)
 Careful you don’t break the chair.
Plastics break quite easily.
Collocations:
 Break promise
 Break an agreement/contract/the
rule /the law/one’s heart…/ the
silence/somebody’s concentration…
Syno- Smash, Shatter, Snap, Split,
Fracture, crack, tear
Fill in the blanks with the words given in
synonyms:
1. She everyday ____ up letters and
puts them in the bin.
2. Using a sharp knife, ______ the
melon in half.
3. He fell over and _____ his wrist.
4. The ice soon began to ______.
5. The child _____ the pencil in two.
Answers: 1. Tears 2. Split 3. Fractured
4. Split 5. Crack
Anto- Combine, Join, Unite
4. Gaudy(adj)
 The wallpaper was much too gaudy
(=too brightly coloured) for me.
Syno- Showy, Garish, Tawdry, Flaunting
Anto- Sober, Sedate, Demure, Calm
5. Zealous (adj)
 No one is more zealous than Komal
in supporting the proposal.
Syno- Eager, Energetic, Enthusiastic,
Ardent
AntoApathetic,
Indifferent,
Cold,
Insensible
6. Advantage (n)
 Advantageous + to (adj.)
Syno- Benefit, Gain, Assistance, Profit,
Help
Anto- Loss, Curse
7. Fasten (v) (fastened-v2/v3)
Syno- Bind, Tie, Attach, Bolt, Join, Strap,
Chain
Anto- Loosen, Detach, Untie
Note: In everyday English, we usually use
do up rather than fasten: Do up (=fasten)
your jacket-it’s cold.
8. Recall (v)
 I don’t recall seeing any cars parked
outside
Syno- Remember, Recollect, Summon
Anto- Forget, Slight, Neglect
 Neglect=to pay too little attention
9. Impart (v) (to)
 Use a piece of fresh lemon to impart
a far-eastern flavor to simple
ingredients.
Syno- Give, Offer, Provide, Bestow
Anto- Withhold, Retain, Keep
Note: “To impart” is used to give a
particular quality, information, knowledge,
wisdom… to something.
10.Peculiar (adj ) (to)
 The problem of racism is not
peculiar to our country.
Syno- Unique, Strange, Singular, eccentric
Anto- Common, Rife, Ordinary, Trite,
Hackneyed (=boring)
11.Afraid (adj) (of)
 The prisoner was afraid of being
caught by the police.
Syno- Scared, Frightened, Terrified
Anto- Intrepid, Bold, Fearless, Heroic,
Valorous
 Afraid for a person=worried
Many of us are afraid for losing jobs.
12.Throw (v) (threw-v2/thrown-v3)
 Throw …to … (He threw the ball to
the wicket.)
 Throw… at... (Someone threw a
stone at the paintings.)
Syno- Fling, Sling, Cast, Hurl
Anto- Retain, Keep, Hold, Detain
Collocations:
1. Throw a person in/into prison/jail..
(=put.. in prison)
2. Throw doubt/suspicion on..
3. Throw... a look/glance/smile…
4. Throw light on…
13.Burn (v) (burnt-v2/v3)
 Be burning to do sth- to want to do
something very much
He was burning to know how we had
got on in Delhi.
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N K Das Verma’s Word Power Vol-1
Syno- Scorch, Singe, Scald, Parch,
Smoulder
Anto- Extinguish, blow out, put out
Note: ”To burn” can be replaced with “Be
on fire”/ “Be alight”/ “Be ablaze”/ “Catch
fire”/ “Burst into flames”/ “Set fire to
something/Set something on fire”.
 To Smoulder is to burn with smoke.
 To singe is to damage hair, wool,
paper… by burning it slightly.
The flames were hot enough to
singe your eyebrows.
14.Enter (v)
Note: “To enter” can be replaced with “go
in/into”/ “come in/into”/ get in/into”/
“break in/into”/ “burst in/into”/ “barge
in/into”/ “sneak in/into”.
 To barge in/into=to suddenly
interrupt while talking
 To trespass= enter an area without
permission
Syno- Insert, Enlist, Register, Trespass,
Pierce
Anto- Leave (left-v2/v3)
15.Abscond (v)
 Abscond from= escape from a place
(The boy absconded from a
children’s home.)
 Abscond with= leave a place staling
something
Syno- Flee, Escape, Elope, Decamp,
Disappear
Anto- Emerge, Appear
Note: See the differences:
1. She managed to escape from her
attacker and call the police.
2. Three prisoners absconded have not
yet been arrested.
16.Candid (adj)
 Candid + about/with=
She was quite candid about the difficulties
the government is having.
He was remarkably candid with me.
Syno- Frank, Outspoken, Ingenious,
Naïve, Honest
Anto- Ambiguous, Dubious, Dishonest,
Cunning
 Ambiguous: Something that is
confusing and not certain because it
has more than one way (SSC) (One
Word Substitution)
17.Humane (adj)
The UNO has launched a campaign
for the humane treatment of
criminals.
Syno- Kind, Sympathetic, benevolent,
Merciful, Pitiful
Anto- Cruel, Ruthless, Merciless, Brutal,
Pitiless
 Sympathetic=Compassionate (Both
have the same meaning: kind to
someone or wanting to help
someone who is suffering.)
Collocation:
 To have/ feel sympathy(n) for
someone
 To express/offer (your) sympathy
18.Sorrow (n) (Sorrowful (adj)
Syno- Grief, Distress, Woe, Affliction, Pain
Anto- Joy, Mirth, Bliss, Felicity, Ecstasy,
Pleasure (in your work), Delight, Elation
(for personal achievement), Euphoria
(excitement continuing for a short time),
Happiness
Fill in the blanks:
(Delight, Elation, Euphoria, Pleasure)
1. Most craftsmen get a lot of _______
out of making things.
2. To the audience’s _______, she
agreed to play another song.
3. No one can describe the ______
that parents feel after their son’s
success.
4. After he had delivered his first
speech, he experienced a great
sense of _______.
Answers: 1. Pleasure 2. Delight 3. Euphoria
4. Elation
Collocation:
1. Take pleasure in (doing) something
He takes great pleasure in boasting about
his big salary.
2. Get pleasure from/out of something
Young children get a lot of pleasure from
dressing up.
3. Derive
pleasure
from
(=get
pleasure from...)
19.Sly (adj)
Syno- Artful, Cunning, Crafty, Wily
Syno- Intelligent/Bright (=having a high
level of mental ability), Clever (=thinking
quickly how to solve problems), Brilliant
(=Good at work)
Anto- Simple, Naïve, Open, Honest
Note: Naïve=Innocent

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N K Das Verma’s Word Power Vol-1
20.Ample (adj)(more than necessary)
Syno- Abundant, Adequate (=enough in
quantity), Bounteous, Sufficient (=enough
for a purpose), Enough (=as much/many
as necessary), Plenty (=enough or more
than enough)
Fill in the blanks:
(Sufficient, Enough, Ample)
1. Local residents will be given ______
opportunity the express their views.
2. The police did not have ______
evidence to justify a charge levelled
against him.
3. His family never had ______ money
for holidays abroad.
Answer: 1. Ample 2. Sufficient 3. Enough
Anto- Scanty, Meager, Sparing, Short
Note: The word “Meagre” is used with
salary/income/wages/earnings…
21.Gaunt (adj)
 After a prolonged illness he looked
gaunt and he had not shaved for
days.
Syno- Haggard, Lanky, Lean, Thin, Drawn
Anto- Stout, Stalwart, Chubby, Flabby,
Fleshy, Sturdy
22.Slay (v) (slay-v2/slain-v3)
 Two teenagers were slain in the
shootings.
Syno- Kill, Assassinate, Murder, Massacre,
Slaughter
Anto- Save, Protect
Note:
 To assassinate means political
killing.
 Massacre= to kill a large number of
people violently
 Slaughter=to kill a large number of
animals for food
23.Sleep (v)
Syno- Slumber, Nap, Doze, Yawn, Repose
Note:
 Doze=to sleep lightly in a chair
 Nap= to sleep for a short time
during the day
 Slumber=to sleep deeply
Anto- Awake, Rise, Arise
24.Outset (n)
 At/from the outset + of= from the
beginning of an event or process
A person with higher qualifications can get
a better paid job at the outset of their
career.
SynoStart,
Beginning,
Preface,
Introduction
Anto- End, Termination
25.Deceit (n)
 With a little deceit and hypocrisy
they might get what they wanted.
Syno- Deception, Guile, Fraud, Duplicity,
Cheat
Anto- Honesty, Loyalty, Faithfulness
26.Build (v)
 Developers want to build on the site
of the old gasworks.
 Build on= based on an idea/thing
Our relationship is built on trust.
 Build up= to develop
He has built up a reputation as an
educationist.
Syno- Make, Erect, Construct, Fabricate
 Erect= to build a wall or something
straight
 Fabricate= to invent a false story,
pieces of information to cheat
someone
Anto- Destroy, Demolish
27.Send (v)
Syno- Dispatch, Transmit, Forward,
Delegate
 Dispatch= to send for a particular
purpose
Anto- Receive, Detain
 Detain=
to
officially
prevent
someone from leaving a place
Three suspects have been detained by the
police for questioning.
28.Endeavour (n)
 an attempt to do something new or
difficult
Syno- Attempt, Effort, Strive, Struggle,
Anto- Abandonment, Withdrawal, Vacation
29.Timid (adj)
 (not having courage or confidence)
Syno- Timorous, Cowardly, Shy, Fearful,
Diffident
 Shy=nervous about meeting and
speaking to unknown people
Anto- Valiant, Brave, Bold
30.Intricate (adj) (having a lot small
parts involved in a confused way)
Syno- Complex, Complicated, Entangled
 How to abolish the dowry system
seems a complicated issue.
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N K Das Verma’s Word Power Vol-1
We can’t really understand the
complex relationship between the
government and the media.
Anto- Simple, Frank, Direct
31.Mob (n) (a large noisy and violent
crowd)
Syno- Crowd, Throng, Herd, Horde,
Swarm, Rabble, Group, Gang, Pack, Mass
 Group= several people together in
the same place
 Crowd= a large number of people
coming to a place to do something
 Rabble= a noisy group of people
behaving badly
 Herd= a group of cows, deer,
elephants
 Flock= a group of sheep or birds
32.Demolish (v)
Syno- Destroy, Raze, Pull down, Dismantle
 Demolish= to completely destroy a
building by pulling down
 Dismantle= to end a system or
organization gradually
 Raze=to completely destroy a town
or buildings
Fill in the blanks:
(Demolish, Razed, Destroyed)
1. In the war some villages was _____
to ground by the enemy’s troops.
2. The municipal corporation has
ordered to _______ the building.
3. The earthquake almost completely
_________ the city.
Answers: 1.Razed 2.Demolish 3. Destroyed
Anto- Build, Make, Construct
33.Gist (n) (the main idea and
meaning of something said or
written)
 The gist of his argument is that full
employment is impossible.
Syno- Essence, Crux, Purport, Summary,
Pith
34.Zenith (n) (the most successful
point in the development of
something)
Syno- Peak, Summit, Pinnacle
Anto- Nadir, Zero, Bottom
 Nadir= the worst time or situation
35.Apt (adj)
 The punishment in such cases
should be apt for the crime.
Syno- Apposite, Fit, Suited, Suitable,
Fitting, Appropriate

Anto- Unsuitable, Improper, Unfit
36.Bear (v) (bore-v2/borne-v3)
Syno- Tolerate, Stand, Suffer, Endure
Bear=to deal with something
painful, difficult
 Endure=to be in a difficult or painful
situation for a long time
 Suffer=
to
experience
an
unpleasant or difficult situation
Fill in the blanks:
(Endure, Bear, Suffer)
1. Experts of the market economy
were worried that the financial
system would not be able to bear
the strain of note-ban.
2. Most of us have suffered the
consequences of stupid decisions
taken by others.
3. It seemed impossible that anyone
could endure such pain.
Answers: 1. Bear 2. Suffer 3. Endure
Anto- Protest, Object, Resist
 Protest=
to
publicly
express
opposition by coming together
 Object= to oppose or disapprove of
something
 Resist=to force something from
happening
Fill in the blanks:
(Protesting, Objected, Resisted)
1. Demonstrators violently ________
attempts to remove them from the
building.
2. Thousands of people blocked the
street, _________ against the new
legislation.
3. One of the financial experts of the
core team has strongly ________ to
the terms of the new norms.
Answers: 1. Resisted 2. Protesting 3.
Objected
37.Spring (v) (sprang-V2/sprung-V3)
Collocations:
1. Spring to (somebody’s) mind= to
suddenly think of something
2. Spring into action= become active
Syno- Jump, Skip, Leap, Hoop, Bounce
38.Cling (v)(clung-v2/v3)
 Hold tightly or attach
 Cling to= continue to believe
He clung to the hope/idea/belief that she
would be cured.

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N K Das Verma’s Word Power Vol-1
Syno- Stick, Adhere, Cleave, Cohere
Anto- Surrender, Give up, Yield
39.Scold (v)
Syno- Chide, Admonish, Rebuke, Upbraid
Anto- Praise, Admire, Encourage
40.Draw (v)(drew-v2/drawn-v3)
Collocations:
1. Draw somebody’s attention
2. Draw a conclusion
3. Draw a comparison/ parallel/
distinction..
4. Draw near/close= to become closer
in time
He grew anxious as the exam drew closer.
5. Draw a line between= to make
difference between
6. Draw someone’s eye to something=
make somebody notice something
7. Draw a cheque= to write a cheque
Syno- Drag, Haul, Pull, Tug, Allure
Anto- Push, Nudge, Impel
41.Fall (v)(fell-v2/fallen-v3)
Collocations:
1. Fall in love (with someone)
2. Fall asleep=to start sleeping
3. Fall short of= be lacking in
something
4. Fall into the habit of
5. Fall to pieces/bits= to break into
many pieces
Syno- Drop, Collapse, Tumble, Stumble
Anto- Stabilize, Still
42.Immaculate (adj) (=very clean/
correct)
Syno- Neat, clean, Spotless, Stainless
Anto- Tainted, spoiled
43.Obstinate (adj) (=determined not
to change ideas, behavior, mind…)
 Since morning we have been trying
to remove this obstinate stains.
Syno- Stubborn, Dogged, Obdurate
Anto- Docile (=Quite and easy controlled),
Amenable, Tame, flexible
44.Maxim (n) (a well-known phrase)
Syno- Dogma, Tenet, Doctrine, Principle
Anto- Paradox, Mystery, Contradiction
45.Weep (v) (to cry because you are
feeling sad)
Syno- Cry, Wail, Sob, Whimper
 Wail= to cry out with a long high
sound (in pain)
 Whimper= to cry quietly
Note: In everyday English, we use burst
into tears/ break down rather than
cry/weep.
He broke down and begged for forgiveness.
They shouted at her and she burst into
tears.
Anto-Laugh, Grin, Smile, Giggle, Chuckle
46.Ambiguous (adj) (= something
confusing, not clear and unclear)
Syno- Vague, Dubious (=not sure/ true /
right), Enigmatic (al), Obscure (=difficult
to understand)
Anto- Distinct, Clear, Lucid
47.Apathy (n) (the feeling of not
being interested in…)
 The campaign failed because of
public apathy.
Syno- Indifference, Inertia, Coldness
Anto- Eagerness (willingness to know
something/
interest
in
something),
Curiosity, Keenness
48.Declare (v) (=to state officially
and publicly)
Syno- Affirm (=to state publicly that
something is true), Announce, Assert, Aver
Anto- Deny, Gainsay
 Deny=to refuse or to say that
something is not true
He has denied murdering the two women.
49.Confess (v)
Syno- Admit, Acknowledge, Accept
 Admit=to agree unwillingly
 Confess= to admit something when
you are embarrassed or admit to
the police
 Acknowledge=to
say
that
something is true or that a situation
exists
Fill in the blanks:
(Admitted, Confess, Acknowledges)
1. I must confess I don’t like her at all.
2. The report acknowledges that
research on animals is not always a
reliable guide when it comes to
humans.
3. The core team at last admitted that
the company was having financial
problems during rainy season.
Answers: 1. Confess 2. Acknowledges 3.
Admitted
Anto- Refuse, Decline
Continued......
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