Basic Learning Material
Word List
BMM10303
www.vistamind.in
Basic Learning Material
Word List
BMM10303
www.vistamind.in
Second Edition 2013
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Content
Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots
1
Basic Word List
16
Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots
Preface
WORD BUILDING WITH PREFIXES, SUFFIXES & ROOTS
Friends, the first question that arises is: “ what is the best way to build vocabulary?” Out
of many ways possible, One is to remember some clues regarding origin of words, i.e.
Mainly these roots, prefixes & suffixes have come from Latin & Greek. Now in the process
of becoming a part of English their spelling changes slightly, like the word ‘acrid’ derived
from ‘acer’, meaning sharp or bitter. So learning these few keywords could help one to
deduce the meaning of many strange & unknown words.
So just get started & feel the difference.
PREFIXES
a, a b, abs : From,
Av er t
Abjure
Ab se nt
Asy mme trical
Amo ral
Away.
: To pre ven t, Avoid.
: Abdicate, Give up.
: Not pre sent .
: Without sy m metr y.
: Without scr uple s.
ad : To.
Adh ere
Adjure
Ad monish
Ad ve nt
Adumbrate
:
:
:
:
:
To
To
To
To
To
s tic k to .
ask earn estly, Requ est.
sco ld s oftly.
s ta rt.
r ep or t.
a mbi, a mphi : Bo th.
Amb idextr ous
: Using bo th ha nd skilfully.
Amb ivalent
Amp hibians
Am phith eatre
an : W it ho ut .
Anar chy
An aesthetic
Ano ny mity
Anom aly
ant e : Befo re.
An ten atal
An tec ede nt
Antech amber
An teda te
An tediluvian
anti : Ag ains t.
An tith es is
An tibo dy
An tif ree ze
A ntid ote
Antislav ery
: Medicin e that fights poison.
: Opp osing slave ry.
ar ch : F irst , C hie f.
Archenemy
:
Arc hriv al
:
Archa ngel
:
Ar chb ish op
:
Ar chdu ke
:
Greatest enemy.
First riva l.
Chief angel.
Head of bis hop.
Chief Du ke.
be n : G ood, W ell.
Be nediction
Be ne vo le nt
Ben efac tor
Beneficiary
:
:
:
:
Say ing good.
Goodw ill.
Good deeds.
One who receives be nefit.
: In two state of mind.
: Live on land as well as water.
: Large o pen area sur rounded
by r ow s of s ea t slop ping
upward.
bi : Two.
Bilater al
Bise ct
Bicy cle
Bin ocular
Biannu al
:
:
:
:
:
Both sid ed.
Cut into two equ al par ts.
Two cy cles.
Two len s.
Two y ears.
:
:
:
:
circ um: Ar ound.
Cir cumv ent
Cir cumlocution
Circ umnavigate
Circumscribe
Circumference
:
:
:
:
:
Find a wa y around.
Say ing rou nd about.
Sail a ll the way a round.
Surrou nded .
Enclos ing boundar y of a
circ le.
State of lawless ness.
Without pain , P ain killer.
With ou t ide ntity.
Out of place, Odd.
: Care b efore child birth.
: Som ething h appe ned
or ex isted be fore.
: A sma ll room le ading
to a lar ger one.
: Come before in date.
: Som eth in g tha t e x is te d
befo re.
: A co ntrasting the sis.
: Oppo sing b ody.
: Avo id fr eezing.
com, co n, c ol, cor, co : To gether.
Co mm it
: Pled ge.
Co nco rd
: Agree ment, Har mony.
Co ncu rs
: Co me to a poin t.
Co llab ora te
: To get tog ethe r.
Co llate
: To co llect & an aly ze
in for ma tio n.
co ntra , c ont ro, counter : Ag ains t.
Co ntra dict
: To prov e wro ng.
Co untera ct
: To o ppos e.
Co ntro ver sy
: D iffere nce of opinion.
H O B S O N ’ S
CHOI CE:
equiva lent of no choice
Ho bs on ga v e no on e
any cho ice at all. That’s
the re al meaning of the
ph ra se .T ho m a s
Hobson w as the
owner of a livery stable
in 17th century England.
He lov ed his hor se and
mad e a g reat f etish of
se eing to it tha t ea ch
horse was hired in turn.
A cu stomer who didn’t
hap pen to care for the
an imal th at to o ffer ed
h im w as f o rc ed to
accept or do witho ut his
r id e f or th e d ay . I f
so meon e, the n, s hou ld
o ff er y ou Ho b s on ’s
c ho ic e it m ea n s tha t
y ou m us t a cc ep t th e
th ing of fere d o r s ettle
for nothing at a ll.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Roo ts | BMM10303 | 1 of 131
GETTIN G THE SHOR T END
OF THE STICK
Can dles we re ex pe ns ive to
m ake, s o o fte n re ed s w er e
d ip pe d in tallo w a nd bu rn t
in stea d. Whe n visitors cam e,
it was the custom for g uests to
make the ir exit by the time the
lights wen t o ut. The refo re, if
y our host d id not want y o u to
stay very long, he would give
y o u a ‘s hort stick’.
Con tr as t
Coun terbalance
: O pposing bac kgrou nd.
: To b alance each other.
de : Dow n, Away, From , About.
Descend
: To come down.
Dep art
: To le ave.
Describe
: Explain ab out.
Degenerate
: To debilita te.
Detach
: To p ar t.
de mi : Half.
Demigod
Demilune
Demisec
Demitasse
:
:
:
:
Half God half human.
Cres cent m oon.
Medium dry.
Small coffee cup.
dia : Acr oss, Throug h.
Diameter
: Across the circle.
Diaphragm
: Through a lay er.
Diag onal
: Across a poly gon.
Diagn osis
: Through analy sis & report.
dis, di, dif : A part, Not.
Division
: Div idin g.
Dis sens ion
: Disa gr ee me nt le ad in g to
discord.
Disho ne st
: No t ho nes t.
Disarm
: With out ar ms.
Dislo cate
: Un settle.
equi : Equa l.
Eq uin ox
Equ ivalent
Equila teral
Equiv ocal
Equ ity
:
:
:
:
:
ex ,e, e f : Out o f,
Efface
Ex tr ac t
E xit
Exclude
Fr om.
: To ru b the face off.
: To with d raw from.
: To mov e ou t.
: To ig nor e.
Equal length of day & night.
Being equal to.
Equal sides.
Not taking a clear stand.
A share.
ex tra : Out of, Be yond.
Ex tra ter res trial : Out , fro m space.
Extr acurric ular : Apart from acade mics .
Extraor dina ry
: Spec ial.
Ex tr ava ga nt
: Spe nd thrif t.
hy pe r : Too muc h.
Hy pertension
: To o mu ch o f te nsio n.
Hy p eractive
: Extremely active.
Hy per bole
: Exag gerated express ion.
hy po : To o little, Unde r.
Hy pogly caemia : Low level of glucose.
Hy pocho ndriac : Having low feeling regarding one self .
Hy podermic
: Unde r the skin
Hy p oactive
: Being less active.
in, il, im, ir : Into, In , On.
Invade
Immerse
Illustr ate
Include
Indulge
:
:
:
:
:
To
To
To
To
To
plu nder.
dip.
show, To exhib it.
take in.
get involv ed.
inter, int ra : Be twee n , Among.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Roo ts | BMM10303 | 2 of 131
Interpo se
In tr an et
In ter nation al
In term ission
Inter urban
:
:
:
:
:
To stand in between.
Net within an org anization.
Amo ng n atio ns.
Interval, Bre ak.
Among c ities.
:
:
:
:
:
Ba d inte ntion s.
Badly nouris hed.
Cur se.
Not func tioning we ll.
No t s killfu l.
ma l : Ba d.
Ma le vo le nt
Malnouris hed
Ma lediction
Ma lfu nctioning
Ma lad ro it
mo no : Sing le .
M on o ton e
Mo no ra il
M on op oly
Mo nolog ue
M on o lith
neo : N ew.
Neop lasm
Ne ophy te
Ne olith ic
Ne ona te
Neo logism
no n : No t.
No nco nfo rmist
No ne ntity
Non descr ipt
No n fiction
: Single tone , Mon oto nou s.
: Ra ilwa y s a t high a ltitud e
running on a single rail.
: Single co ntro l.
: One wa y conversa tion.
: A la rge upr ight stone.
: A n ew g rowth in the b ody
of a ll.
: A beginner.
: An era.
: Just b orn .
: Coining n ew word.
: Reb el.
: No t imp ortan t.
: No t a ttr ac tiv e,
No t I nte res tin g.
: Not fictiona l, Re al.
ob, of, op : Against.
Obviate
: Essential .
Offend
: To a ttack verbally.
Obstacle
: Hindr ance.
Objec tion
: Op pos e.
Obstruct
: Hinder.
omni : All.
Omn iscient
Omn ivor ous
Omn ipres ent
Om nipo te nt
pan : A ll.
Pan theism
Pandemic
Panorama
Pandem onium
per i : Around.
Peris cope
Perim eter
Perip hery
: One who knows every
th ing .
: Feeds on vegetarian
as well as non
vegetarian diet.
: Present every where.
: Powerful.
: Revering to all gods.
: An disease prevalent in
a area .
: Complete survey of
subject or sequence of
ev ents.
: Wild and noisy.
: An ap paratus co nsist
ing of a tube attached
to a set of mirrors or
prism.
: Bound ary.
: Edge.
Perigee
: Smallest distance
between Moon &
Ea rth.
poly : Ma ny.
Po ly glot
Poly gon
Poly nom ial
Polygamy
Poly theism
re : B ac k.
Recur
Recede
Ref und
Rem it
Reab sorb
: Person spe aking many
language.
: Figure with many
sides.
: Equa tion ha ving
different powers of
variables.
: Having sex with many.
: Revering to many
gods.
:
:
:
:
:
Occur again.
Mov e ba ck
To pay ba ck.
Dimin is h.
To a bsorb ag ain.
tra ns : Acro ss.
Tr an sp or t
: Mov ing f rom one
pla ce to anoth er.
Tr ans contine nta l : Fro m o ne contine nt
to ano the r.
Tr ansf er
: Displace.
Tr an sit
: Pu blic tra nspo rt
carry ing masses.
Tr an sien t
: Tem pora ry.
ultr a : B ey ond.
Ultr aviolet
Ultramod ern
Ultr athin
Ultralibe ral
Ultra son ic
: Bey ond violet ( in
spe ctru m).
: To o mo der n.
: Very thin.
: Too m uch of fre edom.
: Bey ond human
hearing capac ity.
ret ro : Bac kwar d.
Re tro spe ct
: Pas t.
Retrogr ess
: Go bac k to a inf erior
s ta te .
Retroje ct
: To pro ject backw ards .
Re tro flex
: Turn ba ckward.
Retro grade
: Direc ting backward.
se : Apart , Away.
Se dition
: Reb ellion.
Seduce
: To influenc e.
Seduc tive
: Te mpting and attrac tiv e.
Sedulous
: Dilig en t.
s emi : Ha lf .
Semicon scious
Semicircle
Semif inals
Semia nnual
sub : U nde r.
Subve rsive
Subway
Subzero
Su bve ntion
Sub utop ia
:
:
:
:
Half a wake.
Half c ircle.
Match p rior to fina ls.
Half y early.
: Inte nding to subve rt a
es tablish ed institu tion .
: Tunnel under a r oad .
: Low er th an ze ro.
: Gran ting mo ney.
: Suburb an develop ment.
super : A bove , B eyond.
Super pose
: To cove r.
Sup ernatu ral
: Magical.
Supernumerary : In large number.
Sup erscr ipt
: Note on to p of p age.
Superc ilious
: Hau ghty tre atme nt.
s yn, sy m : W it h, Sa me .
Sy non y mous
: Havin g similar mean
in g.
Sy n chron ous
: Happen ing at the same
tim e.
Sy n thes is
: Manu factur ing.
Sy nops is
: Summary.
Sy mmetry
: Similar in sh ape.
B OY COTT : no t to
en ter ta in
Perhap s the first victim
of this practice, a t least
in a n or ga nize d wa y,
was a Ca ptain Char les
Cu nn ing ha m B oy co tt.
Th e c ap tain w as la nd
agent for the esta tes of
the E ar l o f Er ne in
Countr y May o, Ir eland.
W he n the c a ptain
raised the rents around
the au tumn of 18 80 the
ten ants turned on h im,
un der th e s po nse rsh ip
o f th e Ir ish L an d
L ea gu e. L o ca l sh op s
would sell him no thing,
or ga nize d ma ra ud er s
destroy ed h is prop erty
a nd b lo cked h is m ail
and food supplies, and
in the en d th e c apta in
w as g la d to flee to
En gland with his lif e.
The oc casion was front
page news, and the word
b oy co tt im me diately
be cam e a par t o f o ur
language.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Roo ts | BMM10303 | 3 of 131
MAD DER THAN A W ET
HEN
Very angry or u pset.
ALL DRESSED UP A ND
NOWHERE TO GO
W he n
so me thing
or
someone looks good, but has
no purpo se.
Com pete nce
Absence
S UFFIXES
able : Able.
Culp able
Plia ble
Eata ble
Cred ible
Lo vab le
:
:
:
:
:
Pun ishab le.
Fle xible.
Can be eaten.
Believ able.
Can be loved.
ac io us , cious : Hav ing the qua lity o f.
Capac ious
Mer etricious
Gracious
Menda cious
:
:
:
:
Spacious .
Gaudy, Ve ry bright
Aw ake.
Un tr uth fu l.
ag e : A ct, Co ndition, P lac e.
Cour age
: Brav ery.
Fo lia ge
: Plan t leav es.
Orpha nage
: Place were orpha ns are
kep t.
Ancho rage
: State of being an
chor ed.
al : B elonging t o.
Legal
Regal
Logical
Ethica l
a nu, enc e : Sta te
Abu ndance
Indulgence
Rés ista nce
Imp orta nce
Exube rance
at e : One who.
Advo cate
Candidate
Radiate
Venerate
An nih ila te
:
:
:
:
Per tainin g to law.
Pe rtaining to king .
Relatin g to log ic.
Per tain ing to e thic s.
o f.
: Plen ty .
: Sta te of being involv ed.
: Hinder ing .
: Being impor tant .
: State of e nthusiasm.
:
:
:
:
:
One who practical law.
One who c ontends.
Issuin g heat or light.
One who revere.
One who destroy s.
ar y, cer, er: One who , C oncer ning.
Secretary
: One who keeps secret.
Fina ncer
: One who finance.
Cleaner
: Conce rning cla rity.
Car penter
: One who makes
furniture.
Barber
: Hair doer.
: Enterpris es.
: State of bein g not
pr esen t.
er, or : One w ho.
Play er
: One who play s an
in stru men t.
Actor
: One who acts.
Jes ter
: Clo wn.
Ora tor
: One who delivers
spee ch.
es ce nt : B ec oming.
Ado lesc ent
: Bec oming an a dult.
Pu tre sce nt
: Deca y ing.
Flore sce nt
: I ssuin g lig ht.
fy : Make.
Sanc tify
Pur ify
Vilify
Magn ify
:
:
:
:
Make s acred.
Make pu re.
Sland er .
Makes large.
hoo d : Sta te o f.
Ad ultho od
Kn ig htho od
Ch ild ho od
Falseho od
:
:
:
:
Being an adult .
Be ing a knigh t.
State of being a child
State of being f alse.
ic , id, : Of like.
Buco lic
Alcoh olic
Volc anic
Isla mic
Ange lic
: Belongin g to coun try
side.
: Of alcoh ol.
: Like a vo lcan o.
: Of is lam.
: Of an gels.
it , ile : C apa ble o f mov ing.
Doc ile
: Teacha ble .
Serv ile
: Capab le of plea sing.
Ta ctile
: Capable o f sensing
by to uch.
Exile
: Being o ut.
Mo bile
: Capab le of mo ving.
ion : Act of.
De sper ation
: Bein g desper ate.
Com munication : Act to com munica te.
Co ns tr uc tion
: Act of c onstr uctin g .
Re vo lu tion
: Act of change.
Reb ellion
: To rebe l.
cy : State of.
Adequacy
Pote ncy
Despon dency
Frequency
:
:
:
:
En oug h.
Being p oten t.
Mercy.
Recur rent.
dom : State of.
King dom
Wis dom
Bore dom
Marty rdom
Freedom
io us : Char ac te rized by.
Spac ious
: Lot of spa ce.
Illustrio us
: Characte rized by
examp les.
Amb itio us
: Too much of a mbition.
Gracious
: Cou rteou s, Kind.
Dubious
: Mis leading.
:
:
:
:
:
State ruled by a king.
State of being wise.
Bo rin g.
Suffering for a cause.
Libe rty.
ish : Like .
Bo y ish
Self ish
Sco ttis h
Clownish
:
:
:
:
ism : B elie f in.
Idealism
Barbarism
: Belie ves in ideal things.
: Wild, Cruel.
ence : St ate of c onditio n.
Dependence
: Being de pendent.
Confidence
: Belief in oneself .
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Roo ts | BMM10303 | 4 of 131
Like a boy.
Mea n.
Belongs to Scotla nd.
Like a clown.
Rac ism
De spo tism
: Ra cis t.
: Believes in au thority.
is t : One who pr act ice s.
Botan is t
: Deals with study of
bo tan y.
Der mato logist
: One who p ractices
der matolo gy.
Se xist
: One wh o discriminates
based o n sex.
De ntis t
: One who p ractices
de ntistr y.
iv e : Re la ting t o.
Plain tive
: Soundin g sad &
mou rnfu l.
Cr eative
: Related to c reation.
Subjective
: Pertaining to a subj ect.
Au th orita tive
: Related to auth ority.
mo ny : Sta te .
Ma trimo ny
Harm ony
Parsimony
or, e r : One who.
M on ito r
De pos itor
Gener ator
Mana ger
ory : A place for.
De pos ito ry
Crema tory
Co nser vato ry
Purga tory
our, o re : Full o f.
Pon dero us
Verbose
Generous
Poly g amous
Po iso no us
:
:
:
:
One
One
One
One
:
:
:
:
Unc ontro llab le.
Displa y ing.
Celeb rating noisily.
Very bright.
who che cks.
who d eposits.
who g enerates.
who manage.
:
:
:
:
A
A
A
A
:
:
:
:
:
Bulky .
Wo rd y.
Don ating free ly.
Practicing poly gamy.
Fu ll o f p oiso n.
pla ce
place
pla ce
pla ce
to dep osit.
to cremate.
to cons erve.
for sin ners.
s ome : Chara cte ris tic o f.
Lo ath so me
: Detestab le.
Hand some
: Go od loo kin g.
Lassitude
Mu ltitu de
Attitu de
Mag nitu de
y : Full of.
Unruly
Showy
Revelry
Gaudy
: Mo vin g f orth.
: State of being ma rried.
: Sta te of goodwill.
: Being thrif ty.
s hip : St at e of , Skill.
Fr ien dsh ip
: State of being fr iends.
Stewar dship
: State of being a care
ta ke r.
Pe nma nsh ip
: Being employ e d to
write on behalf of
othe rs .
Hor semans hip
: Being a h orse man.
tude : Stat e o f.
Rec titu de
Forward
: Mora lly cor rect
behav ior.
: Lack of energy .
: Large nu mber of.
: Beh avio ur.
: Measur e of.
war d : I n the direc tion of.
Windward
: In the direction of wind.
Backward
: Mov ing ba ck.
Westward
: Towards west.
GORD IAN KN OT :
to so lve a n intr ic ate
pr ob le m
Wh en We Say “h e c ut
the Go rd ian k no t,” w e
m ea n th at th is p er so n
ha s s olved an in tr ica te
pr oblem by us ing bo ld
and dra stic means. It all
c om es f ro m G or d ius ,
kin g o f G or dium in
Phr y gia, who o nce tied
an e xtr eme ly in trica te
kno t o n h is ch ar iot.
Upon this a local oracle
prophe sied that w hoever
undid the knot would rule
As ia .W he n Alex an de r
the Gr eat was face d with
this nonsense , he settled
it by s lashing thro ugh the
kno t w ith h is sw o rd .
Thus K ing Gord ius gave
us our word and p hrase.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Roo ts | BMM10303 | 5 of 131
BURNING THE CANDLE
AT BOTH ENDS
 When a clerk worked at
night, it wa s hard to see by
ca ndleligh t. If the c ler ks
did not ha ve two candles,
they wo uld turn the candle
on its s ide and light bo th
en ds. This g ave twice as
mu ch ligh t, b ut bur nt o ut
in ha lf th e tim e . Th e
phrase, therefore, came to
m ea n s om eo n e wh o
w or ke d v er y h ar d , bu t
wo uld we ar h im se lf o ut
(what today we c all ‘burnout’) very quickly.
 A fe w peop le believe
that the phras e is actually
‘burnin g the candle at both
en ds o f th e d ay ’, th at is,
g ettin g up e a rly in th e
mo rn in g (a nd b ur ning a
ca ndle ) an d go ing to b ed
late (an d aga in b urnin g a
candle ). Which is why we
say that someon e loo king
tried an d ha g ga rd fr om
overwork (or overplay ) h as
been bu rning the ca ndle at
bo th e nds. ..
ROOTS
g, act : Do, Act.
Age nt
Co untera ct
Con tr ac t
Pr otra ct
Agape
agr : Field .
Agricu lture
Agr itour ism
Agribu siness
Agrisc ience
: P er so n p ro vid in g
particular ser vice.
: Op pos e.
: To sh rink.
: To p rolon g.
: Wid e op en.
:
:
:
:
a
Fa rmin g.
Tourist stay in rura l area.
Commer cial agricu lture.
App lica tion of scie nce to
agricu lture.
alter, a ltr : Othe r.
Alter na te
:
Alte rna tive
:
Altere go
:
Altruism
:
Leavin g one in be tween.
Other s ource.
Oth er se lf.
Selfles s concern for others
ama, ami : Lov e.
Amateur
Amiable
Amicable
Amor ous
:
:
:
:
No t p rofe ssiona l.
Friendly.
Absence of discord.
Showin g sexual d esire.
annus : Ye ar.
Ann ivers ary
An nu al
Biannu al
An nuity
:
:
:
:
On com pletion of a y ear.
Year ly.
In two y ears.
Fixe d a mo unt o f m on ey
paid y early.
a nt hr opo : Huma n, Ma nkind.
An thr op olo gy
: Stu dy of mankind.
Misa nth ro pe
: One who hates mankind.
Ph ilan th ro pist : One who lov es mankind.
An th ro po pa th is m : De aling w ith w elfar e of
ma nkin d.
ar ch : C hie f, Anc ient, Fir st
Ar chite ct
: Des ign for c onstr uction.
Mo nar ch
: Kin g.
Heirarchy
: Ranking or der.
Patriar ch
: Fa m ily h e a d e d b y a
male.
aud : Hea r.
Aud itor ium
: Big h all.
Audience
: Sp ecta tor s.
Au dition
: Sou nd testing.
Audible
: Easily heard.
aqua : W ate r.
Aquarium
Aqua tic
Aquamarine
Aqueduct
ar m : W ea po n.
Arm our
Arm ory
Arm istice
Armada
:
:
:
:
A small f ish pond.
Those w ho thrive in water.
Ocea nic.
Pipe line thr ough a gap.
: Shie ld.
: Store house of arms.
: A gr e e m e nt b e t w e e n
enemies not to fight for a
pe rio d.
: Fle et o f sh ip.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Roo ts | BMM10303 | 6 of 131
ast er, a stro : St ar.
As te risk
Disaster
As tro no my
As tro na ut
:
:
:
:
A star like sy mbol.
Com plete de stru ctio n.
Study of stars.
O ne w h o e xp lo r es ou te r
spa ce.
at hl, at hion : P rize , Co nt es t.
Athlete
: One who is p roficien t in
sp or ts .
Athletic
: Phy s ically f it & str ong.
De cathlon
: An athletic eve nt in wh ich
each pa rticipant com pete in
all the ten even ts.
P en ta th lo n
: E ve nt in wh ic h a ll th e
competitor participate in all
fiv e even ts.
avi : Bird.
Aviary
Av ia to r
Aviculture
Avic ide
ba ro : We ight.
Bar ometer
Bar ogra ph
Iso bar
:
:
:
:
A plac e were birds live.
One who can fly.
Breeding and ra ising of birds.
Killing of b ird.
: I ns tr u me nt to m e as ur e
press ure.
: Bar om e te r re c or din g its
reading on a moving chart.
: Balanced pressure.
bas : Low.
Debase
Ba seme nt
Ba stio n
Basic
:
:
:
:
Hum ilia te.
A room und er earth.
Fo rtr es s.
Es sen tia l.
be ll : Wa r.
Bellico se
Belliger ent
Antebellum
Pos tbellum
:
:
:
:
War like.
Read y to fight.
Prior to war.
After war.
be n : G ood, W ell.
Be ne vo le nt
Ben efac tor
Be nedict
Ben efic ent
:
:
:
:
Go od intention s.
Doin g good to some one.
To say good for so meone.
Goo d to someo ne.
bibl : Bo ok.
Bible
Bib liogra phy
Biblio phile
Biblical
bio : Lif e.
Biolo gy
Bio grap hy
Biop sy
An tibiotic
bre v : Shor t.
Br evity
Abbre viate
Brev iary
: Ho ly b ook of Chris tian s.
: List of ref eren ce boo ks at
the end o f a bo ok.
: Lo ver of books.
: Related to bible.
: Study of life sc ience.
: Literary sketch of one ’s life.
: To exam ine a tissue und er
mic rosco pe.
: Medicine th at fig ht alle rgy.
: Co ncis e.
: To write sho rt fo rm.
: A b ook c ontaining services
for eac h day.
Breve
: A note hav ing time value
of two se mibreves.
bursa : Bag , P urs e.
Bur sar
: Person managing fin ancial
a ff air s of a co lle ge o r
sc ho ol.
Bu rsitis
: Inflam mation of bursa.
Reimburse
: Rep ay.
Disburse
: Pay o ut (mon ey ).
cad, cas , cid : F all
Cadence
: Rh y thm .
Casu alty
: Pers on killed or injure d in
war or a ccident.
In cide nt
: Eve nt, Stee p fa ll.
Cada ver
: Co rps e.
ca me ra : Vault , Chambe r.
Bicameral
: Havin g two cham bers.
Camera
: Device record visual image.
Unica meral
: Having one chamber.
Cameral
: Spacious.
ca nd : Whit e.
Can dle
Can dida te
Candelabra
Inc andesc ent
: Blo ck of w a x us e d fo r
lightin g.
: Con tend er.
: Tre e with upwar d curv ing
boug hs.
: Issu ing light.
ca p, capt : Take, Hold.
Capa ble
: Po ss es s qu ality of d oing
so methin g.
Ca ptiv e
: Person who has been
taken as prison er.
Ca ptiv ate
: To take in cu stod y.
Cap to r
: Pers on who imprisons
someone else.
ca pit : Hea d.
Ca pita l
Dec apitate
Re capitula te
Ca ptain
:
:
:
:
Money , Main, M ajor.
Beheaded.
Summa rize.
Head.
ca rn : Fle sh
Car nal
Ca rniv oro us
In carn ation
: Rela ted to f lesh, Body.
: Fles h eating.
: Em bodiedme nt of c erta in
charac ters.
Chilli con c arne : A stew of minced be ef &
beans flavoure d with c hilli
powder.
ced, ce ss. : Yie ld, Go.
Pro cess ion
: Succes sion of peo ple or
thing .
Cec ession
: To stop .
Rec ession
: Downward trend.
Precede
: Th at h appe ns firs t.
ce ns : Judg e.
Ce ns or
Cen sus
: To exam ine material so as
to a v oid a ny o b sc en e
material to be
prin ted or shown publicly.
: To co un t, f or p op ulatio n
Cens ure
Con sens us
es timatio n.
: To c riticize by Judg ing.
: To tal agre emen t.
ce pt : Ta ke, Re ceive, Cat ch
Re cep tion
: Place to receive a person.
In ce ptio n
: Af ter take n p la ce for the
fir st time.
De cep tion
: To pr epare a c atch.
Ac ce pt
: To ta ke .
chro n : Time.
Sy n chron ous
An achr ono us
Ch ron ic le
Ch rono meter
: Happen ing at the same.
: At a n odd time.
: A rr an g in g th e e ve n ts in
orde r of their h appening.
: T im e
m ea s ur in g
in strum en t.
cide , c is : Cut , Kill.
Suicide
: Killing onese lf.
Cr iticize
: To con dem n.
Prec isim
: To cut to p erfe ctio n.
Regicide
: Killing o f a king.
clin : Lea n, Bend.
In clin ation
: Lean Upwards.
De clin ation
: Downwards.
Recline
: Lie back in relaxed position.
club, c lus : Shut.
Con clus ive
Inc lusion
Seclu sion
Exc lusion
co gn : Kno w.
Rec ognize
Co gn itiv e
Co gn izan t
In co gn ito
:
:
:
:
At the end.
Ta ke in
Away, Separate.
To p ar t.
: Acknowled ge.
: K no win g wo r ld th ro ug h
sens es.
: Lear ned.
: H av in g o ne ’s id e ntity
conce aled.
co rd : Bind.
Co rdial
Acc ord
Disc ord
Co nco rd
:
:
:
:
He arty inv ita tio n.
Agree ment.
Differ ences.
Harm ony.
corp : Body.
Co rpu le nt
Co rp se
Co rp or atio n
Cor pusc les
:
:
:
:
Obese.
Dead body.
Org anis atio n.
Tin y bodies.
co sm : W orld.
Cos mic
Co sm op olitan
Mic roco sm
Macro cosm
cr ed : Be liev e.
Incre dible
Cre dentials
Cr editor
Cre dibility
: Relating to u niver se.
: Familiar with representative
of many nation.
: Min iatur e wor ld.
: Wor ld of gian ts.
:
:
:
:
Unbelie vable.
Ac hiev emen t.
One who le nds money
Au th entic ity.
LAC ONIC : co ncise
A nu mbe r o f Eng lish
words are d erived from
th e cha rac te ris tic s of
the pe ople of certain
place s. A laco nic man
is a p er so n o f fe w
words. He is blu nt and
brief in what he has to
say. Now th e Laconians
of Gre ece were a race
tha t h ad this v er y
c h a r a c te r isti c .
La co nian s o f Gr ee ce
were a race that had this
ve ry ch ar a cter istic .
T he y inh ab ite d th e
district of which Sparta
w as the ca pital, an d
the y we re no te d fo r
their concise and pithy
speec h. Once wh en an
Ar the nia n h er ald to ld
them : “If we com e to
y our c ity , we will raze
it to the gr oun d, “the
Lac on ia ns
me r ely
an swe re d, “If .” Th us
the n am e Lac o nia
co ntribu ted to us o ur
word la conic.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Roo ts | BMM10303 | 7 of 131
ANTS IN HIS PA NTS
T he in ab ility to sit
q uietly a n d with ou t
moving aro und.
BACK SEAT DRIVER
Someone who constantly
tells the driver o f the car
how to drive.
crim : Judg e, A ccus e.
Crime
: Unlaw ful activity.
Crim inal
: O n e w h o c o m m it s
crime.
Discriminate
: Pa rtia l.
Inc rimin ate
: Wrong doing.
curr, cur s : Run.
Cu rre nt
: Pre sently running.
Curs ory
: Superf icial.
Exc ursion
: Ou tgo in g.
Cour ier
: Mail de livery.
cy cl : Ring.
Bicy cle
Cy c lic
Cy clone
Cy clist
:
:
:
:
Two cy cles.
Going roun d & round
Tw iste r.
Participant in cy cle riding.
de b : Ow n.
De bt
Inde bted
De btor
Deb it
:
:
:
:
Loa n.
Owing m oney or gratitude.
One wh o receives loan.
E ntry in a n ac co un t
record ing a sum owned.
de m : P eo ple.
Democracy
Epid emic
Demog raphy
Demagogue
dent : Toot h.
Tr id en t
De ntal
Den tifr ice
De ntis t
di : Day.
Dairy
Sundial
Sine die
Per diem
: People representativ e rule.
: O utbr ea k o f dise as e
affe cting m any.
: Accou nting on population.
: Rabble-rouser.
: Hav ing three tee th.
: Too th ca r e, Re la ted to
he alth .
: P as te o r p ow de r fo r
cleaning teeth.
: Dental doc tor.
: Bo ok in whic h o ne kee ps
daily record of events.
: A structur e that tells time
with refer ence to position
of sun.
: Up to uncertain p eriod.
: For each day.
dic, dict : Spea k, Sa y.
In dica te
: To m entio n.
Du ctile
: Can be drawn into wires.
Pr edict
: Fo retell.
Verd ict
: Fin al de cision.
Dicta te
: To rule.
dign : Wo rthy.
Dignity
In dig na nt
Co ndign
Dignity
:
:
:
:
Pre stig e.
Poo r.
Be fitting pu nish men t.
Eulogize.
do : Give.
Do na te
Do no r
Co nd on e
Do na te
:
:
:
:
To g ive fre ely.
One who dona tes.
To excu se.
Pers on receiving a g ift.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Roo ts | BMM10303 | 8 of 131
do min : Lor d, Ma ste r.
Do mina te
: To sup pres s.
Ind omita ble
: One tha t cannot be s ubdued.
do xa : Belie f, Pra is e.
Un or tho do xy
: Unru ly.
Heterod oxy
: N ot c on fo r ming w ith
or thod ox s tan dard s.
Or tho do xy
: Following strict standa rd &
rule.
Para dox
: Self
c on tr ad ictor y
statem en t.
due, duct : Lea d.
Co ndu ct
: To c arry o ut.
Abd uct
: To kid na p.
Seduce
: To pers uade someone to do
some u nadvisable thing.
Aqueduct
: To ca rr y p ipe line thr ou gh
gap.
dy n : Powe r.
Dy na mite
Dy namic
Dy na sty
Dy n amo
ego : I , Se lf.
Eg otis tic
Ego centric
Egoma niac
Eg otism
enni : Yea r.
Biennial
Per ennial
Ce nte nnial
equ : Equa l.
Equa lity
Eq ua tion
Eq uator
Ineq uity
:
:
:
:
Ex plos iv e.
Constan t change or ac tivity.
A line of hereditary ruler.
I ns tr um e nt tha t g en er ate
electr icity.
: One who brags a lot ab out
himself.
: Self ce ntered.
: Obses sive ego tism.
: Quality of be ing conc eit.
: In two y ear.
: All round the y ear.
: In hundre d y ears.
Hund reth a nnivus ary
: Sim ilarity.
: Proces s of equating one
th ing with an othe r.
: Imagin ary line dividing
ea rth.
: Discr imina tio n,
Differ ences.
e st h: Fe e ling .
Aes thetic
An esthetic
Ae sthe te
An esthe atist
: Of pleasing appearance.
: Substance inducing
ins ensitivity to pa in.
: Enth usiast o f art fo rms.
: One who deliver anesthesia.
fa ll, fa ls : Dec eiv e.
Fallacy
: Ca tc h.
Inf allible
: Incap able of m aking
mistake.
Fals ify
: Prove to be false.
False
: Un tru e.
fer :Bear, Car ry.
Tr ansf er
: Carry from one place to
an othe r.
Refer
Infer
Melliflu ous
fic : Do, Make.
Ef fic ie nt
Benef icial
Suf ficient
Pr oficie nt
: To c ons ult.
: To im ply.
: Yieldin g, producing honey
: Produc ing with m inimum
wastage.
: Good inten ded.
: En oug h.
: Co mpe ten t, Skilfu ll
fid : Fait h, Trus t.
Co nfide
Inf idelity
Bo nafide
Fidelity
:
:
:
:
To T ru st.
Bre ach o f tru st.
Genuine , Real.
Con tinu e loy alty to s ome
on e.
fin : End.
In finity
Fin al
Fin ite
Fina le
:
:
:
:
En dles s.
En d.
Limite d.
Last part o f an ev ent.
fix : Fa ste n.
Suf fix
Pr ef ix
Aff ix
Fixtur e
:
:
:
:
Attache d at las t.
Attach ed in fron t.
Fas ten to som ething else.
Piece of a furniture.
flect, fle x : Bend.
Re fle ct
Flexib le
Flex
Circu mflex
:
:
:
:
Show back.
Agile.
Co ntra ct.
Contract on all sides.
fol : Le af.
Pr otfo lio
Flor al
Fo lia ge
Def olia te
: Thin , flat case for
carry ing drawings.
: Related to flo wers.
: Fallen leaf.
: Remove leaves.
fo rm : Shape.
Un ifo rm
Ref orm
Fo rm atio n
Tra nsfo rm
:
:
:
:
Of same shape.
To bring about c hange.
Take a sh ape
Chan ge in sh ape.
for t : Stro ng.
Fo rtitu de
Fo rtif y
For t
Fo rtifica tion
:
:
:
:
Cour age.
Pr ote ction against attac k.
Pala ce.
Defensiv e wall.
fra g, fr act : Bre ak.
Frag ile
:
Frac ture
:
Fr agme nt
:
Fr ac tion
:
fug : F lu.
Fu gitive
Refuge
Centrifugal
Refugee
Tend er.
A bre ak or cr ack.
Piec es.
A pa rt of wh ole.
: A wanted person.
: Place of safety from
danger.
: Away from centre.
: Pers on under protec tion
against a disaster.
funct : Per for m.
Fu nc tion al
Ma lf unc tion
De fun ct
Dy sfun ction
ga m : Ma rr iag e.
Mo noga my
Poly gamy
Mis ogam ous
Bigamy
:
:
:
:
Wor king .
Not wor king pro perly.
No t w or kin g.
Wo rking aga ins t.
: Liv ing w ith o ne pa rtner at
a time.
: Multiple partners at a time.
: One wh o hate mar riage.
: Havin g two pa rtners a t the
same time.
ge n : Rac e, Birt h.
Prog eny
: Future gene ration.
Gene tics
: Field of science dealing with
gen es.
Genocide
: Mas s killin g.
Gen eration
: All per sons born and living
at th e same time.
gnos : Kno wn.
Ag no stic
Dia gnos is
Pr ogn ostica te
go n : Angle.
Trigonome try
Po ly g on
Octagon al
Pe ntag on
gr ad : Ste p.
Degrade
Gradu ation
Gra dation
Retro grade
: One who is not sure o f god’s
existen ce.
: To exa mine someone so as
to tr ea t.
: To fore cast the cour se of a
disease or ailment.
: Ma the matics dea ling with
rela tion b etween sides and
angles of a tria ngle.
: Figure having many sides.
: Eight edge d figure.
: A figur e having five sides.
:
:
:
:
Hum ilia te.
First academic d egree.
Scale o f successive change.
Directed b ackwards.
gr am : Lette r, Writte n.
Mo nogr am
: M otif of tw o o r m or e
in terw oven le tter s.
Tele gram
: Message sent by telegraph.
Grammar
: Rules of English usage.
Epig ram
: Concis e & witty s ay ing.
gr aph : W rit e.
Au tog ra ph
Parag raph
Gr aphite
Bio grap hy
:
:
:
:
Do o ne’s signature on.
Stan za .
A ty pe of stone.
A lite ra r y s ke tc h o f
some one’s life.
gre g : Herd, Ma ss.
Co ngre gation
: Mass ga thered for re ligious
wo rship.
Gregarious
: Winsom e.
Aggregate
: Su m, Tota l.
Desegregate
: To sep arate.
he d : Side , Se at .
Poly hed ron
: Having ma ny sides.
Te tr ahe dr on
: Having fo ur sides.
Q UIXOTIC : a foo lish
co ura ge
Th e Sp an ish n ov elis t,
cervan tes, had no great
success as a writer until
he pro duced his famous
nove l Do n Qu ix ote a t
the ag e of 57. His book
is a sa tire that ridicules
the o th er bo ok o f
c hiva lry tha t w er e
curren t during the early
p ar t of th e 17 th
ce ntur y. T he h er o of
th e no ve l be co me s o
s te e pe d in the s illy
liter atur e o f th e da y
tha t he lef t co mpelled
to be c om e a knigh t
errant and sally fo rth to
right wro ngs and he lp
the d ow ntr od de n. So
tod ay an y ab s ur dly
ro ma ntic a nd w ho lly
im pr ac tical p er so n is
called qu ixotic.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Roo ts | BMM10303 | 9 of 131
GI VI NG SOM EONE
THE COLD SHOULDER
Cathedr al
Ex cathedra
When guests would over
sta y the ir we lcome as
ho use gue sts , the hos ts
w ou ld ( in s te ad o f
f ee din g th em go od ,
warm m eals) give their
too long sta y ing gu ests
th e wo rs t pa rt o f th e
an im al, no t wa rm ed ,
but the cold sh ould er.
homo : Sa me .
Hom ogenized
Homo ny m
Hom ogra ph
Ho mop ho ne
hydr : Wate r.
Hy dr ant
Hy dr ogen
Hy d ropho bia
Dehy d rate
ject : Throw.
Proj ect
Inj ect
Rej ect
Eject
j our n : D aily.
Jo urn al
Jou rnalism
Jour ney
Sojo urn
: P rinc ipa l c hu rc h o f a
dioc ese.
: W ith f ull a uth or ity o f
office.
: Of same kind.
: H av in g s am e s ou n d bu t
diffe rent mea ning.
: Each of two or more words
sp elle d sa me b ut h av in g
dif fere nt
meaning & origin.
: Sam e
p ro nu nc iatio n
diffe rent mea ning.
: Wa te r p ip e w ith a no zzle
to whic h a fire hose can be
attache d.
: An eleme nt.
: Fear of water.
: Loss of water.
:
:
:
:
To
To
To
To
show up.
intr oduc e.
dismiss.
th row ou t.
:
:
:
:
Ar ticle.
Pre ss re porting.
Tr avellin g.
Tem porar y stay.
jur, jus, j u, jud : Law , Rig ht.
Jury
: Panel of judge.
Prejudice
: Bias ed.
Justice
: Just beh aviour or tr eatent.
Jurispr udence
: Philosoph y of law.
la bo ur : W or k.
Co llab ora te
Lab oratory
Ela bora te
Lab orio us
: To wo rk to geth er.
: Wor kshop we re exper iment
& resea rch is carried out.
: To deta il.
: Who works h ard.
lec t : Gathe r, Re ad.
Co llec t
: Gath er.
Ele ct
: To ch oos e.
Le cte rn
: Sta nd with sto pin g to p
fr om w hich s pe aker c an
read while stan ding.
Ele ctor al
: Related to e lection.
leg : Read, Law, Contr act.
Legal
: Related to law.
Legend
: An unau thenticated bu t a
popu lar historic al sto ry.
Legible
: Readable.
Leg itim ate
: Authenticated.
libr : B oo k.
Library
Libra rian
: Sto re ho use o f boo ks.
: One w ho works in a library
issu ing bo oks to reade rs.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Root s | BMM10303 | 1 0 of 131
Libr ettist
Libr etto
loc : Pla ce.
Loc al
Lo ca tion
Dis loca te
Lo calize
: One who wr ites the tex t of
an op era.
: Tex t of a n ope ra.
:
:
:
:
Ind igeno us.
A place.
To mov e to a nothe r pla ce.
To apply locally.
log , lo gue, log u : Spee ch.
Dialogue
: Two way ta lk.
Pr olog ue
: In tr od uc to ry se ctio n of a
lite rary w ork.
Ep ilog ue
: Sec tio n at th e en d o f a
lite rary w ork.
Eulo gue
: To fo rmally pr aise.
luc: Lig ht .
Lucid
Tr ansluce nt
Elucidate
Lucifer
luna : M oo n.
Lunar
Lunac
Tra nslu nar
ma gn : G rea t.
Mag nitu de
Mag nanim ity
Ma gnif ice nt
Magn ify
ma l : Ba d.
Ma lf unc tion
Malady
Ma lign
Malice
:
:
:
:
Tr ans pa ren t.
Allowing ligh t pa rtially.
Make cle ar, Expla in.
De vil.
: Re late d to moo n.
: Mentally d isturb ed.
: Relate d to tr a je cto ry o f
spacesh ip between M oon &
E ar th .
: Greatn ess or Mea sure.
: Gen erosity.
: Beau tiful, Elabor ate.
: To enh anc e.
:
:
:
:
mar, ma nu : Ha nd.
Man ual
:
Ma nus cript
:
Ma nip ula te
:
Manicure
:
Not wor king pro perly.
Disea se or ailment.
To sla nder.
Ill w ill.
By h and.
Hand written.
To chan ge.
Cos me tic tr ea tm e nt o f
hands & nails.
me mor ia : Me mor y.
Com memor ate : Re me mbe r, Sh ow res pe ct
for.
Me morize
: To rem ember.
Memor andum
: Written message in b usiness
or diplomacy.
Me morial
: Str uc tur e in m em o ry o f
pe rson or even t.
me nt : M ind.
M en ta l
Deme nted
Me nta lity
Me me nto
:
:
:
:
Thr ough min d.
Suffer ing from dem entia.
Attitu de .
To K ee p a n o bj ec t a s
remembrance.
me ter : Mea sur e.
Diam eter
: Long est chor d of cir cle.
Bar ometer
: I ns tr u me nt to m e as ur e
Altim eter
Perim eter
press ure.
: To measur e heig ht.
: Le ng th of bo un da ry of a
closed figure.
mer g : P lung e, Sink.
Submerge
: Plung e in.
Mer ger
: M ix .
Emerge
: To appe ar.
micr o : Sma ll.
Mic rosc ope
Mic rofilm
Mic roco sm
migr : Mo ve.
Migra te
Emmig rate
Immig rate
Migra tion
: In stru men t in w hic h tiny
objects are obse rved.
: Le ngth of film c ontaining
micro picture of newspaper.
: P la ce wh er e p eo p le o f
d if fe re nt lan d & cu ltur e
liv e.
: To mov e from one place
to anoth er.
: To move out from a place.
: To mov e in a new place.
: Process of moving from a
pla ce.
miser : Wr etc hed, Pit y.
Miser able
: In wretc hed co ndition.
Mis er
: Sting y.
Mis ery
: Pity .
Com miser ate
: To em pathize.
mo n : Adv ise , War n.
Ad monish
: To sco ld s oftly.
M on ito r
: To o bserve or ch eck.
Pr em onition
: Hu nc h.
mo rt : D eat h.
M or ta l
Im mortal
Mo rtality
Mo rtician
:
:
:
:
Who is liable to die.
Eter na l.
Rate of de ath.
An u nderta ker.
mult : Many.
Mu ltitu de
Mu ltif ario us
: Large in number.
: H av in g g r ea t v ar iety &
adv ersity.
Mu ltina tion al
: Pre sent in var ious natio ns.
Mu ltidim ens ion al: Having many dimen sions.
mut : C hange .
M utatio n
Tra nsmu te
: Change in genetic str ucture.
: Chang e in nature.
na t : Bor n.
Na tive
Na tivity
In na te
Natal
:
:
:
:
Ind igenio us.
Belon gingness to a place.
By birth.
Related to birth.
na us , na ut , nav : Ship.
Nausea
: Une asine ss.
Na viga te
: To wa n de r in or d er to
ex plor e.
Navel
: Related to na vy.
Aqua naut
: One wh o explore ocean.
nome n : N ame
Nom enclature
: Sy stem of naming.
De nom in ation
Co gnom en
No min ative
nov : New.
Nov el
No vice
In no va te
No velty
oc ul : Ey e.
Bin ocular
Mon ocular
Oc ulist
Ocular
o ny m : Na me .
An to ny m
Sy no ny m
Homo ny m
Acro ny m
: Rec og n is ed au to n om ou s
b ra nc h o f a c hu r ch o r
religio n.
: Extra p ersonal name given
to an a ncie nt.
: De noting a ca se of nou n,
p ro n ou ns & a dj ec tiv e
express ing the subje ct of a
verb.
:
:
:
:
Unus ual.
Begin ner.
To in ve nt.
Quality of being novel.
: Instrum ent to watch far off
obje ct.
: Op tic al in str um ent us e to
view distant far off object.
: Pe rson wh o sp ecializes in
medic al treatme nt of
ey e disorders.
: Con ne c te d w ith e y e o r
vision .
: Op po site .
: Word me aning.
: Similar sounding wor ds with
diffe rent mea ning.
: Abb reviatio n.
Or ar e: Spea k, P ra y.
Oral
: Spo ken .
Oracle
: Diffic ult situ atio n.
Or ator
: Spea ker.
Or ato ry
: Sp eaking s kill.
os s, ost eo : Bone.
Oss ify
: To d eposit calcium.
Os te op ath
: Me dic a lt r e a tm e nt
inv o lv in g m a ss ag e o f
ske leton. & mus culatu re.
Osteomy elitis
: In for mation abo ut bo ne
or bone marrow.
Os teo to my
: Cuttin g o f bo n e fo r
rea lignme nt.
ov : Egg.
Ov al
: Roun ded.
Ovum
: Egg.
Ovary
: Organ producing eggs.
Oviparo us
: Animals la y ing eggs
pat er, patric : Father.
Pa tern al
: Related to pare ntsh ip.
P atr io t
: A loy a list.
P atro n
: P er so n g iv in g f in a nc ia l
su ppo rt to o the r pe rso n.
Patriar ch
: Fa ther is th e he ad of the
family.
pa ed, ped : Child, Te ac h.
Ency clopedia
: Boo k g iv in g inf or m atio n
on many s ubjects.
Pe dantic
: P er so n sh ow ing d etaile d
S A N D W IC H :
previously a gamblers last
na me
Our sandwic h shops of
today seem to owe their
nam e and the prod uct
th at th ey se ll to Jo hn
Montagu fourth Earl of
Sandwich, an Englishman
of th e 1 8th ce ntu ry .
Montagu was a man of
b ad r ep ute, n ot o nly
in c o m p e t e n t a n d
th o r o u g h ly c o r r u p t
a s First lord of the Admira lty, but also publicly immoral in his private life. Gambling was
one of his lesser vices,
and it was his pass ion
fo r th e ga ming tab le
that gave u s our modern sa ndwic h. Du ring
on 2 4-hour session the
Earl is said to have refus ed to stop even for
his m eals, an d h e d ire cted tha t slic es o f
brea d with roast beef
ne sted b etwe en b e
br oug ht to him to e at
while he play ed. Thus
th e Ear l of s an dwic h
co ntr ib ute d the sa nd wich to the world.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Root s | BMM10303 | 1 1 of 131
B ATTEN D OW N THE
HATCHES, LOWER THE
BOOM, R AI SE THE
M IZEN MA ST:
F ULL
SPEED AHEAD!
Make su re all of the details
a re ta ke n c ar e o f an d
charge ahead.
PISSED TO THE GILLS
Pedagogue
Ped iatric ian
knowle dge on a su bject.
: Raising of children.
: Spec ialist o f child ren.
pa r : Giv e birt h, Equa l.
Comp are
: To point o ut d iffe renc e.
Vivip arous
: Direc tly giving birth to a
ch ild.
Pa rity
: Equ ality.
Biparo us
: Giv ing b irth to tw o bab ies
at a time.
ped : Fo ot.
Pedal
: Rela ted to foot or fe et.
Ped estr ain
: A p erson walking.
Bip ed
: Having two legs.
Ce ntip ed
: Having a hundred legs.
pend, pens : Ha ng .
Pend ulum
: A han ging bo b in a clo ck
that sw inging back & forth.
Appen dage
: A small thing attac hed to
some thing big.
Susp end
: To b e on h old.
Ap pe nd ix
: Section of sub sidiary matter
at the end o f bo ok.
pha g : Eat.
Eso phag ous
Dy sph agia
Sarcop hagus
An th rop op ha gi
Phil : Lov e.
Ph ilha rmon ic
Ph iloso ph er
Ph ilate list
Ph ilad elph ia
phobo s : Fea r.
Ago rapho bia
Claus trop hob ia
Acr opho bia
As tr oph ob ia
pho n : Sound.
Sy mp hony
Ph on ic s
Te le ph on e
Ph one tics
phor : To carry.
Eu phor ia
Dy s phor ia
Me ta ph or
Semap hore
plac : Pleas e.
Plac ate
Co mplace nt
: Pa rt of alime nta ry can al
tha t c on n ec t thr o at to
stomac h.
: Diff icult in swallow ing.
: A s tone coff in.
: Can niba ls.
: Devoted to ma gic.
: P eo ple
en g ag ed
in
ph iloso ph y.
: One wh o collect stamp.
: Name of a country.
:
:
:
:
Plac ebo
Pla cid
po li, polit : C it y.
Ac rop olis
Me tr op olis
Po litics
Po litician
port : Carry.
Tr an sp or t
I mp or t
E x po r t
D ep or t
po s : Pla ce, Se t.
Dep ose
Re po se
Pr ep osition
A pp os itio n
: M ed ic ine
or
r eg im e
prescribed for phy sco logical
be nefit.
: Calm.
:
:
:
:
City at a heig ht.
Very lar ge city.
Gover ning aff airs.
O ne w ho in du lg es
po litice s.
in
: Ca rr y fr om o ne p la ce to
an othe r.
: To bring in.
: To sen d ou t.
: To ba nis h.
: Rem ov e f ro m
o ff ic e
sudden ly & force fully.
: Ly ing on ground .
: Wo rd p rece ding a n oun or
pr on ou n.
: Pos itioning of thin g next to
each o ther.
puls : D riv e, P us h.
Repu lse
: To dr iv e ba ck e ne my b y
for ce.
Ex pulsion
: To th row ou t.
Com puls ory
: Ma nda tor y.
Pr opu lsion
: To p us h.
ps yc h : M ind.
Psy cho metry
psy c hic
Psy ch ology
Psy cho
: Relate d to m e as ur ing o f
men tal state.
: Related to mind.
: One’s way of thinking .
: Menta lly imbala nced.
que r, que st , quir : See k, A sk.
Query
: A question expressing doubt.
Que stio nnaire
: A list o f questions w ith the
objective of a res earch.
In que st
: Judicial inquiry to as certain
a fa ct.
Inqu ire
: Question so as to obta in data.
Fear of op en space.
Fear o f closed s pace.
Fea r of heig ht.
Fear of lightening.
: E la bo ra te
mu sica l
c om p os ition fo r f ull
orc hestra.
: Rela ting to spee ch sou nd.
: L a r g e d i s ta n c e
co nve rsa tio n.
: Related to pronuncia tion of
wor ds.
re ct : Str aig ht, Right.
Co rre ct
: To remove faults.
Rectify
: To cor rec t.
Ere ct
: To stan d.
Rec tang le
: Figure having four an gle 900
each.
: Feelin g of well being.
: State of une ase.
: Ref er r in g to oth er b y
statin g on e.
: A ty pe of signalling.
re g , reg n : Rule.
Regal
: Fit f or a mon arch.
Regime
: Perio d of ruling.
Regency
: O ff ic e or pe riod o f
govern ment by a r egent.
Interreg num
: A p e riod wh e n no r ma l
gove rnment is suspen ded.
: To plea se.
: Satisf ie d
co nd itio n.
rid , ris : Laug h.
Deride
Ridic ulous
Ridicule
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Root s | BMM10303 | 1 2 of 131
w ith
o n e’s
: To laug h con temp tous ly.
: Disgus ting & laug hable.
: To bu lly or tease.
De rision
: Mo cker y.
ro ta : Whee l, Ro und.
Rotate
: To turn rou nd & ro und.
Ro ta ry
: Ro ta tion al.
Ro tun da
: Large & plum.
Ro to r
: Rotating part of a turbine.
rupt : To bre ak.
Rupture
Er up t
In ter ru pt
Disru pt
sac r : Ho ly.
Sacrifice
Sacra ment
Sacred
Sacrilige
sa nct : Holy.
Sanctuary
Sa nctity
Sanc tify
San ctim onio us
:
:
:
:
To
To
To
To
sp lit.
burs t.
ch ec k.
destr oy.
: To give up for some cause.
: Ritua l reg ard ed as giving
divine grace.
: Holy.
: V io la tio n o f s om e th in g
regarded sacred.
:
:
:
:
A safe place.
Sacredness.
To m ake sac red.
D is pla y ing h y po th e tica l
de voutnes s.
s ce nd, sa n : C limb.
Descend
: To clim b down.
Asc end
: To climb up.
Tra nsce nd
: To go bey ond ran ge or
lim it.
Asc ension
: Developing sta te or ac tion.
sco pe : To wat ch.
Telesco pe
Mic rosc ope
Per isco pe
Kaleidosc ope
: An instrument to see far off
th in gs .
: I ns tr u me n t to se e tin y
th in gs .
: A n I ns tr u me n t ha v in g
mirror or prism by which a
sub-mer ged person c an see
thing s o ut of sigh t i.e .
bey ond obstacles
: Con stan tly
c ha ng in g
patte rn or sequ ence.
scr ib, script : write.
Describe
Insc ribe
Ma nus cript
In sc rip tion
se c, s ect : Cut.
Disse ct
Bise ct
In se ct
In ter se ct
:
:
:
:
To g ive details ab out.
To c onfine in a boun dry.
Han d wr itte n te xt.
A te xt ins cribed on a hard
surface.
: To cut so as see under
ly ing thing s.
: To divide into tw o eq ua l
pa rts.
: An anthr opod anim al.
: To cut ea ch oth er.
sid, se ss, s ed : Sit, Set tle.
Seda tive
: Slee p induc ing.
Seden tary
: Wo rk in volvin g s ittin g f or
Se ssion
Pres ide
lon g hou rs.
: P er io d de v oted to a
par ticular a ctivity.
: Be in a p o sition o f
au tho rity in a me eting or
co ur t.
s en : Old.
Se nator
Se nior
Sen iority
sen ile
:
:
:
:
Member of senate.
An older being.
Being s enior.
Ageing.
se nt , s ens : F ee l.
Se nsitive
Se nsa tion
As se nt
Disse nt
:
:
:
:
Tender, Get affected easily.
Phy sical feeling.
App roval, Ag reeme nt.
Disapp rova l.
se qu : Fo llo w.
Sequence
Subse quent
Sequel
Con sequen tly
:
:
:
:
One after other.
A thin g coming later.
A follow up.
As a r esult.
Sig ni : Ma rk, Sig n
Sign ify
: To m entio n.
Signa ture
: To wr ite on e’s n ame in a
distinct w ay.
Sig nal
: G es tu re c o nv ey in g a
message.
In signia
: D is tin gu ish ba dg e o r
emblem of military rank or
office.
s imil, s imul : Like , Same
Sim ilar ity
: Som eth in g
c om mo n
between two things
Sim ile
: Figu re of speech involving
co mp ar is on o f on e th in g
with an othe r o f dif fe re nt
kind .
Sim ultane ous
: H ap pe n in g a t th e s am e
time
Simu late
: A vir tual rea lity.
so lu,s olv : Loo sen, Fr ee
Solu ble
: Dis solva ble in a s olution.
Dissolve
: To disin teg rate.
So lv en t
: Th e thing to be disso lv ed
in a so lution.
Ab solve
: To excu lpate.
s omn : Sle ep.
In somn ia
Som nambulist
So mno le nt
: Lack of sleep.
: One wh o walks in sleep.
: Sleepy, Drowsy.
spec , s pe ct : Loo k.
Sp ectator
Specta cular
Spectacle
Pr os pe ct
:
:
:
:
Observer.
Very imp ressive.
Glasse s for weak ey es.
Op portunities to gro w.
spond, spons : A ns we r.
Re spo nd
: To reac t.
Re spo nde nt
: P ar ty ag a in s t wh o m a
petitio n is filed.
HOTTENTOT:
jus t gibber ish
T he m u sica l c om ed y
stage has mad e the savage
Hotten tots fam iliar to us.
They w ere a native tribe
o f th e Ca p e of G oo d
Ho pe . Whe n the D utch
landed there they c ouldn’t
u nd er s ta nd th e n ativ e
dialect at all since it was
full of clicks and jerks and
so und ed like so mu ch
s ta mm er ing . T he o nly
sy llabu s tha t th e D utch
sa ilor co uld u nd ers ta nd
were hot and to t, and so
the mar iner s na med the
people jus t that: ho t -e nto t, f o r en is “a nd ” in
Du tc h.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Root s | BMM10303 | 1 3 of 131
STRAIGHT FROM THE
HORSE’S MOUTH
Co rre spo nde nt
Re spo nsive
T his is a bo a st o f
c on fide nc e f ro m a
ra cetr ack tip ste r, w ho
s ay s h e ge ts his
in for ma tio n f ro m the
h or se s the ms e lv es ,
th er eb y, as su ring the
b etto r
tha t
th e
info rmation is corr ect.
st ru : B uild
Co ns tr uc t
Str uctu re
In stru ct
Str uctu ral
: Perso n who wr ites a letter
on a regular basis.
: Res p on din g r ea dily &
po sitive .
:
:
:
:
To build.
A building.
To g ive ord ers.
Relating or f orming a part
of s tructu re.
surg, surr : Ris e.
Surge
: Su dde n, la rge te mp ora ry
incre ase.
Resurgence
: Reviving a fter a perio d of
little ac tiv ity.
Res urrection
: Rejuve nate.
In surr ection
: V io le n t up r is ing a g ains t
au th or ity.
sy llaba : Ta ke t og et he r.
Sy llable
: Unit of pro nunc iation o ne
v ow el s ou n d with o r
w ith ou t
su r ro un d in g
co ns on an t.
Sy llabus
: Subject in a course o f study
or teaching.
Sy llabify
: D iv is ion o f w or d into
sy lla bles.
Sy llabif ication : D iv is ion o f w or d into
sy lla bles.
ta ct, tang : Touc h.
I ntac t
: In ter na l.
Ta ng en t
: A lin e touchin g a circ le at
on e po in t.
Ta ngib le
: Tou chab le.
Intangible
: Can not b e fe lt.
ta in, ten : Hold.
A ttain
Re ta in
De ta in
Ten acio us
te le : Dista nc e.
Te le ph on e
Telegra ph
Telesco pe
Te le vision
:
:
:
:
To acq uire.
To hold bac k.
No t to p ro mote.
Pre sisea nt.
: Conve rsation from a large
dis tanc e.
: Pa ss in g wr itten m es sa ge
over a large dis tance.
: An In strument used to see
far off thin gs.
: To br oadcast from a large
dis tanc e.
t emp : Time , Se as on.
Tem pora ry
: For a shor t span of time.
Co ntem pora ry : At the same period o f time.
Te mp or al
: Relatin g to tim e.
Extempo rane ous : Sp ontaneo usly.
te nd, t ens, te nt : Tension, Stre tc h.
E xten d
: To p rolon g.
Ten do n
: Fle xible but s trong fibr ous
tis su e a tta ch ing b o ne to
muscle.
Te ns ile
: Re lating to ten sio n.
Chapte r 1 | Prefixes, Suffixes & Root s | BMM10303 | 1 4 of 131
E x te n t
: To th e limit.
ter rere : To fr ight en.
Te rrify
: To sc are.
Te rr or
: Fear.
Te rr or is t
: M ilita nt.
Te rrib le
: Gris ly.
the : G od.
Th eism
Athe is t
Th eo lo gy
Mo no th eism
ther mo : Hea t.
Th erm os
Th ermo meter
Th erm al
Th er mo stat
:
:
:
:
Belief in existence of god.
A non believer o f god.
Study o f religion o r god.
Belief in one god.
: The rmal fla sk.
: I ns tr u me nt to m e as ur e
tem peratu re.
: Related to he at.
: To maintain te mper atur e.
to pos : Plac e, spo t.
To pica l
: Rela ting to curre nt affa irs.
To po gr ap hy
: Th e arran gement of natural
& a rtific ia l
ph y sica l
feature of an area.
U to pia
: Ideal s ociety.
Top olog y
: Stu dy o f a p hy sica l
arrang ement of a place.
tor t : Twist , Turn.
D is tor t
: To mangle bey ond
re cog nitio n.
E x to r t
: To take away for cibly.
Retor t
: Witty reply.
To rtur e
: To hara ss.
to x : P oiso n.
Tox in
A ntito xin
To xic
In to xica tion
trac t : Pull, Dr aw,
Attr ac t
Pr otra ct
Distra ct
ex tr ac t
: A pois onous subs tance.
: Subs tance that fight poison.
: Harm ful to life.
: Ine briate d with alcoh ol.
Dr ag.
: To lur e.
: To p rolon g.
: To dev iate.
: To d raw ou t of s omething.
t ur b : W hirling, Turmoil
Tu rbine
: Larg e turn ing wh eel wh ich
prod uces electric ity.
Tur bid
: Mud dy.
Tu rbu le nt
: For cefu l.
Perturb
: Distur b.
ult imus : La st .
An te pe nu lt
Ultima te
Pe nu lt
Ultimatum
: The last but two sy llab le in
a word.
: The last or fin al.
: Pe nu ltima te sy llable of a
word.
: Last wa rning.
umbe r, umbra : Shade, Sha do w.
Umbra
: Fully s haded inner re gion of
a shado w cast by an opaque
Umbrella
Adumbrate
Penumbra
obje ct.
: A P rotection o ver he ad.
: To r ep or t.
: P ar tia lly s ha d ed ou te r
reg ion of the s hado w ca st
by an opaque ob ject.
unda : Wav e.
Un dula te
In unda te
Ab unda nt
Red unda nt
:
:
:
:
ur b : Cit y.
Urban
Urb ane
Suburb
: Related to city.
: So phistic ate d.
: Area ar ound urban p laces.
Wa vy m otio n.
Flo od .
Amp le.
Ex tran eou s.
vaca , vacu : Empt y, Hollow.
Vacate
: To leave empty.
Vacant
: Em pty.
Vacuum
: Emptiness, No medium.
Evac uate
: To create a vacuum.
vad, va s : Go.
Inv ade
Evade
Perv ade
Ev asive
:
:
:
:
To atta ck.
Esca pe, Av oid
To spre ad throu gh.
Avo id c ommitmen t.
van: Fro nt, forwa rd.
Vangaurd
: Force s sent a head.
Van
: For e mos t par t of a gr oup
of peop le.
Ava nt-ga rde
: New & unusual experiment.
Van tage point
: A po int of advantage.
Va ri : Dif fer ent , Var ious.
Vary
: Th at keeps cha ngin g.
Va ria nt
: A variable.
Variety
: Ch oice s.
Variegated
: Colourf ul.
ve n : Co me , Sale, Vein.
Vend
: To sell.
Ca ve at
: War nin g of a sp e cific
limita tion .
In trav eno us
: In vein s.
Veracity
: Au th entic ity.
ver s, ver t : Turn.
Reve rse
Inve rse
Dive rt
I nv er t
:
:
:
:
Turn ba ckward.
Upside down.
Ex pan din g.
C o n v e r g in g , To w a r d s
ce ntr e.
Ve spe r : Evening.
Vesper
: Evening pray er.
Hesp erus
: Plan et ven us.
Ves pertilio nid
: Rela ted to evening.
via : Way.
Viaduct
Tr iv ia l
De via te
: Pipe line thr ough a gap.
: Un im po rtan t.
: Go out of way.
T rivia
: Pe tty th ing s.
vict : Co nque r.
Victory
Ev ic t
Vic tor
Victo rious
vid , vis : See.
Vis ion
Pro vide nce
Ev id en t
Su perv ision
: Conq uer, W in.
: E xp el fr om a pr o pe rty
lega lly.
: Person defeating en emy in
a war.
: One who wins in a b attle.
: Ability to see.
: Pr otec tiv e ca re of god or
Spir itual po wer.
: Implic able.
: Guidance.
vit , viv : Live.
Vital
Vivid
Vivacious
De vitalize
:
:
:
:
Necessary.
Lively.
Gracious.
To b ring ba ck to life.
vo l : W is h, W ill
Volunte er
Be ne vo le nt
Ma le vo le nt
In volu nta ry
:
:
:
:
Willingly he lp.
Good w ishes.
Wish b ad for som e one.
Un con tro lle d.
vor : Eat.
Dev our
Vorac ious
Ca rniv oro us
Her bivor ous
:
:
:
:
Eat wildly.
Glutton ou s.
Fles h eating.
Herb e ating.
zo : Animal.
Zo o
Zo olog is t
Zod iac
P ro to zoa n
D OESN’ T
HAV E
B OTH OAR S I N
THE WATER
A derogatory expression
used todescribe someone
who is not very smart or
who is dumb.
DON’ T TAKE A NY
WOODEN N ICKELS
O ften u s ed w he n
parting com pany, this
is a co mme nt to te ll
someon e to be ca reful
a nd n ot to b e to o
tr ustin g.
: Pla ce w here wild anim als
are kept s o, that they can
be vie wed by vis itors.
: One wh o study an imals.
: Related to as trolo gy.
: Early form of life.
PRESTIGE:
meant magic
When we say that a men has
gain ed gre at p res tig e w e
intend it as a compliment,
but the French word prestige
that w e have borr owed is
allied to p res tidig ita tion
and originally meant juggling
tr icks, or illus ion . So the
prestige that has been won
by so me o f o ur politic al
leaders may s o m e tim e s
h a v e s o me th in g to d o
with sleight of h and . As
on e 17th century writer put
it: “ I am not deceived by
the pr estige s o f th e
impos tor”.
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Basic Word List
2
Preface
Abacus ( N)
A
A frame with beads tha t can be
s lid o n wire s , us e d fo r
tea ch ing a nd ar ith me tic
calcula tion s.
O pp os ition p a rty m em be r
abducted ruling member’s child
pr ior to ele ctio n.
S: Kid nap, Carry off , Ste al,
Nab
A: Deliv er, Resc ue, Salv age,
Libe rate
Aberr atio n ( N)
Aback ( A)
Surpr ised
Abando n (V )
I was ta ken aback by the feat
perform ed by a small child.
(i) To g ive up comple tely
Seh va g ha d to ab an do n his
ex tr ac ur ricu lar a ctiv itie s in
order to prepare for his exams.
S: Irreg ularity, peculia rity
A: Normal, Ordinary
Abet (V)
S: Co nsp ire, Co nnive
A: Re ta in
A: Dissuade , Deter
a ctivity ,
Abeya nc e ( N)
Confuse, Ashamed
Th e lia r wa s a ba she d wh en
co nfro nte d with the truth.
A: Re viv al, Co ntinu ation
Abhor ( V)
A: Hono ur, Upgr ade.
ALB UM:
me ant white
T he wo r d albu m tha t
ide ntif ies the boun d bo ok
in whic h y ou paste p ictures
is a La tin term tha t meant
the tab le t o n wh ic h
pu blication n otices we re
d is p la y e d in a nc ien t
Rom e . It wa s d er ive d
o rigina lly fr om a lbu s ,
which meant both “ white”
and “bla nk,” a pa ge, that
is, th at ha d n’t b ee n
w ritte n on an d s o wa s
unsullied. Just by the way,
the auto grap h albu m wa s
old stu ff at the time of the
d ic tio na ry - ma ke r , Dr .
Sam uel J ohns on.
To less en
The rain s howered the w hole
nig ht un abated.
S: Lo ath e, D ete st
A: Adore, Love
A: Increase, Aggravate
Miser able
I t is dish e ar te n in g to se e
millio ns o f pe op le liv in g in
abje ct pove rty.
To s ho rten
S: Pitiful, D espica ble
Abject (Adj)
S: Decrease
Abbreviate (V)
T he wo rd “Bu s” is a n
abbreviated form of o mnibus.
Abj ure (V)
S: Abridge, Condense
Abdica te ( V)
A: Ex pand , P rolo ng
To resign
Th e b usines s ma n a bdicated
luxurie s in search o f soul.
S: D e thr on e , Ren ou n ce ,
Abjure
A: Cla im, Ad opt
Abduct (V)
Ha te
I h av e a lwa y s ab h or re d
inso lence in child ren.
S: Disco ncert, Bew ilder
Aba te ( V)
A te mporary suspen sion
T he c a se w ill be ke pt in
abey ance until the key witness
recov ers.
S: Adjo urnment, Suspen sion
To hum ilia te
S: Scor n, Belittle, Deg rade
A: Exa lt, Cher ish
Abash ( V)
To as sist (norm ally in c rime)
T he
Don
wa nte d his
su bo rd in ates to a be t him in
carr y ing ou t this evil plans.
S: Dese rt, For sake, L eave
Aba se ( V)
w h at is
In a v iolen t w or ld Ga nd hi’s
policy of A himsa see ms like
an aberration.
S: Calcula tor
(ii) U nr es tra ine d
Exube rance
D ev ia tio n f ro m
no rm al
To for cefully take away
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Abla tion ( N)
A: Nob le, Lo fty
To g ive up o ne’s rights
Forced b y orthodox cle rgy, he
adjured h is stand.
S: Ren ounce , Rec ant
A: Ma intain , U pho ld
Re mova l, E vapo ration
The doc tor d ecid ed to ablate
his han d in ord er to sa ve h is
lif e.
S: Su btrac tion, Retr enchm ent
A: To app end, To ann ex
Abla ze ( Adj)
A blut io n (N )
Abne ga te (V )
Abolis h (V )
Abominat e (V )
Abor ig ines ( N)
Abort (V)
Abo rtiv e (A dj)
Abr asiv e (A dj)
Abr east (Adj)
On f ire
Her ey e s ablaze with anger.
S: Shining brightly, In flames
A : Dull, Lack lu sture
Was hing, Cleans ing
Ablution is carried out as a part
of some religious cer emonies
S: Swabbing
To de ny, To r eject
Walking out of his family like
th at wa s tota l abn ega tion of
his res pons ibilitie s.
S: Ne gation
To put to an end
Sati sy s tem has been a bolished
in In dia long back
S: Elimina te, Stop, Er adicate
A: Establish, Found , Start
To detest, To dis like strong ly
Pris oners w ere for ced to live
in abom inable con dition.
S: Re plus ive, Mon stro us
Natives o f an area
I n mu se u m on e co u ld f in d
many art forms of aboriginal
friber.
S: Ind igen ous
A: Alien, Foreig ner
To mis carry
M is sion to m a rs h ad to b e
ab or te d ma ny time s du e to
tec hnica l fau lts
S: End , Stop, Termin ate
A: Continue, Pu rsue
Fru itle ss
Do no t let y our attempt to be
a gre at singer prove abor tive,
be tena cious.
S: Futile, In effectual
A: Tr iump hant, Un beaten
An noy ing, Irritating
In hosp itatily y ou ha ve b een
abras ive in spe ech or ac tion.
S: Roug h, Hars h, Ras ping
A: Po lite , Ta me
A: Enlarge ment, Ex pans ion
Abr ogate (V)
Abrupt (Adj)
A short summary
He is c urre ntly abr idging h is
bo ok so th at it c an be ma de
into a film.
S: O utlin e, Ab br e via tion ,
Summary, Abstract
CHANGE YOU TUNE
To change y our mind.
Reckless, Imme diate
S: Hurried, Sudden
A: Gradual, Slow
Absces s ( N)
Pimp le
The gir l was rej ected by the
jud ges of beau ty pa geant, on
account of abscess.
S: Sore, Swelling, P ustule
Absc is sion ( N)
Abscond ( V)
Cutting off, Sep aration
I n au tu m n ab s ciss io n is a
nor mal happ enin g.
S: Ex tr ipa tion, E xcision
To h ide, Dep art secr etly
The ir ser vant absco nded w ith
their y oung daug hter.
S: Run a way, Bre akout
Absolute (Adj)
Com plete, Perf ect
Their organ isation was an ask
fraud.
S: Ce rta in, To ta l, Utter
Absolv e ( V)
To free from guilt or duty
The judge absolved the accused
of all c harges.
S: Par don, Exo nera te
A: Accuse, I nculpate
A bs te mious (A dj ) Moderate in eating or drinking
Ris his w er e kno wn to b e
abstem ious by na ture.
S: Spa ring, Moder ate
Abst inence ( N)
A: Self -indulgent
Keep ing aw ay from all f ood,
liquor etc.
A bs tine n ce is o ften qu ite
wrongly considered to be a cure
for obesity.
S: Mod eration, Te mpera nce
T he tr af fic p olic e c am e
ab re as t th e sp ee ding c ar &
force d him to stop
Abridg me nt ( V)
To lea ve a p roje ct or
quit a job.
The abru pt billingsgate of fish
wife embar rassed every body
pre sent the re.
Side b y side
S: Keeping pace with something
Ab olish
Des pite dem ands to a brog ate
his military rule, Zia remained
Preside nt for eleven y ears.
S: Annul, Cancel, N ullify
A: Es tab lish
AB ANDON SHIP
Abstr use (Adj)
A: Exc ess, Wan tonn ess
Hard to under stand
Mod ern art, unle ss ex plained
is quite abstruse.
S: Pro foun d, Re cond ite
A: Simple, Vivid, Clear, Lucid
Abys ma l (N )
Wretch ed, Extreme ly bad
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People in the p rison whe re in
aby s mally poor c ondition.
Abyss ( N)
Accede (V)
A Bo ttom le ss p it, An y thing
to o d ee p to m eas ure , Dep th
of de spair
Diet of ram made us f eel the
presence of a aby ss in h is body.
S: Asse nt, Co ncur
A: Refu se, Dis sent
Emp hasize
The Iran -Iraq war acce ntuated
the nee d to ban all c hemical
weap ons.
Ac claim ( N)
Ac cusat ion ( N)
Opposite parties glared at each
other with an air of acc usation.
S: Arraignment,Impea chment
A: Pra ise, Comme ndation.
Ace ( Adj)
Acer bic (A dj)
The ace rbic remarks o f coach
made the team grew reb ellion.
S: Caustic, Mord ant,Corr osive
De spite c ritical acc laim, the
film co uldn’t do we ll at the
box office.
Ac idulous (A dj )
Bitter in mann er ( Espe cially
tone of vo ice)
H is a cidu lou s co n ve rs atio n
won h im few friends.
Ac cola de ( N)
A: Mild, Gen tle, M eek
S: Acrim onious, Ac erbic
A: Plea sant, Mild
Aco lyte (N)
S: Tribute, Pra ise
A partner in crime
Accomplice in a murder should
be tr eated as har shly a s the
co nvict itself.
S: Co -co nspirator
Ac ous tic s ( N)
Ac qua int ( N)
Lakshmi hur ried awa y wh en
accoste d by the str anger.
S: Greet
Ac quit ( V)
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A: Mislead ,Beguile
To clear (a person) of a charge
After a long drawn court battle,
the pris oner was acquitted with
ho nou r.
S: P ar do n, Fr ee , A bs olve ,
Ex one ra te
A: Convict, Condemn, Sentence
Th e platoo n w as orde red to
do away with its accou trement
in or de r to e ns ur e s pe ed y
pro gres s.
To appr ove, certify
Dr . Ab du l Ka la m ha s be en
Branch o f phy sics dealing with
sou nd
The chur ch made of gla ss wall
had poor a coustics.
To info rm, To ma ke f amiliar
with
Th e n ew r ecr uit to ok o nly a
month to acquaint hers elf with
the company ’s polic ies.
S: Info rm, App rise
To appr oach and s peak to
A: Shun, Avoid
Ac co utr ement ( N)Equ ipme nt, A so ldie r’s outf it
a pa rt fr o m we a po n s an d
gar ments.
Ass ista nt, Begin ner
Hord es aco ly te fo llowed him
becaus e of his talent
S: Help er, Fa ithful follo wer
Shy am won many accolades in
his c hildhood day s.
Accredit (V)
S: High est qua lity
Bitter & Sour
Headles s, Having no leader
The acep lhalous group lived in
ha rmon y.
Polar be ars are familia rized to
extrem e cold climate.
S: Fam iliar ize
Honour, Award
Accos t (V)
Ou tsta nding
The ace performer of the team
w as a ga in re s po ns ib le fo r
team s victory.
Ac epha lo us ( N)
Ac climat e ( V)
Ac complic e ( N)
Gr ow in g o f dif fe re nt th in gs
in to on e.
Alleg ation
S: Stress, Highlight, Underline
A: De-em phasize, Hide
Co nde mn ation
S: Applause, Cheer, Encomium
A: Odium , Disapp rove
To ada pt, Get us ed to
A LLEGOR Y: a bo u t
so meth ing els e.
P er ha p s th e m os t
f am ou s a lleg o ry in
h is to ry is Bun y a n’s
P ilgr im’s
pr o gr es s
wh er e the c har ac te rs
a re s y m bo ls an d th e
m or al h a s to b e
inf er r ed . A lleg or y is
fr om the Gr eek allo s,
“so meth ing else ,” a nd
agor ia, “a dis cou rse .”
W he n a n Ath en ia n
c itizen w ish ed to
c ritic ize a p ub lic
officer, he would appeal
to his fello w citizen in
a lo n g a lle go ria , “ a
discou rse ” a ppar ently
about “somethin g else,”
in which his c riticisms
we re veiled in fiction
b ut
w er e
e as ily
rec ognized.
Acc retion ( N)
S: Chasm
A: Sum mit, Ele vation
Agre e to
South Africa has acceded to the
reque sts of oth er countries on
the racia l issue.
Ac centuat e ( V)
accr edited for his contrib uted
space technology in I ndia.
S: Sa nc tion
Acr id (A dj)
Sharp (As in sp eech)
Geetha’s ac rid to ngue ea rned
her many enemy.
S: Acerbic, Severe
Acroba t (N)
accused.
S: Cite , M en tion
A: Amenable , Mellow
Tumb ler
Addept (Adj)
Children pr esent at the circus
were f ascinated by a crobats
S: Tar ap e ze a rtist, Cir cu s
perfo rmer
Ac rimony ( Adj)
Ad ho c (N)
Bitte r ne ss or h a rs hn e ss o f
speech o r manner
He
te n ds
to b ec om e
ac rimo nious a t th e s ligh te st
pr ov oc atio n.
S: Acerbity, Acridity, Virulence,
Causticity
Ac rony m ( N)
Ae ro pho bia ( N)
A: Gentleness, Tender ness
Word formed from the initial
letters of a group o f words
Eg: UNI CEF, (Un ited Nations
I nter n atio n al
Ch ild re n’s
Edu catio n Fu nd)
An abno rmal fear of b eing in
high p laces
Keenn ess of m ind, Ins ight
H is b u sine ss ac um e n ha s
helpe d him reac h the pos ition
he is in to day.
S: Perspicacity, Sa gacity
A: Stu pidity, D ulln ess
Ada ge ( N)
Adamant ( Adj)
A ddendum (N )
Addle d (Adj)
An old say ing, p roverb
His s pee che s ar e e xtr eme ly
inter e stin g b e ca us e the y
co ntain se ve ral a pp ro pr ia te
adages.
S: Max im
Uny ielding, Inflex ible
In spite o f his q ualifica tion s,
he was n ot selected be cause of
his adam ant a ttitu de.
S: Stubbo rn
A: Pliab le, Flex ible
Som e th in g a d de d
sup plem ent
Conf used
as
a
H er a dd le d br ain co uld no t
a bs or b th e en or mity o f th e
situ atio n.
S: Mudd led, Uns ound
Adduc e ( V)
A: Sagacious, K nowledgeable
Give as evidence or proof
T he p ub lic p r os ec uto r wa s
un ab le to ad du ce s uf ficien t
e vide n ce to c on vic t th e
S: Ex pert, P rof icie nt
For a sp ec if ic pu r po se ,
s pe cia lly a rr a ng ed fo r a
pu rpos e.
Very often, consumer p roducts
fail bec ause of marketing plans
which are ad ho c a nd fa il to
c on sid er
lon g
ter m
po ssibilitie s.
To ch ang e the dir ection of a
project or company.
AB SENC E MA KES THE
HEART GROW FONDER
When y ou are not with a loved
one, y ou tend to miss them even
more.
A d infinitum (A dj ) For e ver, Endlessly
Adjudicat e ( V)
To j udge
In this world full of deceit it’s
d if ficu lt to ad ju dica te o ne s
chara cter.
S: Arb itra te
Adjunc t ( N)
Air pilots have to be f ree of
aer ophob ia.
Ac umen ( N)
Con summ ate
Pt. Ravi shanka r display e d his
ad eptnes s at pla y in g s itar in
th e co nce rt
DO A ONE-EIGHTY (180)
Adj ure (V)
A s econda ry or non essential
ad dition
Finan cial rewa rd was on ly an
adj unct for the politician; his
primary objective was to serve
pe ople.
S: A dd ition , A p pe nd a ge ,
Ap purtenan ce
To a sk e ar ne stly , To a pp ea l
veh emen tly
Rec ently , a group of s tude nts
pu blicly a dj ure d smo ker s to
give up the vile ha bit.
S: U rg e, Plea d , Be s ee ch ,
Im plo re
Ad va-lo-rem (Adj) In p roportion to th e estim ated
value o f goods
A hike in ad-v alorem du ty on
c er ta in im po r te d go o ds is
ex pec ted in th e for thc oming
unio n budg et.
Adv ent (N)
An ar rival, Coming
With advent of te lephone our
life grew easier.
S: Lan ding, Emb ark
A: End ing, D eparture
Adve rsary (N)
En emy, Op pone nt
Bec ause of h is kindne ss e ven
his adv ersary prais ed him.
S: Cha llen ger
A: Su ppo rter
Ad – lib (V)
(i) Im provise
His ad -libbe d re mar ks at the
pre ss c onfe rence dre w th un-
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A N T HOLO G Y:
bou quet of flowers
This a ttractive wo rd has
a po em hidde n in it. As
w e kn ow, it me an s a
c ollec tio n o f ch o ic e
extr acts fro m the w orks
of
ma n y
au tho rs ,
s om etime s fr o m th e
wr itings of one au tho r.
The editor who gets up
an antho logy is actua lly
ga the rin g a bo uqu et of
liter ary flow ers, for the
Gr eek word an th olog ia
means“flower gathering”
and comes fro m anth os,
“ flow er ”, an d Le go ,
“ga ther ”.
derous a pplause.
S: Spo ntan eo us , E xtem po rized
A: Rehear sed, Delib erate
(ii) D o as one p leases
A dmo nish (V )
To war n, Reprove mildly
Th e te ach er a dmon ish ed the
stude nt for com ing late to the
cla ss.
S: Cens ure, Re buke
A: App laud, Praise , Comp lime nt
Ado (N)
Fuss , Trou ble
He
ac co mp lis he d
th e
s ee ming ly im p os sible tas k
witho ut much ado.
S: Bu stle, Comm otion
Adore ( V )
Do te on
Don ’t y ou ador e ly ing in sun
on a winter day.
S: Esteem, Admire, Respect
A: Hate, Abhorrence.
Adr oit (A dj)
Skilf ul and c lever
Stew art’s ad ro it ha nd lin g of
m otor c y c le s h as w o n him
international accla im.
S: Pro ficient, Dex tero us
A: Awkward , Dull
Adrif t (V)
Flo atin g ab out
Our pla ns went badly adrift.
Adulat io n (A dj ) Serv ile flattery
Very few rules in the p ast have
n ot b e en s us c ep tib le to
ad ula tio n.
S: Pra ise
A: Con tempt, Indiffere nce
Adumbra te ( V)
To outlin e vagu ely
N os tr a da mu s ’ p ro ph e cies ,
which a dumbrate futur e world
events, predict world w ar three
in the 90’s.
S: To r ep or t
Adventitious (Adj) Not planned Accide ntal
T he
pr ime
m in iste r’s
adv entitious r emark cause d a
f ur or e in the Ge n e ra l
Assem bly.
S: Acc iden tal
A: Plann ed
Adv ersity ( N)
Mis fortune, Tro uble d state
Success w as result of his ability
to remain calm in adve rsities.
S: Dis tress, Ill luck
A: Fo rtun e
Adver t (V)
To call atten tion to , Re fer to
A t th e f ilm f es tiv al, J ay a
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Ae gis ( N)
Ae on ( N)
Ae stival (Adj)
Aff able (Adj)
Aff ectat ion (N)
Af finity ( N)
Aff irm (V)
Af flat us ( N)
Affore st (V)
Affray (V)
adv erted to a rec ent p olitical
murder in her sp eech.
Sh ield , P rotection
Rama an d Lakshmana grew up
u nd er th e ae g is o f s ag e
Va shish t.
S: Auspices, Guidance
Eternity , Immeasurable period
Ae on afte r the Big ban g the
u nive r se w ill ke ep o n
exp anding.
Appearing in summer
Ple asant, Frien dly
The old lad y ’s aff able na ture
e nd ea r ed h er to a ll he r
neighbou rs.
S: Polite, Courteous , Ben ign
A: Impolite, Arrogant, Haughty,
Disdainful
Artif icial beha viour
The socialite’s affectation was
disliked by the group tha t had
gathered to hear her.
S: P re te nc e, A rtif ic ia lity ,
Unna turaln ess
A: Simplicity, Na iveté
Kinsh ip
People felt an affinity towards
stray dogs hence they launched
a vaccination drive
S: Fon dness , Attachm ent
A: An tip athy
To state positiv ely, To confirm
Man y, dis sidents in the gr oup
were relieved when the leader
af firm ed his comm itm ent to
the cause.
S: Assert, Declare, Assure
Ins piration, Divine re velation
It w as a ff la tu s th at m ad e
Buddha travel f ar and wide to
prea ch.
Co nver t in to fore st
Th e go ve rn me nt p la ns to
increase the land unde r forest
co ve r by 5 % th ro ug h its
affo restatio n progr ams.
A: Deforest, Denude
Fight in a public place, Battle
The policeman was killed in the
affray,while hundreds of people
only watched and walked away.
S: Co nflict, Fig ht
A: Tranquility, Peace
Affront (V)
Insu lt ope nly
Sanjay was affronted whenI did
not acc ept his invitation.
S: Pro voke, Humiliate
Af fus io n ( V)
Af icionado ( N)
Ag ape (Adj)
A: Placate, Please
Po ur in g on ( par ticu la rly of
water)
Af fu sion o f po is on ou s ga s
caused majority of deaths.
De vo te e or Fan atic o f an y
sp ort/pas t time
Seh va g is s uc h a cr ic ke t
aficionado that he has watched
every match in this stadium.
S: Enthusia stic, Adher ent
With n ot n eed ed the m ou th
open w ide with su rprise
S: Aston ished, A mazed
A: Kid s we re ag aped to see
the ir fa vourite s tar in fro nt.
Ag gr andize ( V) To ma ke gr e ater , m or e
powerful a nd richer
Today ’s generation of Yuppies
a re
kee n
on
se lf ag gr and izeme nt an d see k to
e nh an c e th e ir we alth an d
p os ition .
S: Exalt, Adv ance
A: Degrade, Debase
Ag glomer at io n (N ) Co llec tion
I t wa s ha rd to m an ag e th e
a gg lo me r atio n o f old f ile
records a t office
S: Heap
Ag ile ( Adj)
Quick a nd easy of m ovement
A la mode (Adj)
Albe it ( Co nj )
Alchemy (N )
Alex ia ( N)
Alf resc o (A dj)
Alc ove (N)
Algo rithm (N )
Alie na te ( V)
T he p h y s ic al an d m en ta l
ag ility o f the wo rld ’s olde st
man surp rised the rese archer.
S: Nimble, Alert
A: Slow, Lazy, Leth argic
Ag nat e ( N)
Ag nos tic ( N)
A kimbo (A dj )
Akin ( Adv)
Alacrity ( V)
(One who is) descended by male
links fr om same male a ncestor
On e wh o be liev es tha t it is
imp os sib le to kno w if Go d
ex is ts
Scientific mate rialism is to a
large ex tent responsible for the
increasing numbe r of agnostics.
A: T he is t
With han ds on hips and elbows
bent ou twards
Ana logo us
Mo nke y s ar e a kin to h um an
be ing s o n a cco un t o f h aving
com mon an cesto rs.
S: Affiliated , Parallel, A like
A: Diff erent, Dissim ilar
Eager , Willin gness
Th e studen t re spon ded to h is
tea ch e r’s ins tr u ctio n w ith
ala crity.
Allay ( V)
Alle giance ( N)
Alleg or y ( N)
Allegr o ( V)
Allev iat e ( V)
S: Speed , Liveliness
A: Indole nce, Sluggishness
Fa sh ion able (Of c lothes a nd
ideas)
Alth ou gh
Govind play ed extreme ly well
toda y, albeit, with out succ ess.
Chemistry of the middle ages
with the chief aim of changing
base metals to Gold
I n or d er to m ainta in a n
inter n ation al
mo n etar y
sy ste m, it is n ecessary to ban
alch emy.
Word blind ness
Because of Alexia it took Ravi
40 y rs to a cquire a bache lors
degree
S: Loss o f power to read
In th e fresh air outd oors
The cou ple enjoy ed a lfre sco
lu nche on the patio.
S: O utd oo rs , U n co ve r ed ,
Ex te rn al
A: Insid e, Interior, Enclosed.
A reces sed section of a room
A sp ec ia l wa y of s olving a
math ematic al pro blem
All co mp uter pr og ra ms a re
based on algorithms.
Cau se to make unfriendly, To
distance one self
Harsh ra gging only end s up in
alienatin g new studen ts.
S: Es tran ge
A: Fam iliar ize
To ma ke s om ething les s, to
relieve s ometh ing
Allay Somebody ’s fears.
S: Soothe, Pa cify
A: Agitate, Kin dle
Lo y a lty, De votio n (To d uty,
Cou ntry gove rnme nt)
Our freedom fig hter allegiance
is unforg ettab le.
S: Faithfulness , Obedience
A: Sed itio n, T reas on
ACE IN THE HOLE
A hidden tool or supply
that others do not know
abo ut.
AC OR N D OES N OT
FALL FARFROM THE
TREE
A c hild e xh ib its th e
sa me or very similar
traits as his or her paren ts .
A story in which people, things,
e ve nts h a ve a sy m bo lic
mean ing
The h are and th e tortoise is a
p op ular a lleg o ry , de pictin g
cons istency and p ersiste nce.
S: Par able, Metap hor
Rap id, Qu ick
To le ssen or re lieve
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Alliter at ion ( N)
Alloca te ( V)
His b rother’s p resence h elped
to allev iate the sorro w caused
by his mother’s d emise.
S: Mitig ate, Ass uage
A: I nte ns if y ,
H eigh ten ,
Aggra vate
Re pe tition
“The furrow followed free” are
exam ple of a lliteration.
S: Assonance, Rhy me
To se t a pa rt f o r a s pe cific
pu rpo se
Alter e go (N)
Altr uism ( N)
T he f ina nc e m iniste r ha s
allo cated as much as 50 % of
budg et fund s for d efence this
y ear.
Allo cution ( N)
Allude ( V)
Allure ( N)
B AN ALITY : n am e d
fr om a mill
In med ieval day s the lord
of a manor was granted
ce rtain mo no polies , as
on ga me , tim be r, an d
such, which enabled him
to contr ol the econ omy
of the village. He would
issue b ans or regulations.
From this came the Old
Fr en ch wo rd b an alite ,
the na me for the feudal
arra ngements by w hich
te nan ts wer e f orc ed to
use the w inepr ess, b ake
oven, farm imple ments,
a nd the m ill o r ba na l
mill as it was then calledof the lor d of the lan d,
or the “land lord .” W ith
us a
b an ality
is
s om ething sa id o r
wr itte n that is trite a nd
comm onplace . And like
en oug h this is th e w ay
tha t the se olde n -tim e
boy s an d girls felt about
the c om m un ity ba na l
mill.
S: A pp or tio n
A: Deny
A forma l address (s peech)
CEO ’s a llo cu tion at a nn ua l
meeting boosted the mo rale of
emplo y ees.
To re fer indir ectly
Ben azir allud ed to I n dia’s
nuclear capabilities in pressing
for a no war pact.
S: Deno te, Su ggest, Facility
To te m pt w ith s om e th in g
desirable
Se ver al hun dre ds of pe ople,
allure d by the p ossibility of a
qu ick buc k, f loc k to th e ra ce
cour se.
S: Lure , Entic e, Inve igle
A: Repel, Deter, Disc ourage
Alma mate r ( N)
Benign mother
A dr iv e
p rinc ip al
pe rs ua de
their alma
wa s la un ch ed b y
o f ou r sc ho ol to
a lu mn i to s up po rt
mater.
S: Co lleg e,
Univers ity
Alms ( N)
To give alms to poor is w hat
only altruis t do
S: Dole, Offering, Contribution
Altar (N)
A: Egoce ntricity , Selfis hness
Yesterda y I read a interesting
story of an am azon.
S: Strea m, Mascu line
Ambidextrous (Adj) Us ing both h and s w ith equ al
ease
The pain ter attra cted a la rge
c ro wd by virtu e o f his
ambidexter ity.
S: Vers atile
Ambie nc e (N )
S: Eq uivo ca l,
Obscure, Vague
An angry or heated argument
The c rowd gath ered to watch
th e alte rc ation b etwe en the
man and his wife.
S: Co ntro ve rs y,
Fracas
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Q ua rr el,
U nc er ta in ,
A: Explic it, Clear, Lucid.
Ambiva lence ( N) Sim ulta ne ou s , Co nf lictin g
feeling
Th ere is mu ch amb iva len ce
abo ut o ur in volv ement in the
war.
S: Vac illation
A: Unequivocal
Many a great men have died at
the altar of freedom struggle.
Alterc ation ( N)
The character and atmosphere
of a place.
Ambience of school library was
very pleasing.
Ambiguous (A dj ) Unclear, Leading to more than
one meaning
The presidential candidate lost
fa vour due to his amb iguo us
responses to cr itical issues.
A table for making sacrifices
S: Scorbis, Bomos, Eschara
Un se lf is h co nc er n fo r th e
welfare of others
Som e bu sine ss ho uses rar ely
u nd er ta ke
p ro je ct
w ith
altr uistic m otiv e; the y ar e
p rima rily d rive n by p ro fit
con sider atio ns.
S: Unse lfishn ess
A ma nue ns is (N ) A secretary Literary a ssistant
A ma zo n (N )
A fem ale warrio r; Tall s trong
or athletic wo man
A ca de my ,
Char ity
A: Harmony,Peace, Concurrence
One’s other se lf, A constant
com panion
Laksh man was b elieved to be
Ram ’s a lter e go d ur in g th e
fourteen y ears they spent in the
fo res t.
A: Enemy
A mbus h (N )
Ly ing in wait to finally attack
by surprise
Successful people alway s lie in
ambus h for op portunities.
A me lior at e
To m ake be tter, To imp rove
Ga nd hiji s tr ov e ha rd to
am eliora te the co nditio ns of
th e poo r.
A: Destr oy, Deteriorate
for BEA UTIFUL.
S: Word play, P aronom asia
Analogy ( N)
Amenit ie s (N )
Courtesies
Amia ble ( Adj)
A p erfe ct c ity w ould be one
with ample basic amenities
S: Facilities , Service.
Good natured
M ee na ’s a miab le n atur e
en de ar ed h er to all he r
colleagues.
Amic able ( Adj)
S: Gentle, Pleasing, Charming
A: Sullen, Churlish, Quarrelsome
Friendly, Peaceful
S: Like ness, P aralle lism
A: Differen ce, Gap
A na mnes is (N )
Rec olle ctio n ( es pe cially o f
prev ious e xisten ce)
Anarchy ( N)
A bs en c e o f go v er n me nt,
political disor der
P eo ple of b oth co un tr ie s
heaved a sigh of relief when the
bo rde r d isp ute w as res olv ed
amicably.
A: Warlike, Ar gumenta tive
A mne s ia
S: Harmonious , Cordial
Partial or total loss of memory
A mne s t y
S: Ch aos , Re volution
A: Order , Discip line
A na thema (N )
Any thing g reatly detes ted
E xa ms a re a n an athe ma to
most und er–prepared students.
S: Abh orren ce,
Ab om ina tion
A: Ad ora tion
Ancho rit e ( N)
Ancillary ( Adj)
A relig ious recluse, Hermit
Help ing, Subordinate
to ta l
A ge neral p ardon (especially
for political offens es)
Satwa n t Sin gh ’s ple a fo r
p re sid en tia l a mn es ty wa s
turned down.
A: Pu nis hme nt
Amor ous ( Adj)
S: Rep riev e, Respite.
Moved by sexual love
A ma nd a r es ign ed be in g
annoy ed by her bosses amorous
adva nces
S: L ov in g
Amor phous (A dj ) Without d efinite fo rm, Va gue
or in def in ite , N ot org an ize d,
Amo rpho us
S: Indefinable
A muse me nt (N )
A variety of anc illary ite ms
were ava ilable with the dealer.
S: Ad dition al
A: Cor e, Fo cal
A ndro gy nous (N ) H er ma p hr od ite ,
h av in g
char acteris tics of both s exes
Anecdo te ( N)
Animadv ert ( N)
Ana chro nism (Adj)A ny th ing o u t of its p ro pe r
histor ical tim e.
A na gnor isis (N ) Re co gnition
H e wa s bu r nt b ey on d
ana gnorisis
Anag ram ( N)
A word made by rear ranging
le tter s
A shor t e nte rtainin g a ccou nt
of a re al event or person
Go od sp eaker s e nlive n the ir
pr es en ta tion s b y th e us e of
app ropriate an ecdotes.
To co mment adve rsely
Th e pr es s anima dv er te d on
the m isb eh av iou r o f th e
legislators in the TN a ssembly.
S: Criticize , Cens ure
A: Cry stalline, Defin ite
Diver sion
To much th eir amusemen t, Mr.
sharma’s disabled child started
wa lkin g.
S: Exhilaration, Entertainment
AC TIONS SPEAK
LOU DER THA N
W OR D S
W ha t p eo p le d o
give s y ou a be tter
idea of what they are
thinkin g as oppo sed
to wh at they say.
Anarchy was the reason behind
the fall of empire
The conv ict fe igned amne sia
on being questioned by police.
S: For ge tf ulne ss , A
blan k
Sim ila rity in s om e w ay ,
I nf er e nc e
tha t
c e rtain
re se mblan ces imply fur th er
sim ilar ity
Esop use d animals in his fables
to dr aw an ana logy to human
behav iour.
LIKE FATHER ,
LI KE SON
H av in g the s am e
c ha ra c te ristics a s
one ’s p aren t.
A nimo sit y (N )
A: Praise, Eulogise, Approbate
Fee ling of strong dislike
T he a n im os ity b e tw ee n
Dury odh ana and Bhee ma was
fuelled by Shakuni.
S: E nm ity ,
Ho stility ,
Rancour, Animus
A nnihila t e (N )
A: Amiability, Friendlin ess
To d estroy comple tely
Au rang zeb ann ihilate d ma ny
Jain ido ls.
EU ABI TUL F is an an agr am
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S: Obliterate, Liquidate
A: Regen erate, Revive
Annuit y (N )
An inv estm ent ear ning fix ed
pay ment (usually pe r y ear)
Due to low inte rest annuity is
paltry n owaday s.
S: P en sion ,
Inc ome
A nnul (V )
Anodyne (N )
Anoint ( V)
Anomaly (N )
A llow an ce ,
To do aw ay with
L iter a cy an nu lle d m an y
su pe rstitio n.
S: Can cel, N eutralize
A: En for ce
D ull, Un like ly to ca us e
of fe ns e, T ha t re liev es p ain
(Drug)
To p ut oil o n as a pa rt of a
ceremony
E gy ptian ph ar a oh s w er e
a no in ted w ith s c en te d o ils
before being emb almed.
Departure from the usual
I n th e f o rm o f o ld an d
ex per ie nce d b ankers , y ou ng
Kane was an ano maly.
S: Abn ormality
So on
Op pos ition or ho stility
Th e w hite Ame rican ha d to
ove rcom e th e an tago nism of
the Red Indian before settling
down.
S: An tip athy, En mity
A: H ar mo n y,
A c co rd ,
Agree ment
Antec edent ( N)
T ha t w hic h go e s b ef or e
some thing else
Tremors can be antece dent of
a dev astating quake
S: Precur sor, Forer unner
Ant ediluvia n (Adj) Old fas hioned
His a ntediluv ian ma nn erism
are quaint but embarra ssing in
an elite social gathe ring.
S: An cien t, Primitive
A: Mod ern, Fash iona ble
Antholog y (N )
Collectio n of liter ary wo rks
Be ing a cu lina ry e xper t, s he
has a nthology of rece pies.
S: Com pliation, Album
Antipat hy ( N)
Str ong dislike
H is a ntipa th y tow ar d s his
neigh bours is inexplic able.
S: H atre d,
Re pu gn an ce ,
abhor rence
A: H on ou r,
A d mira tion ,
Anon ( Adj)
A nt ag onis m (N )
BILLING SGATE :
a city gate
Th is pa rticular ga te of
Lo nd on is s up po se d to
hav e bee n nam ed af ter
some gentleman named
Billing. W ho he was no
o ne kno ws . T he f is h
ma rket th at g rew up in
the
v icinity
wa s
rep uted ly th e ce nter of
s om e p re tty fo ul an d
abusive language, and the
f is hw iv es an d th eir
fish mongering husb ands
g ot a re p uta tion fo r
the ir lu sty a nd lu rid
eloque nce of spee ch. So
today when we sp eak of
billin gs ga te , we m ea n
any kind of profa ne and
abu sive talk.
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Lov e, Esteem
Student or collector of antiques
Th e ab ility to a ppre cia te a rt
is an es sential prerequisite for
an antiquary.
Anti-s emit is m (N )P hilo so ph y of h atin g Je ws .
Hitler bred a nti-Semitism
A ntit hes is
A c on tra s t of po s itio n
(espec ially of ideas)
I ra q ’s
u n co n ditio na l
withdrawa l was the a ntithe sis
of a ll th at th e Kuw aitis h ad
hoped for.
Apathy ( N)
La ck o f e motion
Th e hired gun was apa thetic
ev en w hen it c ame to killing
women and children.
S: Indif ference, Passive ness
A: Care, Sy mpathy
Aperit if ( N)
A n alc oh olic d rink ta ke n
before a meal
Apha sia (N )
L os s o f po we r to u se o r
understa nd words
Apho rism ( N)
A c oncise statement of tr uth
Emerson ’s aphorisms m ake his
works very read able.
S: Pith y, Max im, Sa y ing
Apiary (N)
A place where bees a re kept
You can find honey & wax in
a ap iary
Aplo mb ( N)
Self-c onfidence, Poise
S: Assu rance, Cool
A: Awkward, I nadequance
Apoc aly pse ( N)
Re vela tio n o f th e f utu re, An
even t of e xtreme importance
Antiqua ry ( N)
T he K u ru s he tr a w a r ha d
apo caly ptic imp lica tion s.
S: Pre dict, Fo rete ll
Apoc rypha l ( Adj) Of doub tful authe ntic ity
T he
a u dien c e
re a lize d
imm ed iately th at m u ch o f
w ha t th e s pe a ke r sa id wa s
apo cry ph al.
S: Spu rious , Cou nterf eit
A: Authentic, O riginal
Apoge e ( N)
A p oin t fa rth es t f ro m a
heav enly bod y, the e arth
Apologist ( N)
One w ho defend s or attempts
to j us tify a d oc tr in e, f aith ,
ac tion etc.
His fame results from h is being
an apolog ist o f som e popu lar
causes.
Moral fable esp ecially o ne in
which animals speak
Jungle b ookwas a very popular
ap olog ue
Apolog ue ( N)
Apoplex y ( N)
Str o ke .
In a fit of ap op lex y he fa ll
down the floor.
S: L os s o f co n sc io u sn es s
follow ed by para ly sis
Apost as y ( V)
A ba nd o nin g of
believ ed in
wh a t on e
Su nil’s in volv emen t in crime
was a n act of a postasy, given
his peace lo ving nature.
S: Deno unce
Apo thec ary (N)
Apot he os is ( N)
A per so n w ho pr epa res a nd
sells me dicines
Th er e is a lot o f sc op e fo r
apothecary n ow in In dia.
Mos t per fect d evelo pment of
so methin g, A d ec lar ation of
some thing, A decla ration that
a perso n has become a god
The star culture in Indian films
is pr ima rily du e to th e
apoth eosis of screen im ages.
S: C o n s e c r a t i o n ,
Glo rification
A: Des ecration
Appe llat io n (A dj ) Nam e, Title
H e go t the a p pe llation o f
‘whiz’ for his s peed in so lving
math ematica l problems.
Appa rit ion ( N)
A gho st
Appe nda ge ( N)
T hing ad de d to s om e th in g
la rger or a n atu ral par t of a
lar ge th ing
He treats his wife like a mere
appen dage.
S: Adj unct, Addition
A: Cor e, M ain
Appos ite (Adj)
Ap pro pr iate, Fitting
She gave an apposite r esponse
to the bun ch o f ho olig ans by
ign orin g th em.
S: Bef itting, Suita ble
A: Irr elev ant
Appra ise (Adj)
To as sess the v alue, Eva luate
T he te am of U N e x pe rts
appraised the damage caused by
th e flood s.
S: Ass ess
Appris e ( V)
To info rm, Notify
As soo n a s th e c omm anda nt
arrived, th e sergea nt appr ised
him of the gra ve situation.
Appr obation ( N) Ap prov al o r c onse nt
I will m eet y our father to seek
his appr obation on the project.
S: Sa nc tion
A: Refu sal, D isappr oval
Appurt enance ( N)A min or p oss ess ion or pie ce
of prop erty, An acc essory
T he b uilding with a ll its
appurte nances has bee n sold.
Apropo s ( N)
I n co n ne ction with , W ith
refere nce to
The Pro secu tor s ucce eded to
tur n the case in its favour by
apro posing eviden ces.
Arbiter (N)
Judge
He took on h ims elf the no te
of mo ral arbite r of the p arty.
S: Ref er e e,
M ed iator ,
Mo der ator
Ar bore al ( N)
Of or living in trees
Monkey is arboreal c reature
Arcade (N)
A covere d passage (esp ecially
lin ed with sho ps)
Du rin g f estiva ls arc ade s a re
decorate d to attract cu stomers.
Arc ane (A dj)
Secre t, My ste rious
The man agement got the wind
of u nlawful activities.
S: Esote ric, Obs cure
Arc haic (Adj)
Ancient, Old fashioned
M y gr a nd ma ’s c lo th e s ar e
absolutely arc hive.
S: By gore , E xtin ct
A: Mod ern, Latest
Arc hety pe ( N)
An or iginal mod el, Proto ty pe,
I de al mo de l w h ic h is no t
chan ged
T he Ba kr a Na n ga l is th e
archety pe of sev eral dams built
to da y.
S: Epitome , Standard, Classic
Ar chiv es ( N)
Colle ctio n o f th e h is to rica l
r ec or ds o r do c um en ts o f a
go vern men t or org anization
The govern ment a rchive was
in a bad cond ition
S: Doc uments , Ann als
Argot (N)
Sp ecialised vo ca bulary of a
p ar tic ular g r ou p, as o f
crimin als tramps etc.
The re porter fou nd it diff icult
to u ndersta nd the a rgot of the
interview ee.
S: Jargo n, Slang, Idiom
Arid (A dj)
Dry a nd Barren, Dull
S: Parched, Dry, Bare
A: Lush , Fertile
Ar raig n ( V)
To bring before a law court to
a ns we r c ha rg e , To c a ll to
ac cou nt
Th e w itn ess bro ke dow n a nd
w ep t bitte rly w he n h e wa s
AIRIN G DIRTY LA UNDRY
Talking a bout p rivate matters
or sec rets in pu blic.
ALL BENT OUT OF SHAPE
Upse t or an gry.
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Arr ogate (V)
Arroy o (N)
Artefa ct (N)
Ar tic ulat e ( V)
Art ifice (N)
As under ( V)
BOWD LER IZE : fr om
a r eforme r’s n ame
Awa y ba ck in th e y e ar
1818 , Thom as Bo wdle r,
a n En g lish ph y s ician ,
p ub lis he d a co mp lete
edition of Shakespea re’s
wor ks. H ere is the way
his title page read : “The
Fam ily Shakespe are; in
ten v olu me s in wh ic h
no thing is a dde d to the
or ig ina l tex t; bu t tho se
wo rd s a nd ex pr ess io ns
a re o mitte d wh ic h
cannot with propriety be
read a loud in a fa mily.”
T he p o et Swin bu rn e
th oug ht th at this was a
splend id idea. “No w.” he
s aid,
“tha n ks
to
Bo wdle r, innoc ent little
childre n cou ld r ead the
gre atest author s with out
h ar m. ” Bu t o th er s
trea ted the whole af fair
as a gr and joke, an d they
began to use bowdler ize
a s a s y n on y m fo r
“ex purgate.”
At av ism ( N)
At he is m (N )
Athwart (V)
At onement (V )
At ra bilious (N )
At rophy ( V)
arraig ned for sed ition.
S: Accuse, Charge
A: Excuse , Condone, Acquit
To claim or seize witho ut right
S: Assumed, Command
A: Abdicate, Surrender
A gully
Watc hed ou t for s nakes when
y ou trek thr ough this arro y o.
A hand-ma de object
T he ar te f ac t m ad e b y
Raj as tha ni wo me n w er e
supe rb.
To ex press one self in words
In to day ’s job e nviron men t,
being ar ticulate is as important
as h aving a go od ac ad em ic
reco rd.
Skill o r ing enuity, T rickery
Shakuni won his gamble out of
artific e.
S: Guile, Fraud, Cun ning
A: Innocence, Candor, Honesty
Into pie ces
T he
y ou ng
ma na ge r’s
confidence was torn asunder by
h is s u pe rior ’s da m ag in g
re marks.
S: Apa rt
A: United, H armonious
Res em b la nc e to r em ote
anc esto rs
Ch ine se mar tia l a rts sc hoo ls
e ve n to d ay h a ve a ta v is tic
ch arac teristic pa rticula rly in
th eir in itiation cus tom s.
The belief that there is no god
A: Th eism
Ly ing across, Sidewise
S: A cr os s ,
Ag a in st,
Cross wise
A: In the middle
Making ame nds
Th e crimin al aton ed for h is
sin s thro ugh h ard wo rk.
S: E xp ia tio n , Re p ar a tion ,
Pen iten ce
A: Imp enite nce
Ill-tempe red
T he n e w ex e cu tiv e wa s
a pp re h en siv e of his b os s’s
atrabilious manner and alway s
so ug ht to ke ep h im in go od
sp ir its.
A: Happy , Good-tem pered
Wa stin g aw ay o r fa ilur e to
grow (especially of body tissue)
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At tenuat e ( V)
Attic (N)
Attir e (V)
At tic is m ( N)
Par aly tic pa tients nee d to go
through a regimen of e xercises
to pr ev e nt a tro ph y o f th e
affected limbs.
To less en or weaken, To make
thin
An a tten ua te d stra in o f th e
viru s.
S: Dilu te, we aken
A: En rich
A small room in roof of a house
They used attic as godown on
the f loor.
S: L of t, top s to ry , up pe r
flo or
Dress
Ones attire is the reflection of
pe rson ality.
S: Accoutre, Clad
Extreme elegance of speech
Th e du ke’s A ttic ism ke pt the
audience in wits.
We ar in g a wa y by or a s by
fr ic tion
The consta nt comp any of his
irr es p on sib le
co lle ag ue s
re sulted in an attrition of h is
valu es.
At ypic al ( N)
No t ty pic al
The resu lts of his aty pical case
ca nnot be used to gene ralize
all c ases.
S: Abno rmal
A: Ty p ical, Nor mal
Au co urant ( N)
Fully informed , Up- to -date
To be ef fective in business one
should b e au courant with daily
ha ppe nin g.
Auda cious (A dj ) Bold, Daring
Th e chief gu est’s au dac io us
remar ks stunne d the aud ience
into silenc e.
S: Impu dent, Vain, Br azen
A: Meek, Mild, Gentle, Hu mble
Augment (V )
To make large in number
I nc re a sing ly wo me n h av e
started wo rking to au gme nt
the f amily ’s in come.
S: Increase
A: Decrease , Lessen
Augur y ( N)
The prac tice o f for etelling
S: Bod e, Foretell
T he n u mb er o f e nq u ir ie s
g en er a te d b y the firs t
advertis ement is a goo d augury
for the future of this b usiness.
Au r evoir (N)
Good by e (French)
Aurifer ous ( V)
Yield ing or co ntaining Gold
At tritio n ( V)
A us cult at io n (V ) Liste ning (with a stethos cope)
to de ter min e h ea rt and lu ng
co nd itio n
Au scu lation is the first thing
that a doc tor do es.
Ava rice (N)
Greed fo r money
Now a da y s politican a re busy
fulfilling their avarice & least
bothere d ab out nation.
A: Gener osity
Avid ( Adj)
Very enth usiastic
Sh e was a vid c ha mpion f or
women res ervation
S: Keen, Pa ssionate
A: Ap athe tic, ind if fe re nt,
Listle ss
Avow (N)
To declare
It is a society in which a girls
ac hiev em en ts a re r ar ely
avowed
S: Affirm, State, Acknowledge
A: Deny, Refute, Reject.
Aver (V)
To decla re to be true, Assert
He averr ed tha t he would be
making a long trip in the cause
of pe ace.
S: Aff irm
A: Deny, Va cillate
Av uncular ( N)
Like an Un cle
Ax io m (N )
A s ta tem en t u nive r sa lly
accepted as true; Maxim
Ma th ema tic al pr in cip les a re
ax ioms tha t ar e fo llow ed the
world over.
Azure ( N)
Sky - blue
Smita wa s loo kin g gr e at in
azure gown.
B
To talk fo olish or like a sm all
child
Parents usually enjoy babbling
of their childr en.
S: Pr attle
A: Wisdom , Wit, Pru dence
Ba bel ( N)
A scene of confusion of noises,
sounds etc.
A bab el of voic es in the busy
ma rket.
S: Co nfu sion
A: Distinc tne ss
B ac chanalia n (N ) Dru nken reve lry
Ba bble ( V)
The bacchanalian celebrations,
following the se nator’s victory,
drew adverse comments from
the p ress.
Ba cklo g (N )
An accu mulation or reserve
I will b e working this Saturday
to c lear th e backlog of w ork.
Bac on ( N)
Pig’s f lesh, salted & dried
Rav en o us g lutton a te te n
rashes o f bacon for br eakfast
Badger (V)
To n ag, An noy
S: Ira te, I rritate
A: Plea se, So othe
Ba dina ge ( N)
Pla y ful talk
The play was a roaring success
due to its clever use of badinage.
S: Ba nter
A: Disco urse
Ba ga telle ( N)
Thing of little v alue, Trifle
T he m an g er s h ou te d a t his
j un io r to m in d imp o rtan t
matters rather than bagate lle.
Ba iliff ( N)
A law o ff ic er w ho c olle cts
prop erty of those who ca nnot
pay deb ts; A person e mploy ed
as the m anger of an es tate; An
off icial who keep s ord er in a
cou rt
Ba irn ( N)
A child
The nau ghty bairn was famous
in the wh ole to wn.
Ba lder da sh ( Adj) Odd mixture, Non sense
The jur y dismissed th e y oung
s cien tis t’s
p ro po s al
as
balderdash.
S: Drivel, G ibberish
A: Wisdom, Logic
Ba le ful ( Adj)
Deadly, Harmful
LTTE is having a balefu l effect
on so uth east asian p eace.
S: Sinister, Maligna nt
A: Ben efice nt, G ood
Ba llis tics ( N)
Science of motion of m issiles,
bullets, p rojectiles
Our a ncient ma nuscripts have
s om e re fe re nc e to m od er n
ballistic science.
Ba lm ( N)
Som ething that relieves p ain
Friendsh ip is the best balm for
ruined r elations
S: An y thing tha t s ooth es
Ba na l ( Adj)
Trite, Comm onplace
Ou r gos sipy au nt sa t all the
af te rn oo n to ma ke n as ty &
bana l comme nts.
S: Inane, Vapid
A: Fresh , Original, New
CHEW IN G NA ILS AN D
SPITTING TACKS
Very upset or a ngry.
A LL HEC K
( HELL)
BR EA KS LOOSE
Ch ao s.
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B a naus ic
Ba ndit ( N)
Ba nne r ( N)
Ba nns (V )
Proclam ation made in church
of an intended ma rriage
Ba nque t ( V)
A feast or dinner
Chief minister’s son’s marriage
reception was at a magnificent
banquet hall.
Banter (V)
Barb (N)
CLUE: piece cut off
Clue is a na tive English
wo rd, but its f igur ative
meanin g parallels Greek
my thology. It seem s that
a drea ded monster , half
man, ha lf bull, called the
Min otau r wa s he ld in a
la by r in th on the isla nd
o f Cre te . T he h er o
Theseu s offered to enter
a nd kill the b ea st.
Ariadn e, daughter of the
King o f Cr ete, w as in
lo ve with Th es eus a nd
gav e him a thre ad – in
Mid dle E nglish a clewe
– to gu ide him out of the
la by rinth a fter he h ad
slain the mo nster. From
this the word clewe, now
clue , c am e to m ea n
an y thing that guides us
thr o ug h a p e rp le x in g
situ atio n. We disc ov er
th e clue to a pu zzlin g
crim e; we “ thread” our
way th rough an in volved
p lo t.
Un cultivated
Th e ba nau sic mann er of the
villager put the gentr y off at
th e p arty.
S: Wild, Barbaric
A: Cultured, Soph istica ted
Desperado
Phulan devi cre ated history in
band its.
S: Brigand, Footp ad.
Hoard ing.
Th ey w on the M ay or s se at
un de r th e ba nn er of f ake
promises.
S: Placard, Sign, Poster
Barbaric ( Adj)
Ba rit one (Adj)
Ba rme cide ( N)
Ba roque (Adj)
Ba ro nia l ( Adj)
Bar rage (V)
S: Feast, Formal meal
Play ful tea sing
T he s en ior s in th e o ff ic e
subjecte d the fresher to banter
in itially.
A wou nding or w ittily pr inted
remark or sarcasm
The barbs suffered by poor Abu
Salem in childhood transformed
him into no toriou s criminal.
S: Insu lt, Dig, Tau nt, Sting
Primitive , Uncivilis ed, Cr uel
T he b ar b ar ic tr ea tm e nt o f
p riso n er s o f Ir a q wa s
condemn ed all over th e world
S : Savage, Inhuman, Ty rannical
A: Civilised, Humane, Cultured
Th e ra ng e of a ma le v oice
betwee n tenor an d bass
The aud ience was mes merized
by Tejes hwar Singh’s b aritone
vo ic e.
G iv er of b e ne fits th a t ar e
imaginary, Illusory
The common m an has b egun
to rea lize that most politicians
are barmec ides w ho pro mise
ben efits only to gath er votes.
H av in g e lab or a te
sty le
fash ionable in ar chitec ture
Maje stic
On ce bar onial pa lac e in the
c ity ’s o uts kirts is no w in a
ta tte red c ond ition
S: Grand, Impressive, Opulent
A: Humb le, Mod est, M eek.
Hea vy attack
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Barr icade (N)
Ba shful ( Adj)
Ba st ion ( N)
Ba tho s (Adj)
Bauble (N )
B aulk (V )
Baw dy (A dj)
Be aco n ( N)
Be ckon ( V)
Be at it ude ( Adj)
Be dize n (V )
A tempo rary blockade used to
bloc k a street
M an y
b ar r ic a de
b e in g
unmanne d were porou s hence
serve d no pur pose.
S: Ba rr ie r, H ur dle, Fen ce ,
Wa ll
Easily embarrassed
Mo de st p eop le u sua lly hide
the ir b ashf ul s itua tion s.
S: Shy, Diffident
A: Bold, Adventurous, Arrogant
Any stron g defence
The sy stem of equa l rights is
the bastion of any dem ocracy.
S: Bulwark, Fo rt
An tic lim ax
The dir ecto r ha s bu ilt up the
suspen se well, bu t the film fails
to de live r b ec au s e th e en d
comes as bathos
A: Clim ax
A trinket, Wo rth les s thing
M y little siste r is fo nd o f
bauble
Stu mblin g blo ck, To hin der
His troublesom e knee ba ulked
h is e f fo rts to be c om e a
spo rtsma n of repu te.
S: Th wart, Ob stru ct
A: Enco urage, Promo te.
Indec ent, Obs cene
Th e play w as po pu la r on ly
because of its b awdy dialogues.
S: Off ensive
A: De ce nt
A light us ed fo r war nin g or
guid ing
The beac on in the pris on made
it d if ficult fo r pr iso ne rs to
esca pe.
To ma ke a su m mo nin g to ,
Ges ture, Motion, Nod
When hop e beckons, the spirit
Rejuve nates
S: Signal, Sign, Ge sture
A: Dismiss, Release
P er fe c t b le ss e dn e ss o r
ha ppine ss
T he s a in t le d a life o f
beatitude in his a shram.
S: Bliss
A: Cur se, Conde mnation
Ador n with showy splend our,
Deck out gaudily
Th e ho rs es we re b ed izen ed
w ith go ld tra p ping s fo r th e
queen’s parade.
Be dlam ( Adj)
Be dra ggle ( V)
Be fuddle ( V)
Be grudg e ( V)
Be guile (V )
B ehemot h (N )
Be hes t ( N)
Be le aguer ( V)
Be llic ose ( Adj)
Bellow (V)
S: Mer etricious
A: Sober
Any plac e or situation of noise
and confus ion
W he n the is su e s o f th e
Th akka r re port ca me u p, the
Loksab ha was a b edlam.
A: Tranq uil, Pea ceful
To ma ke wet, limp or dirty
Th e c hildre n s pen t the nig ht
ou t in the cold be caus e th ey
were sca red to go home in their
bedraggled clothes.
S: Wet, Dirty
A: Cle an, Spotless
To conf use, perp lex
The old man’s strange actions
befuddled us.
S: Signal, Sign
A: Dismiss, Release
To r esent other’s succ ess
It’s against so cial harmo ny to
begrudge.
S: En vy
A: App reciate
To mis lea d, T ric k, To a ttra ct
Th e de tec tives be guile d as
b eg ga r c am e to lo o k fo r
evide nces.
S: Deceit, Vile
A: Ex pos e to truth, Fra nk
Any hug e or powerful animal
Th e b ehe moth wild ele pha nt
was difficult to control
S: Mam moth , Giant
A: Inc onsp icuo us
A comma nd or earnest request
On behe st of Hitler, Germany
attac ked Jerus alem.
S: Urge, Persuade
A: Dissuade
To bes iege by encircling, To
har ass
The v illagers b eleaguere d the
crimin al to surr ender.
Quar relsom e, War like
I sr ae l’s a we s om e militar y
migh t is ne cessary to keep its
bellico se neighbours at bay.
S: Co mb at
A: Peaceful
To roar out like a bull
Don bellowed at his minions for
work not being done.
S: Shout, Roar, Yell
A: Whisper , Sigh
Be muse ( V)
Be ne dict io n (N )
Be ne fa ction ( V)
To gr ieve
Gorilla tactices used by tribes
bemused a ttackers.
S: Bewilder, Perplex, Muddle
ALL OVER THE MAP
Ble ss in g , In v oc atio n o f a
bles sing
When an enemy benedicts for
y ou, then unde rstand th is is
the perfec t harm ony.
IF Y OU ’RE G OI NG
TO TALK THE TALK,
YOU BETTER WALK
THE WALK
A: Cur se, Ma lediction
The act o f help ing e specia lly
with charitable g ifts
He fed the poor every week as
an act o f benefaction in order
to der ive mental peace.
A: Ma lefa ction
Not fo cussed or clear in
on e’s thinkin g.
Yo u be tter be a ble to
per form the fea ts y ou
are bragging about.
Be ne vo lence ( N) Kindne ss
Th e wo rld would b e th e be st
place to live with bene volence.
S: Ben ig n ity , Ge n er o sity ,
Mun ifice nce
A: M alig n ity, An im o sity ,
Ch urlishne ss
B enig n (N )
Good- natured, K indly
Besmart, not benign, th is world
is cr uel.
S: Kind, Favourable, Beneficial
A: Ma lig na nt
Be niso n (N )
Blessing
I b elie v e my gr an df a th er s
benison are responsible for my
success.
A: Curse
Be quea th ( V)
To leave to other by on e’s will
M ad an be qu e ath ed a ll his
un mo vea ble p ro per ty to h is
frie nd.
S: Legacy
Berat e (V)
To sc old seve rely
My boss ber ated me in fr ont
of th e whole s taff.
S: Chide, Censure
A: Praise, Eulo gise
Ber eave (N)
To lea ve in a s ad o r lo ne ly
state, as by death
The y oung bereaved widow was
assaulted by some bu rglars.
Be rse rk (Adj)
In o r in to a v io le nt r ag e or
fre nzy
O n witne ss in g the ha rs h
tr eatmen t m ete d o ut to the ir
leader, the crowd went berserk.
S: Wild , Fren zied
A: Calm , Tran quil
Be siege ( N)
To overwh elm
T he d o gg y d aily ke e ps o n
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COMM A:
piece c ut off
A host of our te rms in
rheto ric and gr ammar
or igin ate d in Gr eec e.
The punc tuation m ark
we call a comma began
with the Gr ee k wo rd
kom ma, which mea nt
“a pie ce cut off ,” and
so a m ark that se ts off
a p hr a se . Th e w or d
colon is f rom kolon, a
limb or join t, and hence
that p iece of a se ntence
called a “clause, ” then
th e c olon ma r k to
indica te the divis ion of
th e c lau se. Our wo rd
period w as originally
p er io d us , a g o in g
around , a cy cle, as of
y e ars . By th e e nd of
th e 16 th ce n tu r y it
m ea nt th e po int o f
c om pletio n o f an y
a ctio n, th en a f ull
sen tence or the pa use
f ollo w in g on e , an d
f in a lly the do t tha t
m ar ks th e en d o f a
sen tenc e.
besiegin g until I give him his
quota of c hocola te.
Be smir ch ( V)
To so il, To d a ma g e th e
re pu ta tion
Pam ela’s reputation has b een
besmirch ed by the stor y in the
ta bloid.
S: Defile, Sully
A: Eulo gise, Pr aise
Be sott ed ( V)
Made silly or stupid by love
He is totally b esotte d by that
gir l.
Be stial (Adj)
Like a beast
Bestial ges ture of tribes were
ter rify ing
S: Brutish , Savage, Ba rbaric
A: Civilised, Cultured, Learned
Besto w (V)
Deluge, Bequeath
Th e ch an ce llor sh ip o f th e
r en ow ne d u nive rs ity wa s
bestowe d upon him in 2000.
S: Dona te, Gr ant
A: Withdraw, Extract, Pullout
Bet rothed ( V)
Engaged , Pledged to marry
B ibliog ra phy (N ) A list of writin gs o n a giv en
subject
Lo nge r the bib liogr aph y the
better is the b ook
B ibliophile (A dj ) O ne w ho lo ve s o r co lle cts
bo oks
My bib lio phile s ister alwa y s
has some or other book in her
han d.
B ibulous (A dj )
A dd ic ted to o r f o nd o f
alc oholic liq uor
T he b ibu lo u s wa tch ma n
smelled of country liquor.
Big ot ( N)
On e wh o ho ld s blin dly an d
intoler an tly to a p ar ticu la r
o pin io n
In spite of having been brought
up in mo de rn en viro nm en t,
Sam continues to be a r eligious
bigo t.
S: I ntole ra nt, P re ju d ic ed ,
Op in ion ated
A: Broadm inded
Bilious (A dj )
Bad-te mpered
The bilious remarks of his boss
made h im grow fu rious.
S: Peev ish, P essimistic
A: Optimis tic, Liv ely
Billings ga te ( Adj)Foul, V ulgar, Abusive talk
She p o ur ed o u t flo od o f
billingsgate that would have
b ette r su ited an a ng ry f is h
wife.
Bionic (Adj)
Very stron g, Skilful
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B iv o ua c
Bizar re (Adj)
B la ndis h (V )
Blasé ( V)
T he b ion ic Fr an ke n stein
wreaked havoc in the p eaceful
villa ge of cu rio.
A: Weak, I mbecile
A tempo rary Encampm ent in
th e op en
The biv ouac in refug ee camp
were bar ely enough to protect
victim s.
Odd, Gr otesque
T he in ve stiga tio n in to th e
as sas sin ation of Mr s G and hi
ha s thr own up so me bizar re
fa cts.
S: E cc en tr ic , Un ex pe cted ,
Fa nta stic
A: Pla in, Co mmonplace
To flatter, Coax, Caj ole
Man y poe ts ha ve ma de th eir
fortune by writing blandishments
about kings
S: Flatte r
A: Conde mn, Ridicule
Satiated and Bored
Having s et a world rec ord, the
athlete w as blasé with his lesser
achievemen ts.
S: Bored
A: Exc ited , En thus ed
B la sphe my (N )
Profane abuse of god o r sacred
thing s
The blas phemo us re marks of
the a the is t s ho cke d th e
gathering.
S: Dese cratio n, Imp iety
Blata nt (Adj)
Bleary (Adj)
A: Godliness, Piou sness
Boldly
c on s picu o us
or
obtrusive
His b latan t r ebe llion ag ain st
the se ct’s belief resulted in his
ev ic tion from th e group
S: Flagr ant, Gla ring
A: Obscur e, Subtle, Hidden
Dim, Blurred
Ha vin g s tud ied till the ear ly
h ou rs o f th e m or ning m os t
students walked into the exam
hall blea ry ey ed.
S: Mis ty, D amp
A: Brigh t
B le mis h (V )
To mar or spoil, A defect
This failure is the only blemish
in his b rilliant track-reco rd.
S: Fla w, Imp erfection
A: Emb ellishme nt
B ludg eo n (N )
A short club with a he avy end,
To bully or coerce
The British bludgeoned several
sma ll sta tes in to su bmission.
Blues tocking ( Adj)A wom an pre tend ing to ha ve
lite rary taste
Th e b lue sto cking
Blunder ( V)
Bluste r ( V)
B odkin (N )
Bog (N)
Bo gus ( N)
M ake a gr os s mistake, To
mismanage, Bungle up
I blu nde red by m aking silly
mista kes in my CAT wr itten
exam.
S: Stumble, Slip-up, Gaffle
To sp e ak in a no isy o r
swaggerin g manner
P ra b hu is a
th or o ug h
gentlema n, and is not given to
blus ter.
A th ick, blunt ne edle
A bodkin is the best ap parataus
for accu puncture
Morass , Moss
Bogged land ar ound sea shore
are best for mangroves dwelling
S: Marsh, Swamp
False, Fake
His succ ess was not bo gus but
the r esult of his hard work.
A: Truth, Gen uine
B ohemia n (N )
Un or th od ox
I t is b oh em ia ns w ho m ake
histor y.
S: An a rtist, Uncon ventio nal
Bo is ter ous ( Àdj) Live ly, Che erful,N oisy
Our quie t picnic was r uined by
th e bo is ter ou s cro wd w hich
follow ed us every where.
S: Noisy
A: Calm, Sober
Bo ls te r
Su pp or t
To bolster nations development
on e sh ould und er stand the ir
res ponsibility.
S: Boo st, E ncour age
A: Deny, Desert
B onaf ide
In good faith
One’s bonafide are his o r her
good or sincer e intentions.
S: Re al, Valid , Le gitim ate,
Legal
Bo na nza (N )
Fo rtu ne
Bo n mot (Adj)
This time Diwa li bonanza was
a trip to Eng land
S: Top prizes , Rollover p rize
A clev er or witty remark
The play is popular be cause it
is replete with bon m ot.
Bo on ( N)
Bles sing
One could not decide wheather
indus tries are boon or ba ne to
huma n mankind
S: Advantage, God send, Wind
fall
A: Disa dv antag e, D iff ic ult,
Nuisance
CA N’ T JU DG E A BOOK
BY ITS COVER
Appearances can mislead y ou.
ALWAY S A BRIDESMAID,
NEVER THE BRIDE
To be close to success o ften.
Promenade
The bo ulevards o f Nilgiri hills
were unparalled
S: A venue, Drive
Bo unte ous ( Adj) Generous, Abundant
Bouleva rd ( N)
Th e bo un te ou s do na tion b y
may or was enough to start the
chur ch.
S: Benevolent, Liberal, Generous
A: Miserly
Middle class
Tire d of b ou rg eo is lif e, the
rustic f armer travelle d to see
me tr opo lis.
Bo vine (Adj)
Of a n ox o r co w, s lo w an d
stup id
I a m s ur p rise d th at a n
or ga niza tion like ou rs h ir ed
such a bovine pe rson.
A: Sharp, Intelligent, Sprightly
Bra ggart (N)
An offen sively boastfu l person
I a m se r io us ly sick of m y
braggart g irlfriend
Br ainc hild ( N)
A person’s own idea
Micr osoft is brainc hild of Bill
Gates
Brav ado (A dj)
Pr eten de d c ou ra ge or f eign
confidence
T he im po s to r’s b r av ad o
disappeared as soon as he came
to kn ow with th e truth.
A: Cowardice
Bra vura (Adve rb) Bold ness, Da shing s ty le
Th e a ud ien ce app lau de d the
troupe for its br avura.
Br azen ( N)
Shameles s, Bold
S: Dar ing
A: Submissiv e, Humble
Bre ach (V)
A v iolation, Gap
Bre vity (N)
Brief ness
Bus in e ss le tter s s ho u ld b e
marked by brevity sin ce most
executives cannot spa re much
tim e.
S: Ters eness, Concise ness
A: Verbose , Wordy
Bric-a-brac (N)
Kn ic kkna cks
My little sister is found of bricBo ur ge ois ( Adj)
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Bridle (V)
Bro ach (N)
Bro wbeat (V)
Br us que ( Adj)
a-brac.
S: Old curiosities, Ornaments
To che ck
Poverty is the major hurdle in
our path to dev elopme nt.
S: Bris tle, P rickles , Restrain
A: Unfiltere d,
Let
ou t,
Unch ain.
To s tart a discus sion
I hate when my gossipy aunt
b ro ac h th e to p ic of m y
marriage.
To in tim ida te
T he
y ou ng
bo y
wa s
b ro wb e aten in to stu dy in g
subj ect he d id not like.
S: Force , Coax, Cajole
Rou gh a nd a brup t in man ner
of sp eech
Don’t be put off by his brusque
manner; he’s rea lly a very nice
pe rso n.
S: Chee rful
A: Sad, Melanch olic
Burg eon ( V)
Burg ess ( N)
Burles que (N )
Pira te
In the d ay s of old, ship s at sea
were under cons tant thre at of
attack from bucca neers.
Bucolic (Adj)
Buffoo n ( N)
Rural, Rustic
Res ta u ra nts , to d ay , try to
combine a bucolic atm osphere
with urban service.
A: Urban
Clo wn
Bugbea r ( N)
Doesn’t she get tired of acting
as buffoon in the office?
S: Jo ke r
Source of annoy ance or fear
Bulbous (N )
S: Buga boo
Swollen , Shaped like a bulb
D ER IVATI ON : a wa y
from th e river
T his bo ok th at lie s
before y ou de als with the
deriva tion of wor ds, and
the wo r d d er iva tio n
itself traces to th e Latin
wor d de riv o, fr om de ,
“away fro m,” and rivus,
“ rive r .” T he
firs t
E ng lis h me an ing o f
derive was to c hange the
c ou r se o f a rive r to
a no th e r
be d . Th e
p re s en t s en s e of th e
word in English is poetic,
and the basic idea has to
do
with
dr aw in g
someth ing away f rom a
m ain
so u rc e.
In
chemis try “to de rive” is
to obtain one co mpound
fr om a nother, an d th at
c om es v er y c lo se to
what h appens whe n one
wo rd is d er iv ed f ro m
an othe r.
A bulbo us mass appear ed soon
after b eing stung b y bee.
Bulw ar k (N )
A defe nce, Prote ction
Free ele ction is the bu lwark of
our democracy.
A: Offe nce, Ass ault
B umpt io us (A dj ) Offensively showing pride
Ya sh ’s bu mptio us be hav io ur
put his colleague s off.
A: Humb le, Polite, Mo dest
Buoy ant ( N)
S: Spraw l, Prolif erate
Citize n
Any broa dly comic or s atirical
im itatio n
M os t p op ula r m ov ie to da y
burles que political charac ters.
S: Parody, Ridicule
A: Cha stise, Cens ure
Burnis h (N )
To make or become shiny
Th e old se rv ant s pen t h ou rs
b ur nis hing h is ma s te r’s
fa vo ur ite wo rks of a rt u ntil
they shone like new.
Buttre ss ( N)
A s tructure that suppo rts
His wife ’s good attitude was his
b uttr e ss d u ring th e r ec en t
cris is.
S: Cu rt, Blu nt
A: Ramb ling
Buc cane er ( N)
To grow or develop rapidly
Under the expe rt guidan ce of
Mrs Sen, his wife is bu rgeoning
into a super b co ok.
S: Bo lste r, P rop- up
A: Hind er, Th wart
Ca bal ( N)
Ca bo odle ( N)
Cac he ( N)
Ca che t ( N)
Ca co phony (N )
A small group in a sec ret pact
T he d ictator sh ot ev er y
member of the cabal which had
plotte d to ov erthro w him.
S: Faction, G ang
Who le gr oup
I f y o u a re lo oking f o r th e
s tu de n ts , the c a bo od le ha s
gone down to the water fall.
Hiding place
Terrorist cache was ransacked
by policemen after they fled in
order to get some clue.
S: Sto reho use
Res pe c t o r ad m ir a tion ,
Pr estige
Rin is b r an d n am e w ith
considerable ca chet.
Harsh, J arring sound, Discord
Th e bu sine ssm en c ho se the
quiet pa rk for their me eting in
order to avoid the caco phony
in their offic es.
S: Dsso nance, Dishar mony
Having the ability or tendency
to Ch eer.
A: Harmony, Concord, Rhy thm
Ca da ver ous ( Adj) Of or like a cadaver ( Corpse)
His succ ess in the exa m is the
reas on for buoy a nt spirit.
T he ey ew itn e ss h a d a
c ad av e ro us lo ok w h en h e
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appe ared in court to testify.
S: Pale, G hastly
Ca de nce ( N)
Be at
The cadenc e of the flo wing
rive r pu t the f ish er ma n to
sle ep.
A: Che erful, Youth ful
M ea su re d
m ov em en ts ;
espe cially of sou nd, Rhy thm,
S: Rh y thm
A: Cac ophony , Disc ord
Cadge ( V)
ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL
Not see ing and unders tanding
wha t is h appening.
AT THE ELEVENTH (11TH)
HOU R
To beg or get by b egging
Happenin g at the last possible
mo men t.
Practice Exercise
Match the following words in column A with their meanings given in column B:
A
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
B
accrue
allay
bemused
assimilable
burn ish
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
A
rus tic
accumulate
absorbable
confused
sta te con fiden tly
6.
7.
8.
9.
10 .
arcane
aver
amnesty
bizarre
bucolic
B
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
par don
noticeably odd
po lish
esoteric
pacify
Ma rk t he sy nonyms of the wor ds in t he fo llow ing ques tions:
11 .
12 .
13 .
14 .
15 .
16 .
17 .
18 .
19 .
20 .
21 .
22 .
abash
anomaly
arboreal
abate
abominable
acclaim
af fro nt
berate
blata nt
apho rism
buffet
ba stion
(1) squash
(3) refuse
(2) amaze
(4) embarrass
(5) Remove
(1) abno rmality
(3) ign orance
(2) rarity
(4) accident
(5) howl
(1) applaud
(3) bower
(2) holiday
(4) shady
(5) treelike
(1) aid
(3) lessen
(2) remove
(4) howl
(5) Project
(1) loaths ome
(3) cheap
(2) unfortu nate
(4) s tormy
(5) f utill
(1) elect
(3) applaud
(2) demand
(4) surpass
(5) casual
(1) success
(3) projec tion
(2) invas ion
(4) ins ult
(5) clown
(1) deny
(3) cold meat
(2) judge
(4) downgrade
(5) ins ult
(1) n oisy
(3) f utile
(2) tardy
(4) depressed
(5) column
(1) wise say ing
(3) casual remark
(2) dig ression
(4) rep etition
(5) ignore
(1) cold meat
(3) clown
(2) feast
(4) noise deadener
(5) amaze
(1) stitching
(4) wise
(2) column
(3) coat of mail
(5) p art of a fortific ation
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23 .
24 .
25 .
arbiter
arr ant
asper sion
(1) judge
(3) party to a dispute
(2) arbitrary remark
(4) sho p owner
(5) rare
(1) cowardly
(3) bo astful
(2) dow nright
(4 ) kn ightly
(5) demand
(1) hars h remark
(3) sou r taste
(2) slanderous remark
(4) lost h ope
(5) cheap
Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
(b)
(j)
(d)
(c)
(h)
6. (i)
7. (e)
8. (f)
9. (g)
10. (a)
C
IDEA: som ething s een
It is our cus tom to s ay
tha t see ing is be lieving.
If we se e a thin g, it is
c on fir me d
as
so .
Becaus e such a gr eat of
ou r pa rt kn ow le dg e of
the
w or ld
co me s
thr o ug h o ur ey es , a n
arm y of our w ords has
been b ased on vision. We
speak of men of “vision”
a nd “ fo re sigh t. ” Ou r
E ng lish w or d id ea , in
tur n, g oe s ba ck to th e
Gr ee k ro ot id -, “ se e. ”
With the G re eks, ide a
first mea nt s emb lanc e,
look, or form but with the
Platon ic p hilo soph ers it
de velop ed our m ode rn
me aning of a con cep t.
Fr om ide a we h av e
id ea list. An ide alist is
of te n c alled vision ar y,
which gets us righ t back
to the idea of “seein g.”
M y ex pe ns es o n c ig ar ette s
ha ve go ne up be ca us e he
cadges a t least four cigarettes
from me e very day.
A: Purc hasing , Stea ling
Ca gey (Adj)
No t f ra nk
The policemen are cagey about
inform er’s inden tify.
S: Secretive, Artifully sly
Ca jole ( V)
Flatter
A sa les p ers on sh ou ld kn ow
ho w to caj ole peo ple to b uy
what he sells.
S: Ingratiate, Wheedle, Urge
A: D e tr a c t, D e r o g a to r y ,
Disparage
C alis t he nic s (V ) Ath letic exercises
Calisthenic s could be the best
way to keep oneself fresh.
C alligr a phy (N ) A rt o f p ro d uc in g b ea u tifu l
han dwriting
Callig ra ph y is no w w ell
established art form.
Ca llous (A dj )
Harde ned, Uny ie lding
Ma ny p eo ple s ee m to think
that being callous is a necessary
r eq uire me nt f or s uc ce ss in
busin ess.
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11. (4)
12. (1)
13. (5)
14. (3)
15. (1)
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
(3)
(4)
(5)
(1)
(1)
21. (2)
22. (5)
23. (1)
24. (2)
25. (2)
S: O bd ur a te ,
Ind iffer ent
Ca llo w (Adj)
C alumny (A dv )
I ns en s ib le ,
A: Sensitive, Tender, Empathetic
Immatu re, Inexper ienced
Such a b rash decision can only
come ou t of a callow person.
S: Raw,Unfledged, Inexperienced
A: Mature , Wise, Sag acious
A false a ccusation
The honest politician be came
a n un f or tu n ate v ic tim o f
calu mny.
S: Slander, Defamation, Libel,
Ma lign
A: Praise , Eulogy, En comium
Ca ma ra de rie (N ) Fr ien dsh ip
I n to d ay ’s w o rld o f me n
c am ar a de rie is th e m os t
dif ficult one to find.
C amouflag e (N ) A disg uise to co nceal
T he g u er r illa s a w es om e
ef fec tiv en ess is du e to the ir
tre me nd ou s
s kill
at
camouflage.
S: Hide
A: Ex po se
Ca na ille (N )
Ca ndid ( Adj)
Mob , Mu ltitude
Ma rk Anthon y a ppe ase d the
angry ca naille with his famous
s pe ec h a fter th e de a th o f
Caesar.
Ho nes t, Fra nk
I n a wo r ld o f h y p oc r ites ,
Ram u‘s c andid natu re co mes
as a b reath of fre sh air
S: Truthful, Sincere, Ingenuous
A: Sly , Shr e wd , T ric ky ,
Hy p ocritical
Ca nar d ( N)
C anke r (A dj )
C anniba l (N )
Ca no n (N )
C anonize (A dj )
Ca no ro us ( Adj)
Ca nt ( N)
A fals e es pecially malicio us
r ep or t
T he
ca na r d, th at
to p
po litic ia ns we re in vo lve d in
the m ur d er r e su lted in n o
p ro du ctive b u sine ss be in g
trans acted in the asse mbly.
A spread ing sore
Corruption and Nepotism have
becom e major c ankers in our
society to day.
Flesh eater of one’s own species.
H un ge r tu rn ed s ailo rs into
ca nn ib als on the d es er te d
isla nd.
A ba sic la w or pr inc iple by
which s omething is judged
The prin cipal canon of justice
is evidence.
To glorif y,To d eclar e (a d ead
pers on ) a s aint
M othe r Te re sa ha s b ee n
ca nonized fo r he r s erv ice of
poo r.
Me lodious, Re sona nt
The Can orous music o f Bry an
Ad am s takes me to a no th er
wor ld.
S: Melodio us
A: Har sh, Discord ant
The secr et slang, Insinc ere talk
The new police of ficer f ound
it d iff icu lt to un de rstand the
can t of the pr isone rs.
Cant ankero us(Adj)Ba d- te mp er ed
T he c an tan ke r ou s pu g ilis t
br oke the c omp etitor’s ne ck
by just a punch.
S: Pugnac ious, Quarr elsome
A: Amiable, Friendly
C anto nment (N ) Th e te mp or ar y qu ar te rs o f
troops participing in monouvre
Huge tract of land are locked
up in In dian a rm y ca mp s
rep orted inve stiga tor.
Ca pa cious (A dj ) Roo my
Th e c hild enj oy e d h is ne wf ou n d fr e ed o m in th e
cap acio us r oom a fter hav ing
lived in the small, din gy house
fo r tw o m onth s.
S: Spac ious
A: Lim ited , Co nfin ed
Th e bu ilding in wh ic h a
legislature convenes.
Fe ar in g a te rr or is t atta ck,
capitol security was heightened.
S: Senate
Ca pitula te ( V)
Surrender
Many ter rorist capitulate once
they lea rn that they a re being
used fo r evil.
Ca pr ic io us ( Adj) Sub je ct
to
c ap rice s
(Ec centr icities), Erra tic
It is f rus tr ating to de al with
capricious people who change
th eir m ind s udd en ly witho ut
re aso n.
S: Fancif ul, Odd, Whimsical
A: Staid, Stead fast
Ca pt io us ( N)
Qu ic k to fin d fa ult, Har d to
ple ase
Be ing e xpe rt at wor king my
g ra nd m othe r is c ap tio us in
culin ary matters.
S: Peevish, Petulant, Splenetic
A: Fair, Appreciative, Approving
Ca rapa ce ( N)
Pr otec tive co vering
In older day s fighter’s used to
g o in th e b attle f ie ld s w ith
carapa ce on their body.
Ca rdinal ( Adj)
P rinc ipa l, Ch ief ,
M os t
im po rtan t
Edu cation’s car dina l fu nction
w ou ld be to m ake p eo ple
aware of the ir rig hts &
du tie s.
S: Funda mental, Vital
A: In sig nif ica nt, Neg lig ible,
Mino r
Ca ric atur e ( N)
An exagg erated imitation of a
pe rs on
R.K . L ax ma n’s p olitica l
car icatures brings a sm ile to
m illio ns o f f ac es ev er y
mo rnin g.
S: E xa gg e ra tio n, P a ro dy ,
Mimicry
A: Reality, Precision, Naturality
Ca rmine (N )
A red o r purplish red colour
Amanda in her carmine gown
was looking gorge ous.
Ca rnage ( V)
Extensiv e Slaughter, M assacre
A sh oka wa s gr ea tly mo ve d
wh en he saw the ca rna ge at
Kalinga.
S: Butchery , Des truction
A: Rejuv enate
Carp (V)
To Criticize
A ma nd a alwa y s kee ps o n
c ar ping o n he r hu sb an d
parsimony.
Ca pitol ( N)
ARE YOU A MAN OR A
M OU SE?
A re y o u str on g e ithe r
phy s ically or me ntally or
are y ou weak?
AS GOOD AS GOLD
Au th en tic.
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Ca rna l (Adj)
S: Com plain, M oa n, N ag ,
Grumble
Of the flesh
O ne s ee kin g f or s pir itua l
p le as ur e ha s to give u p all
carn al/pleas ure.
S: Sensual,Lustful, Concupiscent
A: Spiritu al, E ther eal
A no isy drinking p arty
While h avin g a c arou sal one
shou ld consider tha t it doe sn’t
both ers ne ighbou rs.
S: Revelry,
Saturn alia,
Debauchery
A: A us ter ity ,
Sob rie ty ,
Abs tine nce
Ca rr ion ( N)
Decay ing flesh of a de ad body
D ue to po llu tion on e co uld
find car rion of fishes on ponds
surface.
Ca rte l ( N)
A n as s oc ia tio n o f bu s in es s
f ir ms e tc. e s ta blis h in g a
n atio na l o r inter na tio na l
mo no po ly
T he OP EC is a ca r te l
cons tituted for the purpos e of
hold ing oil prices at mutu ally
accep table le vels.
Ca sanov a ( N)
P er so n co ns picu ou s fo r his
amorous ad ventures.
Casanovas are poly gamous.
Ca st iga te ( V)
To rebuke severely esp ecially
by public criticism
The pries t’s ca stiga tion m ade
the crim inal turn a ne w leaf.
S: Scold
A: Condon e, Forgive, Pardon
Ca suist ry ( N)
Sub tle b ut fa ls e r ea s on in g
especially about moral issues
Do not u se casuistry to justify
y our ridiculous beh aviour.
C at a c ly s m
Any sud den violent change
DH L awr en ce ’s er otic bo ok
ha d a cata cly s mic eff ect on
con serv ativ e Br itis h so ciety.
S: Catas tr o ph e, U p he av al,
Cala mity
A: Blessing
Cat aract (N)
A large w aterfall
Bas ta r is f am o us f o r its
awesome.
Ca ta st rophe ( N) Any sud den great disaster
India should beef up its disaster
managem ent in order to cope
up with cata strop he.
S: Calam ity, Cata cly sm
A: Blessing
Ca te chize (V )
To q uestion searchingly
Ca ro us al ( N)
JEST: a b rave d eed
In med ieval France tales
of feu dal adventu re and
kn ig htly pro we ss we re
an imp ortant part of the
liter a tu r e of th e d ay .
T he y w er e c alle d
c ha ns on s de g es te , o r
“ so ng s o f de e d. ” Th e
Fren ch geste becam e the
Eng lish ges t or jes t a nd
was at th eir w ord fo r a
brave and famou s deed
or f or the s tory of such
a d ee d. By th e 16 t h
century, however, jest had
degenerated and was used
to mea n mocking, a jeer,
or banter. Thus a jest now
means a joke.
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Ca tholic ( Adj)
Ca uc us ( N)
Ca ust ic (Adj)
Ca valcade ( N)
Cav eat (N)
Ca vil ( V)
Ce le rit y ( Adj)
Ce le st ia l (N )
Ce liba cy ( N)
Ce lla r ( N)
Ce ns ur e (V )
Ma ny e du ca tion is ts b elie ve
tha t lear ning b y catechism is
the b est form of educa tion.
Univers al
A ca tholic reading is the best
way to d evelop one’s language
S: Wide ranging, Broad
A: Tra ditional, Co nven tion al
A m ee tin g of a pa r ty o r
faction (Usually deroga tory )
The minister’s power a ctually
emanate s from the bac king of
the ca ucus.
S: Conc lave, Confer ence
Ho stile
My boss’s caustic remarks made
me turn red an d y ellow w ith
anger.
S: Incisive, Vitriolic, Acerbic
A: Pleasing, Gratify ing
A p ro ce ss io n, Se qu en ce o f
ev en ts
Sec urity arran gemen t sign als
that some V IP’s c avalcad e is
abou t to p ass.
S: Column, Caravan, Convoy
Wa rnin g, P roviso
T he P rinc ipa l ha s iss ue d a
ca vea t to a ll s cho ol stu den ts
r eg ar din g mis be ha vio ur in
cla ssroo ms.
To object unnec essar ily, Find
fau lt
His cons tant cavil aga inst his
co-w orker got him nowh ere.
Swiftnes s, Speed
Wh en the f ire broke ou t, the
f ir e b riga de ac te d w ith
remarkable celer ity, and put out
the fire in record time.
S: Alac rity, H aste
A: Leth argy, Indole nce
Of the heavens a nd sky
Of all the ce lestia l entities in
o ur g a la xy , the su n is th e
br igh tes t.
S: Hea venly , Div ine
A: Mortal, Earthly, Terrestrial
Co mple te Sexua l a bstinenc e,
The sta te of being un married
In the p ast, Rishis loo ked upon
celib acy as a p rerequisite for
obtainin g spiritua l pea ce.
A: Ma trimo ny
Bu nker
Cellars full of wine casks made
a temptin g sig ht.
S: Vault, Cry p t, Basement
Str on g d isa pp r ov a l, To
Cer ebra te ( V)
Ce rtitude ( V)
Chag rin (N )
Chape ro n ( N)
condemn as wrong
Some studen ts des erved to be
c en su re d fo r d is tu rb in g th e
clas s continuous ly.
S: Con demn ation , Criticism,
Blame
A: Praise,Approval, Laudation
To th in k
Sheela’s hobby was to work on
r ea so n in g pr o blem s tha t
require d much cereb ration.
Sureness
It is im possible to pred ict with
any degre e of certitude, the
outcome of this match.
S: Ce rta inty , I nev itab ility
A: Unc ertain , Uns ure
E mb a rr as s me n t du e
to
disa ppo intme nt
The Ind ian cricket team was
bes ide itse lf w ith chag rin for
los in g the ma tch w ith ou t
putting up a fight
S: Failure, Annoy ance, Shame
A: Delight, Glorif ication
Old person who supervises and
prote cts y oung ones
The family was chaperoned by
army personnels.
Char ismat ic( A dj ) P os se ss ing s pir itua l g ra ce ,
In spiring
M ah a tm a G an d hi h a d a
cha rism atic perso nality.
A: Un insp iring
Char la ta n (A dj ) A pe rson w ho claims to have
more skill, kno wledge th an he
really has.
Th e do ctor , wh o w as trusted
by sever al patients, tu rned out
to be a charlatan.
S: Quac k, Frau d, Impo stor
Chary (Adj)
Anx ious Cautious
Being ch ary alway s is also as
harmfu l as not b eing.
S: Wary, Careful
A: Careless, Incau tious
Chas sis (N )
Frame work and working parts
of an automobile.
The car’s light weight chassis is
the most important f or a J erk
less drive.
S: Skeleton, H ulk, Ca rc as s,
Armature
C ha uv inis m (N ) Militant and Fanatical patriotism
In times of war , c hauv inism
can prove to be a potent weapon
in deciding the vic tor.
S: Big ot, Sexist
Marked by viciss itudes
His cheq uered career h as been
ma rked by a lo t o f ups a nd
dow ns.
Chic anery ( Adv) T ricke ry in leg a l ma tte rs ,
De cep tion
The lawy er won the cas e for
his client out of chican ery.
S: Dup licity
A: Ho nes ty
C hiva lr ous (A dj ) Of or as of the id eal kn igh t,
Cou rteo us
Opening a car door for a lady
is considered to be a ch ivalrous
ac t.
S: Gallant, H onoura ble
A: Coward ly, Fearful, Timid
Choleric ( Adj)
Easily angered
The teacher ’s choleric na ture
ke pt the s tude nts awa y fr om
him.
S: Irascible, Angry, Fiery
A: Phlegm atic, Calm, Placid
Chro nic le ( V)
Re po rt
Me dia
ch ro nicle
th e
c on tr ov er sial
s ty le
of
celebr ities.
S: Histo ry, Regis ter, Jou rnal,
Sto ry
C hurlis h (A dj )
Inso lent, ill tempe red.
Rich ne ss s ho uld no t be a n
excuse for churlishness
S: Boorish, Rude, Truculence
Cheque re d (N )
A S LU CK
HAVE IT
WOULD
Wh en s om eth in g go od
hap pens, even though it
was n ot planned for.
AS SNU G AS A B UG
IN A RUG
Com fo r ta ble to th e
po int of b ein g co nten t.
Circ uito us ( Adj) Rou ndabo ut, Indir ect
Th e bu s f rom Delh i to Ag ra
to ok a cir cuitous route.
S: Mean dering , Wind ing
A: Dir ect, Str aigh t, T hrou gh
C ir cumlo cutio n (N ) A r ou nd ab o ut w ay o f
say ing s ometh ing
Circum locu tion is one of the
best quality of politician
Cir cums pect (Adj) Ca utio us
The
arm y
me n we re
circumspect while carry ing out
opera tion in enemies camp.
S: Careful, Vigilant, Prudent
A: Audacious, Careless
Cla irvoya nce (A dj)Keen ability to perceiv e things
Th e b usin ess man de spite h is
exceptional cla irvoy ance could
not pred ict the r eturn s on his
in ve stm en t.
S: E xc e ptio n al
in sig ht,
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Clamour (N )
Pe rce ption
A loud out cry.
I hav e ne ver visited a mo re
clamoro us place tha n this.
S: Brawl, Cry
A: Whisper , Sigh
Clandestine (Adj) Secret o r hidden
T he c as hier w a s dism is se d
f ro m
s er v ic e f or
his
clan de stine a ctiv ities w hich
were a gainst the bank.
S: Fu rtive, Cov ert, Pr iva te
A: Ope n, Forthr ight, Clear
Clapt rap (Adj)
E mp ty talk inten d ed to ge t
applause
The movie was full of claptrap
dialo gues.
S: In sinc ere
A g ro up of p e op le p a id to
applaud at the play, op era etc.
C la us t ro phobia (N ) Fea r of b e in g in a n
enclose d place
Be ing in pris one d in ce llular
jail man y prisoners de veloped
claustrop hobia.
Clement (A dj )
Len ient, Merciful
The clem ent j udge pardo ned
th e de linq uents.
A: Vindictive
Climac ter ic ( N) A crucia l period
Ado lescen ce is a climacte ric
pe rio d.
Co git at e ( V)
To th in k d ee p ly a bo u t, To
po nd er
For w o rld cla ss e c on om y
ev ery nation sho uld co gita te
over e co friendly p olicies
S: Delibrate, Rumin ate
C o gna t e
Re la te d by f am ily, Fro m a
comm on origin
By b eh av iou ra l patte rn o ne
cou ld co gnate betw een man
& gor illa.
S: Rela ted, Sim ilar
C og nizanc e (N )
T he s tud e nts w en t o n a
rampage but the Principal took
no cognizanc e of it.
S: Notice , Heed
C la que (N )
LAM P OON :
dr in k!
let
us
In 17th - cen tury Fra nce,
a gr oup of s tudents in a
ca fé w ould ra ise the ir
g la ss es
an d
cr y
lam po o ns , “ le t u s
drink!” and the y wo uld
s in g a s o ng ca lle d a
lamp oon. Jus t a drin king
song, that’s all, th at they
often composed a s they
went a long. It gen erally
consisted of ribald jokes
at s ome on e’s e xpe ns e.
Som etim es , h ow ev er ,
the so ngs were no t only
satiric al but seditious. So
in th e 18th centur y, when
sa tirists like Pop e we re
c om po sing witty an d
abusiv e verses, s omeone
r em em b er ed th e old
Fr en ch dr in king so ng s,
an d lam po on be c am e
la mpoo n in ou r E nglish
tongue. Now, a lamp oon
is a sc urrilous satir e, that
b ring s a p er s on to
ridic ule.
Clique ( N)
Cloiste red ( V)
Co ale sc e ( V)
Coe rce (V)
Co gent (Adj)
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A sm all e xc lus iv e cir cle of
pe op le
Senior member of our colony
f or me d cliqu e in d ulging in
pro ductive activities
Secluded, Confined
Bec au se o f th e killer w av e
man y peop le in Andama n &
Nico bar islan d w er e lef t
c lo is ter ed fo r m an y d ay s
without relief.
To u nite, To merg e, To fuse
If small for ce c oales ce they
can ove rcome any diff iculty.
To compe l, Fo rce
The polic e had to c oerce the
tru th o ut o f th e cu lprit.
S: Extort, Wrench, Intimidate
Co nv in cing
Th e lawy er’s a rgu men t w as
v er y co ge nt a nd led to th e
acq uittal of his clie nt.
S: For ce f ul, Str o ng , Well
argued
A: Alien
Perc eption, Knowledge
C og nomen (N )
A: Ignor ance
Surname, last name
Pe ople hav e p rob lem taking
my whole name because of my
lon g Co gnom en.
Co he re nt ( N)
Stic king to ge th er , L og ic ally
con nected
Th er e ha s to b e co he re nc e
b etwe e n wh at y o u talk &
do .
Colla te ra l (N )
(i) Par allel or corre sponding
S: Sec o nd ar y ,
P ar allel,
Co ncu rre nt
(ii) Se curity towards a loan
He could n’t raise collateral for
hom e lo an.
Co ma to se ( Adj) Of, like or in a coma, Lethargic
Th e do ctor d es pite h is b es t
ef for ts, co uld not re viv e the
p atie nt fo rm his co m atos e
co nd itio n.
S: Unc onscious
A: Ale rt
Co me ly ( Adj)
Ple asing , Attractive
N ita’s co me ly a ttitud e wa s
respons ible for her s uccess.
S: Graceful, Agr eeable, Nice
C omes tible (N ) Fo od
Wheat is the staple co mestible
of North Ind ia.
Co mity ( N)
Co urte sy
H is c om ity a n d ch iv a lr ou s
na tur e make h im win ladies
hea rt
S: Frie ndly
A: Ho stility
Commemor ate (V) To celebrate
A statue of found er has been
b uilt to c o mm e mo ra te th e
10 0th a nn iv e rs sa r y o f th e
ins titu te .
S: Honour,Remember, Observe
C ommise r at e (V ) To fe el or show pity
Buddha commiserated w ith the
poor and needy.
S: Cond ole, Sy mpath ise
C ompa tible (A dj ) Ge ttin g a lo ng or g oin g we ll
to ge th er
O pp os ite p o le s a re ne ve r
compa tible with each o ther.
S: Well matched, Companionable
Co mpla ce nc y (N ) Self satisfaction or smu gness
The lion was complacen t after
eating its shar e of the kill.
S: Co nte nde d, P lea sed with
on ese lf
A: Disc on te nt
C omple me nt (V ) T he a mo u nt n e ed ed to f ill
co mple te
T he w o rk a s sig nm en t w ill
com plem ent y our theo retical
kno wled ge.
S: Bala nce, Of fset, Foil
A: Clas h, Con flict, Quarr el,
Co llide
C omplime nt (V ) A f or ma l a ct of c ou r te sy ,
Pra ise
T he
y ou ng
bo y
wa s
c om plime nte d by ch ie f
minis ter for h is brave act.
S: Com mend, Eulog ize
Co mport ( V)
was co ncise.
S: Com pact, Sh ort, Ter se
A: Diffuse, Repetitive, Wordy
C onco mit ant (N ) Accomp any ing
Spira lling
pr ic e s
ar e
c on co m itan t o f a d e ficit
budg et.
S: Atte nd an t
C onco r da nc e
Co nc at ena te ( N) Link to ge th er
It is ha rd to believe th at these
e ve nts co n ca te na te with ou t
any planning.
Co nc our se ( N)
Co nc urr ent ( V)
Co nc ept ion ( N)
Co nc is e (N )
To adm it as true, Accept
T he c u lp rit c o nc ed e d his
mistake.
S: Surren der, Admit, Own
A: Deny, Refuse, Disagree
Beg inning
Fo r eff ectiv e e xe cution o ne
s ho uld po nd er o ve r all th e
option since conc eption.
S: Star t, Outs et, Or igin
Brief an d to the po int
The winn ing e ssay on Ne hru
AS WELCOME AS A
SKUN K AT A LAWN
PAR TY.
N ot
w an ted
welcome.
or
An open area forming part of
a b uilding , A g a th er ing o f
pe ople or thin gs
Occurring at the sa me time
Th e po litician pr om is ed the
po or tha t he w ou ld p ro vide
shelter and foo d concurre ntly.
C oncus sio n (N )
C o nde s ce nd
Co ndig n (A dj )
S: Ch ain up
A: Segreg ate, Disco nnect
Co nc ede ( V)
Not very useful.
In co ncor dan ce with th e n ow ar p a ct, b oth c ou n tr ie s
disban ded their a rmies.
S: Accor d, Conse nsus,
Harm ony
A: Disagr eement, Re fusal
A: Disparage, Censure, Blame
To beha ve in a specif ied way
It looks aw kwa rd wh en y ou
com port or ac t artificial.
A: Is olated
Agree ment
A S USEFU L A S A
LEAD B ALLOON
Co ndone (N )
Co nduct ( V)
S: Sim ultane ous
A: An achr ono us
I mp a ir ed
fu n ctio n in g
especially of brain cau sed by a
violen t blow
Afte r the d eadly a ccident the
victim’s life w as saved b ut he
pass ed to c oncuss ion.
To
de al
w ith
o th er s
pa tr onizin gly ; Do so mething
below one’s dignity
In monetary matters he easily
condesce nds to the mos t stingy
perso n in the whole w orld.
De serv ed, sa id e spe cia lly of
pu nis hme nt
T he a s sa ss ins we re give n
c on dign p un is h me nt b y th e
judge.
S: Adequate, Justifiable , Just,
Fit
A: Undese rved, Inade quate,
In app rop ria te
To fo rg ive o r o ve rlo ok a n
offe nce
T he m a ster c o nd on e d th e
the ft co m mitte d b y his
se rv an t.
S: Rem it
A: Pu nish
Mana ge, To lead
Z ub in Me hta c o nd uc ts his
orchestr a in a brilliant manner.
S: To dire ct
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Co nf ab ( N)
Co nf la te ( V)
A: To ta ke order, Obey
An info rmal talk, Chat
O ne c o uld a lw a y s s e e th e
gossipy aunt in a confab.
Fuse together
Blend o f s eve ra l m usicia ns
h av e trie d to co n flate
occidental and oriental m usic
stra in s.
S: Coalesce
A: Sepa rate, Divide
C onge nia l (A dj ) Kind red, Compatible
A Conge nial work atm osphere
is kn ow n
to im pr ov e
pr odu ctivity.
A: Unm atch ed
C onge nit al (A dj ) Ex isting at bir th
T he s ca r s on his fa c e ar e
co ngen ita l.
Co ng er ie s (N )
Co nje ctur e ( N)
C onjuga l (N )
MAGAZINE :
onc e a storeho use
T he A r ab ia n w or d
ma khza n me ant stor eho use , a p lac e whe re
grain and other su pplies
we re ke pt. O rigin ally
books were called magazines sin ce they were
“store-h ouses” of knowledge . But by the 19th
c en tu r y th e w or d
ap plie d o nly to period ic als . We us e m ag az in e in its o r ig ina l
sense when we ap ply it
to a r epository fo r milita ry a rms, mun itio ns.
I n Fr e nc h th e w or d
m ag a s in me a n s a
depa rtmental sto re.
Co nj ure ( V)
A: Acquired
A heap or pile of things
In so me Govern ment off ices,
One can find congeries of files
una tten ded to.
S: Heap, Pile
A: Order
In ferr ing or pre dic tin g fr om
inco mplete evide nce
We mu st n o t co me to
co nc lu sion s on the b as is o f
conjec tures.
S: Guess work
A: Af firm ation
O f ma r riag e o r re latio n
between a husband and a wife
O ne s h ou ld ha v e a b ette r
u nd er sta nd in g in co n ju ga l
affa irs.
S: Ma rital
To sum mon as if by magic
T he m ag ician c on j ur ed u p
rabbits from his hat.
S: Ca llup , I nvolve
To pr e te nd no t to lo o k (a t
crime etc), A ssist
Suc h bla tant acts of v iole nce
ca n on ly take plac e with the
con nivan ce of the police.
C onno is s eur (N ) O ne
who
ha s e xp er t
kno wle dg e
an d
kee n
disc rim in ation e spe cially in
fine arts
He is a con noisse ur of m usic
and was able to judge the entry
in a few minutes.
Co nniv e (V )
S: Ignor amus
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A: Ign orant, Lay men
Co nnot at io n (N ) Implication of some term
This silence co nnotes a storm.
S: Suggestion, Allusion
C onnubia l (N )
Of mar riage, con jugal
Co nn ubial ma tters a re ve ry
comple x & requir e deep
u nd er s ta n ding of hu ma n
psy cholo gy.
S: Ma trim onial
C o nsa ng uine ous ( N ) Related by blood
Hum an r elations are bey ond
con sang uinity.
Consc ientious (N)Gov erne d by one’s con scie nce
Ja wah ar lal Ne hr u w as ve ry
co nsc ie ntious in d isc ha rging
his duties as a prime M inister.
S: Scr upulous, Pain staking
A: Unsc rupulo us, Wicked
Co nsc ript ( N)
To en r oll f or co mp u ls or y
servic e in armed forces
I n wa r tim e G e rm an y , all
citizens above the age of seven
were conscrip ted.
S: Rec ru it, E n lis t, E n ro ll,
Ro okie
Co nse crat e ( V)
To br ing s om e th in g into
r elig iou s u se b y a s p ec ia l
c er em o ny ; D ev ote to a
relig ious pur pose
Du ring the fre edo m strugg le
s ev er a l fr e ed o m fig hter s
con secra ted their live s in the
na tio n’s inte res t.
S: Ble ss, A noint, Baptise
Co ns pe ct us ( N) A gener al view
T his s ho rt sto ry g ive s a
co ns pec tu s o f th e tra ils a nd
tribulations unde rgone dur ing
the civ il war.
S: Summary
C onst er na t io n (N )
Dismay, panic
M uc h to th e little bo y ’s
c on ster n atio n , th e m on ke y
ran aw ay with his food.
S: Alarm
A: Tra nquillity , Rep ose
Co ns tr ue ( V)
To interpr et, To a naly se
T he A r ch ae olo gist sp en t
s ev er a l mo n th s try ing to
cons true th e hiero gly phic s on
the tomb of Rem ises.
A: Fa ctu al
C onsumma te (A dj ) Com plete, Perf ect
L eo na r do d a v in c i wa s
cons ummate painter.
A: I nc om plete, I mp er fe ct,
Fa ulty
Co nta gious ( Adj) In fec tio n.
Her smile is contagious no one
ca n stop o ne s elf ge ttin g
affected from that glee.
S: Catching, Tran smitta ble
C onte mptible (A dj ) D es er ving
co ntem pt,
Sco rn
Disrespe ct to the natio nal flag
is a contem ptible act.
S: De sp ic able,
M ea n,
Cowardly
A: Goo d, Wor thy
C onte mpt uo us (N ) Full of contempt, Scornful
The politic ian’s c ontemptuous
attitude toward s the poor was
sh ockin g.
C onting ent (N ) (i) A group of peo ple sha ring
particular chara cteris tics
Th e co nting en t of sc ie ntis ts
w en t o n an ex p ed ition to
An tarc tic a.
(ii) Depen dent
T he c o ntin u ation o f this
contract is contingent on y our
a dh er ing to the stip u la te d
delivery s chedules.
(iii) Tro ops sup plie d to fo rm
part o f a large force
Co nt re te mps (N ) Co nf us in g, e mb ar ra ss in g or
awkward o ccurrence
T he c o ntre tem p s of be in g
ch arg ed fo r ticketless trav el
was etc hed in the me mory of
th e victim.
A: Good f ortune, Goo d luck
Co ntr ite (Adj)
Showing regret
Her contrite face is ev ident of
her misery.
S: Rem or s ef ul, Rep e na nt,
P en iten t
A: Shameless
Controv ert (V)
To ar gue against, Dis pute
India and Pakis tan contin ue to
c on tr ov e rt o n the K a sh mir
iss ue.
S: Deb ate
A: Accede, Agree
Co nt umac y (N ) Stu bb o rn
re sis ta n ce
to
au tho rity
The con tuma cy o f th e ho rse
made the rider fu rious.
S: Impudence
A: Com plia nce
C ontume ly (N )
H um iliatin g tr ea tm e nt o r
scorn ful insu lt, Rude ness
Though, I am their ser vant but
the y have no r ight to beh ave
contumely to me.
Co nv iv ia l (A dj )
C onvo ke (V )
Co pious ( Adj)
Co rollar y ( N)
Co rpo rea l (Adj)
Co rpulence ( N)
Co terie ( N)
Co xc omb ( N)
Co up ( N)
Cov ert (A dj)
Cov et (A dj)
Cr ass (Adj)
Cheerful and friendly, Pleasant
situ atio n
T he re wa s a c on v iv ia l
a tm os ph er e at the b ir th da y
pa rty.
S: Sociable, Jo vial
A: Dismal, Staid, Solemn
To call to geth er
Th e pr in cipa l co nv oked the
s tu de nts an d wa rn ed the m
against continued misbehaviour.
S: Convene, Assemble, Gather
A: Dismiss, Dissolve
Sufficient
I had copious material to study
but no time.
HE WHO LIV ES BY THE
SWORD , SHA LL DI E
BY THE SWORD
T he w a y y ou live , w ill
determine how y ou will die.
A SK
ME
NO
Q U ESTI ONS AN D I’ LL
TELL YOU NO LIES
If y ou askme that qu estion,
I will n ot be able to tell y ou
th e tr uth.
S: Pr of us e,
Bou ntif ul,
Numerous
A: A few, A couple, A handful
Infer ence, Dedu ction
Suc cess is coro llar y to one ’s
ten acio us e ffor ts.
S: Res ult, O utcome , Upsh ot.
Of or for the body
In the p ast, students us ed to be
s ub je c te d to c or p or ea l
punishment for disobedie nce.
S: Phy s ical
A: C e r e b r a l , M i n d ,
Psy c hological
Fatness, obes ity
No rma lly cor pulent p ers on
are thou ght to be slug gish but
he is an e xception.
S: Fle shy, Sto ut
A: Thin , Lean, Emaciated
A clo se circle of frien ds or
colleagues
My grand father and his coterie
have formed a laughter club and
even I am a member o f that.
Silly , Vain, Foolish f ellow
A master stroke
The politics of coup is the bane
of infant democracies of under
developed countries.
S: Ove rthr ow, Revo lutions
Hidde n, Secre tive
S: Clan destine , Conce aled
A: Ope n, Frank, Can did
To want arden tly
She c o ve te d the m o de l’s
be autiful looks.
S: Des ire
A: Dis own
Unref ined
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Th e ma n’s cr as s be ha viou r
was only a f açad e, be hind it
lay a shrew manipu lator.
D
C re dulo us (A dj ) Tending to believe too readily
T he y ou ng g ir l’s cr ed ulou s
nature led to th e others taking
advantage of her.
S: Gullible, Easily dec eivable
A: Shrewd
Cr esc endo ( N)
S: Upsu rge
Fancy
Cr ux ( N)
S: Whim, Eccentr icity
Pivo tal p oint
The crux of our problem is our
indolence.
C ulpa ble (A dj )
Daft (Adj)
Daint y ( Adj)
Da is ( N)
Fo r po llutio n ou r un mind ed
action s are culp able.
Cumber some (Adj)Hard to handle
It’s cumbersom e to carr y the
h ug e tan k do w n th irtee n
stories
S: Awkward, clumsy
C upidit y (N )
PAM P HLET:
fr om a po em
na me d
Gy nic al (Adj)
S: Avarice, Greed
A: Gene rosity, Lavish ness
Misan th rop ic
Da lly ( V)
D ank (A dj )
Dapper (A dj)
Today ’s y outh is cy nical of age
old tra ditions
th
I n the 12 c en tu ry a
L atin p oe m c alle d
Ph am ph ilus ap pe ar ed ,
the
G r ee k
w or d
p am p hilus
me a n in g
“ lo v ed b y a ll. ” T his
be ca me trem en do us ly
p op ula r an d w id ely
d is tribu ted po em wa s
g iv en th e nic kn am e
Pam philet, a nd later on
any similar, th in, pa per
c ov er ed ty pe of b oo k
was called a pam philet,
w hich w as fina lly
sh ortened to pa mph le t.
Strong desire for wealth
His cu pid ity h as led him to
prison in the bank scand al.
Cy no sure ( Adj)
S: Pe ss im is tic, M oc king ,
sarcastic
A c en tre o f a tte ntion o r
in te re st
T he b e au tif ul g irl w a s th e
cy no su re of all ey es at the
wedding.
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S: Amateur
A: Pr ofes sion al
Silly, I nane, Idiotic, Foolish
The daft y oung girl eloped and
ended in a brothel.
S: Summary, Crucial, Essential
Branch of phy sics dealing with
v er y
lo w
te mp er atur e
phe nome na
Cry ogenic s imp ortan t for the
d ev elop me nt o f stem c ell
te chno log y.
Blamew orthy
To play in water as with hands,
Do so mething superfic ially
My f riend merely dabble s in
lea rnin g and nev er co nsid ers
it a serious oc cupation.
Gradual increase in in tensity
With inc re as in g nu mb er o f
autom obiles on e could e xpect
a cresce ndo in pollution level
Cro tchet (N)
Cr yo genics ( N)
Da bble ( V)
Da sta rdly (Adj)
Da unt ( V)
S: Mad
A: Profound, Wise, Intelligent
Delicately pre tty
We were treate d with a c oke
and dain ty little p astries.
S: Nice, Delicate, Sweet
A: So ur, Bitter, Rev olting
Rais ed platform
Ama nda star ted s hive ring on
the dais as if she was on a ice
cube.
S: Pla tform, Podiu m, Sta nd,
Pu lp it.
To de a l ca r eles s ly ( w ith) ,
Tr if le
Do no t d ally on th is iss ue; I
wan t a considere d opinion in
two hou rs.
S: Loiter, Dawdle
A: Hurry, Rush
Disagreeably damp
T he d a nk da rk ro o m wa s
smelling like a g utter.
S: Moist, Sogg y, Wet
Small an d active
His dap per appearance made a
fav ourable imp ression on the
inte rview bo ard.
S: Trim, N eat
A: Awkw ard, Un tidy
Mean, Cowardly
It was a dastar dly a ct on the
part of the King to flee from
the king do m w he n it wa s
attac ke d.
S: Shameful, Immoral
A: Noble, Dignified
To su bdue
The old man’s face still daunt
me who w as killed by m e in an
D azzle (V )
De adlo ck ( N)
De bacle ( N)
Debauch ( V)
De bilit ate ( V)
acc iden t.
S: To frig hten, To intimidate,
To discourage
Beauty or cleve rness
The d azzling p erforman ce by
Ran i mukherjee in b lack was
highly apprec iated
S: Amaze , Stun, Ove rwhelm
Stand still
Because of terrorist attack the
India Pakistan p eace talk is in
dea dloc k.
S: Stalem ate, Gridloc k, L og
jam
Crus hing de feat
New Zealand’s loss to the West
Indies in the recent te st match
was noth ing short of a debacle.
A: Ele vate, Enhan ce, L ift
To co rru pt
T he p o we r b es to w ed b y
politics ca n debau ch even the
mo st p rinc iple d p oliticia n.
S: Debase, Defile
To make w eak
Du e to pr olong ed illn es s he
looked h aggard and debilitated.
S: En erva te
A: Streng th, Invigora te
De bo nair ( Adj)
Das hing, Courte ous
The debo nair army man had
many par amours.
De butante ( N)
A girl m aking her social debut
T he d e bu ta nte imp r es se d
ev ery on e w ith he r d ra matic
ta le nt.
S: Intr oduction, Pr esenta tion
A: Graceless, Clumsy
A proces s, condition o r period
of dec line as in morals, ar t etc.
Pour off
Th e b ois ter ous pa rty started
w ith
de ca n ta tion
of
champ agne.
To be head
Dec adence ( N)
Dec ant (V)
Dec apit ate (V)
The guillotine was use d widely
du rin g the Fre nch re volution
to decap itate the gentry.
De ciduous (N )
Not per mane nt
T he d ar k p ha s e of life is
decidu ous so be brave.
De cimat e ( V)
To d estroy o r kill a large part
of
Hitler took it up on himself to
decimate the Jewish race.
S: Dev asta te, Annihila te
De cis ive (Adj)
D ec le ns io n (N )
De clivit y ( N)
De corum ( N)
Tha t settles a disp ute
In spite of re peate d dema nds
from pe ople, the Gov ernment
failed to give a decisive reply
on wa ge revis ion.
S: Crucial, Vital
A: Indec isive
A des cent
After Akbar, there was a gradual
de clen sion in the qu ality of
rulers in the Mughal empire.
S: Decline
A downwa rd slope
T he d e clivity in mo ra l
s ta nd a rd s am o ng to da y ’s
y ou th is a c a us e of gr av e
co ncer n.
App ropria te so cial behaviour
Without a decorum ones career
can not rise to h eigh ts.
S: Mod esty, Respe ctability
A: Discard , Dump
Decoy (N)
Dec repit (A dj)
Def alca te ( V)
Defer (V)
De fe re ntial ( N)
De fia nt (adj)
A thing used to trap v ictim
T he d e co y s uc c es s fu lly
e ntra p pe d
the
c o rr up t
po litic ia ns
S: Lu re,
Tra p,
Snar e,
Distra ction
Bro ken d own o r wor n out by
old age or long use
A decrep it old woman s at on a
par k ben ch.
S: Weak, Aged
POT TO PI SS IN
I n me diev a l Lo nd on ,
p eo ple did n ot h av e
indoor plumbing. It was
c om mo n to us e a
c la mb er p o t as a n
ind oo r toile t. Th e
chambe r pot could then
b e du m pe d ou t o f a
window in to the stre et
gutter b elow. A per son
who did not have a ‘pot
to p is s in’ wa s p oo r
ind ee d. I n m ed ie va l
time s, th e wo rd ‘p is s’
wa s n ot con sider ed at
all vu lg ar . It w as n ot
until,Vic toria n England
that words s uch as piss
we re d ee med v ulga r.
Even today phrase s like
‘pot to piss in’ an d ‘Full
of Pis s and Vinega r’ are
someho w consider ed to
be gen erally acce ptable
an d on ly m od er ately
crude.
A: Robu st, Ag ile
To ste al o r m isu se fu nd s
en trus ted to o ne
T he b u re a uc ra t w h o wa s
in dic ted fo r d efa lca tio n w as
s en te n ce d to two y e ar s
im prison men t.
To pos tpon e; To y ield due to
re spe ct
Don’t keep on d eferring small
work later they will pile up and
become cumbersome.
S: Delay, Adjourn
A: Expedite, Has ten, Quicken
Very res pectful
Th e y oung bo y ’s de fere ntial
mann ers im presse d ever y one
at the gath erin g.
S: Obe dient, Rev erential
A: Imp udent, Defiant
Dis obedient
The man ager was ver y angry
on the new employ ee because
of his d efiance.
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De file ( V)
De finit iv e ( Adj)
Defra y (V)
Deft (Adj)
Def unct (Adj)
Deify ( V)
COLOGNE: pe rfu me
Th is Ge rma n c ity w as
fo un de d o n th e rive r
Rhine in 50 A .D .
Agrippina, the wife of the
Ro ma n
Em pe ro r
Cla ud iu s, wa nted it se t
there because her husband
was born in this place. It
was f irst called Co lon ia
Agrippina but later on the
Fr en ch m od if ie d it to
Co lo gn e. I t ha s b ee n
famous since the Middle
Ag es f or its c athe dr al
which contains the shrine
of the Magi. But far more
im po rtan t th an this, it
has been the shrine of eau
de Cologne since the y ear
1709, a scent which our
Am er ic an lad ie s ha ve
shor tened to co logn e.
De le ct ation ( N)
De le te rious (N )
De linea te ( V)
D elir ium (N )
S: Ins olent, Reb ellio us.
A: Comp liant, Bidda ble
To po llu te, To co rru pt
In politics, peop le try to defile
th e re pu ta tion o f op po sition
members in an attempt to gain
v otes .
S: Tain t, Deb ase
A: Glor ify
Con clus ive, Fin al
The j udge’s def initive a nswer
le d to re st all d oub ts on the
iss ue.
S: Prec ise
A: Vague, Confused
To p ay
H er tr av el ex p en se s w er e
defray e d by the comp any she
wo rks with.
S: Settle, Adjust
A: Decamp, Repudiate, Disown
Skilfu l
Th e girl was def t a nd lear nt
the c raft rap idly.
S: Adep t, Dexte rous, A gile
A: Awkwar d, Clumsy, Inept
No longer existing
The public distribution s sy stem
is in a bad c on ditio n an d is
alm ost d efun ct.
S: Extinct, De ad
A: Alive, Fa shiona ble
To look upo n as a God
The poor deified Gandh iji for
the s up po r t he e x te nd ed to
their cause.
Delight, En joy m ent
T he little girl’s de le c ta ble
mimicr y br oug ht the h ou se
down with laughter.
S: Deliciou s, Ap petizing
Harmful
Cigarette smoking is deleterious
to he alth.
S: Injur ious
A: Helpful, Salubrious
To draw, Ske tch
It is dif ficu lt to delinea te a ll
the q u alities o f a p e rf ec t
human being.
S: Depic t, Descr ibe, Outline
A
tem p or ar y
m en ta l
disturba nce as during a fever,
ma rke d b y c onf use d s pee ch
and hallucination.
In delir ium she almost behaved
like a ma d woman.
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D elinquent (N )
De liv era nc e ( N)
De luge ( N)
D elus io n (N )
De me an ( V)
S: Man ia, Fr enzy, Insan ity
A: San ity, N ormality
Said of y oung people showing
a tende ncy to commit crimes
The delinquent y oung boy was
a result of paternal neg ligence.
Liber ation
Th e de live ra nc e of c ap to rs
f ro m ja il wa s a h ea r ties t
mome nt for their families.
S: Releas e, Rescue, Relief
A: Cap tu r e,
I mp r is on ,
Incarc erate
Great flood
Due to heav y rains e ven the
high ar eas o f the city we re
deluged.
A f als e be lie f, th e a ct o f
delu ding
It is a d elusion to think th at
without effort, succes s can be
achie ved.
S: H allu c in ation , I llu sion ,
Err or
A: Cer tain ity, Rea lity , Fa ct
To de grade
Because of drug addiction, he
us ed to b eg fo r mon ey a nd
demean h imself.
S: Humble
A: Hono ur, Re vere
De me anour (N )
De mur ( V)
Demur e (N )
De nig rat e ( N)
D enize n (N )
Outwa rd Behav iour
Her admirable deme anour is
primarily due to her stint at a
finis hing sc hoo l.
S: Be hav iou r,
Ma nne r,
Cond uct
To he sitate be cause of doubt
She dem urred about ta king up
the j ob because of the r ecent
loc kout in the c ompa ny.
S: Obje ct, Hesitate
A: Agree, Accept, Consent
Deco rous
Mod est king D ushy a ntha was
c ap tiv ated by Sh akun tala’s
demu re loo ks.
S: Coy, Shy
A: Brazen, Impudent, Shameless
To bla cken or b e little th e
charac ter of
T he Wa te rg a te s c an da l
de nigr ated Ric ha rd N ix on ’s
meticu lously built reputa tion.
S: Defame, Slander
A: Glorify, Praise
An inhab itant or frequ enter of
a particu lar place
Zu lu tribe s ar e de nize ns o f
kalahari dese rt.
S: Citize n
A: Alien, Foreig ner
D enouement (N ) The outc ome or unravelling of
a plot in a drama; The last part
of a book/d rama
Th e aud ien ce in the the atre
a wa ite d the d e no u em en t
eagerly.
S: Co nclusion, Com ple tio ns
A: Star t, Cre ate
De no unce ( V)
Cond emn publicly
We must denounce our callous
and irresponsible behav iour.
S: Criticize , Cens ure
A: Sup port, Ho ld
De plet e ( V)
To use up (resou rces)
T he in cr ea s in g p ric es o f
co mmod itie s will d eple te the
resource s of the middle class.
S: Dra in, E mpty, Exha ust
A: Fill, Strengthen, Enla rge
Depr avity (N)
Depr ecate (V)
Depreciate (V)
Depre dat ion ( N)
De re liction ( V)
Der ide (V)
Amora lity
The d epravity o f landlor ds on
th eir bou nde d labo urer s w as
unimaginable.
S: Cor ru ptio n ,
Ev il,
Decadence
A: G oo dn e ss ,
De c en cy ,
Ho nes ty
To expre ss dis appro val
Ec ono mis ts have de pre cated
th e in tr od uc tio n of the n ew
po lic y.
S: Disapp rove , P rote st
A: Approve,Endorse, Command
To le ssen in value
T he v a lu e o f r ea l e state
property will not depre ciate at
least for the n ext five y ears.
S: Undervalue , Lower, Decry
A: Boos t, Raise, Pr aise
Dama ge cau sed by an attack
or an a ccident
For saking of d uty
Penaltie s are levied on officers
for dereliction of duties.
S: Neglect ( of duty )
A: Re stora tion
To ridic ule
To de r id e a h an dic ap pe d
p er so n is o ne o f the wo rs t
forms of mora l deprav ity.
S: Ta unt, M oc k, Sco rn
A: Enco urage, Cheer, In cite
De roga tory (Adj) Dispar aging
T he o p po s itio n m e mb er s
wa lked ou t in pr otes t a gain st
the der ogatory remar ks made
by the minis ter.
S: In sulting , Belittling
A: Glor ify ing, Eulogizing
De scant ( N)
Descr y (N)
Dese crate (V)
A tune u sually sung or play ed
at th e same time as the main
tu ne
Though a s descant but the flute
made the tune m ore melodious.
To disco ver
Wh en U ly s se s an d h is m en
descried land after several day s
o f sa iling , the y w er e
Overwh elmed with joy.
To v iolate the s acredn ess
The dese cration of the Golden
Temple during Operation Blue
Star h urt Sikh s s entiments.
S: Pro fane, Misuse , Pollute
A: Sanctify, Pur ify, Cle anse,
Con secr ate
GETTING A SQ UARE MEAL
I nitially, d in n er p la te wa s a
sq ua re piec e o f wo od with a
‘bow l’ carv ed out to hold the
se rving of th e p erp etu al stew
th at w as alw ay s coo kin g ov er
th e f ire. Th e kettle was`nev er
ac tually emp tied an d c lean ed
out. New ingredients were simply
a dd ed to the mu ck, P eo ple
alwa y s too k their ‘squ are’ w ith
them whe n they went tra velling.
To D ry out comple tely
In the s corching sun the green
lea ves desic cate d to parc hed
fo ils.
De side ra tum (N ) Something needed and wanted
Des icca te ( N)
Peace in Kosovo isa desideratum.
Dangerous criminal
Th e des pe rad o d em and ed a
la rge su m o f mo ney fo r the
return of the hostag es.
De spica ble ( Adj) Dese rving s corn
M is ap p ro pr iatio n o f p ub lic
fu nd s thr oug h kickb ac ks is a
despicab le act.
S: Low, Mean, Cowardly
A: High , Noble, Exa lted
De sponde nc y (N ) Dej ection
The poor waif s des ponde ncy
ag gr av ate d on be in g s en t to
ano ther orp hana ge.
S: Melancho ly, De press ion
A: Buo y ancy, Elation
Des pot (N)
An absolu te ruler
S: Ty r an t
A: Demo crat
De suetude ( N)
Disuse , E xtinction
Many buildings have fallen into
desuetude due to age.
De sultor y ( N)
Aimless
A D es u ltor y a pp ro a ch to
De spe rado ( N)
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De tent e ( N)
De te ntion ( N)
De tr ime nt ( V)
De viant ( N)
De vious ( N)
Dev olve (V)
De xter ity (Adv)
DERR IC K: a ho is ting
ap pa ra tu s
O ur m od er n h oistin g
a pp ar atus wa s na me d
“der rick” be cause of its
likenes s to a gallo ws. At
the be ginning of the 17th
c en tu ry th er e wa s a
f am ou s ha n gm an a t
Ty b u rn p r is o n by th e
name of Der rick w hose
nam e was soon applied
to th e ga llow s th at h e
u se d. T he re
is
an
illus tra tiv e q uo tatio n
fr om a c on te mp or ar y
b oo k
by
T ho ma s
Dekker. Say s this a uthor:
“ Th e the ef e tha t dies
at Ty burn is no t half so
d an ge r ou s
as
th e
p olitick Ba nkru p t . I
w ou ld th er e w er e a
Derick to h ang h im up
to o. ”
Diacritic (Adj)
Diatribe ( N)
D ic ho to my (N )
Didact ic( N)
Diff ident ( Adj)
studies leads y ou n owhere.
S: Rambling, Irregular, Unsettled
A: Steady , Firm, Re gular
Lessening of tension especially
betw een nations
Ther e was a déten te between
Bangladesh and Pakistan after
the Peace P act.
De taining
Th e stud en t ha d to u nd er go
de tention for misb ehav ing in
cla ss.
Damage
Com mu n al ten s io n c an b e
d etrime n ta l to th e n atio n’s
in ter ests.
S: Harm
A: Adv anta ge
D ev ia ting , es pe cially f ro m
what is considered normal
His dev iant beha viou r ma kes
me worr ied for his f utures.
No t d ire ct, Ro un dab out, N ot
h on es t
Shy lock had to pay dea rly for
his devio us way s.
To pa ss on to a nother, sa id of
duties, r espon sibilities etc
In the ab senc e of th e Ar my
Chief, h is duties devolv e to the
nex t in comma nd.
Skill in using one’s han ds, body
or m ind
A juggle r needs great d exterity
S: Ab ility, E xper tise , Ta ct
A: Clumsiness, Awkwar dness,
Blun der
Distinguishing
Th e d ia critic f eature o f o ur
expedition is that we will climb
the moun tain from its steepest
side.
A bitter, critic ism, in spee ch/
wr iting
The crim e was so heino us that
the j udge uncha racteristically
resorted to a public d iatribe.
Division into two par ts
Dichoto my between th e party
le ade rs, wa s r esp ons ible f or
parties failur e in elections.
Mor ally instructive
Th e didactic qualities o f th is
m ov ie a r e mo re im po rtan t
tha n th e e nte rtainm e nt it
pro vide s.
S: Edif y ing, I nforma tive
Lackin g self conf idence
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Being diffident y ou ca n never
succeed.
S: Timid, Shy, Inde cisive
A: Confide nce, Sure, D ashing
Dila pidat ed ( Adj) Falling to pie ces
Du e to a sev ere ea rthq uake,
many beautiful buildings were
dilapidated.
Dile tta nte ( N)
S: Decrepit, Decay ing
One who is n ot an ex pert
He is a bit of dilettante as far
as alc ohol is conc erned.
Dilige nt ( N)
S: Amateur, Dabbler
Har dworking
Dilige nce is o ne o f th e mo st
imp or ta nt p re r eq uisite s fo r
success.
S: Ea rne st
D iminutio n (N )
A: Lazy, Careles s, Letha rgic
Deg radation
In
to da y ’s
w or ld
of
c om pe titio n,
mo ra l
consc ience is diminua ting.
S: Sh rinking , Reduc tio n.
Dir ge ( N)
Discer n ( V)
Dis conc ert (V)
A: Growth, Increase, Expansion.
A song, poem, etc. of grief or
mo urning
Th e d irge of cu cko o im plies
some one belo ved is lost.
To pe r ce iv e o r r ec o gn ize
clearly
A: Ove rloo k, N egle ct
To u ps et
He wa s disco nce rte d to find
tha t h is p o cke t ha d b ee n
picked .
S: Embarrass , Confuse
A: Assure, E ncourage
Disc onso la te ( Adj)
Inc onsola ble
Th e dea th of he r par ents in
the cras h left her disco nsolate.
Dis cord (N)
S: Dejec ted, For lorn
A: Exub erant, Cheer ful
Dis agree ment, Quarr el, L ack
of ha rmony be tween mu sical
no te s
The y oung guitarist play e d a
fe w disc ord an t notes w hich
annoy e d the audience.
D is co unte na nc e (V ) To ma ke as ha m ed o r
embarrassed
When the truth was revealed,
the culprit was discountenanced.
Disc ret ion ( N)
The freedom to make decisions
O ne s h ou ld us e h is/he r
discretion in deciding on what
is good or bad.
S: Prud ence, Foresight
A: Rashness, Impudence
Disc urs iv e ( Adj) Wan derin g from one topic to
an othe r
The stud ent lost marks in the
group discussion becaus e of the
disc ursive nature o f his talk.
Dis enchant ed ( N) Disillusioned, Having lost one’s
good opinion of someth ing
His arrogance has disenchanted
many of his former admirers.
Disgo rg e ( V)
To po ur or let ou t p eop le or
things in a mass
Th e boa t d is gor ged its
passengers.
D is ing enuo us (N ) Not sinc ere
T he inter view er , th ro ug h a
pr oces s o f cr oss que stionin g,
sh owe d the audienc e w hat a
disingenuou s perso n the a ctor
was.
S: Sly, My ster ious
A: Can did, Fra nk, Hone st
Dispa rag e ( V)
To discre dit
T he re we r e dis pa r ag in g
c om me nts
f ro m
th e
op pos ition ben ch aga ins t the
ad min istra tio n.
S: Discr edit, De rate
A: Praise, Eulo gise
Dispa rat e (Adj) Dis tinct or d iffer ent
W ha t m ay be th e u se o f
tele vision in libra ry these are
two disp arate thin gs.
S: Inco ngruen t, Une qual
A: Analo gous, Par allel
To play
My favour ite disport is to fly
kite on my terrace on a windy
day.
S: Amuse o neself
D is quisitio n (N ) A long o r elaborate sp oken or
wr itten r epo rt
D is se minat e (V ) To s catter , To sp read ideas
Bu dd ha we nt fr om plac e to
place disseminating knowledge.
Diss ent ( V)
To dis agree
The higher court d issente d on
th e j ud gme nt pas sed b y the
lower court.
S: Oppose, Rebel
A: Co ns en t
Dispor t ( V)
Diss ident (N )
One who rebels.
Not a ll countries may su pport
y ou unco nditionally, s ome are
dis siden ts.
Diss ipa te ( V)
S: Re b e l,
Co n f o r m is t,
P ro te ste r
A: Con formist, T raditionalist
To dispe rse, To waste f oolishly
On e sh ou ld no t dissipa te its
energy in useless ac tivity.
S: Waste away, Pro digal
W HEN THE CHIP S AR E
D OW N
Fr om th e p rac tic e o f using
c hips a s a s u bs titu te fo r
money when gambling. When
winning y ou accumulate a lot
of chip s. But when y o u lose,
y our chips dwindle down.
A: Save, Ac cumulate
Dissimula ting (N )To h id e o ne ’s fe elin gs
T he
p e rs on
g o od
at
dissim ulateins c an’t be tr usted
easily.
Dist end ( V)
To s well, To exp and
D is te nd e d sto ma ch d o es n’t
alw ay s s ignif ies health it can
be an ailment too.
S: In fla te
A: Con tr ac t
Disc ord
The diss onance at the meeting
arose o n the issue of wages.
S: Disa greement, Dissen sion
A: Harmo ny, Agre ement
Dist raught ( Adj) Dis trac ted, Ups et
Diss onance ( N)
Th e la dy w as d is tr au gh t on
he aring abo ut he r h usb and ’s
acc iden t.
S: Hy ste rical, Tro ubled
To seize goods fo r debt
T he p a wn -b ro ker im po se d
distra in on th e po orm an f or
no t pa y ing interes t.
Div est (V)
To de pr iv e (o f ra nk, po we r
etc .)
The traitor was diveste d of his
title an d ba nish ed f ro m th e
king do m.
S: To seize
Divulge ( V)
Rev eal
The susp ense in the mo vie was
div ulged in a w ay th at it was
shocking for all at the th eatre.
S: Ackno wledge, Co ncede
Do cile (Adj)
Easy to discipline
T he d oc ile s tu d en t w as illtreate d by the b ully.
S: Mee k, Mild, Gen tle
A: Stubbor n, Resolute, Wilful
Do ctr inaire (Adj) Strictly app ly ing theory in all
s itua tio ns re g ar dle ss o f
practical pro blems
I prefer managers who are less
doctrinaire and m ore ope n to
deba te.
S: Rig id, Stern
Distr ain ( V)
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Dodder (V)
Do gma tic ( N)
Do ldrums ( N)
Do le ful ( N)
Do lo rous ( Adj)
Do mine er ( Adj)
Do rma nt (Adj)
A: Lib eral, To lera nt
To shake or trem ble as f rom
old age
Th e o nce ar my colone l w as
now a doddering old man.
S: Senile, Ageing
Insistin g that one’s belief must
be acc epted
Dog matism b locks th e ro ads
to de velop men t.
Low spir its
The Indian Cricket team was
in do ld rum s a fter los in g the
series to the We st Ind ies.
A: Cheer ful, Blissful
Sad, Mo urnful
He was in a doleful mo od after
the sudd en death of his father
Sorrowf ul, Sad
The dolor ous c onver sation of
th e be reav ed f amily g reatly
distur bed me
A: Happ iness, Joy
To rule in a harsh or arrogant
way
Adolf Hitler had a dom ineering
pe rson ality
S: Haughty, Arrogant, Despotic
A: Humble , Gentle, Mild
In active
her intelligen ce, she acts.
A: Intellige nce, W ise
Dro ss ( N)
Scum on Molten metal, Refuse,
Was te matter
Dross ca refully recy cle could
h elp in op tim ization o f
resou rces.
Dr udge ry ( N)
Dubious (A dj )
Hard, boring work.
For me read ing Shake spea r’s
novel is drudgery.
S: La bo ur, H ard wo rk, Toil,
Cho re
Do ubtf ul
He had du bious distinction of
be ing ou t f or a d uck in bo th
in ning s
A: Cer tain , Fa ct
Dudg eo n (N )
Ang er, Re sentm ent
He wa s in high dudgeon over
injus tice
A: Cheer ful, Blissful
Dures s ( V)
For ce
T he d ef en da nt s aid th at h e
pleaded guilty under duress.
Morbid res tlessness
Dy sphoria ( N)
I do not understand how people
enjoy dy sphoria in a disc.
S: Uneas iness
A: Eu phor ia
Hawaii h as several volcanoess om e d or ma nt an d o th er s
ac tive
E
S: L aten t
A: Alive, Vibrant
Dot age (N)
DUNC E: to conte mpt
By a cu rious trick of fate
the w ord dunce is fr om
the name of Joh n Du ns
Sc otus on e of th e mo st
b rillian t thinke rs o f
the Mid dle Ages . Af ter
h is
d ea th
ab ou t
1308
his fo llowers
u nw itting ly sa bo ta ge d
h is re pu tation . W he n
the Re naissance a nd the
reviva l of learnin g came
his disc ip les r ag ed in
e ve r y pu lpit a ga ins t
the ne w c ultur e, an d
f in ally th ey
w er e
co ntemp tu ous ly ca lled
“du ns me n” a nd f ro m
this it w as an easy s tep
to du nc e.
Childish state due to old age
O ld p e op le ar e e nd e ar in g
becaus e of their dotage
S: Old age,
A: You th, Ad olesce nce
Double-Ent e ndr e A term with two me anings
(N)
The pla y was popular because
its dialogue was full of doubleen tend re
Dow dy (A dj)
Not nea t or smart in dress
Sh abb y tom looked sma rt in
his do wdy appear ance.
A: Tid y, Fas hiona ble
Dr ac onian ( Adj) Cruel, Severe
D ra co n ia n r ule r of I ra q
“Saddam Hussain” will now be
pun ished for h is atrocities.
A: Kind, M erciful
Drivel (N)
Silly, Stup id talk
Ama nda driv el c anno t co ver
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Ear nest (Adj)
Sinc ere
Ear thy (A dj)
Earnest efforts bring success.
S: Se riou s, Solem n, G ra ve ,
Sober
A: Frivo lous , Pe rky, Dizzy.
Coars e, Unrefined beha viour
Ebullient (A dj )
T he y o un g gir l’s e ar th y
be ha viou r em ba rr as se d th e
Ladie s at the p arty.
S: Poor ,
Simp le,
Unsophisticated
A: Cultu red, Ref ined
Enth usiastic , Vivac ious
He bu rst in to th e r oom with
h is u s ua l e bu llien c e an d
immed iately sta rted talking to
every one.
Ecc entric (A dj)
S: Exu bera nt, Over dem onstra tive
A: Sober, Staid , De jected
Odd
Though h e was a genius but his
eccentric action were n o better
than a mad
S: Un conv entional, Strang e,
De via ting
A: Conserv ative, Conf ormist
Ec clesias tical ( N) Of the church or the clergy
Th e
y oung
bo y
w as
a dm in ister e d the o a th o f
ce liba cy upo n his e ntr y in to
the ecc lesiastical order.
A: Sec ular , Uno rtho dox
Ec he lon ( N)
A lev e l of a u th or ity o r
res ponsib ility. A for mation of
tr oops or ships
In In dia the highe st ec helon
o f be a ur oc r ats s ho u ld d o
some thing to curb corruption.
S: Lev el, Stratum, Rank
Éclat (N)
Ecs tasy (N)
Ef fe minate ( N)
Efferve sce (V)
Effete (Adj)
Ef fic acious ( N)
Eff ronte ry (A dj)
Brilliant suc cess
Her late st novel was r eceived
with grea t Éclat.
A: Failure, Debacle
E xu ltatio n
Ecstasy is what y ou experience
practicing y our hobby.
S: Joy, Raptur e, Delight
A: Dejec t, Gloom, Agony
Sho w qu alities attr ibuted to a
w om an su ch as de lic ac y ,
weakne ss etc
His effe minate qualities made
him the butt of sev eral jo kes.
S : Wom an ly,
Fem inine ,
Unma nly
A: Manly, Masculine, Virile
To be lively
He effervesces over unimportant
issues and ignores the important
ones.
S: Buoy ant, Gleeful
A: Staid , Sober, Sedate
No long er be able to produce
Any machinery after continuous
use becomes effete.
S: Exha usted, Outmo ded
A: Ete rnal, Long lasting
T ha t pr o du ce s the d e sire d
eff ect
Th e sc ie ntis t wa s give n th e
a wa rd fo r inv e nting a n
efficacious cure for leprosy.
Impudence
Here effro ntery e mbarra ssed
ever y one pre sent th ere.
S: Boldness, Audacity, Insolence
A: M od e sty, Re luc ta n ce ,
Hu mility
Ef fus io n ( N)
U nr es tra in e d ex p re ss ion in
s pe akin g or w riting . He av y
flow
Th e po et’s p ent-u p fe elin gs
were released in an eff usion of
verse in the melancholic poem.
S: Gush ing, P ouring out
A: Reticen ce
Eg alit arian ( Adj) Ad voca tin g fu ll politic al a nd
social e quality for all people
Mah atma Gan dhi believed in
an e galitarian society.
S: Democratic, Free, Classless
A: Fa natic, Ex plo itive
Ego cent ric (N)
Self ish
T he p oliticia n’s ma d e him
ver y unp opular by p otray ing
him a s egocentric..
S: Self-c entred
A: Altru istic
Eg oism ( N)
Selfishn ess
E go is m, un fo r tu na te ly, is
co ns ide re d to be a virtu e in
today ’s business circles.
S: Me an
A: Asceticism
Eg ot ism ( N)
Excessiv e reference to oneself
in speaking or writing
Th e boo k wou ld ha ve ma de
exc ellent reading, bu t for the
e go tistic ap p ro ac h o f th e
au tho r.
S: Ego ism, Conceit, Van ity
A: Hum ility, Mode sty
Eg re gious ( Adj) Outstandingly bad
T he c low n, in try ing to
imp re s s othe r s, m a de a n
egregio us fool of h imself.
S: Off ensive
A: Plea sing
Egr ess (N)
E xit
There w ere as many as twelve
gates so as two allow th e egress
of larg e crowd at th e fare.
S: Outbr eak, Emer gence
A: Ente r, Pou r in
Élan ( N)
Spirited self-ass urance
For me r P M In d ir a G an dh i
alway s s poke with grea t Élan.
Elegia c ( N)
Sad, Mo urnful
The elegiac atmosphere brought
about by Robin’s assas sination
con tinu es.
B AR KI NG U P THE
WRONG TREE
Wh en us ing do gs in a
f ox hu nt, the d og s
so metim es cor ne r the
fox in a tree. Th e dogs
will p roceed to b ark up
at th e f ox. Ba rking up
the wro ng tree, whe re
ther e is n o fo x, is a
pointle ss ex ercise.
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IN THE PINK
I n tr ad ition al En glis h
f ox hu nting , h un ter s
wo re sc ar let c olo ur ed
ja ckets ca lled pin ks. If
y o u a re wear ing y o ur
pin k, y ou a re r eady to
go hun tin g.
Ref er s to th e r os y
co lou r in o ne’s c hee ks
when in go od hea lth.
S: Morose, Gloomy
A: Happy
Elis io n (V )
Leaving out a sound of part of
a wo rd in p ronunciation a s in
Do n’t, le t’s.
Elucidat e ( V)
To m ake some thing c lear
This book elucidates the culture
and tr adition of India.
S: Explain , Illustrate, Clarify
A: Obscure, Confuse, Disorder
Elysian ( N)
Bliss ful, Hea venly
The elysian view of promenade
refreshed me.
Emaciate (Adj)
To cause to become abnormally
lean
Mental w orries can ema ciate a
pe rso n.
S: Thin, Lean, Weary, Gaunt
Ema nc ipat io n (V ) To set free (a sla ve etc)
The ema ncip atio n of wom en
has been qu ite pr onounce d in
the 20th c entur y.
S: Liberate, Release
A: Sup press, Hold, Restr ain
Emanate ( V)
To come forth, Issue a s from a
sou rce
A de lic io us sm ell e man ated
fr om the kitche n.
S: Emerg e, Originate
A: Sto p
Emas culate ( V) To weaken
Cen tur ie s
of
f or e ig n
domination have e masculated
the res olve of the inha bita nts
of this isla nd.
A: Stre ngthen , Beef up
Embarg o ( N)
A ny le ga l r es triction o f
commerce
Th e e mb arg o o n the sa le of
spices has been lifted.
S: Block, Sto ppa ge
Emba rk ( V)
Begin a journey or en deavour
The ship embarked pas sengers
and car go at an India n port.
S: Go aboard , Get on
A: Come ashore, Ge t off
Embellis h (V )
To decor ate
This dre ss is embellis hed with
lace and ribbons.
S: Embroider, Beautify
Embe zzle (V )
To steal (money etc, e ntrusted
to on e)
The politicia n, a fter repea ted
thre ats, co nfessed that he had
e mb ezzled
th e
mo ne y
belonging to the tru st.
S: Pur loin, Mis use
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To make scholarly corr ections
in (a te xt)
I t re q uire s the skill o f a
tec hn ic a l ex p er t to em en d
te chnical com pila tion s.
S: Corr ect, rev ise, Rec tify
A: Corr upt, De base, Spoil
Emeritus ( N)
Having r etired but keeping title
as an h onour.
E g : Em er itus P ro fe ss or o f
Biolo gy
Eme tic (N)
Cau sing Vomiting
H e wa s g ive n a n e me tic
( me dic in e) a f te r e atin g
poisonous berries.
Emo llie nt (A dj ) Sof tening o r soo thin g ag ent
Use an e mollient for d ry skin.
Empa thy ( N)
I ntelle c tu al or e mo tio na l
id entifica tion with a noth er
Em path y
with
the
underp rivileged is an esse ntial
quality for a social worker.
S: Under standing , Sensitivity
A: In sen sitivity
Empirical ( Adj) Bas ed on ex pe r im e nt o r
exper ience
mo st pr of ess io nal m ana ge rs
re ly m ore on e mpirica l da ta
th en o n hu nche s.
S: Observed, Pragmatic
Empyr ea n ( N)
The hig hest hea ven
T he c ler gy be lie ve s tha t
repentance is emp y rean.
Emulate ( V)
To try to equal or surpass
T he le ad in g p r in cip le in
I nter na tio na l G am es is to
emulate previous re cords.
S: Imitate, Refle ct, Copy
A: Or igin al, Inno vative
Enchant ( V)
Be witch
T he e n ch an t o f m an tr a
soo thes spirit & m ind
S: Begu ile, Delight
Enceint e ( N)
Pr egna nt
Enc omium (A dj ) High p raise
Sev er a l gr ea t p oe ts an d
scholar s bestowed en comiums
o n Ka lid as f o r his w or k ‘
M rich ka tika’.
S: P r a is e ,
L a u d a tio n ,
Glo rification
A: D en u nc ia tio n , Bla me ,
Cens ure
Enco mpa ss ( V)
Surr ound
Our plan encompass alm ost all
alter native s.
S: Inc lude, Cover , Take in
Encumbrance ( N) Hin dranc e, Obs truction
Emend ( V)
Endea vour ( V)
Ene rvate (N)
Engros s ( v)
Enig ma ( N)
Ende mic ( Adj)
Tough people n ever both er of
encumbr ance they keep going.
S: I mp ed a n c e , O b s tac le ,
Ham per
To strive
In y our endea vour y ou m ust
ta ke c ar e o f othe r’s f ee ling
too .
S: Ente rprise , Venture
To d eprive of stren gth, fo rce,
vig our e tc.
T he p a tien t f elt e ne r va te d
a fter th e s ud de n a tta ck o f
as thm a.
S: Weaken,Enfeeble, Devitalise
A: Strengthen, Energise, Enliven
To abso rb
P olitician a r e no w ad ay s
e ng ro s se d in th e ir p r iv ate
m atte rs r athe r tha n th at o f
public.
S: Absorb , Occupy, I nvolve
A: Repu lse
A riddle
De sp ite se ve ral a ttem pts to
tr ans late th e h ier ogly phic, it
remained a n enigma.
S: Puzzle, My stery
A: Clear, Plain, Sp ecific
Prevalent in or restricted to a
particular locality
Entent e ( N)
Entourag e ( N)
Mr. Bill and his entou rage are
impossible to be pleased.
Ent ree (N)
Enuncia te ( v)
Enormit y ( N)
A f ee lin g of bo re d om o r
weariness
The stude nt lis tened to mu sic
to r elieve his en nui.
A: Joy ou s, Cheer ful, Blissful
Of g re at s ize, nu mb er e tc .,
Huge; A ser ious crime
The punish ment me ted ou t to
th e cu lp rit is m ea gr e wh en
comp ared to the e normity of
his of fence.
Ensconce ( V)
Plea se inten sely
The devo tee was enraptured to
s ee d ec eit b eh in d the h oly
facade.
S: Captivate, Enchant, Beguile
To plac e o r s ettle sn ug ly or
securely
Verba lize
The political party en unciated
the same agen da wh ich they
used to win election’s last time.
Envision ( V)
To visualise
T he th re e w is e m e n ha d
envisioned the birth of Chr ist.
S: Imagine , Foresee, P redict.
Eon (N)
An ex tremely lo ng, indef inite
period of time
Eons have passed we have been
toge ther f or din ner.
Er roneous (Adj)
Ers atz (N)
Con tain ing a n er ror
My ad vice to th e c lien t w as
err oneo us.
Sub stitu te o r s y n th e tic an d
in ferior
I hav e a s tro ng dis likin g f or
er sa tz ite ms , I like o rigina l
on e’s.
Es capa de ( N)
S: Sho ddy
A: Original, Sup erior
Lear ned
D r. Ra dh akr is hn a n wa s
renowned in philosophy circles
for his e rudition.
S: Scholarly, Cultured,
A: U nletter ed , I llite ra te ,
Unedu cated
Rec kless adventure
Esc hew (V)
Don Quix ote’s escap ades are
inte resting and co mic.
Avo id
Erudite (Adj)
S: Vast, I mmense
A: Smallness, In signific ance
Enr apture ( V)
S: Ass ocia tes, Supp ort
Right to enter
CBI p er so nn el ha ve e ntré e
in to a ny orga nizatio n.
S: Affirm, Assert, Articulate,
Voca lize
Chole ra is gen erally en demic
to h utment dwelle rs who lack
hy giene.
S: Wide sp rea d, Pre va len t,
Rife
A: Pand emic
Ennui (N )
An understanding or agreement
as betwee n nations
Purp ose of UN is to estab lish
entente amo ng n atio ns.
A group of personal attendants
The prime Minister ad vocated
that was teful expenditure must
be eschewed.
S: Shun, D isdain
A: Pa rtic ipate, Contribu te
Es cutcheon ( N)
A shield on which a co at of
arms is display ed; Reputation
His dau ghter ’s elope men t is
c er ta inly a b lo t o n his
esc utche on.
G ROGG Y: dr unke n
Whe n a prize fig hter is
gr og gy he is lite ra lly
p un ch -d ru n k. “ Gr og ”
w as
a
not
to o
af fe ctio nate nickna me
th at the s ailor g av e to
the Britis h ad mira l
Edward Vernon be cause
he wor e a n impre ssive
c lo a k o f g ro g r am .
A ro un d
1 74 0
th e
admira l issued unp opular
or de rs th at the s ailor s’
ru m sh ou ld b e dilu te d
with w ater. So fro m then
on, the rum was called
grog, and should w e ever
be gr og gy we ar e
ety m ologica lly dr unk.
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UNDER THE GUN
‘Und er the gun’ m eans
labour ing under a threat
of a g un pointed a t y ou.
Either y ou finish f ast or
y ou get sh ot.
Esot eric ( Adj)
Es po us al ( V)
Es trange ( V)
Est eem (V)
Ethos ( N)
Et her eal (Adj)
Etiquet te ( N)
Et ymolo gy ( N)
Euge nics ( N)
Eulo gise ( V)
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 52 of 131
Unde rstood by only a ch osen
few
T he e s oter ic me ss a ge o f
ter ro rists, w as s uc ce ss fu lly
decipher ed by the CID agents.
A: Well kn own, Fam ous
Giving support to a m ovement
or theo ry
W ith the e s po us a l of lo ca l
public w e succeeded in closure
of in dustry
S: Bo lster, To pr op
To tur n fr om a n af fectiona te
attitu de to a n ind if fer en t or
unfrien dly one
When th e word of his hand in
th e da co ity sp re ad , Se hv ag
found himself estrange d in his
com munity.
S: Disaffect, Distance, Separate
Resp ect
One’s ego is its esteem.
S: Re ga r d , Ad m ir a tio n ,
Ap pr ec ia te
T he c ha ra cter is tic attitu de ,
hab its etc of a n in dividual or
gro up
T he e tho s o f an in div id ua l
c on sis ts o f the mo ra ls an d
values b y which he/she lives.
S: Culture, Philosophy, Notion
Spiritu al
Being at the hermitage one can
enjoy ethereal enlighten ment.
A: Wo rld ly
T he f o rm s , ma n ne r s etc
co nven tion ally acc epta ble or
requir ed in society, profe ssion
etc.
There ar e certain deco rum and
etiq ue tte, on e sh ould fo llow
them being a part of s ociety.
Stu dy of the or ig in an d
development of words
Ety molo gy is one of the way
to bu ild vocabu lary.
T he m o ve me nt de vo ted to
impr oving the hum an spe cies
by c ontrolling here dity
Con sang uinity in marr iage is
un de sira ble f ro m the view
point of eugenics.
A: Intercaste, In terrac ial
To prais e hig hly
The man saved his frie nd from
d ro wn ing a n d th e r es u ltin g
eulo gy is folklo re tod ay.
S: Comme nd, Bene dict
A: Criticize , Slan der
The u se of a le ss direct word
or phras e to an unplea sant one
Passing-away is an euphemism
for dea th.
Eupho ria ( N)
A feeling of well being
The firs t term exam dispelled
the eupho ria th at the stude nts
were in after admission s at the
II M.
S: Elatio n
A: Dep ress ion
Ev ane sce nt (Adj) Tend ing to fade from s ight
All re ligion s e mp ha size the
ev anes cen t na ture of hum an
existen ce.
S: T ra n sien t,
Fle eting ,
Ephem eral
A: Imm orta l, E tern al
Evis cerate (V)
To remov e the internal organs
of a body
Evisc eration is a malpra ctice
that is rampa nt nowad ay s.
Exac erbate (V)
To
ag gr av a te
( pa in ,
annoy an ce etc)
I ns tea d o f e as in g h e
exacer bated my pr oblem.
S: Ir rita te
A: Placate, Soothe
Ex act ing (Adj)
Making s evere demands, Strict
At the time o f finalis ation of
accounts , the work is e xacting.
S: Te stin g, Challenging
Ex act itude ( N)
The qua lity of bein g exact
Ex actitud e c ould be th e be st
quality in someone but should
be in limits.
Exa lt ( N)
To p raise, Glorify, to raise in
r an k
Sag e Va lmiki has exalted the
virtu es o f L ord Ra ma in the
Ramay ana.
A: Degrade,Condemn, Despise
Exa sper ate (V)
To irrita te
The teache r was e xasper ated
by the s tudent’s misbe haviour.
S: Exa cerb ate, Prov oke
A: Mollify, Placate, Conciliate
Excerpt (N)
A p assa ge o r extract fro m a
book, f ilm or piece o f music
Th e m ost in ter esting pa rt of
the novel was it’s exce rpt.
Ex cis io n ( V)
Pr uning
An excis ion of the rep ort was
nece ssary to bring it dow n to
an acc eptable le ngth.
A: Adh ering , Fix ing
Exco riate (V)
To d enounc e hars hly
The backwardclasses excoriated
Euphe mis m (N )
the n ew policy introduc ed by
the Gove rnment.
S: Flay, Abra de, Chafe
A: Laud, E ulogise
Ex cr uciat ing ( N) Intensely pain ful
The patient was in excruciating
pain dur ing the last f ew hours
of his life.
S: Agonising, Intense, Severe
A: Soo thin g, P leas ing
Ex culpat e ( V)
Pro ve gu iltless
The eminen t lawy e r, thr ough
his clev er argument, w as able
to excu lpate his clie nt.
S: Exo nerate , Abso lve
A: Pu nis h, Co nvict
Ex curs ive (Adj) Digre ssive
The narr ation at the d iscourse
o n th e M a ha bh a ra ta wa s
exc ursive , and uninteresting.
S: Ramb ling
A: Foc used, Conc entra ted
Ex ecra ble (Adj) Detesta ble
Her tendenc y to g ossip a bout
her neighbours is exe crable.
S: Abominable
A: Lov able, pleas ant
Ex ege sis ( N)
I nter pr e ta tio n of a wo rd ,
passag e etc
In the Bible only the pope was
able to provide an exeg esis for
the comp lex verse in th e Bible.
Ex emplary ( Adj) Serving as a model or example
A t th e en d o f wh ole
me lodr ama mic hea l j acks on
was exon erated.
S: Exc ulpa te
A: Conv ict, Blame, Ch arge
Ex orbitant ( V)
Exhort (V)
To ur ge earne stly
T he te ac he r e x ho rte d his
stud en ts to per fo rm w ell in
the ir exa ms.
S: Adv ise
A: Deter, P revent, Opp ose
Ex ige nc y ( N)
Exo rcise (V)
Ex ig uo us ( Adj)
Exo nera te ( V)
Sca nty
Many farmers have suffered on
a cc ou n t of th e ex igu ou s
rainfall this y ear.
S: Meagre, Small
A: Huge, E normous
To prov e gu iltless
is
To e xp el (a n ev il sp ir it) by
in can tation s e tc
The witch d octor was able to
exorcise the possessed woman.
S: Get rid of, Escape, Jettison
A: Bede vil
Ex or dium ( N)
Introdu ctor y pa rt
Th e e xo rdium of no vel w as
e no ug h to u nd e rs ta n d th e
stor y.
S: Preface, Prologue
A: Ep ilog ue
Ex pa ns ive ( Adj)
Effu sive, Open
The plot o f the story was
expansive and clear
S: U nr es e rv ed ,
Bro ad ,
De mon str ative
A: Lac onic , Ca ntan kero us
Expatia te ( V)
To speak or wr ite a t len gth
The lecture expatiated on the
chara cter of Ha mlet.
A: Brie f, Con cise
Ex pe die ncy ( N)
Suitability for a given purpose
In handling field work, it pay s
to be gu ide d by ex ped ien cy
rather than by r ules.
Ex pend ( V)
To s pend, To use up
Never e xpend more than y ou
earn.
S: Spend
A situation calling for immediate
atten tion
The exigenc y of th e patie nt’s
he alth pr ev ented the do ctor
from leaving the ward.
S: Emergency , Crisis
W ha t
T he p r ic es of ho us e -h old
c om mo dities ha ve b ec om e
exo rbitan t after th e budg et.
S: Huge,Enormous, Excessive
(grossly )
A: Meagre, Paltry
Th e y oun g g irl’s e xem pla ry
behavio ur was remar kable.
S: Ex ce lle nt, Cons umm ate,
Ideal
G oin g be y on d
reas onable, Just
Ex piat e ( V)
A: Earn, Save
To ma ke amend s for (w rongdo in g)
Th e culpr it ex piate d for h is
s in s by be co m in g a s oc ia l
worker.
S: Ato ne f or
A: Sin
Ex ple tiv e (Adj)
A rude word expressin g anger
Th e exp le tiv e wor ds by the
teacher was responsible for his
im prov emen t.
HEC TOR : to tea se or
bully
Sometimes at a Political
meetin g, a person in the
audience will hector the
spe aker, that is, quar rel
with h im, tease or bully
him. This wor d h ec to r
comes from the cla ssical
Hector, th e nam e of a
hero o f history w ho was
the le ader and mig htiest
w ar rior in the T ro ja n
army o f ancient G reece.
He was notonly brave, but
full of reverence for the
Gods, te nder in h is love
fo r his fa mily, d evoted
in his pa tr io tism . It is
un explain able wh y th is
d is ting uis he d
n am e
sho uld ha ve co ntribu ted
such a n unpleasan t word
to our language. I t must
be from the nation that
a ny
h er o
is
a
swashb uckling fe llow.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 53 of 131
BOOT CA MP
D ur in g th e Spa nish Ame rica n Wa r, s ailo rs
w or e leg g in g s ca lle d
bo ots. The ter m bo ot
came to me an a N avy
( or Ma rin e) re cr u it.
These r ecruits trained in
boo t cam ps.
Ex po st ula te ( N)
To r eas on with a pe rso n by
e ar ne s tly o bj ec tin g to his
ac tion s
A: Implicating, Corroboratin g
To d estroy comple tely
Extirpate (V)
The prac tice of dowry must be
ex tirp ated to p re ven t fu tu re
recurrence.
S: Des troy, Wipe out
Th e p rie st exp ostula ted with
the c ulp rit o n his w ro ng do ing s.
S: Argue
Ex propria te ( V)
Expurga te ( V)
To take (lan d etc. ) fr om its
owner es pecially for pu blic use
Ram ’s
pr op er ty
wa s
expropriated by the ra ilway s.
T he Ra ma y a na ex to ls th e
virtues of Rama.
S: Depr ive (p roperty righ ts)
A: Reward, Invest
S: Praise, Eulogise, G lorify
A: Condemn, Disregard, Scoff
To remove passages considered
obscene
Most publishing houses expurgate
no vels b efor e
a cce pting
responsibility for them.
Still existing
Ext ant (N)
A: Cre ate
Laud
Ext ol (A dj)
To get (money ) from someone
by force o r threats
Extor t (V)
Path ans wer e know n for their
ability to extor t pa y men ts.
Ex tr ane ous ( N)
The ear lies t ex tant rec ord of
p re his to ric m a n is still
preser ved in the m useum.
A: Obsolete, Def unct, Extinct
Ex tempor e (Adj) Offhand, With little preparation
H is e xte mp or e sp e ec h wa s
received by a standing ovation
from au dience.
S: I mp r o mp tu , Of f h an d ,
Un pre par ed
A: P r e p ar e d , Re h e ar s e d ,
For me d
Ex tenuat e ( V)
To ma ke (a n o ff en ce etc. )
seem less serious
T he c r im e w as ex te n ua te d
w he n c om p ar e d to th e
beneficial spin off ge nerated.
S: Mitiga te
Extr overt ( Adj)
S: Intim idate, Subdue
Com ing
f r om
ou ts ide ,
Unr elated
Yo u a re not ex pe cte d to u se
e xtra ne o us in fo rm ation in
answe ring the se questions.
A: Organic, Germane
An outg oing per son
Ex tro ver t p ers ona lities ma ke
good sales pe rson.
S: Gregarious
A: In tr ov er t
Ex ube rant (Adj)
Exude ( V)
Full of e nthusiasm
His exu beran ce is the sou rce
of ener gy for the full team.
To pass out in po res, To o oze
The student exuded confidence
wh en h e ca me o ut o f th e
exa mination ha ll.
Practice Exercise
A
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
can opy
cadaverous
canny
capricious
chimerical
B
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
fanciful
documented file
power to inspire
dete riorating
overhead covering
A
6.
7.
8.
9.
10 .
char isma
doss ier
diffuse
dif fiden tly
deca dent
B
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
som ber
whims ical
ramb ling
th rifty
shy ly
M ar k the sy no ny ms o f the wo rds in t he f ollo wing que st io ns :
11 .
12 .
13 .
cadence
card inal
co loss al
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(1) fa lling
(3) gr ieving
(2) rhy thm
(4) backing
(5) H asty
(1) cho sen
(3) colourful
(2) hing ing
(4 ) impo rta nt
(5) fall
(1) like an obelisk
(3) like a god
(5) Rhy thm
(2) gigan tic
(4) like a large ancient s tatue
14 .
cursory
(1) runn ing
(3) h asty
(2) sw earing
(4) superficial
(5) r ustic
15 .
dilapida ted
(1) r uined
(3) clothes in p ieces
(5) Colour ful
(2) stone s falling ap art
(4) with fr amework collap sing
16 .
dive st
(1) Swear
(3) ill-sta rred
(2 ) th in k
(4) disgrace pu blicly
17 .
18 .
decorum
dilato ry
(5) dis possess
(1) sho wpiece
(2) pro prie ty
(3) orn amen tal setting (4) dram atic pres entation
(5) N one of these
(1) ama teurish
(3) c asual
(2) slow
(4) ex panded
(5) like a god
19 .
cherub
(1) r ustic
(4) a ngel
(2) mischief
(5) stone s falling ap art
20 .
ca pitula te
(1) sum marize
(3) withdraw
(2) ex ecute
(4) sur render
(5) H inge
(1) re morse
(3 ) sa tisf action
(2) con science
(4) pierc ing blow
(5) cho sen
(1) g roup of stars
(3) large display
(2) humble service
(4) back
(5) great amazement
(1) pre mature
(3) circuitous
(2) multitu dino us
(4) gu essing
(5) ca rdinal
(1) prof ane
(3) ra mbling
(2) extran eous
(4) de tailed
(5) superficial
21 .
22 .
23 .
24 .
25 .
co mp unc tion
co ns ter na tion
devious
discu rsive
decor
(1) r ich furn iture
(2) r uined
(4) dram atic pres entation
(3) expen sive item
(3) sho wpiece
(5) orn amen tal setting
Answer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
(e)
(f)
(i)
(g)
(a)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
(c)
(b)
(h)
(j)
(d)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
(2)
(4)
(2)
(3)
(1)
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
(5)
(2)
(2)
(4)
(4)
21. (1)
22. (5)
23. (3)
24. (3)
25. (5)
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 55 of 131
F
Fable ( N)
Fabr icate (V)
Farce (Adj)
Farrag o (N)
Sto ry
Fables c ould be th bes t medium
to co m mu n ic ate c o mp le x
th ings to childre n.
S: Allegory, Parable, Legend.
To co nstr uct, To m ake up (a
stor y, lie etc)
Fa st idio us ( Adj)
Sharma fabricated her
Facet (N)
Fa cet ious (Adj)
HER CU LEA N
heavy task
:
a
T he g r ea t ov e r- all
Rom an go d ze u s on e
time came to earth and
had a son with a mortal
w om an . Of this un io n
wa s bo rn a so n ca lled
He rcu le s. Whe n Her a,
wife o f Zeus got w ind of
this she becam e violent
w ith je alo us y . Fo r
rev enge s he se nt a p air
of s er pe nts to d es to ry
the bo y b ab y , bu t h e
seize d the re ptiles in his
chubby hands and coy ly
did th em in. T he n th e
frustr ated Hera ar ranged
it so tha t twe lv e
im poss ible la bor s we re
imp os e d up o n th e
de mig od
He rcu le s.
Ne ed le ss to s ay , he
co mp leted all of th em
and was at length carried
of f to hea ve n to d we ll
with the go ds a nd
goddesses. So no wonder
that a herculean task is a
heavy one, and no wonder
that our strong men of the
stage often adopt the lion
skin of Hercules as part
of their costume.
Fa cile (Adj)
Fa ct itious ( Adj)
Fa llac io us ( N)
Fa llible ( N)
Falte r (V)
scand alous mistakes.
S: Construct, Frame, Compose
A: Wreck, Shatter, De molish
Any number of s ides or aspects
as of a person
T he d is ting uis hing f ac et o f
Jawaharlal Nehru’s persona was
his dy n amism.
S: Lo ok, Per spe ctive
J okin g e sp ec ially at a n
ina ppropr iate time; Sarcas tic
Yo ur Fa ce tio us re ma rks a re
hard ly appro priate now.
S: Jocu lar
A: Mor ose, Mela ncho lic
Not hard to d o; Ef fortless
Since sh e was a facile speaker,
s he m a de a n e ff e ctiv e
po litic ia n.
S: Easy, Dexterous, Able
A: Hard, Laborious , Clumsy
Force d or artif icial
Th e gir l, wh o w as gu ilty of
copy ing, had a factitio us smile
on her face when aske d about
it.
S: Artificial, Phoney, Unnatural
A: Genu ine, Rea l, Authe ntic
Mis lead ing, Equiv ocating
The clue to the hidden treasure
prov ed to be fallacious.
A: Truthful,Veracious, Veritable
Lia ble to be mistake n, Lia ble
to make mistakes
All huma n beings are f allible.
S: Erro neous, Deceiving
To stum ble
Niy az voice falter ed a nd he
stopp ed s pea kin g.
S: Hes itate, Wave r, Wea ken
A: Co ntinue , Carr y o n,
Prolong
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Fa ta lism ( N)
Fa tuo us (Adj)
Fa ux pas ( N)
Faw n (A dj)
Fea lty (N)
Fe brile ( N)
Fe cund (Adj)
Feint ( N)
Fe lic itat e ( V)
Absurd, Ridiculous
The pla y was a farce and was
not enj oy ed by the au dience.
S: Com ic, Fu nny
A: Grave
A jumble , Confused collection
T he r ep o rt o n the p o litica l
s itua tio n in Pu nj ab wa s a
farra go of nons ense.
S: Me dley , H otc hpotch
A: Straig ht, Dire ct
Not easy to please
H er f as tid io us a p pr oa ch to
de ta ils ma ke s h er a pop ular
fa shion designer.
S: Fussy, Squeamish
A: Unc ritical
The belie f that all e vents are
determined by fate an d hence
in evitab le
Arun acc epted both har d times
and g ood times with fata lism.
A: Pra cticality
Stup id
H e is fa r too inte llig e nt to
make such fatuous rem arks.
S: Fo olis h
A: Pe rcep tive , I ntellige nt
Social blunder
Th ey com mitted a fau x p as
when he rid iculed the reg alia
in the cour t.
A y oung deer, To act s lavishly
submissive
People who fawn are the most
dangero us one.
A: Slander, Disparage
Loy alty especially as owed to
feudal lord
In the Zamindari sy stem, the
zamindar demanded unquestioned
fealty of his subordinates.
A: Tu rnc oa t, Tra itor
Fe verish
A f eb rile p atie nt, a fe br ile
cou gh.
Pro ductive
Blac k so il is f ec und f or the
gr owth of co tto n.
S : Fer tile , Fr uitfu l, P rolific
A: Sterile, Barre n, Unfru itful
A pretended blow; A false show
His right jab w as a feint and
was nor mally fo llow ed b y a
viciou s left hoo k.
A: Genuine, Unfeigned
To con gra tula te
Fe licity ( N)
Fe line (Adj)
Fe lony ( N)
Fet id ( N)
Ferre t (N)
Fervid (V)
Feste r (V)
Fe tis h ( N)
Fette r (V)
Fia sco (N)
Fickle ( Adj)
F ic t it ious
All his frie nds felicitated him
on his winn ing the firs t pr ize
in the inte rcollegia te c onte st.
S: Co mplime nt
A: Dispa rage
Hap pines s, Bliss
Th e f elicity o f the occ asion
was contagious.
S: Raptur e, Ecstasy , Joy
A: Misery , Sadness, Grief
Like a cat
Female models are kn own for
their feline grace
S: Ca t like, Slin ky, Subtle
A major crime such as murder
Felo ny des erves m ore th an a
mer e capital pu nishme nt.
A: Misd em ea no ur , Tr ivial,
Pec cadillo
Having a bad smell
Hy drog en Sulph ide is high ly
fetid in na ture
S: Fo ul, Stinkin g, Rep ulsive
A: Fra grant, Aroma tic
A small animal of the weasel
family
To sea rch and drive out
Imp assio ned
Her ferv id enthusiasm for work
resulted in her rapid g rowth in
th e O rgan isa tio n.
To ro t
The rese ntment festere d in his
min d.
Any object or thing to w hich
one is irrationally dev oted, An
object with magical power
He makes a fetish of his new
cars.
S: Man ia, O bsess ion
To conf ine, To p ut in cha ins
T he p ris on er we re ke pt in
fe tter s.
S: Tie , Re strain, Bond
Total d isas ter
Th e pa rty was a to tal fias co
because venue was printed on
inv itatio ns .
Un stab le
W hile
ta kin g imp o rtan t
de cis ion s, one sh ould n ot be
fickle min ded.
S: U n c e r ta in , Wa v e r in g ,
Cap r ic iou s
A: Sta ble, Con stan t, Settled
False ; Not ge nuine
Altho ugh th is s erial pur por ts
to be a biography, man y of the
inc id e nts
d ep icte d
ar e
fictitiou s.
FEATHER I N YOUR
CA P
F ie nd
S: False, Fabricated, Spurious
A: Genuin e, Factual, Exact
Of trus tees hip
Tr ustee s o f a ny tr ust h old a
fid uciary motion.
Evil, Inhu man
Filth ( N)
Sh y loc k, the Sha ke sp ea re an
money lender, was a fiend.
S: Dev il
A: Angel
Obsce nity
It wa s once a c ommon
p ra ctic e to aw ar d a
feathe r to a soldier who
h ad killed a n e ne my .
T he se f ea the rs w er e
wor n on the helmet or
o th er h ea d gu ar d an d
were considered sy mbols
of soc ial status m uch as
modern soldiers r eceive
and displa y medals.
F iduc iar y
Finicky (A dj )
The fith y excuses give n by the
emplo y ee enrage d the
manager.
S: Dirt, Grime,Refuse, Debris
Elabo rate c lothes , j ewe lle ry
etc.
Every y e ar during Duss era, the
Ma ha ra ja of M y s ore w ou ld
p ar tic ip ate in a p ub lic
proce ssion in a ll his finery.
De licate s kill, Th e ability to
h an dle d elica te situ a tion s
diplomatic ally
Finess e is th e h all mar k of a
goo d diplom at.
S: Ad roitnes s, Skill
A: Maladro itness, Clum siness
Fussy
Fla ccid (Adj)
Th e sm all bo y wa s finicky
abo ut his fo od.
S: Fa stidio us
A: Ind iffer ent
Flabby
Finer y ( N)
Fine sse ( N)
When Americ an Indians
pe rf or med b rav ely in
b attle , th ey wo uld
receiv e a feather to add
to their headd ress. The
m or e fe ath er s on a n
I nd ia n ’s
s old ie r’s
headdre ss, the better the
warrior.
L ac k o f re g ula r ph y sica l
a ctiv ity h a d le f t him w ith
flaccid muscles.
S: So ft, Weak, Dr ooping
A: Steady, Firm, Solid
Flag ellat e ( Adj)
Flagr ant (Adj)
To wh ip
D in o f la ge lla te ar e o ne o f
pr im itiv e or ga nism s on this
ea rth.
Outrag eous, Scan dalous
There wa s a flagrant v iolation
of r ules in th e ex am in atio n
hall.
S: Glaring, Atrocious, Heinous
Flail ( V)
A: Veiled, Indirect, O blique
To strike freely and wildly
A m ad pe rs o n f la ile d th e
s tr ee tligh t a s if it w a s his
ene my.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 57 of 131
Fla ir (A dj)
Flat ulent ( Adj)
Fla ttery (N)
Florid (Adj)
Flot illa ( N)
Flot sam ( N)
LACONIC : co nc is e
A n um be r o f En glis h
words are derive d from
the c h ar a cter istics o f
th e peo ples of ce rta in
place s. A laco nic man is
a p erson of fe w wor ds.
He is blu nt and brief in
what h e has to sa y. Now
the La conians of Greece
were a race that ha d this
v er y c ha r ac ter is tic .
Lac o nia ns of Gr e ec e
were a race that ha d this
v er y c ha r ac ter is tic .
T he y inh ab ite d th e
dis tric t of which Spa rta
was the capital, an d they
were noted for their
c on cise a n d pith y
sp eec h. Once wh en an
A rthe n ia n h er ald told
the m: “ If we c ome to
y our city , we will raze it
to th e gr o un d, “ th e
Lac on ia ns
me r ely
answered, “If.” Thus the
name Laconia contributed
to us our word laconic.
Flounde r ( V)
Flourish ( V)
F lummo x (N )
Fo ible ( N)
Fo ment ( V)
A n atura l talent
People w ith a flair for writing
thrive as jo urnalis ts .
S: Prod igy, Spill
A: Gaucherie
Pompo us, Exagge rated
The flatulent life sty le of the
Fre nc h r oy alty ac te d a s a
cataly s t for the revo lution.
S: Pr etentio us
A: Modest, Humble
Obsequiousness
Ex ce ss iv e f la tter y ind ic ates
so meth ing fish y.
S: Sy coph ancy, Adulation
A: Insult, Affront, Abuse
Elab or ately or na te , Sh ow y,
Ruddy
An ger ma de his co mplexion
a pp ea r m or e f lo r id th at it
normally was.
A: Haggard, Dull
A small fleet of boats or small
ships
Fis hermen in c oasta l area go
ou t in Flotilla s.
The wreckag e or a ship or its
ca rg o fo un d flo atin g on the
seas
To mo v e or str ug gle in a
he lp le ss ma nne r (in w ater );
Un ab le to re ac t be ca us e of
co nfu sion
S: Th rash , He sita te, Falter
To grow vigor ously , Thr ive
The Vijay nagar empire flourished
under Krishnadevaray a’s rule.
S: Pr osp er
A: Deca y, Diminish
Bewilder, Confuse
After boarding the bus, I was
flu mmox ed to fin d tha t I did
no t h ave en oug h m one y f or
th e ticket.
S: Dis conce rt, Confo und
A: Cla rify , En ligh ten
A small weakness in ch aracter
Sub miss iven ess w as the o nly
foible in amanda.
S: Def ect
A: Pe rfe ction
To stir up ( troub le)
Th e U nion lea de r f ome nted
ill-feelings between th e labour
and the manage ment.
S: Ex cite , Fan
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A: Allay, Extinguish
An cestor
M on ke y s, a r e r eg ar d ed a s
forebea rer of human beings.
Forbearance (Adj) Pa tien ce, Res traint
On e sh ould pra ise Kare n’s
forb eara nc e in ov erc oming
difficulties.
For ebear (N)
Fo rens ic ( N)
Fo rer unne r ( N)
Forfeit (N)
Forger y (V)
Forte (N)
Fo rthright ( N)
Of or su itable for a de bate, in
pub lic or in co urt, Suited for
leg al pu rp o se s ( Fo r en sic
Medic ine)
Ga rd en er ’s Pe rr y Ma so n is
po pular fo r h is inv estig ative
capacity and forensic manner.
A sign th at tells or wa rns of
som ething to follow
Strong gale winds are forerunners
to a s torm.
S: Herald,Harbinger, Predecessor
A: Succe ssor, Offs pring
A fine or pe na lty f or so me
crime, fault or n eglect
On e of th e ter ms of the
pu rch ase or der w as tha t the
su pp lier wo uld for fe it the
deposit in case of violation of
terms.
S: Surrend er, Sacrific e, Give
up
The act or crime of forg oing
(falsely duplicating documents)
Just to make easy money many
forg ery sc hemes launche d in
th e ma rke t.
S: Co unterfe it, Co py
That which one does particularly
well
He lo oked unc omf ortab le in
the roma ntic role, for villainy
was his forte.
Dir ect a nd fr ank
T he o p po s itio n le ad er s
cr itic ize d the G ov ern me nt’s
forthright policy on Punjab.
S: Outspoken, Straightforward
For titude ( N)
Fo rt uit ous ( N)
A: Obscure, Veiled
Cour age
Citizen s h av e s ho wn gr ea t
fortitude in times of fam ine.
S: Her oism, Spirit
A: Cowardice , Shy ness
Happening by chance
His pro mo tio n is ex tre me ly
f or tu ito u s an d w a s no t
expe cted at all.
S: In cid en tal, A dv entitiou s,
Acc iden tal
A: Delib erate, Planned
A noisy fight
In the fr acas at the bu s stop
many people were killed and
several wer e injured.
Fr actious (Adj)
Irritable, Stubb orn
T he c h ildr e n a vo id e d th e
fractious, old w omen.
S: Peevish, Snap pish, Qu icktemp ered
A: Meek, Gentle , Submis sive
Fra ternal ( N)
Br oth er ly
I n a s plen d id disp lay o f
f ra te r nity , m em b er s o f all
co mmu nitie s c am e toge th er
for the cause.
Fr audule nt ( Adj) Based on or using fraud
T he e lec tion co mm iss io n
se eks to p re ve nt f ra ud ulen t
and misleading practices during
the ele ctio ns.
S: Chea ting, Deceitful
A: H on es t
Frantic (A dj)
Fren zied, Wild
The opposition party launched
a frenetic campaign to win the
supp ort of the peo ple.
S: Fr an tic
A: Calm, Composed
Fritte r (V)
To waste (money tim e etc.)
She f ritte d a wa y pr e ciou s
money on unimp ortant items.
S: Dribble away
A: Conser ve, Save, Pr eserve
Fr ivo lous (Adj)
Of little va lue, Triv ial
The students gave a frivo lous
re aso n for no t attend in g the
cla ss.
S: Pe tty , Wo rth les s, Futile
A: Serious, Important, Significant
Fro lic (N)
Gaiety
The kids were frolickin g at the
pa rk.
S: P ark, Lea p, Cavor t.
Fro wzy (A dj)
Dirty and un tidy
The student shocked the teacher
with her frowzy appearance.
S: Ill-sme lling, Musty , Dingy
A: Natty Sweet-sme lling
Fr uga l ( N)
Eco nomical
His frug al living helpe d him to
build up a fortune.
S: Car eful, Thrifty, Sav ing
A: Wasteful, La vish Lib eral
F ulmina t e (V )
To ex plo de
The teac her fulminated at the
er rant stu dents.
Fuls ome (N )
Fraca s (N)
Disg usting especia lly bec ause
exces sive
The tea cher was not taken in
by the fulsome pra ise of the
err ing s tude nt.
Furbish ( V)
Furor e (N)
Fur tive (adj)
DOWN TO THE WIRE
Down to the wire means the
event is not decided until the
very end of the event.
S: Gross, Excessive, Disgusting
A: P le a s in g , M o d e r a te ,
A cc ep ta ble
To r eno va te
T he o ld te mp le is be in g
furb ished f or the forthco ming
fe stiva l.
A wide spr ead com motion or
upr oar
The furo re caused by the fire
helped alert many p eople.
Sec ret
The furtive case was dep uted
to th e best sleuth by p olice
S: Cla ndes tine, Cove rt, Sly
A: Bold, Clear
Fust ian ( Adj)
Po mpo us
The aud ience was take n in by
his f ustian ma nner.
A: Humble , Simple, Modest
Futile (Adj)
Useless, Trifling, Trivial, Vain
It’s fu tile to look o ne ’s vice
r athe r o ne sh ou ld lo o k fo r
qua lities.
S: Triflin g, Tr ivia l, Vain
A: E ff ec tiv e, Satis f ac to ry ,
Fr uitf ul
G
Ga bble ( V)
To ta lk or u tte r ra p id ly o r
in cohe rently
I could hardly follow what he
gabbled
S: Chatte r, Babble, Jabber
A: Signif ica nt, Imp orta nt
Gadfly (N)
A per son who annoy s o thers
All studen ts gets irritated due
to Gadfly behaviour of Sachin.
A: P le a s in g , W in s o m e ,
G ra ciou s
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Gaff (N)
Gaffe (N)
Ga insay ( N)
Ga lliva nt ( V)
Ga llo p ( V)
A la rg e ho ok o n a po le f or
catc hing f ish
It r eq uire s a stro ng g af f to
catch a b ig fish.
A blunder
T he s e na to r c om mitte d a
gaffe wh en he turned d own the
dinne r inv ita tio n.
S: Fau x pa s, M ista ke
A: Rig hteo us, Corr ect
De ny, Contradict
I will n ot gainsay his s tatement
although I do not believe it is true.
A: Agree, Comply
To go ab out from one p lace to
another in search of p leasure
On e wh o is galliva nt sh ou ld
realise what he is searching
Hurry, Race
On b eing g oa de d th e ho rs e
galloped like a mad dog.
Galore (A dv)
S: Sprin t, Hurtle, Dash
A: Stand still
Ple ntif ul
Once the canal is constr ucted
water will galore the barren land.
S: A bu nd an ce ,
In gr ea t
qu antity
A: Scarcity, Meagre
Ga lv anise ( V)
To stimula te
Mr. Robert has ch arisma that
he can galvanise even the most
sto ic child.
Ga mbit ( N)
An a ction intended to gain an
advan tage
MA RTINET : a s tr ic t
disc iplina rian
Whe n we call a ma n a
martinet we mean that he
is a stern m aste r an d a
stickler fo r detailed
discipline . T he w or d
comes from the name of
Jean Martinet, a ge neral
wh o built up th e f ir st
regula r army in Europe
during the reign of Louis
XI V. Thus ge ner al
co ntrib ute d nothin g to
military sciencesor tactics
bu t, b y his p recise a nd
persistent sy stem of drill,
he trained his men to fight
as a unit in ba ttle. So
Martinet, the man gave us
martinet, the word.
Ga mbol ( V)
A nn i’s g a mb it pa id of f
c on siste ntly in the Af rica n
dese rt.
Frolic , Play
Th e g am bollin g d eer o n the
m ou ntain s id e p re se n te d a
bea utifu l sig ht.
A: Dull, En erva ted
Ga min (N )
A ho meless child who r oams
th e stree ts
M othe r Te re sa w as a lw ay s
engage d with the G amins.
Ga mut ( N)
Ga ng ling ( Adj)
S: Waif, Orp han
The entire ra nge o r extent
Robert Frost depicts the gamut
o f hu m an e m otion s in his
poe m.
S: Range, Scope, Pu rview
Tall and awkward
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The came l has a gangling gait.
S: Clumsy
Gar ble (V)
To distor t or c onfuse so as to
mislead
The e nquiry c ommissio n was
give n a hig hly gar bled re port
on th e r iots.
S: Disto rt, Co nfu se
Ga ris h (Adj)
Gaudy
Cir cu s c lo wn s w ea r g ar is h
o utfits .
S: Mer etric ious , Bright
A: Dull, Bland
Gar ggantuan (a dj) Co loss al
Ga rg an tu an d eb ts w er e th e
reason behind his suicide
S: Massive, Towering, Gigantic
A: Miniscule, Infin itesio nal.
Gar ner (V)
To g ather u p and s tore
T he g r ap es th at g o into
making this wine are g arnered
from six different vin ey ards.
A: Deplete, Reduce, Dissipate
Ga rnish ( N)
To decor ate
T he w a y in w h ic h a c he f
garnishe s his preparation is an
exp ressio n of h is cr eativity.
S: Embellish, Adorn, Beautify
A: Spoil, Disfigure, Im pair
Ga rr ulo us ( N)
Talking much especially about
un imp ortan t thin gs
She wasgarrulous by nature and
rare ly kep t secr et.
S: Ta lkativ e ,
Ve rb o s e ,
Lo qu ac io us
A: Silent, Reserve d, Mod est
Ga sco nade (Adj) Boa stful behaviour
Cultured people do not exhibit
gasco nade.
A: Reticen ce, Taciturn ity
Ga st ronomy ( N) The a rt of cooking and e ating
good food
The spre ad at the buff et was a
gas trono mic delig ht.
S: Con nois seur, Bon vinc ent
Ga uche (Adj)
Lacking social grace
She
was
fr eq u en tly
em bar ra sse d b y the ga uc he
behav iour of her room mate.
S: Showy, Ornate, Meretricious
Ga unt le t ( N)
A knig ht’s a r m glo ve ( a
challenge)
The y ou ng man picked up the
ga untlet and got pr epa red to
face the g ladiator.
Ga wk ( V)
To stare stupidly
She hate being gawked at.
Ga wky ( V)
Ga zebo ( N)
Ge lid (Adj)
Ge ne alo gy ( N)
Ge neric ( N)
Ge ne sis (N )
Ge nocide ( N)
Ge nte el (Adj)
Gentry (N)
Ge nuf lec t ( V)
Ge rma ne (Adj)
S: Gaze, Sta re agape
Clumsy
His g awky man ners betray ed
his upbr inging.
S: Awkward, Ungainly
A: Elega nt
A n op en stru c tu re w ith a n
enjoy able view
Extreme ly cold
His gelid temper ament made
it d if ficult fo r him to ma ke
frie nds.
A: Scor ching, Hot, Ac tive
Rec or de d h is tor y of on e’s
ance stry
I n histor y , ta bles de pictin g
genealog y enable the r eader to
grasp d etails at a glance.
Of a who le class, kind or group
Homo is the generic n ame for
various species of erec t, large
brain ed prima tes.
S: Ty p ic al, Ch ar ac te ristic ,
Co mm on
A: I n div idu a l, P a r tic u la r ,
Sp ecial
Or ig in
Genesis of all living be ings can
b e tr a ce d to v er y s im ple
organ isms
S: Start, Bir th
A: End, Arm ageddon
De liber ate e xte rm ina tio n of
race or group
Genocide of Jews by Hitler was
criticised in the whole world
Polite or well bred
Th e ge ntee l girl f elt ou t of
pla ce a t the punk par ty.
S: Cou rteo us ,
Re fi ne d ,
Discree t
A: Coar se, Ea rthy
People of the upper class
A ideal society could only be
f or me d w ith initiative o f
ge ntr y.
To bend the knee as in worship
The priest genufle cted be fore
the altar.
Re le va nt
Ge st ic ula te ( V)
Gibber (V)
To
spe ak
incoherently
r apid ly
a nd
P USHI N G THE
ENVELOPE
D oin g
th ing s
bey ond a specified
limits .
It was difficult to find ou t what
th e ac tua l m atte r w as as the
child was gibbe ring.
S: Babb le, Ra nt, Pr athe
Gibe ( V)
A: Enu ncia te
An insu lting rem ark
Th e h andicap ped girl w as in
tears wh en she was gib ed at by
her fr iends.
S: Sco ff, Sn eer, M ock
Glean ( N)
A: Praise , Exalt, A pplaud
To colle ct (facts etc) g radually
Glib (Adj)
H e co m be d th e f ile s an d
g le an ed
s o me
u se fu l
in for ma tio n.
Sp eaking o r sp oke n sm ooth ly
T he s a le sm a n’s g lib talk
de ce ive d all the pe op le in to
believ ing what he said.
S: Persuasive, Fluent, Smooth,
Slick
A: Halting , Timid
Glimmer ( N)
Fa int perc eption
The starles s night glimme red.
with cr ackers
S: Twinkle, Gleam, Spark
Glitc h ( N)
A malf unction, An error
The only glitch in y our plan is
tha t it is imp ractic al.
Brief explanation of words used
in tex t.
Glossary of the book shows the
kind of vocabulary used.
S: Dictio na ry , Voc ab ular y,
Le xico n.
Glossa ry ( N)
G lutino us (A dj ) Sticky
Mo lten la va has a glu tino us
te xtur e.
S: Viscous
A: Dry
Goad (N)
The law y er was succes sful in
pro ving that th e fac tors w ere
ge rm an e to the c as e un de r
co nsidera tio n.
S: Pe rtin en t
A: Irr elev ant
To make lively ge stures
The spea ker was unable to talk
without ges ticu lating.
S: Sig nal, P antom ime
Gorge (N)
Sh ar p po in te d stic k to d rive
animals
Ex cess ive goa ding ma y give
birth to r ebellion.
S: Prov oke, D rive, Prod
A: Tranquil, Peaceful.
(i)A d eep v alley w ith s te ep
sides
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(ii)To eat gre edily
W hile w a lkin g thr ou g h th e
gorge, I felt as if we a re lost.
G or ma ndize (N ) To eat like a g lutton
The begg ar gormandized all the
food sp read out befo re him.
S: Dev our
A: Star ve
Go ss ame r ( Adj) A ver y thin, flimsy c loth
Her gos samer gown se emed to
float behind her.
S: Lig ht, G auzy , Silken
A: Robust, Vigorous, H earting
Go ur ma nd ( N)
One who likes good food and
drink, often too exc ess
T he go ur m an d e nj o y e d
h im se lf th or o ug hly a t th e
banqu et held in honour o f the
Prime M inister’s vis it.
S: Glu tton , Gas tron ome
Gra ffiti (N)
A crude inscription or drawing
o n a wa ll or othe r p ub lic
surface
Grandiloquent (Adj)Po mpo us
U sing p o mp ou s, b o mb as tic
sty le did not impress th e reader
Gr andiose ( Adj) Impressiv e, Showy
Free of charge
The orph ans were allow ed into
the the atre gratis.
Gr at uit ous ( Adj) Given free of c harge
Gravid (N)
Pr egna nt
Gr eg arious ( Adj) Fond of the company of others
Grove l (V)
Gr ue lling (A dj )
Gr umpy ( N)
G ullible (A dj )
G umpt io n (N )
Gustat ory (Adj)
Gra tis (N)
MA SOC HISM : enjo y
be ing ab us ed
A s tr an g e ty p e o f
sex ual pe rvers ion wh ere
a pe rso n g ets p lea su re
out of bein g do mina ted
or even crue lly trea ted
b y s o me o n e o f th e
o pp o s ite se x . T h e
wo rd s ma so c hism an d
m as oc hist we r e ta ke n
f r om th e n a m e o f
L eo p o ld vo n Sa c h er M as o ch , a n Au s tria n
no ve list wh o de sc rb ed
this a b no rm a lity, an d
th e
te rm s
we r e
p ro b a bly f ir st u se d
p ro fe s sion a lly b y th e
c o nte m p or a r y
a nd
f am o u s p re - Fre u d ia n
p s y c h ia tr is t K r a ff tEb ing. Now mas ochism
c an be us e d to m ea n
any kin d of plea sure in
bein g abus ed.
Gregario us people are b etter at
wor k situ ations whic h invo lve
gr oup activity.
S: So c ia b le , Co n v iv ia l,
Com p an ion a ble
A: So lita r y , U n s o cia b le ,
Un fr ie nd ly
Gr iev ous (Adj)
Causing grief
Th e cu lpr it w as pu nish ed
se ve rely fo r h is gr ie vo us
offence.
S: Painful, Injurious, Afflicting
A: H a rm le s s, G r atif y in g ,
Be ne ficial
Gr imac e ( V)
Make a distorted face
Gr isly (Adj)
Ter rify ing
S: Horrible, Terrible, Ghastly
A: Attractive, Charming, Dainty
Gr ote sque (Adj) Distorte d in appearanc e, shape
etc.
The gro tesque make-up of the
actre ss was qu ite shoc king.
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Gus to ( N)
Guttural (adj)
Gyrat e (V)
Gyro scope (N)
S: Bizar re
A: Nor mal
To lie c rawl (lower one self) to
plea se ano ther
S: Cringe , Fawn , Beseech
A: Comman d, Lead, M aster
Ex hau sting
The grue lling task bro ught me
dow n to kne es.
S: Arduous, Demanding
Pe evish
She gets very grumpy if she is
no t paid a ttentio n.
S : Morose , Irritable Surly
A: Amicable , Gentle
Easily duped
T he g ullib le stra ng e r wa s
cheated by the travel agent.
S: Credu lous
Initiative and cou rage
H e did no t g et th ro ug h th e
inter v ie w a s h e lac ke d
gu mptio n.
S: Co mmon sen se, Sag acity,
Acu men
A: Apathy, In differ ence
Of the sense of taste
The little boy was f ascina ted
by the g ustatory delights of the
ba ker y.
Zes t, En joy m ent
He d rank w ith gu sto
S: Relish, Pleasure, Enthusiasm
A: Ap athy
Pe rtaining to thro at
Two African were arguing out
side the room, their voices loud
& guttural
To move in a circular o r spiral
p ath
Elvis P res ley wa s kno wn as
much for his music as for his
gy r atio ns.
S: Sp in, Whir l, Rota te
Ap par atu s u sed to. mainta in
balance
Ro tating gy ros cop e s tab lizer
ship on the rolling move ment
of sea.
H
Habilime nt (N )
Cloth ing , A ttire
Th e ch ildr en’s multico lour ed
ha bilime nt ma de the d an ce
more colour ful.
S: Garb, Dress, Ap parel
One who fre quents a certain
place
The
habitude s
of
the
neighbourhood tavern were the
rogu es of th e locality.
Hac kney e d (A dj ) Made trite by ov eruse
‘Ha sty M akes Wa ste is a
hac kney e d exp ression.
S: Stereoty ped, Commonplace,
Stale
A: Orig inal, Fresh, N ovel
Ha ggar d ( N)
Hav ing a wild, w aste d, w orn
lo o k
She looked haggard bec ause of
loss of sleep.
S: Gaunt, Tir ed, Weary
A: Stron g, Robus t, Exube rant
Ha lc yon ( Adj)
Tran quil, Ha ppy, Idy llic
T he h a lc y o n d ay s o f th e
pa tient c ame to a n end a nd
followed by times of su ffering.
S: Golden, Peaceful
A: Stor my, Turb ulent, Rough
Hallucina t io n (N )Th e ap pa ren t pe rce ptio n of
sights , sounds e tc, that a re not
actually prese nt.
D ru g a dd ic ts ex pe r ie nc e
ha llu cin ation s.
S: Delus ion, Illusion, M irage
Ha pless ( Adj)
Un fo rtu na te
The hapless child was deserted
by h is pare nts.
Ha phazar d (A dj ) Arb itra ry.
Haphaza rd movement of mob
was the cause of stampede.
S: Cha otic,
Sla p da sh ,
Ran dom
A: Sy stem atic, Prear ranged
Ha ra ng ue ( N)
A long, blustering speech
The stud ents were bore d by the
s pe ake r’s
inte rm ina ble
haran gue.
S: Long s peech
Ha rbing er ( N)
A fore runner
Th e cr ocus is a ha rbin ger of
au tum n.
Ha bitué (N )
S: Herald, P recursor
A clown
It’s bizzarre for someo ne being
ambitio us to be a har lequin.
Harmonious ( Adj) Ha vin g p arts a rr ang ed in an
orderly or pleasin g way.
S: Ag re ea ble, Con co rd an t,
Con gruo us
A: D iss o n a n t, O p p os e d ,
I nc om pa tible
Ha rr ida n ( Adj)
A disr up utab le sh re wish o ld
woman
Ch ild ren avo ide d the g ard en
path for fear o f accostin g the
har rida n.
Ha rro wing (Adj) Up se ttin g
Rea ding har rowin g no vels he
himself has grown mo urnful.
S: Trau matic, Distur bing
A: Comfor table, Enj oy able
Ha sty (Adj)
Imp etuo us
H as ty d ec is io n a re a lw ay s
hazardo us.
S: Hurried , Swift
A: Slow, Measured, Deliberate
Ha ut eur ( N)
Disd ainful p ride
H au te ur is a c om mo n
charac teristic in the new rich.
S: Snobbis hness, Haugh tiness
A: Mee knes s, M odes ty
He ady (Adj)
In to xica ting
T he h e ad y f ra g ra n ce o f
flowe rs hit my no str ils as I
enter ed the ga rden.
He arsa y ( V)
Rumour, Gossip
The politician allowed himself
to be guided by he arsay.
A: Tr uth, Fa ct
Hebdo ma da l (N ) We ekly
T he h e bd om a da l tes ts ar e
inten d ed to a cc e le ra te th e
pro gress of the stude nt.
Hec kle (V )
To ha r as s ( a sp e aker ) w ith
que stio ns or tau nts
The spea ker could not proceed
w ith h is le ctur e a s h e wa s
heckle d by the aud ience.
S: Bully, Tease
Hedo nism (N )
Sensu alism
The h edonism of the idle rich
re su lts in the n eg lige nc e of
th eir resp ons ibilitie s.
S: Epicureanism, Sensualistic,
Debauchery
A: Slave ry, Serv ility
He ed ( V)
To pa y attentio n to.
Be caus e h e ne ver hee ded to
war ning o f phy sicia n, he has
to un de rgo a maj or su rge ry
which co uld have been averted.
Har le quin (N )
ONE F OOT ON A
BANANA P EEL THE
OTHER IN THE
GRAVE
Almost dead.
As le ep at the w he el
N ot
s e ein g
an d
und erstanding w hat is
ha ppe nin g.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 63 of 131
S: Notice, Lis ten, Re gard
A: Disr egard, Overlook
Heino us (A dj )
Outra geously evil
Murder for revenge is a heinous
crime.
S: Atrocious, Flagrant, Terrible
A: Virtuous, Moral, Meritorious
Helter-skelter (Adj) Conf used
O n an no un ce me nt o f a
proba ble bomb explosion s the
mob ra n helter-s kelter
S: Uno rganized
A: Str ea mlin ed , Ar ra ng ed ,
Organ ized
Hae ma to log y (N ) T he s tu dy of b lo o d an d its
diseases
He wa s awa rde d a d octor al
d eg re e f or his the s is o n
hae matolo gy.
Henchma n (N )
M AU SOLEU M : a
great & gloomy str ucture
When Mauso lus, kin d of
Ca ria, die d in 35 3 B. C.
His wife Ar temisia was
grief-stricke n. A fter his
bod y ha d be en b urne d,
she mixed his ashe s with
wa te r an d dr an k th em
of f. The m, to kee p the
me mo ry o f he r lo ve d
one alive, She ere cted a
va st a nd sple ndid to mb
at halicarnassus. T his the
G re eks
c alle d
a
m au so leion , a fte r th e
king’s name, and in later
y ea rs th e me m or ia l
became one of the Seven
Wo nd ers o f the wo rld.
T he Rom an s too k th e
w or d a s m au s ole um ,
w he nc e the E n glis h
spellin g, and they used it
f or su ch ele ga nt an d
distin guish ed to mb s as
th os e of Au gu stus a nd
H ad r ia n.
No w
ma us oleu m c an m ea n
an y g re at and g loo my
str uctu re.
A servant
Th e d on nev er ge ts dir ectly
in vo lv ed in cr im e, it’s his
he nc hm an tha t ca rr y ou t
op eration s.
S: Minion, Righ t hand man.
He rc ulea n (A dj ) Callin g for grea t strength , size
and courage
Re bu ilding H ir os hima a fter
world w ar II was a He rculean
tas k.
S: Rugged,Enduring, Steadfast
A: Easy, Standard, Regular
He redita ry (Adj) O f, o r p as s ed d o wn b y
inhe ritance from an ance stor
D ia be tes is a
alimen t.
he re d itar y
S: I nh er ited ,
In na te
Co ng en ital,
Hermaphro dite (N) A person , animal or plant with
sexual o rgans of both the male
and female
He ter odo x (Adj) Op pose d to the u sua l b elie fs
especially in religions
Th e he te rod ox v iew s of the
aged cou ple came as a surprise
to th e other me mbe rs o f the
family.
S: U no rtho do x
A: O rtho do x
He yda y ( N)
In his hey day, he was o ne of
the m o st s o ug ht af te r f ilm
star s.
S: Prime, Zenith, Glor y day s
A gap or break as wher e a part
is missing
During the afternoon h iatus on
TV, reru ns are often f eatured.
S: Pau se, In terrup tion, Gap
Hiber na te (V )
(i) To spe nd th e w inter in a
dorma nt state (Of animals)
Som e an ima ls in the po la r
regions hibernate during winter.
(ii) To be inactive
Hie ro glyphic (N ) A picture or sy mbol representing
a word, sound etc.
Th e h ier ogly ph ic ins cription
was difficult to decipher.
Highf alut in (Adj) Po mpo us
T he w rite r ma d e th e stor y
highly c omplicated by the use
of h ighfalutin langu age.
S: High ly orn ate, A rtific ial
Hia tus (N )
Hila rio us (a dj )
Hinder ( V)
Hinte rland (N )
Hirs ute ( Adj)
Hist rionic ( N)
Hoa ry ( N)
He te ro ge ne ous (A dj ) D if fe r in g in stru c tu re ,
quality etc. , Dissim ilar
Th e he tero gene ous trad itio ns
a nd c ultur es of I nd ia ar e
fa scin atin g.
A: A like , Ho m og en eo us ,
Similar
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 64 of 131
Th e tim e o f gre ater vig ou r,
pr ospe rity etc.
Ho ax ( N)
A: Simple , Sober, M odest
Jolly
Walt Disney the biggest maker
of h ilariou s carto on’s
S: Am us in g,
Com ic al,
Ente rtaining, Me rry making
A: Serious, Grave, Weighty
To ke ep ba ck, stop
Lack of education hinder s the
gro wth of a nation
S: Impede, Obstruct, P revent
A: Help , Assis t, Fur ther
The lan d away from a river
In older da y s no on e u se to
in habit hinte rlan d.
Hairy
H ir su te ma mm a ls a r e th e
ancesto rs of human being.
Of a cting, Theatr ical
H er h istrio nic a bility wa s
better a t home than be fore the
camera.
Very old and well know n; Grey
or white (of hair) w ith age
For treatment, I was taken to
a hoary men with long beard.
Dec eption
Sin ce las t mo rn in g ev er y
minute. I am ge tting a ho ax
call.
S: Joke, Swindle, Ruse
Hobgo blin (N )
Ho bnob ( N)
Ho gw ash ( N)
Somethin g that causes fear, A
fr ightening a ppa rition
Po llu tio n a nd en vir onm ental
hazard a re the major h obgoblin
w hich na tio ns ar e f ac in g
cur rently.
To be on close terms ( with)
The bus inessman’s hob nobbing
with p oliticians finally pa id off
w he n h e wa s a wa rd e d th e
go vern ment con trac t.
A: Alienate, Estra nge
Ins incer e talk, writing etc
One sho uld alway s be careful
o f ho g wa s h an d n o t ge t
influenced by them.
Ho i po llo i ( Gree k) The commo n peo ple
Anthony will be in VIP lounge
where h e doesn’t have to mix
with hoi po llo i.
S: Masses, Crowd
Ho lo caust ( N)
Homic ide (N )
Homily (N )
Homony m (N )
Ho ne ( V)
Hoo dwink (N )
A: Elite
G re at de str uc tio n of life ,
especially by fire
S: Conflagration, Devastation,
Ruin
Th e killin g of one per son by
an othe r
Hom icide is a heino us cr ime
and is culpable by death.
S: Killing, Slaughter, Stabbing
A serm on or solem n talk
H om ily o f th e CEO , o nly
stopped when he got a n urge.
A w o rd w ith th e s am e
pro nunciatio n and spelling as
an oth er bu t w ith a diff ere nt
mea ning, orig in.
Eg purc hase (to buy , Grip)
Shar pen
Hone y our self before y ou go
on th e battle feild
S: Polish , Improve, Grind
Dece ive
I got th e clue from th e way he
behaved that he is a h oodwink
& not a busines sman.
Violent, Rude person
Police warn ed of ta king strict
ac tion a ga in st an y ho olig an
found on new y ear’s even.
S: Ruff ian
Ho rolog y ( N)
The scie nce of measuring time
or making time p ieces
Ho rr endo us ( Adj) Horr ible
The scene o f the gas tra gedy
pres ented a horren dous sight.
S: Frigh tfu l, Ho r rif y ing ,
Ho olig an ( N)
Fear ful
A: A pp e alin g ,
P le as a nt,
Ch arming
Ho rs e-de-c ombat ( N) Una ble to take pa rt in an
activity or sport due to injury
Pele wa s re ndere d ho rse- deco mba t in th e m atc h ag ain st
Hung ary.
Ho rs d’ oe uv re
A n ap p etize r, as O liv es ,
can apés e tc. s erved befor e a
meal
T he h o rs d’o eu vr e w er e
followed by a six cour se meal.
Hort atory (N)
Ex horting ad vising
The sold iers were char ged with
enthusia sm after the h ortatory
speech by the Army chief.
S: Inc iting , Urg ing
Ho st ile (N )
Unfriendly
T he tr ad e b lo c ka de wa s a
ho stile ac t.
S: Bellige rent, An tago nistic
A: Friendly, Devoted, Lo y al
Ho vel ( N)
Sma ll, miser able dwelling or
hu t
T he p oo r w om en s p en t th e
w ho le ra in y s ea so n in a
dr ipping Hove l.
Ho yden ( N)
A bold , boisterou s girl
Karen b eing a hoy aden alway s
used to be among boy s.
S: To mb oy
Hubr is ( N)
Arrogan ce caused by pride
In shake speare’s king L ear, the
pro tagonist has been depic ted
so h ave hub ris.
Huddle (V )
To c lose cro wd toge ther
Th e p eople h udd led tog eth er
whe n the fire b roke o ut.
S: Group, Cluster
Hullaba lo o
Clamour, Hubbub
We c ou ld ha r dly h ea r
each oth er in the hulla baloo at
th e ma rke t.
S: Up ro ar
A: Peace, Order
Huma ne (N )
Kin d, Ten der
He was a humane social worker
who care d for every in dividual
he m et.
Huma nism (N )
LOOSE LI PS SIN K SHIP S
P op ular is ed b y US m ilitar y
prop aganda during World War
II. The phrase was mea nt as a
r em in d er th at clas s if ie d
in form atio n wh ich was nev er
to b e disc uss ed with an y o ne
without proper clearance and a
need to know. Specifically, the
phras e means that disclo sing a
milita ry sec ret to the ene my
could result in Large loses, such
as the sinking of an entire ship.
MENTOR : a guide
W he n O dy s se us , h e ro o f
H om er ’s ep ic po e m th e
Odys sey, s et out for the siege
of Trory , he was afraid that he
was goin g to be gone for quite a
while, so he lef t his hous ehold
an d his w ife Pen elo pe in the
c ar e of his tr u sted fr ie nd ,
Mentor. But on ce Pen elope in
the care of h is tr usted frie nd,
Mentor. But once Ody ss eus was
away, th ings went from bad to
wr ose in h is h ouse wha t with
Pen elope ’s su itor s drinking up
the contents of the win e-cellar
an d bu tc he ring the c attle to
the ir ow n us e . Th e w is e
goddes s, Pallas Athence,
saw a ll this go ing on fro m the
Oly mpia n heaven, and became
afr aid th at Ody sseus would n’t
have any home to come back
to. So s he as ke d Z eu s , th e
f athe r of go ds w h ethe r sh e
sho uld go do wn a nd he lp o ut:
H e sa id “y e s” , s o A th en e
ass umed the sh ape o f Men tor
an d wh ispe red a lo t of sou nd
ad vice in to the ear of y ou ng
Telem achus, so n of Ody s seus.
Thus to th is day a men tor is a
wise cou nselor.
S: Be nevo len t,
Com pass iona te
A: Barbaric
Any sy stem of tho ught b ased
on the intere sts and ideals of
man
Se ve ral b oo ks on hu ma nism
ha ve b een written by swa mi
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Humbug (N )
Viv ekanan da.
T ric k
S: Exa gger atio n,
Ov ers tateme nt
Pr om is es of p olitician s is a
mere humbug
A: Iro ny
Hypercritical (Adj) To o cr itic al
S: Hy po crisy, Insince rity
Humdr um (A dj ) Du ll, M on oto no us
A s as tute ju d ge o f
movies , he tended to be
hy pe rcritical.
S: Car ping , Ca ptio us
After y ea rs of adve nture, he
found it difficult to settle down
to a humd rum life.
S: Bo ring , Routine
A: T hr illin g ,
Stirr ing ,
Ex citing
Humanita ria n (N )
A p er so n d ev oted to
p ro mo tin g the we lf a re o f
hu manity
Hy brid ( N)
Raja Ram Moh an Roy w as a
h um an ita rian wh o w or ke d
against the sy stem of dowry.
Of fs pr in g o f tw o a nima l or
p la nt o f d if fe r en t s pe cies ,
varieties etc.
Hy brid p roduced in lab oratory
are high y ielding varieties with
low requ irement.
Hy pe rbo le ( N)
A: A p a t h e t i c ,
Ind iffer ent
Hypoc ho ndria (N )A bn or ma l
a nx ie ty ,
M or bid
s ta te
of
d ep r es sio n f or w h ic h
there is no real cause
Hypocrite ( N)
O ne w ho te nd s to b e
p io u s, v irtu ou s e tc ,
withou t really be ing so
A h y p o cr ite r ar ely
p ra ctic es wh at h e
preac hes.
S: Impos tor, Dece iver,
Swindler
Hy ster ia ( N)
Ex agg er ation fo r e ffe ct, n ot
mea nt to be ta ken litera lly
The pros e sty le of Kalidasa is
m ar ked b y th e us e o f
hy p erbo le.
A: Honest, Sincere, Just
O utbr ea k
of
w ild
em otio ns . Th er e
is
hy steria among teenagers
& pop music lovers over
the arrival of jackson.
Practice Exercise
Ma tc h t he fo llo wing wo rds in c olumn A wit h the ir me aning s g iv en in co lumn B:
A
B
A
B
1.
harbinger
a. pom pous,
6.
ha ft
f. hair on back & neck
bomba stic
7.
ho mily
g. s pr ou t
2.
ge sta lt
b. bad tempered old
8.
harr idan
h . sha pe, c onfiguration
woman
9.
ha ckles
i. campaigning
3.
gambit
c. sermon
10 .
hu stin gs
j. ploy
4.
germinate
d. forerunner
5.
gran diloqu ent
e. handle of a knife
Ma rk t he sy nonyms of the wor ds in t he fo llow ing ques tions:
11 .
HASTE
WA STE
gob bledeg ook
(1) jargon
(3) topsy -turvy
(2) helte r-skelter
(4 ) hillo ck
(5) baby talk
(1 ) p rete ntion
(3) baby talk
(2) mortgage
(4 ) su ppo sition
(5) unc ertain
(1) f luent
(3) delightful
(2) cheerful
(4) gloomy
(5) Relev ant
MA KES
I f y o u tr y to d o
so me th in g
to o
quic kly, y ou may not
do itwell and may have
to do it all over again.
12 .
13 .
14 .
hy pothes is
glib
heuristic
D ra in the lizar d
Ur inate.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 66 of 131
(1) pseudo scientific
(2) inv estigation
(4) persuading p upil to find outby himself
(3) religious
(5) None of these
15 .
16 .
17 .
germane
gra tuitous
guise
(1) bacterial
(3) re levant
(2 ) Te uton ic
(4) micr oscopic
(5) f itful
(1 ) th ankf ul
(3) satisfactory
(2) repr oachful
(4) shaggy
(5) uncalled for
(1) deceit
(3 ) p rote ction
(2) malice
(4) appearance
(5) loaths ome
18 .
gastr onomy
(1) stomac h distress
(4) art of good eating
(2) fortu netelling
(5) deny
19 .
grisly
(1) tough
(3) white-haired
(2 ) hillo ck
(4) shaggy
(3) study of minerals
(5) hor rify ing
20 .
gusta tory
(1) perta ining to ta ste
(2) loaths ome
(4) pertaining to wind currents
(3) f itful
(5) ploy
21 .
gainsay
(1) assure
(3) deny
(2) sing
(4) pro fit
(5) loss
(1) I rish
(3) wintry
(2) Sp anish
(4) vegeta tive
(5) po mpous
(1) micr oscopic
(3) famous
(2) informed
(4) theatr ical
(5) Sermon
(1) su perior
(3) germinate
(2) classified
(4) unc ertain
(5) pr iestly
(1) mortgage
(3) store away
(2) conjecture
(4) reason
(5) mortgage
22 .
23 .
24 .
25 .
hibe rnal
histr ion ic
hier atic
hy poth eca te
Answer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
(d)
(h)
(j)
(g)
(a)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
(e)
(c)
(b)
(f)
(i)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
(1)
(4)
(1)
(4)
(3)
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
(4)
(4)
(4)
(5)
(1)
21. (3)
22. (3)
23. (4)
24. (3)
25. (5)
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 67 of 131
KING OF THE HILL
Th is g oe s ba ck to
battlef ields of lon g ago.
All side s fo ug ht to
conquer the high ground,
the hills. Th is was often
th e bes t v an tag e p oint
an d th e point o f mo st
ad van tag e. W hic hev er
unit won or took the hill
was likely winning.
Ic on ( N)
Ic ono clas t ( N)
Ides ( N)
I de alis m (N )
I
An ima ge, Figure, Statue
A: Co nse rva tiv e, Orthod ox
In an cient Ro man ca le nda r,
the 15th d ay o f Ma y, Marc h,
July or October or the 13th of
th e o the r m onths
Behaviou r or thought b ased on
a co nceptio n of th ings as one
thinks they s hould be
Idol (N)
Idyllic (Adj)
Mahatma Gandhi is Idol of humanism.
S: Deity, Sta r, Statue
In no ce nt
Idy llic scenery of Himalay as
attrac t many tou risms
S: Peaceful, Calm, Tranquil
Idio sy nc ra sy ( N) A ny p er s on al pe cu lia rity ,
mannerism etc.
T he id io sy nc r as y o f th e
s cien tis t lay in h is u s in g a
sund ial to tell time.
S: Abn orma lity , Qu irk
Ig no ble ( Adj)
Ig ne ous (N )
I gno miny (N )
Not honour able in chara cter
Th e igno ble be tr ay a l b y h is
friend made him a r ecluse.
S: Mean, Base
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 68 of 131
An igno rant per son
Ha rd o r im po ss ib le to re ad
b ec au s e ba d ly wr itten o r
pr in te d
His cursive writing instea d of
b eing be tte r to re a d wa s
illeg ible.
S: Unreadable, Indecipherable
A: L eg ib le,
Rea d ab le ,
Deciph erable
A n un r ea l or misle ad in g
appearance or image
A mirage in a dese rt is o ften
an optic al illusion.
S: Fa nta sy
A: Reality, Fact
Imbe cile ( N)
A perso n with abnorma lly low
intelligence, A fool
S: Wea k-min ded, D erang ed,
Ch ildish
A: Strong-minded, Intellectual,
Genius
I mmac ulat e (A dj ) Perfectly clean
I llusion (N )
With two maids, her ho use was
alway s Immaculately kept.
S: Uns tain ed, Spotless
Imbibc ( V)
Imbr oglio ( N)
A: Ta rnis hed, Dir ty
To ab sorb
Tod ay ’s g en er atio n is b us y
im bibin g wes te rn cu ltu re &
for getting their tra dition.
A co nfusing situa tion
T he
im br o glio in th e
r elation sh ip b etwe e n th e
cou ple thre aten ed the c hild ’s
pro gres s.
S: E n t a n g l e m e n t ,
Embar rassment, Chaos
Imbue (V )
To permeate with ideas, feelings
etc.
The mas ses were imbu ed with
a spirit of democracy a fter the
ins piring spee ch.
S: Pervade , Suffuse, I nspire
A: Disco urage, Co ndemn
I mmanent (A dj )
With in, I nhe re nt
Her imm anent goodnes s stood
her in go od stead.
A: Dignified
Of fire , Fiery
Disgrace
Th e king lef t the e mp ir e in
disgrace after the ign ominy of
los in g a w a r to a tiny , illequipped army
S: Sha m e , H um ilia tion ,
Disg race
A: Honour, Glory , Distinction
Ig no ra mus (N )
Ille gible (A dj )
Diversity is the icon of India.
On e wh o atta cks ve ne ra te d
ins titu tion s or ide as
H e wa s a n ico n oc la s t wh o
made f un of patriotism.
S: Might, M av erick
A Dialect
Idioms carry Complex meanin g in simple w ord s an d a re
generally amusing.
S: Expression, Phrase
Ic on
Idiom (N)
He ’s su ch an ign ora mu s, he
doe sn’t even kno w tha t ch ina
is in Asia.
S: Dun e, Do lt, D ope
A: Genius , Prodigy, Scholar
Immo la te ( V)
S: Indwe lling
A: Tr ansc ende nt
To offer in sacrifice.
Student’s self- immolation over
I mmune ( A dj )
I mmur e (V )
Impa le ( V)
I mpalpa ble (N )
the mandal issue was tragic.
E xe mp t f ro m or p r otec te d
against so methin g harm ful
He was immune to ty p hoid as
he had been inocu lated.
S: Excu lpate, Reprieve
A: Condem n, Convict, Blame
To sh u t on e se lf in a plac e
alo ne
In ord er to intr ospe ct Sheila
immur ed herself in a co ttage
located in the Suburba n farm.
S: Im pris on
A: Wand er, Lo iter
To pie rce with a s harp sta ke
thr ough the b ody
Th e ju ngle bo y im paled the
boar with his s pear.
No t pe rcep tible to tou ch
His teac hing brought a bout an
impalpable chan ge in attitude
among his follo wers.
S: Intangible, Vague
Impa ss e (N )
A: Material, Solid, Defin ite
A situation offering no escape;
Dead-end
Disc uss io ns be tw een the
management and labour reached
an impasse and a strike became
inevitable.
S: Dead lock, Stalem ate
Impe cca ble ( Adj) Flaw less
H is im pe cc ab le ac a de mic
record made him very popular.
S: I mm ac u la te, Fa ultle ss ,
Perf ect
A: Defective , Flawed
I mpec unious (N ) Having no m oney
Some of the most outs tanding
s cien tis ts w e re b o rn in
impe cunious househo lds.
S: Po or , Bankru pt
A: Opu lent, Rich, Wealthy
I mpediment (N )
Any thin g th at h inde rs
He had to cros s ma ny
impedimentsbefore he became a
successful businessman.
S: O bs ta c le ,
Ba r rier ,
Ob stru ction
A: Aid, A ssistance, Help
Impe nite nt ( adj) No t r epe nta nt
Ter ro rist ins te ad o f be in g
asham ed are im penitent over
their deeds.
S: Shameless
Imper il ( V)
A: Remorseful, Regretful
To put in dan ger
The driv er im perilled his life
by taking the dang erous r oute
to Bandip ur.
S: Endanger,Hazard, Jeopardize
A: Safeguard,Protect, preserve
Impe rious (N )
Arr ogant, Dom ineer ing
The official tried to compensate
for his imperious manner.
S: Authoritative, Overbearing,
Ty ran nical
A: Su bse rvie nt, Ob sequ iou s,
Sy coph antic
Impe rt inent (N ) Disr espectful
One shou ld not be impe rtinent
his or her juniors.
S: Imp udent, Rude, Insolent
A: Polite, Suav e, M eek
Impe rv io us ( N) Not affected by Impervious to
public criticism , the politician
continued with his campaigning
I n glam o ro us bu sine s s on e
should b e impervious to media
hy pe or criticism.
S: Impenetrable, Impermeable,
Resis tant
A: Open, Susceptible, Exposed
I mpet uo us
Acting or d one su ddenly with
little th ough t, Imp ulsive
The impetuous decis ion ta ken
by the king led to the downfall
of the empire.
S: Has ty, Prec ipitate
A: Plann ed
Impe tus (V )
Driv ing forc e or mo tive
Salar y raise is an impetu s for
better working habits.
S : Mom entum, Stimu lus
A: Imp edim ent
Impiety ( N)
Lack of reverence f or God
She was shocked at the impiety
of the hippie s.
S: Ungod liness, Irrevere nce,
Dis resp ect
A: Reverence, Godliness, Respect
Imping e (V )
To s trike, hit e tc (on or up on)
T he n e w ed u ca tio n p olic y
im pinge d pow er fully on the
backward classes.
S: Strike, Hit, Ham mer
Implac able ( Adj) Merciless, Infle xible
T he im plac a ble e nm ity
b etwe en th e two c ou n tr ie s
in cr eas ed with ea ch pas sing
day.
S: U nr elen ting , In flex ib le ,
Ine xora ble
POSTMA N : re mind er
of roma nce
When the postman rings
our doorbell on his daily
rounds, he gives little hint
of th e r oma nc e o f h is
be gin nin gs. T he fir st
po stma n w er e r oy al
couriers who rode post,and
a post was one of a chain
of stations that furnished
a relay of freshmen and
horse to carr y the king’s
messages to some distant
po int. L ate r on the se
po strid ers c arr ied the
mails. The word post itself
came up fro m the Latin
posita, “ placed ” for the
or ig in al pos ts w er e
“placed” at intervals along
a communication route.
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THREE SQ UARES
This is an e xten sion of
the r e la te d p hr as e
‘Square meal’ and means
to h av e thr e e sq u ar e
m ea ls pe r d a y. I t is
popula rly used in the US
militar y.
A: Lenient, Tolerant, Merciful
Impo rt unat e (N ) P er sis te nt in a sking o r
deman ding
The importunate reporter finally
ma nage d to get an exc lusive
interview with Maradona.
Impos to r ( N)
On e w ho de ceives or c hes ts
other by pretending to be what
he is n ot
Th e y ou ng la dy to ok a lo ng
time to rea lize that s he h ad
been ro bbed of all he r money
by the impostor.
S: Conman, Fraud
Impreca te ( V)
To c urse
The mad woma n imp reca ted
every bo dy who passed by her.
Impr ompt u (A dj ) With out pr ep ara tion
Un ex pec ted b esiege d by
reporters, he made an impromptu
speech.
Impro priet y ( N)
Impro vis e ( V)
Imprudent (Adj)
Impude nt ( Adj)
S: Unprepare d, Ad lib
A: Reh e ar s ed , D elibe r ate
Pre medita ted
Bein g impr oper
Impropriety is the biggest hurdle
in our path of development.
To co m po s e an d p e rf or m
witho ut pre par ation
His conc erts are well attended
bec ause of his repu tation f or
de ligh tfu l im pro vis atio n.
S: E x te m p o r ize , I n v e n t,
co mp os e
Injudicious
It is im prudent to driv e rashly
on a busy road
S: Reckless, Irresponsible, Hasty
A: Cautious, Se nsible, Wise
Shameles sly bold
T he little b o y ’s im p ud en t
behaviou r shocked ever y one at
hom e.
S : Saucy, Brazen, Aud acious
A: Modest, Humble, Timid
I mpug n (V )
I mpunit y (N )
Impute ( V)
To op pose as false
To ov erc ome pov erty it’s
necessary to impugn corruption.
S: Censure, Charge
Fr ee do m fr om p un is hm en t,
harm etc
T he c r im in a l p le ad e d fo r
im pun ity.
To attribute, especially a fault
or misc onduc t to another
The tra in mishap was imputed
to th e driver’s careless ness.
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S: Reckon, Ascribe, Attribute
A: Defend, Advocate, Exonerate
Inadv erte nt (Adj) Un in te ntio na l
Inadvertently in a stru ggle she
was stabb ed by me.
S: Cha nce, Invo luntary
A: Delib erate, Planned
I na lienable (A dj ) That ca nnot be taken away or
transf erred
Man has inalienab le rights to
lif e, libe r ty a nd pu rs u it o f
ha ppines s.
S: U nd en ia ble, In violab le ,
Irrevo cable
A: Disp utab le , Re pe alab le ,
Alien able
Inane ( Adj)
Silly , Lacking sense
The ina ne remark made by the
lec tu r e sh o we d h is la ck o f
common sense.
S: Em pty, po intless , Foolish
A: Ex pr ess iv e, Me an ing fu l,
Signif ica nt
Inca nt at io n (N ) Words ch anted in magic spells
or rites
The magician cast out the evil
spirit by incan tation.
Inc arcer ate (V) To impr is on
The DIG incarcerated the felon
in a ma ximum security cell.
S: Co nf in e
A: Release , Free
Ince ndiary ( N)
Ha vin g to d o w ith th e w ilf ul
destruction of property by fire;
stir ring u p trou ble
T he in ce nd iar y h olo ca us t
destr oy ed life and prop erty.
S: Inflammatory,Fiery, Seditious
Ince ption ( N)
Act of begin ning, Start
Th e b usin ess wa s s ucce ssf ul
from the time of its in ception.
S: In aug ura tio n, Be gin nin g,
Or ig in
A: Te rmination, En d, Finish
Incer tit ude ( N)
Dou bt
A stude nt should alwa y s know
the f acts rathe r than be under
a clou d of certitude.
S: Un certain ty
A: Ce rta in ty
Incho ate (Adj)
Just b egun, Rudim entary
In ch oate ide as on an y top ic
take con crete shape on ly when
an oppor tunity aris es.
S: E le m en tar y , I nc ipie nt,
Un deve lop ed
A: Ma tu re
Inciner ate ( V)
To burn to as hes
T he m or ta l re m ains o f th e
famou s cine pe rsonality were
incinerate d afte r the last r ites
were per formed.
Incipient (A dj )
J us t b eg in n in g to ex ist o r
app ear
I f de te cte d at the in cipien t
s ta ge , L eu co de rm a c an b e
cured.
Inc ulca te ( V)
It is important to inculcate moral
values in children as they are
future of our country.
S: Bea t, H am me r, P ou nd ,
Rep eat
Incurs io n (V )
S: In itia l
A: Mature, D evelo ped
Inclement (A dj )
Storm y, Unfavou rable
T he o u ting wa s c an c elle d
because of inclement w eather.
The Government’s indefatigable
ef forts to pa ss a stron g gu nco ntr ol law w ere finally
successful.
A: Mild, Fair
Disguised und er a n a ssum ed
nam e, ra nk e tc.
Th e sta r tra ve lled in cog nito
using an alias.
S: Un iden tified
I ndelible (A dj )
A: Op enly , Frankly
Inco her ent ( Adj) N ot lo gica lly
Dis join ted
co nn e cted ,
T he
c u lp rit
b la b be re d
inco herently when questioned
by the lawy er.
S: Conf used
A: Clear, Vivid
or
H e ap pe ar ed a t the f or ma l
d in ne r in a n ab s ur dly
inco ngruou s cowb oy outfit.
S: I na pp r op r ia te , A b su rd ,
Uns uita ble
Incr edible ( Adj)
A: A c c o r d a n t, Su ita b le ,
H a r m on io u s
Too u nusual to be pos sible
Incr edulous (N )
Som e of the fe ats p erfor med
at the c ircus are incr edible.
Unwilling to believe
The incr edulous superv isor was
co nv inc ed on ly af ter se eing
the samp le.
S: Sce ptic al
Incubus (N )
A: Gullible
A nigh tmare
T he s pe c ia l o f th e h or ro r
m ov ie h a un te d h im like a n
S: Unwearied, Vigorous
That can not be erased, blotted
ou t etc.
His teac her made an in delible
imp ressio n on h im.
A: Erasable
To insu re against dam age etc
T he in su ra n ce c o mp an y
indemnif ied the loss of his car.
S: Re co m p e n se , Re pa y ,
Co mp en s ate
Inde te rminat e (A dj ) In def inite
I ndemnif y (V )
In determ ina te a nsw ers ha ve
no place in a n interv iew.
In C ommunicado ( Adj) In s olitary confine ment
Th e ev en t wa s he ld in
communicado existence for the
firs t 48 ho urs.
I nc ongr uo us (A dj ) L ac kin g ha rm o ny
agreem ent or par ts etc
Inva sion or raid
An incur sion into the enemy ’s
fortress revealed all th e secret
hideo uts.
S: Raid, A ttac k, I nvas ion
Inde fa tigable ( Adj) Un tiring
S: Rainy, Windy
Inco gnito ( Adj)
incu bus.
To instill by rep etitions
S: Vague
A: Def inite , Clear
Indic t ( V)
To cha rge with a crime
The gra nd jury indica ted him
for murder.
S: Accus e, Incrim inate
Indif fere nt (Adj) Lacking con cern
Whe n, I went to reg ister my
complaint, I was bugged up by
their indifference.
S: Unmoved, Neutral
A: Worried, Anxious
I ndig e no us (A dj ) Existing or gro wing natura lly
in a r egion or c ountry
Koala be ars are indige nous to
Aus tralia.
S: Native, Aboriginal, Inherent
A: Alien, Foreign, Imm igrant
Indige nt ( Adj)
Poor, Needy
Th e in dige nt f am ilie s we re
provided with shelter, food and
c lo th ing f ro m the pr im e
Minister’s r elief f und.
S: Needy, Penniless, Destitute
PA RA GON: a tes tin g
sto ne
In order to test the purity
of gold it is often rubbed
ag ain st a fin e-g ra ine d,
dark stone like jaspe r in
order to see what kind of
a ma rk it le av es . Th is
tes ting stone is calle d a
“tou chstone .” Our word
para gon co mes thro ugh
Old Fr en ch f ro m th e
Italia n wor d pa ra go ne
which originally meant a
to uc hs to ne, a nd h en ce
paragon came finally to
be a s tan da rd o f tr ue
wo rth, s o th at w e ca n
n ow s ay , “ he is a
para gon of virtu e.”
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AB OVE BOA RD
A: Opu lent, Rich, Wealthy
Fe eling or e xpr es sin g a ng er
esp ecia lly a t un just or m ean
a ctio n
I was indignant at the conductor’s
language.
S: Ange r, Wra th, Sc orn
A: Calm, P atie nt
Indis cre et (Adj) Too ope n in what one say s or
does
H is in disc re e t ju d gm en t
shocked the other mem bers of
the j ury.
S: Bras h, Rash , Reckless
A: Wise
Indit e ( V)
To co mpose and write
O ne o f the h o bb ie s o f th e
play wrig ht was to indite poems
on the beauty of nature.
Indo le nt ( Adj)
Idle, Lazy
The ind olen t boy lou nged on
the po rch all th e day.
S: Letharg ic
A: Activ e, Keen, Smart
Indomit able ( Adj) N ot e as ily d isc ou ra g ed o r
defeated
Th e king wa s f ille d w ith an
indomita ble urge to su cceed in
all his battles.
S: Uny ielding, Unconquerable,
Invin cible
A: Feeble , Languid, Weak
Indubita ble (A dj ) T ha t c an no t b e do u bted ;
Ce rta in
It’s in du bitab le th at I ndia is
soon going to be a supe r power.
S: Ind ispu table, U nden iable,
P os itiv e
A: Dubious,Doubtful, Uncertain
Induc t ( V)
To place formally in an office,
a socie ty etc.
After tw o y ears of training she
was ind ucted as a me mber of
the r egular s taff.
S: In sta ll, Initia te
A: Fir e, Retre nchm ent
Inebria ted ( N)
In to xic ated
The pris oner was inebr iated at
the time of his arr est.
S: Dr unk, T ips y.
A: So ber, Te etotal
In eff able (adj)
In describable
S: In expe rien ce a t th e co ncert was in efbable
A: In expre ssio nit
Inept (Adj)
Uns uita ble, Unf it
He ma de an ine pt and h ighly
tac tle ss
r e ma rk
wh ic h
Indignant (N )
E ar ly tra d in g s h ip s
wou ld hid e ille gal ca rgo
be lo w the sh ip’s d ec k.
Leg al car go co uld b e
pla ced in plain view on
decko r above the boards
of the dec k.
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embarr assed his pa rents.
S: Absurd , Awkward, Foolish
A: Apt, Appropriate, Competent
Infant ry ( N)
Foo t soldiers.
The grand show at republic day
started with infantry walking to
melodiou s tune.
In fidel ( N)
A non believer.
Con vinain g an infidel is no thing short of a miracle
I nf init es ima l (A dj ) Too sm all to be me asured
Even infinitesimal things have
their sign ifican ce.
A: Eno rmous , Giant
Infir m (Adj)
Weak fr om age
His infirm attitude tow ards his
career was his un doing.
S: Weak, Languid, Feeble
A: str ong, P owerf ul, To ugh
Inflamma to ry ( Adj) A ro u sing ex c item e nt,
Anger etc.
The electio n code forbids the
m akin g o f inf lam m ator y
speec hes.
S: Ince ndiary, Infuria ting
A: Re conc ilin g, Mitigating
Inflic t ( V)
To caus e (wo unds , pains e tc)
suffe ring
Th e little b oy w as inf licted
with sev ere punishment for his
misbeha viour.
Infra ctio n ( V)
Violating a law o r pact
A n in fr a ctio n o f th e c ity ’s
parking regulations can lead to
cha os
S: Vio lation , Inf ringem ent
A: Comp liance, Submis sion
Infring e ( V)
To break (a law or pact)
Ther e was a dispu te between
the two cou ntries o n the issue
of treaty infr ingeme nt.
S: Transgress, Violate, Trespass
I ng enio us (A dj )
A: Obey, Follow, Observe
Clever, Re sourceful
He rec eive d th e N obel prize
for his ingenio us wo rk on the
reh abilitation of the menta lly
ill.
S: Skilf ul, I nve ntive
A: Unskilled, Awkward, Dull
I ng enuo us (A dj ) Fra nk, Open, Sim ple
T he y ou ng girl’s in ge nu ity
came as a breath of fr esh air.
S: Hon est, Cand id, I nnoc ent
Ingrat e ( N)
A: Cunning, Crafty, Deceptive
An un grateful p erson
Ingr ess ( V)
The friend, whom I he lped in
tim es of dire n eed, proved to
be an ingrate.
En tran ce
Insa tiable ( Adj)
All ing res s to the ve nu e a re
sealed.
I nimica l (A dj )
S: Access, Entry
Res traint, Rese rve
On ce the interv ie w star te d,
Ra m sh ed h is inhib itio ns a nd
an sw er ed all q ue stion s with
con fiden ce.
S: Repression, Ban, Opposition
A: A pp ro v al, P er mis sion ,
Accordance
Hostile, U nfrien dly
I nkling (N )
His in im ica l be hav io ur w as
respo nsible for his down fall.
A: Ben ev o le nt, A mic ab le ,
Af fectiona te
Hin t, I ntim atio n, I dea
I nhibitio n (N )
There is no inkling who could
have committe d the cr ime.
Innat e (Adj)
Inborn n atural (an inna te sense
of sty le)
S: In trins ic
A: Ex trin sic, Alien
To stimula te
The smell innervate hu nger in
me.
I nnoc uo us (A dj ) Harmless
Inner vat e ( V)
The y oun g boy was terrif ied
by an innocuous snake.
I nnuendo (N )
S: Harmle ss, Inoffe nsive
A: Off ensiv e, Un pleas ant
A hint or ind ire ct r efe renc e,
usually d erogatory
Th e pla y w as fu ll of se xu al
in nue nd o.
S: I ns in ua tio n, I ntima tion ,
Allusion
Inoppor tune ( adj) Unseasonable in time.
The gesture of Mr . Sadan a in
his valedictory speech were inop por tun e.
S: Ill timed, Unfortu nate
A: Opp urtu ne, A pt, Fitting.
Inor dina te ( Adj) Exces sive, Un usual
Insa ne ( Adj)
Her inor dinate devotio n to her
jo b res ulted in her p hy s ic al
bre akdo wn.
S: Unlimited , Prof use
A: Meagre, Scanty
Mentally ill, Not sane
The court acquitted the accused
on gro unds of ins anity.
S: Mad, Delirio us, Fren zied
Tha t ca nnot be sa tisf ied
Some film starshave an insatiable
thirst for fame and adulation.
S: U nq ue nc ha ble , Gr ee dy ,
U na p p ea s a ble
A: Appeas eable, Quen chable
Insc rutable ( Adj) Not easily unders tood
T he in sc ru ta b le w a y s o f
destiny ba ffles me.
S: Mysterious, Incomprehensible
A: Obv ious , Pla ins, Evid ent
I ns idio us (A dj )
Characte rized by treac hery or
sly n ess
An insid ious plot to o verthrow
the Gov ernment was r evealed
after a tho ugh inve stig atio n.
S: Crafty, Treacherous, Tricky
A: Open, Fair, Candid
I ns ig nia (N )
D is tin gu is hin g ma r ks a s
emblems of rank
T he in sign ia of In dia is a
tricolour flag with an Ash oka
Ch akra .
I ns inua t e (V )
To s ug ges t in an u nplea sa nt
indirec tly way
circu mstanc es ins inu ate th at
there is something going wrong
somewhere.
Insipid (A dj )
W itho u t fla vo ur Ta ste le ss ,
Dull
I am s ic k of me ss f oo d it’s
in sipid.
S: Life less
A: Tas ty, Live ly
Inso le nt ( Adj)
Boldly disrespe ctful
The student was p unished for
his insolent b ehavio ur.
S: I mp ud en t, Im pe r tine nt,
Off ensive
Inso uc ia nt (A dj ) Carefr ee, Happy -go -lucky
I ns pire of h is in so u cian t
attitud e tow ard s cla ss es, h is
p er fo rm an ce in ex am s ha s
alway s been brilliant.
S: Careless, Rec kless
Inst iga te ( V)
A: Careful, Attentive, Pru dent
To pr ovo ke, To stir up
H e in stig a te d a n atio nw id e
revolt among the car buy ers.
S: Incite , Goad, Stimulate
A: Dissu ade, Deter, Restrain
Insula r (N )
Of or like an island, Iso lated
He r insular men tality wou ld
no t p erm it her to w ide n h er
PEDI GR EE: fo ot o f a
cra ne
Pe rh ap s y o u ta ke j us t
pride in y our family tree.
Like a blooded horse, y ou
ar e pr ou d of y ou r
pedig ree. But y ou m ay
not know that, when y ou
boas t of y o ur ped igre e,
y ou are really spea king
of a cr an e’s f oo t , f or
pedig ree see ms to have
be en o ur w ay o f
pro nounc ing th e Fre nch
ph ra se p ie d d e g ru e
wh ich mea n “ the fo ot
of a crane.” In those very
o ld d oc um en ts tha t
reco rded a f amily tree,
the three -line graph of
lineal descen t looked for
a ll the w or ld like th e
imprints of a crane’s foot
an d su gg es te d th e
pictur esq ue name . T he
La tin an ce stor s of the
word pedigree are pes, “
Foot “, de, “of’ and grus,
“crane.”
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F ROM
STERN
STEM
TO
The very front of a s hip
is ca lle d the ste m a nd
the r ea r is c alle d th e
stern. Fro m stem t o
ster n includes the entire
sh ip .
circle of friends.
S: Narrow-minded
A: Broad- minded
Ins uperable (A dj) Unconqu erable
Ram y a
ov er ca m e
th e
s ee min gly
ins up e ra ble
problem through dilige nce and
perseve rance.
S: Insu rmountable
A: Surmou ntable, Defe atable
Insur rec tio n ( N) A rising or revolt
Insurrection by Mangal Pandey
is still remembered
S: Me etin g, Revolutio n.
Inte mpera te ( N) Showing a lack of control over
on ese lf
The intemp erate w ay s of the
pa tie nt le d to his pr em atu re
de ath.
S: D ru nken , U nr es tra in ed ,
E xc es s iv e
Int er ( V)
A: Sober, Temperate, Serious
To out a dead body into a grave
or bomb
The w ar hero w as interr ed in
Ar ling to n.
S: E x h u m e , D is in te r ,
D is en tom b
Int erdict ( V)
A: E ntom b
To pro hib it an a ction
Th e po lice a uth or itie s ha ve
in terd icte d th e m ovem ent of
h ea vy tr af fic v eh ic les in
sch ool zone s.
S: Fo rb id
Inte rim ( Adj)
A: Allo w, per mit
The per iod of time between
The interim perio ds of p eace
betweenworld wars I and II was
sh ort live d.
S: Intermiss ion, Interlude
A: P er ma ne nt,
L as ting ,
En during
Int ernecine (A dj) Extre mely destr uctive to both
sides
Inter polat e ( V) To ma ke a r em ar k tha t
inte rr up ts
a
s pe e ch ,
c on v er sa tio n ;
To
ad d
some thing to a text, book etc.
Inter spe rs e ( V) To put h ere and there, Scatter
At th e a nnu al gather ing , the
lights had be en in ter sp ers ed
with cand y canes.
S: Diver sify
A: Unify, Group
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To com e or be in b etween
Th e jud ge inte rv ene d wh en
the re wa s an up ro a r an d
ensu red tha t prop er judg ment
was g iven.
Intra ctable (Adj) Ha rd to ma nag e, u nr uly or
stubbo rn
T he
in tr ac tab le
ch ild
responde d to every req uest, by
howling “N o”.
S: U n ru ly ,
Re f r a c to r y ,
Diso be dien t
A: Tr a c ta b le , O b e d ie n t,
Su bm is sive
Int rans igent (A dj) Refu sing to compro mise
The intr ansigent labou r fo rce
wen t on a ten mo nth strike.
S: Uncompromising, Stub born,
Inf lexible
A: Submissive, Co-operative,
Reaso nable
Inter vene ( V)
Bold, Fearless, Brave
T he intr ep id Ha rr y P or te r
fough t bravely with e vil.
S: Cou rageo us, Non fea rin g,
Co nf id en t
A: Timid, Nervous, Co wardly
Intr os pec tion ( N) Loo king into one ’s o wn m ind
He indulged in some introspection
to find out where his fault lies.
Intr overt (N)
One who is more intere sted in
his ow n thoughts feelings etc.,
tha n in ex te rn a l ob j ec ts o r
ev en ts .
Intre pid (Adj)
Inv ective ( V)
H e wa s too mu ch of a n
intr overt to be a p ress ag ent.
A: Ex tr ov er t
A ve rbal attack
Th e girl hurled inve ctives at
whoever crossed her path.
S: V itu p er a tio n , Ce n su r e
A: Eulogy, Tribu te, Sanction
Inve ig le ( V)
To en tic e or trick into doing
so mething
I f we tr y h ar d , we migh t
inveigle mother into baking us
a ca ke.
S: Temp t, Dec eive
Inv eter ate (N)
A: Discourage
Firmly established
Invidious (A dj )
T he inv e te ra te co mp e tito r
were dif ficult to over come but
we suc ceeded at last.
S: Ob stina te, De ep Ro ote d,
Habitual
Off ensive
Some invidious remarks were
attr ib ute d to th e disgr un tled
emplo y ee.
Iterat e (V)
T he a u th o r’s w ea r is om e
ite ra tion o f the s am e po in t
bored his readers.
S: Ma lign ant, Tr oublesom e,
Malicio us
A: Be ne vo le nt, Gr atif y ing ,
Co mfo rting
Invig orat e ( V)
Invinc ible ( Adj)
To give vig our to
T he c hie f gu e st’s a r riva l
invigo rated the dull gathe ring.
S: Energise, Strengthen, Vitalize
Itinera ry ( N)
A: Weaken, Enervate, Unnerve
That which cannot be conquered
S: Unconquerable, Unbeatable
A: Yielding, Submissive, Weak
I ra sc ible
Com plic ation , In tric acy
I t ma y s ee m to y o u e as y
b ec au se in vo lutio n in th e
sy stem are n ot evid ent.
Irate (N)
Jabber (V)
A: Evid ent, Ea sy, Simple
Irr itab le
Th e nu rse com plained abo ut
her irascible patie nts.
Ja ded (Adj)
S: Quic k-temp ered
A: Calm, P atie nts
Angry
T he m a na ge r
p atien tly
listened to the ira te custo mer.
S: Enra ged
A: Pleased , Happy
Having or showing an interplay
of rainbow like colours
The iridescent glow of the soap
bubble s was fascin ating.
Ir ks ome (A dj )
Ann oy in g, T ires ome
I fo un d her m an ner s ra th er
ir ks om e.
S: Trou blesome , Anno y ing
A: Plea sant, Gratif y ing
Ir onica l ( N)
Meaning the contrary of what
is exp ressed
It is iro nical that h e got the
award at a tim e when h e had
lo st a ll inter est in it.
Irredeemable (Adj) That wh ich cannot be brought
ba ck
G an dh i’s d e ath w as a n
irredee mable loss for India.
Ir reso lute (Adj) Uncertain how to act.
Ev en a fte r pla nn in g f or the
project, we were irresolute on
th e startu p.
To
ta lk
q u ic kly
in cohe rently
an d
T he imp atie nt re ce ptio nist,
jabbere d the company profile
and we could hardly understand
her.
Wo rn- out, Worthle ss
He loo ke d ja de d af te r fo ur
sle epless nigh ts.
S: Wearied, Exha usted
A: Invigourated, Streng htened
Ja rgo n ( N)
Ir ide scent ( N)
S: Indecisive, Vacillating
S: Re pe tition s
Guide book.
The itin erary of co nvoy was
kept secre t fear ing a terror ist
atta ck.
S: Rec ord of journ ey, P lan
for journey
J
In 1 994 , Pe te Sa mpr as w as
in vinc ible.
I nv olut io n (N )
A: Determined, Strong willed.
To u tter o r do a gain
Ja undice d (A dj )
Ja unty ( Adj)
Je june ( N)
Je opar dy ( N)
Specific language of a group
Legal ja rgon cannot be easily
un ders too d.
S: Ter mino logy , Ar got
Prejudiced
The jud gement was ja undiced
as it we nt against evid ences to
favo ur some one.
Sho win g or fe e ling se lf confidence
One could feel jaunty air in the
stadium whenwe wonfirst round
of sh ooting c hampions hip.
S: Cheerful, Vivacious
A: Glo omy, Listless
Not satisfy ing or inte resting
Despite the ab undance of TV
ch ann els , m ost pr ogr amm es
are jejune.
S: Un intere sting
A: In tere sting
Great danger or risk
The y oun g man put his life in
je opa rdy while res cuin g the
drownin g girl.
S: Peril, Hazard
PR ESTI GE:
ma gic
me an t
When we say that a man
has gained great prestige
we inten d it a s a
co mp lime nt, bu t th e
French word prestige that
we h av e bo rr ow ed is
allied to pr estidigitation
a nd o rigina lly me an t
ju gg ling tricks, o r
illusio n. So th e pr estige
tha t ha s be en w on b y
so me o f ou r po litica l
leader s may some times
h av e so me th in g to d o
with sleight of hand . As
one 17th c entu ry writer
put it: “I am not deceived
by the pr estige s o f the
im pos tor ”.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 75 of 131
ROUND ROB IN
Je re miad ( N)
‘Ro u n d
r o bin ’
origina ted in the British
n au tica l
tr a dition .
Sa ilo r s w ish in g to
mutiny would sig n th eir
name s in a circle, so the
lea d e r c ou ld n o t b e
id en tif ie d.
Jeste r (N)
Je ttiso n ( V)
J ing oism (N )
Jinx ( N)
Jitt ery (A dj)
A: Safety, Security, Sanctuary
A tale of w oe; In a llus ion to
the la mentations of Jeremiah
H er J e re m ia d a bo u t he r
sufferings made me sympathise
with her.
S: Grief
Clo wn
Children started clapping as the
jester appeared.
S: Comed ian, Buf foon
Aban don
In order to save the ship from
sinkin g th e ca ptain or de re d
jettison of a few articles.
S: Discard, Ditch, Dump
A: Salva ge, Main tain
Ch auvinistic a dvo cacy of an
ag gr es sive , wa rlike fo re ig n
po licy
T he j in g oism of the Na zis
pr ove d to b e the un doing of
Germany.
S: Loy alism, Partisan
A: Tu rnc oa t, Tra itor
A person or thing supp osed to
bring b ad luck
T he p r oj ec t s ee ms to b e
jinxed; all the people who have
atte mpted it hav e failed.
endeare d her to eve ry one.
S: Merry
A: Dull, De pressed
J ohnbull (N )
(ii) A ty pical Eng lishman
Jo vial (Adj)
A: Unhappy, Miserable
J udic io us (A dj )
Jugg er na ut ( N)
Jo cos e ( N)
The clow n at the circu s was a
joco se per sonality.
S: Jocular, Play ful
A: Serious, So lemn
Joc ular (A dj)
(ii) Cause or belief to w hich
pe rso ns ar e s ac rif ice d or to
w hic h
th e y
s ac rif ic e
the mselves
The jugg ernaut of war claimed
many lives.
J unket (N )
S: Jes ting, Wagg ish
A: Serious, Solemn
Jo cund (Adj)
Junt a (N )
Ple asant, Cheer ful
The little girl’s jocund manners
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 76 of 131
An excursion es pecially one by
an offic ial at public expense
There wa s a press junket made
in co n ne c tion with th e
ope ning of an impor tant new
mo tio n p ic tur e.
S: Pic nic, Tour , Tra vel
A g roup of po litical intrig ues
e sp ec ia lly milita ry m en in
power a fter a coup d’ etat
Several SouthAmerican countries
are ruled by Junta
S: Caba l, Fac tion
Jurisprudence ( N)Science of laws
Juve nile ( Adj)
Meant as a joke, Given to joking
He was jocular by nature and
f elt un c om fo r ta ble a t th e
sole mn cerem ony.
(i) A terrible, irresistible force
Th e Na zi j ug ge rn au t ro lled
thr ough Pola nd in 19 39.
To m anoeuvs e for positio n or
advan tage
She tried to jo ckey her riv al
out to s ecure the coveted post.
J okin g
Having or showing j udgment
By a j udicious d ec ision , an
understanding was brought about
be tw ee n the labo ur a nd
management.
S: Discern ing, Wise, P rudent
A: Foo lish, Fatu ous, Puer ile
I was jittery when, I forgot to
take my resume to the interview
& d isco vered tha t at the end
mo men t.
Jo ckey ( V)
Joy o us.
Jovial moon m ade every body
laugh at the party.
S: Cheerful, Jolly
Sha ky
S: Nervous, Anxious
A: Calm, T ranquil
(i) A pers on who brings bad
lu ck
Juxt apo se ( N)
Th e chief ju stice ex pre ss ed
c on ce rn o ve r of q ua lity o f
prudence.
Youn g, Imma ture
He is constantly criticize d for
his juve nile approach towards
life
To put sid e by side
T he d e sign er ju xta po se d
c la sh in g c olo ur s to ge t a
dramatic effect
S: Com b in ation , Con c ur rence
Practice Exercise
Ma tc h t he fo llo wing wo rds in c olumn A wit h the ir me aning s g iv en in co lumn B:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A
implacable
inv idio us
ins ane
inexo rable
in s itu
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
B
relen tless
in itia te
in its orig inal place
tasteless, vigou rless
silly
6.
7.
8.
9.
A
in stiga te
in sip id
jest
joie de vivre
f.
g.
h.
i.
10 .
j un ke t
j.
B
joke, f un
a zest f or life
unappe asable
picn ic, so cial
fea st
giving offence
or ill will
Ma rk t he sy nonyms of the wor ds in t he fo llow ing ques tions:
11 .
ico noclast
(1) image breaker
(2) nuclear holocaust
(4) figure cut out in hard material
(3) s tatue
(5) jun ket
12 .
illic it
(1) easy
(3) not legal
(2) free
(4) spotless
(5) r elent
(1) drink in
(3) e nter
(2) learn
(4) depo sit
(5) insane
13 .
imbibe
14 .
imbro glio
(1) scandal
(4) quarrel
(2) decora tion
(5) instig ete
15 .
immaculate
(1) well-dressed
(3) beautiful
(2) sta inless
(4) orname ntal
(5) dumb
(1) cub e-like
(3) ill- starred
(2) thoug htfulnes
(4) burden
(5) stature
(1) unchanegable
(3) dumb
(2) y ielding
(4) sho rt
(5) easy
(1) unbreakable
(3) unable
(2) tightly p acked
(4) flawless
(5) e nter
(1) h atred
(3) inflexibility
(2) oversight
(4) lack of accuracy
(5) free
16 .
17 .
incubus
immutable
(3) harem
NICOTI NE : a d rug
18 .
19 .
impeccable
inadve rtence
20 .
incong ruous
(1) uno fficial
(3) poor ly timed
(5) incompatible
(2) unable
(4) u neven
21 .
ingen uous
(1) candid, naive
(3) satisfied
(2) ing enious
(4) clever
(5) Jeopardy
(1) dullness
(3) awkwardness
(2) vacillation
(4) inex perience
(5) jaunty
(1) small jar
(3) f iesta
(2) bellowing
(4) jejune
(5) jaw
(1) trite
(3) useless
(2) play ful
(4) illusory
(5) jargon
(1) mortgage
(3) poor
(2) niggardly
(4) begging
(5) insular
22 .
23 .
24 .
25 .
in eptitu de
jowl
jocose
impecu nious
J ea n
Nic ot
wa s
a pp ar en tly a m an o f
ma ny p arts. He w ro te
article s on the sub ject of
philology an d published
a lexicon of the Fre nch
langua ge. But even so he
would have been amazed
if h e ha d kn ow n tha t
later h is na me wa s to
b ec om e an im po rtan t
entry in the dictiona ries
of the futur e. M onsieur
Nic ot, in add itio n to his
o th er q u alitie s , wa s a
s kille d dip lo ma t, an d
w hile he wa s s er v in g
plant that had com e over
fr om the ne w cou ntr y,
Americ a. In this f ashion
th e intr odu ced to bac co
to Fran ce. Therefor e, his
ow n na me , Nico t, wa s
finally used as the basis
of nicotine, the poisonous
drug in tobacco.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 77 of 131
CLIP SOMEONE’S W INGS
Answer
L im it o n e’s a ctiv ities o r
po ssibilitie s.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
They dec ided to clip h is wings
an d to ok a way h is e xp en se
ac coun t.
(h)
(j)
(e)
(a)
(c)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
(b)
(d)
(f)
(g)
(i)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
K
Kale idoscopic (Adj)Co nsta ntly ch anging
My children enjoy ed the kaleidoscope, I Prepared for them.
Kee n (A dj)
In tens e.
All th e s tud ent wer e keen to
learn co mputers.
Ken (N)
Ke ynot e ( N)
Ke yst one ( N)
Kic kbac k (N )
Killjoy ( Adj)
Kiln ( N)
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 78 of 131
S: Eager, Fanatical, Devoted.
A: Unca ring, Apathe tic
Knowled ge or Unders tanding
You a re asking me some thing
that is bey ond m y ken.
S: Awareness
(i) The bas ic id ea or Ruling
pr inc ip le
(ii) Mus ical Note
Pe rs ona l lib er ty is the ke y note of Indian demo cracy.
Ess ential p art
T he
key sto ne
of
th e
n on a lig nm en t p olicy is
peaceful co-existence between
neighbour ing c ountries.
Percenta ge given back to perso n w ho ha s e nab led o ne to
make money
Th e a lle ged kickb acks in the
Bofors d eal have been the subject of much de bate.
One who des troy s or less ens
oth er p eople ’s en joy m ent
Do n’t be a kill jo y ju st g et
alo ng with the rhy thm.
S: Sp oil sp ot
A: Hobby, Game
A furnac e or oven for dry ing,
bur ning or ba king bric ks, p ot-
(1)
(3)
(1)
(4)
(5)
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
(4)
(1)
(4)
(2)
(5)
Kin ( N)
Kindred (Adj)
King pin (N )
21. (1)
22. (3)
23. (5)
24. (2)
25. (3)
tery etc.
Th e w orkman fir ed the va se
in th e kiln.
S: Oven, Furnace
Relative , Family related as by
blo od
All o f her kin were prese nt at
the we dding.
Rela ted.
We re cogn ize d o the r kindr ed
spirits as soon as we met.
S: Family , Akin, Con gruous
Chief
Th e kingpin be hind the eag le
gang is still un known.
S: Don, Boss
Pre tentious (es pecially in art
design etc.)
W ha t N iy a z co n sid er a s
maste rpiece is just a kitsch.
S: Ou tsta nding
A: Tas te, Flav our
Knack ( N)
Dex terity
I h av e a kn ac k fo r ju dg in g
pe op le a t th e firs t me etin g
itself.
S: Tale nt, Profic iency
Knickknac k (N ) Pla y thing
Do n’t spe nd y ou r f ortu ne on
knick kna cks
S: Ornament, Souvenir
Kle pt oma nia (N ) A n ab n or ma l, Pe rs isten t
imp ulse to steal
Her klep tomania was so urce of
embarras sment to her p arents.
Knell (N )
To ring slowly, Toll (Om en of
death , failure etc.)
Their so n’s failure in the exam
s ou nd e d th e kne ll of th eir
ho pe s.
Kitsc h ( N)
Kno tty (A dj)
Intrica te
Th er e ar e ma ny kno tty
problem to overcome let’s beef
up our e fforts.
S: Difficult, Tricky, Awkward
Kudos ( N)
A: Plain , Effortless
Credit f or achievement, Glory,
Fame
Ku do s on y our w in ning the
tr op hy f or th e sec on d y e ar
ru nnin g.
S: Credit, Fame, Pr estige
L
pace, Mov e slowly
The batc h is lagging be hind the
othe r.
(ii) Imprison, Arrest
(iii) A piece of non-co nductive
co ver of a boiler to pr eve nt
heat trans fer
La ggar d ( N)
A slo w person especially one
who falls behind
Every one except a few laggards
f in is he d the ta sk in twe nty
minute s.
S: Slowp oke, Daw dler
A: Smar t, Has ty, Ac tive
La by rint h( N)
Lac erate (V)
A maze
It was a hard time to get out of
the lab y rinth of Dh aravi.
S: Warren, Muddle
To tear roug hly
T he v ictim ’s bo d y wa s
lacer ated in the accident.
S: Man gle
A: Res tore, Plac ate
Lac hrymo se (A dj) Of or producing tears
The lachry mose entreaties of
the student failed to conv ince
the lec turer.
Lac kada isica l (A dj)Sh ow in g la ck o f in te re st o r
s pirit
La gnia ppe (N )
The grocer gave s mall b oxes
of can dy as lagniappes.
S: Gra tuity , Bo nus, Tip
La is se z- fa ir e (N ) P olic y of n on inter fe re nc e
s pe cif ic ally ab se n ce o f
g ov er n me nt c o ntro l o ve r
industry and bus iness
La mbent ( Adj)
He was re prim ande d f or h is
lac ka da isica l a pp ro a ch to
wo rk.
S: L an g uis hin g, In d ole nt,
Ap athe tic
A: E n er g e tic,
E nth us ia s tic
La me nt ( V)
The lacklustre arrangement for
re pu blic d ay p ar ad e wa s
condemned by all.
La mpoon ( N)
Terse in expression, U sing few
words, Concise
La ng uid (A dj )
A: Profuse, Wordy, Discursive
La cuna ( N)
A blank sp ac e, es pec ially a
mis sing portion in a text e tc.
Mo st r ese arch is don e to fill
the lacu na existing in f ields of
kno wled ge.
Lag (N)
(i) To fa ll be hind, N ot ke ep
A: Rejoice
A personal satire, Caricature
T he Car to on is t la mp oo ne d
almo st a ll the f am ou s
personality from every field.
S: Ridicule, Satirize, Parody
A: Brilliant, Radiant, Dazzling.
S: Succ inct, Curt
To feel or express dee p sorrow
fo r
G an dh iji la me n te d o n th e
c on ditio n o f In d ia n p eo ple
du rin g pa rtitio n.
S: Grieve, Mourn
La cklus tr e ( Adj) Dull, Boring, Colo urless
La conic (Adj)
T he c o mm a nd er ga v e th e
gen eral total L aiss ez-f aire in
the region.
Play ing lightly over a surface;
often said of a flame
The lam bent glow on h er face
ins pir ed
co nf ide n ce
in
every one.
S: (So ftly ) Radia nt, Brilliant
A: Dull, La cklus tre
L iv ely ,
S: Uninspiring, Jaded, Tame
A presen t given to a c ustomer
with a p urchase
Lang uish (V )
Withou t v igou r or vitality
Sh e exten ded h er ha nd in a
languid gesture of w elcome.
S: Pen sive , Dr opping
A: Bris k, Lively, Vivac ious
To beco me w eak, Dro op, Be
un hap py
He has b een languishing in jail
PA NDER : to minister
baser needs
A Pander now is a pimp,
p ro cu r er ,
a nd
go
be twe en in ille gal lo ve
af fa ir s. Th e sou rc e of
th e wo rd , ho we ve r, is
Panda rus, a respectable
m y thica l G re ek h er e
w ho a c co rd ing to
Ho mer ’s Ilia d, le d th e
Ly cian s in th e Tr oj an
War but the pla y wright
Shakes peare, and before
h im the p oe t Ch au ce r
a nd the I ta lian a utho r
Boc ca c io , s ullie d th e
re putatio n o f p an da ru s
and rep rese nted him in
the ir po em s a s a
pr ocu rer wh o obtain ed
the g irl Cres sida for the
pleas ure of the king of
To ry. H enc e the na me
pan daru s ga ve u s wo rd
pand er with its pres ent
m ea n in g. In th e v er b
form we can pand er o f
m in is ter to the ba se r
app etites of oth er.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 79 of 131
KNOCK ON W OOD
Th e
Dr uids ,
wh o
wo rs hipp ed
tre es ,
especially Oaks, wore a
piece of Oak around their
ne ck to wa rd o ff e vil
s pirits . He nc e, to uc h
wood for good luck.
La ng uor ( N)
for past 25 y ears.
Lac k of vigou r or vitality
Lax ( Adj)
Th e h ot sum me r a fte rno on
induced a sense of languor and
soon ev ery one was a sleep.
La pidar y ( N)
La rceny ( N)
La rges s ( N)
S: La zin ess , Torp or
A: V ig ou r,
En er gy ,
Dy namism
( i) Con c er ne d w ith s to ne ,
Eng ravings o n stone
The Gre eks were fam ous for
the ir lapida ry inscriptio ns.
(ii) A cutte r o r p olish er of
pre cious sto nes
T he u n la w fu l taking o f
an othe r’s pr oper ty
He was c harge d with gr and
larc eny.
S: Thef t, Robbe ry, Plu nder
A: R e s t o r a t i o n ,
Com pe nsa tion,
Ato neme nt
Generous giving
The poor u sed to depen d on
the larg ess of the wea lthy for
foo d an d clothing.
S: Cha rity , Mo ney
A: Meane ss, Rash ness
La sc iv io us ( Adj) Cha ra cter ize d
by
or
exp ressing lust
The play w as den ounced as
being lewd and lasc ivious.
S: Im mor al,
Lecherous
La ss it ude (N )
Leg acy (N)
Le gend ( N)
We arines s,
Mild ness
His lenienc y in man aging is
responsible for lose incurred by
comp any.
S: Cleme ncy, Len ient.
A: Severity, Harshness, Cruelty.
Le nit iv e ( N)
L es se nin g pa in or d istre ss ,
Merc iful
Le tha l (Adj)
Le viathan ( N)
Le vitat ion ( N)
A: Vigo ur, Viva cio usn es s,
Q uickn es s
La udable ( Adj)
La uda tor y ( V)
Pra isewor thy
Car ing fo r foster ch ildren is
a laudab le act.
S: Co mmen dable, Worth y,
Deser ving
A: De gr ading , D ep rav in g,
Co nte mp tib le
Exp ressin g pra ise
The Prime Minister delivered
a
la ud ator y
sp ee ch
commending the astronauts.
S: Com plim enta ry
A: Der ogatory
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 80 of 131
A: Strict, Sev ere, Stern
A sly, Sidelong loo k s howing
lus t, Maliciou s triu mph
T he v illa in ap pr o ac he d th e
heroine with a leer on h is face.
Money or property left to one
by will
H e b ec am e a rich ma n
overn ight by virtue of a large
leg ac y tha t h is un cle lef t
be hin d.
A ve ry old and po pular s tory
that may be true.
S: Fable, Fairy tale
Le nie nc y ( N)
Lus tfu l,
A: Pure, Chaste, Virtuous
Weariness
A deep la ssitude ov erca me
her a nd she s lept.
S: La ngu or,
Fatigue
Lear (N)
Loose, Relaxed, Careless
The lax attitude of judiciary is
responsible for late disposal of
legal proceedings.
S: Neglig ent, Slack, Sloppy
Lev ity (N)
Lew d (A dj)
The len itive han ds of Mother
teresa had some charm in them.
Causing death
Cy anide is an extremely lethal
com poun d.
S: Mortal, Dea dly, Fatal
A: Harmless
A sea mo nster, Any hug e thing
Co mp ilin g a dic tion ar y is a
leviathan job.
S: Ma mmo th, Titan ic
A: Tin y, Dw arfish , lilliputian
The power o f rais ing bod y in
the air
Th e y ogi ac quired le vitation
th rou gh med ita tio n.
Lightnes s of bod y o r s pirit ;
lack of seriou sness
Lev ity in our Burea ucracy is
respo nsible for inefficiency.
S: I nc on stan cy , Jo cu la rity ,
Flippan cy
A: Gravity, Sobriety, Solemnity
Pe rtainin g to lu st
The censor board is particularly
str ict ab out no t allo wing lewd
scenes in movies.
S: Obscene, Lustful, Licentious
A: Pure, Chaste
Dictiona ry (Esp of Gree k, Latin
or Hebrew)
Ro ger tried to m aste r lexic on
just by mugging up word s but in
vain.
Liaiso n (N )
Co nne ction, Ra ppo rt
The terrorist liaison with ISI is
no more a secret.
S: Co ntac t, Coope ration.
Libidino us (A dj ) Lasc ivious , Lustful
Ka re n’s lib id in ou s b eh av io ur
embarrass ed John.
S: Lewd
A: Pure, Chaste
Lic entious (A dj ) Mora lly un restra ined
I felt off ende d by my boss es
lice ntious gestu res.
S: Wa nto n, Lu stf ul
A: Co ntin ent, Ch as te
Lieu ( N)
Place
In lie u of r eg is te ring m y
co mp la in t ag ain st inf lu en tial
minister , po lic e in su lted a nd
thr ew m e ou t of the p olic e
statio n.
Limbe r (Adj)
Easily bent, Flex ible to ex ercise
in prepa ratio n for a sp ort
A Gy mnast should be limber and
Slee k.
A: Rigid, Stiff, Hard
Limbo ( Adj)
In a n uncer tain s tate
Please decide fas t, do not let the
issue hang in limbo.
Ling o (N )
A dialect, jargo n etc, that one
is n ot fam iliar with
It is diff icult to unde rstand the
lin go of toda y ’s s tuden ts.
Le xicon ( N)
Lithe ( N)
Graceful, Flexible
The dance r’s lithe moveme nts
were nice to watch.
S: Sup ple, Flex ible, Pliant
A: Awkw ard, Stiff, Wo oden
Litig at e ( V)
To c onsent in a law suit
Th is p rope rty has been und er
litiga tion for the last four y ears.
S: Proce eding
(i) Dis co lou red by a br uis e,
Black a nd blue
(ii) Furiously angry
He was livid whe n he discovered
that he had been ch eated.
S: Discolour ed, Angry
Livid (Adj)
Lo athe (Adj)
A: Calm
To fee l intense d islike or d isgust
fo r
I loathe s nake s.
S: Dete st, Abho r, Abominate
Lofty (Adj)
Log is t ic s
Loite r (V)
A: Like, Love, A dmire
Very h igh in pos ition.
His lof ty d ream s ne ed m uch
more efforts tha n he is putting
in .
S: High, Soarin g, Towering
A: H um ble , Un p re te n ding ,
Mo de st
T he m ilita ry sc ie n ce o f
p ro cu ring , m ainta in in g an d
tra ns po r ting ma te ria l an d
pe rso nn el
Planning the log istics of a ny
op er ation is a s imp or tan t as
pla nnin g th e strate gy.
Amble, Dawdle
Don’t loiter this matter as it is
to be urgently addressed.
S: Hang around,Linger, Dally.
Loqua cious (A dj ) Ver y ta lkative
Our n eighbour is a loqua cious
woma n who chatte red almost
co ns tan tly.
Lucid (Adj)
S: Garrulous
A: Silen t, Tac itu rn
Clear, Readily unde rstood
T he lec tur er ga ve a lu cid
ex plan atio n on c om me rc ia l
tax .
S: Incomprehensible, Irrational,
Illegible
Luc re ( N)
Riches, Money used chiefly in
a derogatory sense
M an y v oter s a mo n g th e
uneducated are carriedaway by
th e lur e o f luc re and d o n ot
exercise their franchise properly.
Lucubr at io n (V ) To work, study, write laboriously,
especially late at night
H is luc u br atio n o n a little
kno wn br anch of Ps y chology
brough t him much fame.
Ludicro us ( N)
Caus ing lau ghter be cause it is
absur d or ridic ulous
It was a lu dicr ous sugg estion
that Rah ul ran for Pre sidency.
S: A bs ur d ,
La ug h ab le ,
Pr epos tero us
Lug ubrious (A dj ) Very sad or mournful especially
in an exaggerate d way
S: Dism al, Mour nful
A: Chee rful, Elated
Luminar y (N )
(i) Natural ligh t giv ing b ody
like the sun, moon etc
(ii) A person of e minence
P y tha go ra s wa s o ne o f th e
gre atest lumina ries in ancient
P HI LI P PI C S
invec tive
:
a
Once u pon a time Philip
II of Macedon ma de up
his mind to wipe o ut the
Gr eek city -state and to
w eld G re ec e into a
m on ar c hy
to
be
do mina ted b y h is o wn
Macedo nia. His plan was
b itte rly o pp os ed b y
D om os the ns w h o as ,
e ve ry sc ho ol ch ild
knows, was an Athenian
or ato r to s kill a nd fir e.
Dom osth enes deliver ed
a s er ies o f b rillian t
s pe ec he s d en ou nc in g
Ph ilip and his plan a nd
urg ing pa ssiona tely that
A th en ia n lib er ty b e
p re se r ve d.
Th es e
o ra tio ns we r e ca lle d
P hilip pic s f ro m th e
obj ect of their censu re,
a nd n o w p hilip pics is
a pp lie d to an y b itte r
in vec tiv e.
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STR A IG HT
N AR ROW
Greece.
S: I n c a n d e s c e n t ,
Fluore sce nt
AN D
‘Broad is the way that is
th e p ath o f d estru ction
but narrow is the gate and
stra ig ht is the wa y
w hic h le a de th to th e
house o f God’.
Lummox (N )
Lurid (Adj)
A clum sy, stupid person
Ram u is to o m uc h o f a
lumm ox to be entr usted with
a job o f such impor tance.
( i) Sh oc kin g, Se ns ation al,
Viole nt
T he m a ga zin e h ad lu rid
reports of sex and mur der and
w as
b an ne d
by
th e
Go vern men t.
A: Br ight, Pleasa nt
(ii) Highly coloured
The lurid sky was spec tacular.
To lie in wait
Lurk ( V)
The fate lurk around the corner
with its twist & turns.
S: Pro wl, L oite r, Skulk
To judge & put to death without
usual form of law.
Lynch ( V)
Th e ca ptor s ly nc he d th e
ca ptiv e.
S: String
u p,
H an g,
Assassinate, Kill
Practice Exercise
Ma tc h t he fo llo wing wo rds in c olumn A wit h the ir me aning s g iv en in co lumn B:
A
B
1.
2.
3.
4.
ke n
kin
lachry mose
kitsc h
a.
b.
c.
d.
5.
laco nic
e.
a quid pro quo
ter se
ruling princ iple
without vita lity or
vig our
knowledge
A
B
6.
7.
8.
9.
lang uid
la me nt
kn ell
ke y n ote
f.
g.
h.
i.
10 .
kic kb ac k
j.
pr etentio us
re lative
mourn, grieve
of o r produ cing
tea rs
toll
Ma rk t he sy nonyms of the wor ds in t he fo llow ing ques tions:
11 .
12 .
13 .
14 .
15 .
16 .
17 .
lagniappe
laissez faire
log istics
littor al
kiln
lave
lucubrate
(1) a trifling p resent
(3) magazine
(2) lucre
(4) group of islands
(5) r hy thm
(1) fair lady
(3) colourful
(2) free commerce
(4) charge de affairs
(5) lurk
(1) rea soning
(3) diplomacy
(2) re sults
(4) managing supplies
(5) r hy thm
(1) highway
(3) surface
(2) pen insula
(4) coastal region
(5) lave
(1 ) p ot
(3) large oven
(2) small cave
(4) crate
(5) keen
(1) heat
(3) kudos
(2) dislike
(4) defeat
(5) wash
(1) polish
(3) illuminate
(2) oil
(4) study hard
(5 )
(1) growing profusely
(3) sum ptuous
(2) lux urious
(4) expanded
(5 ) to ll
(1) pr etence
(3) destruc tion
(2) theme
(4) hon our
(5) la conic
(1) nobility
(3) gen erosity
(2) courtesy
(4) ca ution
(5) languid
generous
18 .
19 .
20 .
lux uria nt
ku do s
largesse
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 82 of 131
21 .
22 .
23 .
lev ity
liv id
lith e
(1) forge tfulness
(3) increase
(2) gen tleness
(4) pr etend
(5) flippancy
(1) discoloured
(3) bilious
(2) sensational
(4) sm arting
(5) luminary
(1) d ainty
(3) s upple
(2 ) th in
(4) inactive
(5) lag niappe
24 .
litany
(1) legal a ltercation
(3) deep moan
(2) popular choice
(4) series of similar responses (5) decant
25 .
kn av e
(1 ) king
(3) soldier
(2) rogue
(4) bend down
(5) debonair
Answer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
(e)
(g)
(i)
(f)
(b)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
(d)
(h)
(j)
(c)
(a)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
(1)
(5)
(4)
(4)
(3)
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
(5)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(3)
21. (5)
22. (1)
23. (3)
24. (4)
25. (2)
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 83 of 131
CLEAR AS A BELL
Be lls su ch as the ty pe
usedin churches are large
an d lou d. Th eir s ou nd
can be heard from a great
dis tanc e. Be lls soun d a
single, clear note so their
sou nd is distin ctive and
not easily confused.
M
Maca bre (A dj)
G ru es o me , Gr im
an d
horrible, Sug gesting death
subor dinate’s malicious act.
Mag nate (Adj)
M aga zine ( N)
The mac abre movie , ab out
vampire s and ghosts, was the
mos t ta lked abo ut m ovie in
the city.
S: Ghas tly, Mo rbid
A: Pleasa nt
Macera te (V)
Maj or-domo (N)
Ma ladroit (Adj)
Ma chinat io n (N ) A plot or scheme esp ecially
an evil one
H is d ev io us m ac hina tion s
were never exposed.
S: Consp iracy, D evice
Awkward, Clumsy
The finishing school transformed
her fro m a maladroit country
bumpkin to a sophisticated lady.
S: Gauche, Bungling, Tactless
A: Skilful, Ef ficient, Adr oit
Ma lady ( N)
S: I n tr ig u in g , Cu n n i n g ,
Uns crupulous
A: H on e st,
Straigh tfo rwa rd , Op en
A man in ch arge of a gre at
hou seho ld
The maj or-domo in ou r house
is jus t like a mem ber of o ur
family.
Ma chia ve llia n (A dj ) Crafty, Deceitful
Some politicia ns spend their
tim e
in
ha tch in g
mach iavellian sc hemes and
h ar dly b othe r a bo u t th e
na tio n’s in ter ests.
The steel m agnate Mr. Mittal
has signed M OUs with some
state s in I ndia to setup ste el
plan ts .
A Storehouse
The terro rist indiscr iminately
fir ed on the c rowd empty ing
their ma gazine.
S: Pe riodical, Mon thly, A
public ation.
To so ften o r s ep ar ate th e
parts by soaking in liquid
Food is macerated as it passes
thr ou g h th e
d ig e stiv e
sy stem.
A: Selfis h, Mean, M iserly
Impor tant perso n in any field
Ma la ise ( N)
Disease, Illness
Bribery has become a malady
in most govern ment offic es.
S: Illness , Disorder, Ailment
A Vagu e fe elin g o f ph y sic al
disco mfort or of uneas iness
A s th e lec tu re r s ta r te d his
sermon malaise desce nded on
cla ss.
Ma lapropis m ( N) Verbal blunder
A: Ho nes ty
Ma le diction ( N)
Yo u s ho uld no t com mit a ny
ma la pr op is m
in
y ou r
intervie ws.
Curse
Mac roco sm ( N)
The unive rse
Ma els tro m ( N)
( i)
A lar ge or v iolen t
wh irlpo ol
His ma le dictio n ag ains t his
enemies turned out to be true.
(ii) A whirl of events
S: Execration, Disparagement
A: Be n e dic tio n , Ble s s in g
Ben iso n
An evil doer or cr iminal
T he y o un g g ir l w as s o
inv olved in a maelstrom of
e mo tio n th at sh e f or go t
about the consequ ences.
Maes tro (A dj)
A master in any art especially
a g r ea t c on d uc to r o r
composer of music
M.S. Subbalaks hmi, the music
m ae str o, is a cc laime d
thr ough out the world.
M ag na nimo us (A dj ) Generous
I t w as a ma g na nim ou s
ge stur e on th e par t of the
ind us tr ia list to p ar do n his
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Male factor (V)
Bu dd hist d oc tr in es e xp ou nd
th e v ir tue s o f par don in g the
malefa ctor.
S: Wrong doer
A: Ben efac tor
Ma lf eas ant ( Adj) (i) Harm ful, Evil
Lo ng hou rs of w ork co upled
w ith s ta rv a tion ha d a
m alfe a sa nt ef f ec t o n th e
stude nt’s he alth.
(ii) I llegal
Malfe asa nce ( N) W ro ng d o in g e sp ec ia lly b y
public official
The politician was sentenced to
eight y e ars imprisonme nt when
his malf easance was pr oved in
the c ourt of law.
S: Misco ndu ct
A: Legal
Malice (N)
Active ill will, Desir e to h arm
an othe r
Sug ge stion s f or e ff e ctin g
improvem ents in office s should
no t re su lt in ma lice tow ar ds
an y on e.
S: Spite, Grudge, H atred
A: Ben e vo len c e, Go o dw ill,
Kindne ss
Ma lign ( V)
To spe ak e vil of
His enemie s malig ned him by
say ing that h e pr actic ed black
magic.
A: Pra ise
Ma linge r ( N)
To feign illness so as to escape
duty
The manag er wa s in the ha bit
of m alin ger in g whe ne ve r he
wanted to stay away fr om work.
That which can b e hamm ered
and pound ed without breaking,
Adaptable
She w as a do cile ma llea ble
ch ild.
S: Pliab le, Du ctile , Flex ible,
Tra ctab le
A: Ind epen dent, Intr acta ble
Ma lo dor ous ( Adj) Producin g a bad odour, Stinking
The malo dorous drainag e in the
neighbou rhood was a so urce of
co nstant dis com for t.
S: Fou l, N oxio us
A: Fr agra nt
Ma mmoth ( Adj) Huge, E normous
M y bo s s de p uted me a n
ma mmo th tas k.
S: Co lo s s al,
Go liath ,
Pr ome the an
A: Tiny, M inu te
Ma nda rin ( N)
An influ entia l per son
Be ing a ma ndar in’s cus ion he
ha s th e p ow er to m anipu la te
the jud gement.
Ma ndat ory (Adj) Authoritative ly c omman ded
Wea ring kh aki u nifo r ms is
mandato ry for all so ldiers.
S: Com pulso ry, M andatory
A: Op tion al, Elective
Manifes to ( N)
A written public decleration
Ma llea ble ( Adj)
This time the party is having a
be tter m an if es to to attr ac t
vo ter s.
Manoeuv re ( N)
S: Policy, Proposal, Program
Apiece of dexterous management
Mar aud (V)
D on ’t try y ou r
na sty
manoeuvring here, they will not
work here.
To r aid, Plu nder
Decoits marauder the draught
s tr uc k v illa g e & loo te d
whate ver they had.
Ma rsha l ( V)
Martyr (N)
Put in order
T he f ig htin g in the c ity
follo wed reports of the r ebels
marshalling their forces in the
country side.
One who suffers for his belief
One can never forget Mahatma
Gandh i, the mar ty r of In dia’s
freedom movement
S: Sacrifice, Sufferer for a cause.
Ma rtinet ( N)
Str ict d iscip linar ian
The martinet in sisted that the
cade ts have their lunch w hile
sitting a t a ttentio n.
Ma squerade ( V)
Disg uise
The Rus sian spy masq ueraded
as a British newsman u ntil the
deception was disco vered.
Foo lis hly, Of te n tea r fu lly
se ntim ental
The mau dlin behaviour of the
ch ild, wh ene ve r h e was n ot
a llow e d to ha v e his w ay ,
irr itate d his moth er.
S: Se ntim en ta l, Em otio na l,
Mushy
A: Unemotional, Unsentimental
Ma udlin (A dj )
Ma unde r ( V)
To talk or move in a c onfused,
aimless way
I f y o u m au n de r a t th e
inter vie w, y ou will no t ge t
th ro ug h.
Ma verick ( N)
S: Hap haza rd
A: Aimed, Biased
An u no rtho dox ind ep en de nt
minded person
Th e opinions o f a m ave rick
are s omething unconventional
and odd s ounding.
S: No nco nfo rmist
Ma wkis h (A dj )
A: Co nf or mist
Sentimental in a weak, in sipid
way
Her m awkish re actions to her
PYRRHIC : a wor thless
victory
That g reat Carthag inian,
Hanniba l, is said to have
c alle d P yr r h us firs t
a mo ng g en e ra ls . Th e
g en ius a n d d ar in g o f
Pyrr hus did bring many
success es in battle, but at
Asculu m in 279 B. C. his
v ic to ry a g ains t th e
Rom an s wa s w on a t
tr agic cos t. The flow er
o f his a rm y wa s
d es tro y e d . U po n this
o cc as io n
he
wa s
suppos ed to have s aid: “
One more such victory
and we are lost.” Thus a
Pyrrh ic victory is one in
which the lo sses are so
great that it is no victory
at a ll.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 85 of 131
TIE THE KNOT
f ia nc é ’s inf ide lity
extrem ely ridicu lous.
Some marriage ceremonies
actually tie together the
wrists of th e br ide and
groom.
S: Maudlin, Sappy, Slushy
A: Imp assiv e, Une motio nal
Ma yhem ( N)
Mediocr e (A dj)
wa s
A ny v iolen t d es tru ction o r
diso rder
There w as may hem wh en the
five tiger s ra n am ok throu gh
the city.
S: Hav oc, Ch aos
A: Peac e, Tra nquillity
Ordinary, Average
With a gov ernm ent initiative
c an b r in g the me d io cr e
p er fo rm a nc e o f In dia to a
superio r level in Oly mpics.
S: Middling, Average
A: Brilliant, Sup erb
M eg aloma nia (N ) A mentaldisorder characterized
by delusions of power, grandeur
etc.
Medley (N)
Me la nc ho ly ( N)
Hitler was a megalo maniac.
A mingled mass
Th er e wa s a me dley o f
knickkna ck a t the fare stalls.
S: Combinations, Mix, Jumble
Very sa d and depresse d state
He beca me melancholic after
his wife’s death.
Me ment o ( N)
Th e me me nto of m y
a ch ie ve me nt a re the m os t
cherish ed one.
Menac e (N)
Meliora te ( V)
M ellifluous (N )
Mellow (A dj)
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 86 of 131
A co nf us ed figh t, Co nf us ed
crowd of people
What sta rted off as a fist fight
be twee n two m en gre w to a
melee w hen many pas sers-by
joine d in.
S: Scuffle, Br awl, Affray
A: Order
To m ake or b ecome be tter
T he m e etin g h elp ed to
m elio r ate the r e la tio ns hip
betwe en the tw o neighb ours.
S: Im pro ve
A: Wo rs en
Sound ing swee t and sm ooth
S: Rem inder , To ken
Th re at
Dr unke n dr iver are a traff ic
menance
S: Danger, Hazard, Peril
A hous ehold
For p a st tw o y ea r s ou r
mena ge had n’t bee n toge ther
to din e.
Me ndac io us ( Adj) Not tru thful, Ly ing
Mé nag e ( N)
Don’t be lieve any thing he say s
for he is a menda cious.
Me ndicant ( N)
S: Dece itful, False
A: Ho nest, Tr ustworthy
A beggar
The mendicant was beseeching
passer s-by for m oney.
S: Pan hand ler
A: Ric h, Wealthy, Opulent
Merc enary (N)
Guide
Its lu ck to have a men tor in
life that drive y ou through dark
phas es.
S: Advis er, Couns ellor
Wor king for pay me nt o nly
Me rcur ial (Adj)
T he m er ce na r y ca n ne ve r
make a goo d doctor.
S: Ve na l,
Pe cu niar y,
Avaricious
A: Altru istic
Chang eable Er ratic
Mento r (N)
S: Sadnes s, Sufferin g, Low
A: Che erful, Jov ial, Positive
Melee ( N)
S: Smo oth, Rich, Full
A: Har sh,
Crue l,
Unsy mpathetic
Souv enir
The p rima donn a’s merc urial
te mp er am en t ma de p eo ple
wary.
S: Flu c tu a tin g, I n co n sta nt,
Vo latile
A: Ste ady, Stab le, Constant
Mer etricious (A dj)Alluring b ut tawdry
T he
s o othin g un b ro ke n
r hy th m o f th e m ellif lu ou s
chant was rela xing.
S: Dulcet, M elodious
A: Har sh, Discord ant
The mere tricious gestu re of a
politica l candidate an nouncing
we lfa re m eas ure s is qu ite a
comm on occ urrenc e prio r to
electio ns
S: Vulgar, Superficial
Soft & ripe
At this me llow a ge p ar en t
should take grea t care of their
child ren.
Me ta mo rpho sis (N ) Tr ans form ation
It’s a mir acle to see shab by
J oh n m etam o rp h os is e to a
das hing o ne.
S: Con vers ion, Cha nge
To allo t
Proper justice must b e meted
ou t to the victims of th e a ir
crash
Mete oric ( Adj)
Mom enta rily brillia nt
The cine sta r’s m eteor ic r ise
to the top was shor t-lived
S: Ra pid, Tra nsie nt
A: Gradual, D ull, Slow
Mic roco sm ( N)
An minia tur e r ep res entation
of a whole
S: P or tio n
A: Macro cosm
Milieu ( N)
E nv ir on m en t, es pe cia lly a
soc ial setting
Th in gs ar e fas t ch ang in g in
today ’s business m ilieu.
S: Bac kgrou nd, Atmosph ere
M ille nnium (N ) Period of thousand y ears
It is on ly once in a millennium
tha t we com e acr oss a gr eat
pers on like Gand hi.
M ilks o p (N )
One who is easily frightened
The milks op fou nd it diffic ult
to c on ve r se
with
his
domin eering friends.
A: Daring, Brave , Courageous
Minat ory (Adj) Th re ate ning
H is f athe r ’s m in a to ry ton e
broug ht the nec essary re sult.
S: Me nacing
M inio n (N )
A servile follower
The prin ce’s minions f lattered
him extrava gantly.
M inus cule (A dj ) Very small
O ur e a rth ap p ea rs to b e
minu scu le in c omp ar iso n to
vast unive rse.
S: Minutae
A: Gig antic, Enorm ous
Minutiae ( N)
Ins ignif icant deta ils
O nly I f o ne g o th ro ug h
min utiae of des cription co uld
understa nd the real p roblem.
Misa nt hro pe ( Adj)
One who hates or distrusts
all peo ple and human society
Swift re veals his misa nthropic
a ttitud e in b oo k “G ullive r’s
Tra vels ”.
S: Cy nic, Pessimist, Gr ouch
A: Ph ilan th ro pist
Mete (V)
Misce gena tio n ( N)Ma rria ge or sexu al relatio ns
between a man and a woman
of differ ent races
Misconstr ue ( V) To mis interpr et
One should not misconstrue his
jest, he is just frolic.
S: Misundersta nd, Misread
A: Understand, Appreciate
Mis demeanour (N ) A m inor crim inal offe nce
Missiv e ( N)
I n Br itish ra j e ve n a
misdeme anour was tre ated as
a grave crime.
A misus ed name
“ Fu n City ” wo uld b e a
m is no m er f or a tr o ub le d
to wn .
Hatred o f women
I f ea r to tell my un cle
regarding my affair because he
is a misogy n ist.
One wh o hates ma rriage
I t wa s s ur p risin g to se e a
misogamist like him lu red into
marriage.
A: L e c h e r , P o ly g a m is t,
Ma trim onial
A lette r or written message
Mitiga te ( V)
He hur ried off to the pala ce
o n re c eiving th e K in g’s
missiv e.
To make or become less severe
Misnomer ( N)
Miso gy ny ( N)
Miso ga mist ( N)
Th e go ve rno r mitig ated the
pr ison sen tenc e.
S: Assuag e, Abate, Lessen
A: A g g r a v a te , I n c r e a s e ,
I nten s if y
Pertaining to me mory.
O ne c an no t do ub t his
mnemo nic abilities.
Mo dicum ( N)
A sma ll amount, Bit
In spite of han dso me p ay, he
use to p ay his bills in modicum.
Mo dulat e ( V)
To reg ulate or a djust
T he s ing er w a s as ked to
modulate her v oice whe n she
wen t into a high pitch.
S: Modera te, Adapt, Adjust
Mo dus-Ope ra ndi ( N) The manner o f working.
Even after much investigations
ve er ap an ’s mo du s- op er an di
couldn’t be understood fully.
Mo llify ( V)
To soothe, Appe ase
The cand idate tried to mollify
his ang ry campaign manager
S: Allay, As suage, Balm
Mnemonic ( Adj)
The prac tice or state of being
married to only one pe rson at
a time
Mo no lithic ( Adj) Uny ie lding
Mo no ga my ( N)
Ro be rt’s mo no lith ic attitu de
keeps him going in har d times
SAD ISM : p le as ur e in
inflic ting pa in
Na me d fo r
Co un t
Do na tien
A lp ho ns e
Francois de Sada ( 1 740
- 1814), who was a sexual
de gene rate of th e ty pe
th at g ains the m os t
complete satisfaction by
inf lictin g pa in o n th e
loved one. His notorious
cr imes in this dir ection
a nd h is p or no gr ap hic
wr itin g on the s ub je ct
gave a name to this form
of p er ve rs io n wh ic h
doubtless existed without
a name for thousands of
y ears. The word sadist is
now often u sed with out
se x im plic atio ns to
id en tify a ny on e wh o
ta ke s
plea su re
in
inf lictin g me ntal o r
phy sic al pain on o thers.
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DOWN TO THE WIRE
Down to the wire means
the event is not decided
until the very end of the
ev en t.
too .
An e xce ssive in te res t in or
enth usiasm for one th ing.
Cra ze Ac quisition of mo ney
ha s be co me a m on om an ia
to da y.
Mo onst ruck ( Adj)Romantically dreamy
b ea utif ul tha t its
watch ing.
S: Dapp led, Sp otty
M onomania (N )
After seeing romantic movies,
ma ny
y oung ste rs
g et
moonstruck.
S: Sop py
Moot (N)
Moral (N)
A: Sane, Sensible, Wise
Debata ble or unc ertain
M ount e ba nk (N ) Fr au d, Ch ar latan , O ne w ho
tries to cheat people b y clever
ta lk
I ha ve kna ck of iden tif y ing
pe op le b y ju st a c ha t with
the m, ev en a mo un teb an k
can not c heat me.
S: Phoney , Fraud, Cha rlatan
Muddle ( V)
Mo rat orium ( N)
No w d on’t M udd le up the se
completely unrelated subjects.
Muf fle (V)
Clo ak, Conce al.
They very easily muffled the
true facts & presented the fake
on e.
The Upa nishads deal w ith the
morals and values o f life.
Mundane ( Adj)
Of the world, Wo rldly
He was abo ve the m unda ne
task of ea rning a living.
S: Mess, Disorder, Jumble
M en ta l c on d itio n w ith
respect to courage, dis cipline,
confide nce etc
T he s tud en t’s mo ra le wa s
boosted when he secu red the
high est ma rks in his class.
De lay, Pos tpo neme nt
S: M or ta l
A: He aven ly,
Eth erea l,
Celestial, Spiritual
Multifarious (A dj) Having great diversity.
The m ultifariou s activities he
invo lves in to, are respons ible
for his g rooming.
S: Diverse, Varied, Assorted
A: Hom ogeno us, Co nsistent
A f ive y ear mor ator ium on
nuclear testing is into eff ect.
Mor bid (A dj)
S: Sus pensio n, Halt, Fre eze
O f or ca us e d b y dis ea se ,
Gruesome
She h a s a m or b id f e ar o f
he ig ht.
S: Sickly, Ailing
Mores (N)
A: Hea lthy, Liv ely
Cu stom s, T rad itio ns
Mo ribund (A dj
Peo ple who can take mor es
& for eign in fle ves tog eth er
are the best one.
Dy ing
W he n G re ek c ivilizatio n
became moribun d, the empire
became the target of v andals.
S: Dec lining , Waring,
Munifice nt ( N)
S: Bo un tiful,
Gen er ou s,
Liberal
A: Mise rly, Stingy
Murky ( adj)
Mott led (A dj)
Sp otted
T he m ottled d ea r
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is s o
Heavy, Foggy dark.
On the murky wintry night he
was thro wn out of the ho use
by his master
S: Dark, G loomes
A: Clear, Obvious
Mutable (Adj)
That can b e changed
T he m u ta b le g o ve r nm en t
policies keep investors at bay.
S: Altera ble, Modif iable
To h umilia te, To embar rass
Th e inter vie w turn ed o ut to
be a mo rtify ing expe rience.
S: Degrade, Humiliate
Ver y g en er o us in g iving ,
La vish
The priv ate school rec eived a
m un if ic e nt b e qu es t o f $ 1
millio n.
A: Th riv ing, Bo oming
Mortif y (V)
To m ix, To Confu se.
The CEO moote d the co urse
of action to b e ta ken during
rec ession.
De aling with or cap ab le of
distin guishing b etw een rig ht
and w rong
S: Eth ical, Hone st, G ood
A: Immo ral
Mor ale (N)
wo rth
A: Per mane nt
Mutilat e ( V)
To cut o ff, damage or spoil an
imp ortant part of, To crip ple
Na rr ow -mind ed c ens or sh ip
mutilate d th e mov ie.
S: Maim, Disfigure
Mutiny ( N)
M uzzle (V )
The nav al mutiny resu lted in
the c aptain b eing ly n ched.
S: Re be llio n,
Rio t,
Re volution
A: Ob edie nce , Su bmissio n,
Loy al
To silence
A good ad ministra tor nev er
muzzles diss ent.
Myo pic (A dj)
Myr iad (A dj)
Mys tic (N)
My stique ( N)
Myth (N)
N
A: Fro m, Resto re, Fix
Rev olt a ga ins t c on stitu te d
authority, especially r ebellion
of soldiers o r sa ilors against
officers
S: Crag, Shut up
Near sighted.
My opic views, can nev er be
of a good leader, he is alway s a
vis iona ry.
S: Big oted , Intoler ant
A: Broa dminded , Tole rant
A great number of per sons or
thing s
Th e e ven t w as colour ful &
had my riad items in it.
S: Inn umer able, Cou ntle ss,
Vast
A: Determin ate, Limited
Of es oteric rites or doctrines
T he p e rs on is kno w n an d
feared for his my stic way s.
S: E so te ric,
Spiritu al,
Obscure
A complex of quasi-m y stical
a ttitu de s a nd
fe e ling s
s ur ro u nd in g s o me p e rs on ,
in stitutio n etc.
Th e star ’s m y s tiqu e fa de d
a wa y
w he n
he
wa s
interview ed on TV.
(i) Traditional story ser ving
to
ex pla in
s om e
phe nome non, custom e tc.
The ancient Indian my ths tell
us a lot about the culture and
tra dition o f th ose time s.
(ii) Per son , thin g e tc., th at
is im aginary or fictitious
The hau nted house tur ned out
to be just a my th to frighten
the local peop le.
A w ea lth y a nd po w er fu l
pe rs on
Th e
na bo b
do na te d
g en er ou sly to star t ou r
chur ch.
Nadir ( N)
Th e lowe st point
After ten paro le re jectio ns,
the p r is on e r’s f aith ha d
reached its nadir.
S: Low est poin t, Depths
A: Z en ith,
Su mm it,
Pinnac le
Naive (A dj)
Unaffected ly simple
The y ou ng girl’s ide as were
very n aïve.
S: A rtle s s,
I nn o ce nt,
Un sop his ticated
A: Cunning, Shrewd , Sly
Na rcissist ic (Adj) Con ceite d, Vain
The narc issistic actre ss soon
had a do wnfall.
Narcot ic (N)
A drugsuch as morphine, used
to re lieve pa in and indu ce
sleep
The use of narcotics is very
much on the increas e among
th e y o uth toda y.
S: Dope, Opiate, Drug
A: Stimu la nt
Na use a ( N)
Sickening disgu st or loathing.
The suffocating environment
of disc, lead to nausea in me.
S: Sickne ss ,
Vo miting ,
Queasiness
Nas cent (Adj)
Com ing in to be ing
The for mation of a student’s
u nion wa s a bo r te d in th e
nascent stages due to internal
mis unders tanding.
S: You th fu l,
Rising ,
Budd ing
A: Ma tu re ,
De ve lo pe d,
Grown
Na tal (Adj)
Of o r relating to one’s b irth
Impro per post- natal ca re of
th e ch ild le ad s to inf an t
mo rta lity.
A: M or ta l
Na tat io n ( V)
Act or art of sw imming
M y siste r is c ha m pion a t
na ta tion .
Nabob ( N)
CARDI GAN : a m an’s
n am e
Women know card igan
as a w ar m ja cket o f
knitted w o ol. Th e
name f or this article of
wearing apparel came
fr om J am es T ho ma s
Bruden ell, seventh Earl
of Ca r dig an . T his
c an ta n ke ro u s
an d
o ve rb e ar in g
c ha p
bou ght h is gra des to a
gen eralship cha rge of
the L ig h t Br iga de in
the Crime a n Wa r. I t
was Brudenell who wore
a nd po pu lar ize d this
w or ste d ja cke t no w
called cardigan, and the
seemingly u nimportant
ev en t pr ob ab ly g av e
him a mo re s ec ur e
im mo rtality th en d id
the p oem of Ten ny son
tha t ce le b ra te d th e
ch arge of the famo us
Six H un d re d wh o
plunge d into the valley
of death.
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FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
Th is ph ra se an d phr as es like
‘fo r
P ete’s
s ake ’ ar e
euphemis ms for the phra ses ‘for
the love o f God/Christ’ or ‘for
Go d’s/Ch rist’s s ake’ a nd h ail
from a time when those phases
were considere d blasphe mous.
Nowda y s, phrase s like ‘fo r the
lo ve of G od ’ a re co mm on ly
use d, but the euphe misms are
still used.
Na ut ica l ( Adj)
Ne bulo us ( Adj)
Ne cro manc y ( N)
Ne fa rious ( Adj)
Of sailors, ship s or navig ation
One nautical mile is equal to
1.2 o rdinary miles
S: Maritime, Ma rine, Na val,
Sailing
Unclear, Vague
He seem ed to have a n ebulous
idea of his rights.
S: Hazy , Indistinct, Obsc ure
A: Clear, Bright, Vivid, Distinct
Magic, especially that practiced
by a witch
Even in 21st century in many
backward areas necromancy is
pra ctic ed.
Very wicked
A nef arious plo t to over throw
the Pres ident was dete cted by
th e FBI.
S: Unlaw ful, Villa inous
A: Vir tuous, Innoc ent
Neg otia te ( V)
Ne me sis (N )
Ne olog is m (N )
Batter, Argue
It was h ard to ne gotia te w ith
the sting y clie nt.
S: Me diate, Recon cile , Placate
A: Inter pose, Inte rfere
Ne urot ic ( N)
Neur otic pe ople c annot a dopt
a b alanc e outlook to life.
Nettle (V)
Ne xus ( N)
Ne po tism ( N)
Ne scient ( N)
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A new c onvert
Being a neophy te, ear ly day s
of my job were h ectic.
S: Beg inner, Novice,
Ap pre ntice
A: Se as on ed , Ex pe rien ce d,
E x pe r t
Favouritism shown by a person
in h ig h po sitio n to r elativ es
especia lly in securing jobs
He denie d that nepotis m was a
fa ctor in th e ap pointm ent of
his broth er-in- law to the h igh
pay ing job.
A: Im partiality
Ig no ra nt
The nes cient remarks made by
the c hild amuse d the par ents.
S: Naive, Bump kin
S: Bother, E xasper ate
A lin k o r co n ne ction o r
conn ected se ries
The nex us between th e Mafia
a nd p olitica l p ar tie s ha s
become a first rate s candal.
S: Co nn ection , Bon d, Link
Nibble ( V)
To b ite ge ntly
While s itting idle, he kept on
listless ly nibbling at the food.
Niggar d ( N)
N ihilism (N )
S: Chew, Gnaw
A stin gy person, Miser
The govern ment w as nig gard
in s anc tioning f und s for the
un iver sity.
S: Stin gy
A: Gen erous , Spe ndthr ift
T he g e ne ra l r e je ction o f
customar y beliefs in m orality,
religion e tc.
N imbus (N )
Materialism, Consumerism and
heartles s modern life promote
nihilis m.
A halo , Aura
Ninc ompo op ( N)
The por trait of Lord Kris hna
is often painted with a nimbus
round his head.
A stu pid, Silly person, Fool
Sla ng s a ls o c on tr ib u te to
neo logism.
Ne ophyt e ( N)
A: Sane , Poise d, Rational
To sting , Ann oy.
Wa tch ou t f or tho se stinging
ne ttle s.
(i) Jus t punishment, Deserved
fa te
(ii) Go ddess of ven geance
H e will me e t h is n e me sis
soon er or la ter.
S: Ve ng ea nc e, Re tr ib utio n,
Do om
New use o f a word
A: Knowledge
O f or ha vin g n eu ro s is ( a
functional dera ngement caused
b y diso rd er o f th e ne rv ou s
sy stem)
S: Simple ton, Stupid , Fo ol
A: Genius
No cturna l ( N)
Of or in the night
T he a r my sc ou ts m ad e a
n oc tu r na l j ou r ne y b eh in d
enemy lines.
No me nc la ture ( N)
T he sy ste m o f na m in g
used in a scienc e etc.
Th e nom en cla tu re of plan ts
includes Latin names f or every
spec ies.
S: Te rmin olo gy
No nc ha la nt ( Adj) Cas ual
He was nonc halan t ab out his
v ic to ry , a nd did no t e ve n
appear a t the award ce remony.
S: Indifferen t, Unc oncern ed,
Neg lige nt
A: Car ef u l,
Co ns id e ra te ,
En thu siastic
No nde sc ript ( Adj) Belongin g to no d efinite class
or ty pe
Sh e des cr ibe d th e thief as a
nondescr ipt man of abou t forty.
S: Ordinary, Dull, Uninteresting
No ne ntity ( N)
No tor ious ( N)
S: I ll- fa me d , I nf am o us ,
Dishon orab le
Nugat ory (Adj)
A per son or thing of little or
no impo rtan ce
In to day s world most dr eaded
lif e is of no nentity.
No npar eil ( Adj)
S: No body , U nkno wn
Unequalled
Nuanc e ( N)
A nonp are il p erfo rma nce by
the grea t actor w as a treat to
watch.
S: Unriv alled, Pee rless
No nplus (V )
A: Com monplace
Co nfu se
Nudge ( N)
Th e ru stic w he n ex po se d to
c ity lif e wa s totally no n
plus sed.
S: Unn erve, Flum mox
No st alg ia ( N)
A lo nging fo r s om eth ing f ar
away or long ago
The o ld man lo oked back with
no stalgia o n th e day s of h is
y o uth.
S: Wis tfuln ess, Long ing
No st rum ( N)
A quack medicine
The ineffective nostrums only
severe d to prolo ng the illness.
W id ely kno wn es pe c ia lly
unfavo urably
T he n o to riou s the if wa s
ultimately caught by police.
A: Good, Virtuous, Honest
Wo rth le ss
The s tudent’s o bjections were
over ruled a s nuga tory by the
teac her.
S: Invalid , Futile, Inef fectual
A: Vital, Imp orta nt
A s ligh t v ar ia tio n in to ne ,
colou r, meaning etc.
It is inte re sting to study the
delicate nuances of wo rds in a
poe m.
S: Shad e, Tone , Grada tion
A gentle push
I gave him a nudge to wake him
up .
S: Push, Bump, Elbow
N umis ma t ic s (N ) T he s tud y o r co lle ction o f
coins, medal, p aper money etc.
Numism atics is my hobby.
Nupt ial ( Adj)
Of mar riage or Wedding
In India , weddings invo lve lots
of nuptial r itua ls.
S: Marriag e, Wedding, Bridal
Nur ture (V)
Nourish, Educate
It’s important to nurture these
little seedlings otherwise they
will die.
S: Rear, Foster, Care for
Practice Exercise
SA XOPHON E :
mus ical ins trument
Ma tc h t he fo llo wing wo rds in c olumn A wit h the ir me aning s g iv en in co lumn B:
A
B
A
B
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
mimesis
mo unteba nk
mendicant
nois ome
meretr icious
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
a buf foon,char latan
beggar
a civilian in wartime
trif les
tawdry, flashy
6.
7.
8.
9.
10 .
minutiae
malin gerer
no n-c omb ata nt
no min al
neme sis
f. mar ginal; for n amesake
g. imitation
h. dow nfall
i. pe rson who feigns illness
j fetid, mephitic
Ma rk t he sy nonyms of the wor ds in t he fo llow ing ques tions:
11 .
12 .
13 .
milita te
mien
nadir
(1) terror ize
(3) mitigate
(2) make milder
(4) to work ag ainst
(5) Tr ifles
(1) com promise
(3) bearing
(2) Chinese vase
(4) anger
(5) No strum
(1 ) zenith
(3) disgrace
(2) common level
(4) lowe st po int
(5) Nemesis
a
Th is instru men t th at
pla y s a part in man y a
band was named after its
inventor, An toine Joseph
Sax, who set up shop in
Pa ris in the ea rly 1 9t h
centu ry. Sax dis cove red
that the timbre of a tone
is pr odu ced no t b y the
ty pe o f wa ll w hich
surrounds th e column of
air, but by the proportion
give n to tha t colum n.
From his inventive hands
sprang a whole family of
sax instrume nt, the most
fa mo us of w hic h, the
saxophone, was p atented
in 184 6.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 91 of 131
14 .
15 .
16 .
nebulous
nex us
ne ophy te
(1) cloudy
(3) starry
(2) clear
(4) into xica ted
(5) neoph y te
(1) insect
(3 ) link
(2) vein
(4) neighbour
(5) n nifle
(1) branch
(3) warrior
(2) beginner
(4) limb
(5) nimble
17 .
motley
(1) ne hilism
(4) ab undant
(2) u ndistingu ished
(5) of various colours
18 .
nubile
(1) dark-skin ned
(3) lithe
(2) marriageable
(4) las civious
(5) nettle
(1) exu berant
(3) depressed
(2) pro phetic
(4) drugged
(5) m otehy
(1) ne gative
(3) s olid
(2) nenus
(4) impre ssionable
(5) triv ial
(1) dis gusting
(3) m oist
(2) bubbling
(4) be ginning to exist
(5) dirty
(1) massacre
(3) black magic
(2) mortuary
(4) higher mathematics
(5) sterry
(1) s piral
(3) imitating
(2) wandering
(4) thre aten ing
(5) cloudy
(1) clear
(3) u nintelligible
(2) renowned
(4) undergoing change
(5) fig urative
(1) obscure
(3) bighearted
(2) s hort sig hted
(4) neg ligent
(5) disgrace
19 .
20 .
21 .
22 .
23 .
24 .
25 .
man tic
nuga tory
nasc ent
necromancy
mina tory
metapho ric
my opic
Answer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 92 of 131
(g)
(a)
(b)
(j)
(e)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
(d)
(i)
(c)
(f)
(h)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
(4)
(3)
(4)
(1)
(3)
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
(2)
(5)
(2)
(2)
(5)
21. (4)
22. (3)
23. (4)
24. (5)
25. (2)
(3) diry
O
Sanctuary
We had our las t picnic at an
artificia l oasis.
S: Re trea t, A fe rtile s pot in
desert
Obdurat e ( Adj) Hard-h earted, Stubborn
H e wa s o b du ra te in his
de te rm in atio n to p un is h his
so n.
S: Ob stina te
A: Submissive, Yie lding
Obeisa nc e (V )
A ge sture o f resp ect, A deep
bow
He paid h is obeisan ce to h is
sov ereign.
S: H om ag e , Re ve r en ce ,
Deference
A: Irreverence , Impudence
Obes e ( Adj)
Co rpu lent, Fat
The obese D iana turned into
a sleek lady miracu lously.
Obfusca te ( V)
To ob scure, Co nfuse
Some students write too many
irr elev a nt d eta ils in th eir
a ns we r s in an atte m pt to
obfusc ate the exa miner.
S: Bewilder, Perplex
A: Clar ify
Oblat io n (N )
An offer ing or sacrific e to God
Goats ar e offered as o blations
in s ome temp les.
S: Sacrifice
Obliter ate ( V)
To blot out, to er ase
The n uclear bo mb oblite rated
th e en tire city.
S: Delete , Raze
A: Preserve , Build
Oblivion (N )
For getf ulne ss
Most sportsmen are rele gated
to oblivion after r etir emen t.
S: Obs curity , Stu por
A: Aware ness, Aler tness
Obloquy (N )
Widespr ead censure o r abuse
T he in no ce n t g ir l h ad n o
option but to le ave the village
after th e obloquy heap ed upon
her.
S: Disc redit, Defama tion
A: Ap prob atio n, Repu te
Obnox io us (A dj ) Very un pleasant, Of fensive
Oa sis (N )
I c ho o se to a v oid Rob er t
because his manneris ms were
vulgar and obnox ious .
S: H atef ul,
A bh or re nt,
unbearable
A: Nice, Go od, Fine
Obs equious (A dj ) Sy c ophan tic
Th e y o ung e mp lo y ee b eing
o bs eq uiou s
qu ic kly
go t
pro mote d.
S: Fla ttering, Toady ing
A: Assertive, Forceful
Obso let e ( Adj)
Out of use.
We dis pos ed all our ob sole te
furniture as junk.
S: Outda ted, Pas t it
A: New, Advance
Obst inat e (A dj )
Determined to have on e’s own
way, Stubborn
He wa s fired be cau se o f h is
o bs tina te re fu s al to f ollo w
orde rs.
S: Hea d-Str ong
A: Obligin g, Yielding, Flexible
Obst re pe ro us ( Adj) Noisy o r unruly esp ecially
in res isting c ontr ol
Th e tea che r c ould n ot ma ke
th e o bstre per ous ch ild re n s it
qu ietly.
S: Tu rbu le nt
A: Q uiet,
P ea c ef ul,
Har monious
Obtus e (Adj)
Blun t.
Media alway s give hope to the
o btus e
statem en ts
of
con trove rsial auth orities.
S: Dull-w itted
Obviate ( V)
Oc cident ( N)
A: Intelligent, Able
To do aw ay with or pre vent by
effective measures
Tin ted ligh t bu lbs obviate the
problem o f glare.
Weste rn-Europe and coun tries
of the A meric an Co ntine nts
Foo tb all is a g am e o f th e
occ iden t.
S: We st
Oc clude ( V)
Occ ult (Adj)
A: Orien t, East, Asia
To clos e or blo ck
He h as occluded all his d oors
to m ind n oth in g c an re fo rm
him.
(i) Hidden, My ste rious,
(ii) Su pernatural, Magical
The Incas were known to have
had supe rior knowledge of the
SYBARITE : a lover of
luxury
In early historical times
m ultitu de s of G re eks
e migr ated
to
th e
so uthe rn s hor e of Ita ly
and eventually built cities
there. Sybaris was one of
the m os t fa mo us o f
th es e. I t be ca me s o
n otor io us a s city o f
fa bu lo us w ea lth, s of t
lu xury , a nd d ege nera te
eff eminac y that, to this
day, whenwe call a person
a sybarite we mea n that
he is give n to w an to n
lu xu ry a nd to se ns ua l
plea su re s. A w rite r in
18 09 tells o f “s om e
feeble sybarite” who was
“pa ined by a crump led
rose-leaf”.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 93 of 131
occult sciences.
S: La te nt,
M y s te r io us ,
Sec r e tiv e
A: P la in , Cl e a r , E v id e n t,
Wo rld ly
ARMED TO THE TEETH
Th is is a pira te p hr as e
originating in Po rt Ro y al
J am aica in th e 16 00 ’s .
Ha ving on ly sing le sh ot
black powder weapons and
cutlesses, they would carry
many of these weapons at
once to keep up the fight.
In addition, they carried a
knife in th eir te eth fo r
maximum arms capability.
Oct og enar ia n (N ) A perso n between the ages of
eighty and ninety
Oc ula r (Adj)
The octogena rian resident of
society have formed a laughter
club.
Of, fo r, or like the ey e
Odious (A dj )
I ad vic e one s hou ld alwa y s
co ns ult Dr. D an g o n oc ular
ma tter s.
Dis gusting, o ffens ive
The beh aviou r of the stud ent
lea de r w as od iou s b y all
sta ndar ds.
S: H atef ul,
A bh or re nt,
Re pelle nt
A: P le as ing ,
A ttra c tive ,
I nv itin g
Odium (N )
Odys sey ( N)
Hatred
Som e pe op le ha ve a n
inex plicable odium of sna kes.
A: Love , Affinity
A long this
La st
s ix
m on th s
ar e
unforgettable because it was a
fantastic ody ssey.
Odor if er ous (V ) Giving o ff an odour esp ecially,
a fragr ant one
The odor iferous lilacs were the
ta lk o f the n eigh bou rhoo d.
S: Sweet-s melling
A: Malodor ous
Oenophile (A dj ) Conno isseur of wines
Apa rt fr om being a drunkard
he is a oenoph ile too.
Of fal ( N)
The entr ails etc of a b utchered
animal
T he o ff a l is bu rn t in th e
in cine rato r.
S: Waste, Garbage
Of ficious (A dj )
Off ering unwan ted a dvice or
serv ices
He was an officious b usy body
and h ad few friends.
S: M ed d ling ,
Nosy
Og le (V )
flirtatious ly
O b tr us ive ,
A: Ind iffer ent, A pathe tic
To
ke e p
lo oking
at
The man was ogling the pretty
gir l.
S: Amor ous, Le cher
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 94 of 131
A: Mis ogy nist, Celib ate
In fair y ta les and folklore , a
man eating g iant
Th e O gre na rrated to me in
childhoo d still ha unts me.
S: Mon ster , De mon
Olfac tor y ( N)
Of the sense of smell
D ue to co ld , m y olfa ctor y
sen se stopped working.
Olig ar chy (N )
A gover nment in whic h a few
persons have the rulin g power
In some African villa ges, an
Oligarch y is formed to rule its
members.
A: Democracy, Socialism
Ombuds ma n (N ) A n of ficial a pp ointed to
inve stigate complaints aga inst
the adm inis tration
For fair judgment government
s ho uld ha ve a pp ointed a n
ombudsman.
Omino us (A dj )
Of or se rving as an ev il omen
There w as an ominous silence
after the terro rists departed.
S: Th rea ten ing , Sug ges tiv e,
Pr emon ito ry
A: Che er fu l,
Ch ee ring ,
Co mfo rting
Omnipot ent ( Adj) Ha ving u nlim ited p ow er o r
au tho rity
Th e omn ipo te nt king’s p ride
led to his down fall.
S: All-po werful
A: Weak, Power less
Omnipre sent (Adj)Presen t at all places at all times
The Pres ident must acc ept the
o mn ip re se nt s ec re t se rv ic e
m en wh o s er v e as his
body guards.
Oner ous (A dj )
Burden some, Oppr essive
Th e po or, y ou ng b oy had to
per form the on erous work of
c ar ry in g b ric ks to e ar n a
live lih oo d.
Onus (N )
A burden , unpleasant d uty etc.
Because of vengeance my boss
de le gates me w ith the mo st
on us tas k.
Oppo rt une (A dj ) Suitable
The oppo rtune time to request
a raise is when the boss is in a
good mood.
S: Ap pr opr ia te
A: Untimely, Unsuitable
Opinionat ed (Adj) Holding obs tina tely to
on e’s opinio ns
Og re ( N)
It is ve ry difficult to make my
opin ionated father change his
vie ws.
S: Obs tina te, D ogma tic
A: Open-m inded
Any thin g qu ieting
Listening to the lig htly falling
rain was her op iate.
Oppro br ium (N ) A ny th ing b r in g in g s ha me ,
Disgrace
Her wild behaviour has brought
g re at op pr ob r iu m o n he r
family.
S: Infamy, Scorn
b ut a c tu ally h e wa n te d a
va catio n.
S: Appa rent, Profes sed
A: Improbable, Unlikely, Vague
Opia te ( V)
Opule nt (A dj )
Or acle ( N)
A: Praise , Acclaim, Repute
Having much wealth , Rich
Bro ug ht up a m id st o p ulen t
s ur ro un d in g, sh e fo u nd it
dif ficu lt to adj ust to a fru gal
life s ty le.
S: Aff luence , Wea lth
A: P ov er ty,
P e nu ry ,
Fru gality
The r evelatio n by a p riest
A f am ou s o ra c le is, “ th e
G re eks , th e Ro ma ns sh all
Ost enta t io n (N )
Showy Display, Pretentiousness
His go ld- plate d Ro lls -Roy ce
s ee me d a n u nn ec e ss ar y
o sten ta tion .
S: Po mp
A: Mod esty, Humility
Os tr acize ( V)
To ba n is h fr o m a g ro up ,
Society etc.
He was s ocially ostracized after
his sc andalous divorce.
S: Banish, Exp el, Exc lude
A: Inc lude , Ta ke in, Conta in
Out la ndish (A dj ) Very odd o r strange
H is o u tlan d is h b eh a viou r
showed that he lacked etiquette.
S: Strang e, Odd, Pe culiar
A: Normal, well man nered
Outr age ous ( Adj) Atr ocio us
H er o utra ge ou s co mm en t
surprised us on that subject.
conqu er”.
Or dea l ( N)
Labour
Walking through the stree ts of
Calcutta is a great ordeal.
S: Nigh tm ar e,
Tr ibulation
Or dinance ( N)
Or nate (Adj)
Tor me nt,
S: Shame ful, Sho cking
A: Commendable, Worthy
Overt (Adj)
An a uthoritative rule
City ordinance 126 for bids car
parkin g in this area.
Elabo rate
A: Hidden , Unseen, U nknown
P
T he M ug ha l’s pa la ce w er e
highly ornate and impressive
S: Florid, Showy, Decorated
Ornit ho log y (N ) The bran ch of zoology dealing
with study of birds
Or tho dox (Adj)
Tr adition al
P abulum (N )
Do n’t b e o rth odo x & b ias ed
have an open mind.
S: Accepted, Standard
A: Unor thodox , Unus ual
Or ot und ( Adj)
Os cula te ( V)
Reso nant, said of the v oice
The s enator ma de an or otund
spe ech (p ompou s).
S: Dig nifie d, Pre tentious
A: Simple , Modest, Humble
To kis s
I f ee l of fe nd e d wh en J oh n
osculate d me against m y wish.
Ost ens ible (A dj ) App arent, Seem ing
The osten sible reaso n for the
trip was to attend a co nvention
Open to view.
His overt life showed him to be
a very respectable and kind man.
S: Open, Cle ar, Plain
Pa chyde rm ( N)
Fo od, Nutrie nt
We g et in te lle ctua l p ab ulum
f ro m r ea din g bo o ks b y
celebrated writers.
A large thick-s kinn ed, hoof ed
an ima l s uch as th e e lep han t,
rhinocer os e tc.
John is a pachy derm and totally
ins ensitive to abu se.
Pa ddock ( N)
A small enclosure near a stable
where h orses are ex ercised
I t wa s ter r ib le to b e a t th e
pa ddo ck, it stinks p ath etic.
Pa ean ( N)
A song of joy, trium ph etc.
Th e mu sica l ba nd p la y e d a
p ae a n fo r th e
su p er b
perf ormanc e of the artist.
VOLU ME : a r oll o f
pa pyar us
I n an cien t da y bo oks
were written on papy rus
or v ellu m. T he s he ets
were pasted together and
“r olled ” on a stick f or
conven ience in ha ndling
an d filing a wa y. T his
pr oce ss is c ontain ed in
our word vo lume, from
the Latin word volu men,
which in turn drives from
vo lv o, me an ing “tur n
abo ut” or “roll”. The re
wer e said to h ave b een
m or e th an 7 00 ,0 00 o f
these papy rus volumes in
the ancient Alexand rian
libr ar y
in
E gy pt,
co ntain ing m ost of the
liter ary of a ntiquity , but
subseq uently the library
w as d es tr oy ed b y
barbarian invasions.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 95 of 131
DRESSED TO THE NINES
The meaning is drawn from
th e ph ras e ‘the w hole nine
y a rds ’ w hic h has co me to
mean a complete high quality
job without cutting c orners.
Pa ge ant ( N)
A s pe cta cu la r e xh ib ition ,
parad e etc
T he p a ge an t o n Am e rica n
history was very impr essive.
S: Parad e, Proce ssion
P ains ta king (A dj )Taking gr eat c are
His Sucess is consequen ce of
his painsta king har d wo rk.
S: Tho roug h, Caref ul.
A: Careless, Slapdash.
Pa is le y (N )
Having a n elaborate, c olourful
pattern of swirls etc.
A paisle y procession w as taken
out to m ark the birth of christ.
Pa la ta ble ( Adj)
Plea sant or acceptable to the
ta ste
T he d inn er wa s c er tainly
palatab le.
S: Splend id, Lavish, Grand
A: Irre levant, Immate rial
Palaver (V)
P alimps es t (N )
P alindr ome (N )
Pa ll (Adj)
Pa llid ( Adj)
Pa llo r (Adj)
Pa lpable ( N)
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 96 of 131
Profus ely or idle talk
Th e ne gotiatio n b etwe en the
managem ent and the s tudents
un ion turn ed out be a me re
pala ver.
S: Babble, G arrulous
P ar ch m en t th a t ha s b ee n
wr itten u pon pr eviously a nd
tha t b ea rs tr a ce s o f th e
imper fectly e rased te xts.
A wor d, phr ase or sen ten ce
that reads the same bac k and
forward
Eg. Malay alam
(i) To b ecome cloy ing, insipid,
dis taste ful
His radiance palled un der the
sp otligh t of th e T V.
S: Dispirit, Sa tia te
(ii) Heav y clo th sp read o ver
co ffin, Per son w ho helps to
carr y or
wa lks a lon gside co ffin (pa ll
bearer)
Fain t in co lour, Pale
He tu rne d p allid on he aring
about his failure.
S: Wan, Ashen
A: Ruddy , Glowing, Pink
Unn atural palen ess
T he y o un g g ir l’s c h ro nic
pa llo r c ould be attributed to
ma ln utr itio n.
Easily perceived by the senses,
Per ceptible
There is a palpable difference
between chocolate and vanilla
ice cream.
S: Obv ious, Appar ent
A: O bs c ur e,
In tan gib le ,
Conce aled
Pa lpitat e ( V)
To beat rapidly, Increas e in the
rate of heart beat
His he art palpitated with fear.
S: Thr ob, Puls e, Flutter
Pa ltry (Adj)
Alm ost worthles s, T rifling
O ne d olla r is a p altr y
contribution from a millionaire.
S: In sign ific ant, Petty
A: Wor thy, Estimab le
Pa nace a ( N)
A suppos ed remedy for all ills
or troub les
Some peo ple use aspirin as if it
were a p anacea.
S: Cure all, Solution, Answer
Pa na che ( N)
Dashing elegance of ma nner or
sty le
He f in is hed h is inning s with
great p anache.
S: Fla mb o y a nc e , Dis play ,
Swagger
A: Mod esty, Humility
Pa ndemonium ( N) Wild d isorder or noise
Th e par ty en ded in a bso lu te
pan demonium.
S: Upr oar, Tumult, Ch aos
A: Peace , Tranqu ility
Panegy ric ( N)
Spe ec h o r p ie ce of w r itin g
prais ing a pe rson or event
The pane gy rics upset h er sense
of mod esty.
S: Eulo gy, Enco mium
Pa no ply ( Adj)
Any mag nificent cove ring or
array ; A splendid colle ction of
He had a panoply of antiques
collected from many countries.
P anto mime (V ) A ctio n o r g es tu r es w ith ou t
words
He pan tomimed his fear.
Pa ra digm ( N)
An exa mple or a model
M ah atm a G an dh i w a s th e
paradigm of excellence.
S: Pa tter n, E xamp le
Pa rago n ( N)
A m od e l of pe r fe ction o r
excellence
Par amet er ( N)
G an dh iji is p a ra g on o f
nonv iolence and pe ace.
S: Pattern, N onpare il, Mo del
(i) A co nstan t with va riab le
values
( ii)
Cha ra cte ristics
or
distinguish ing fea ture
T he p a ra me te r s on wh ic h
judgeme nt was done w ere not
clear.
S: Stricture , L imitation
Pa role ( N)
Pa ra mo unt (A dj ) Supreme
T he c a pa city to ta ke qu ic k
d ec is io n s is of p ar a mo un t
importa nce in an eme rgency.
S: Eminent, Unique
Pa ranoia ( N)
A: In ferior
A mental disorder characterized
by delusions as of grandeur or
especially persecution
In his last day s Hitler suffered
from Pa ranoia.
S: Fear, Suspicion, Ob session
Pa raphernalia ( N) Pers onal b elongings
A n old tr un k filled w ith his
gra ndmoth er’s parap hernalia.
Par ch (A dj)
To make very thir sty
H is lon g tre k thr ou g h th e
desert left him with a parched
thr o at.
Pa ria h (Adj)
Par ity (N)
Pa rla nc e ( N)
Par lay (V)
Pa rle y ( N)
S: Dry, Burn , Scorch
An outc ast
The scan dal made him a pariah
a nd h e w as sh un n ed b y
every one.
S: Vagran t, Vagabond, Tramp
A: Model, Paragon, Hero
Equality in power, value etc.
There sh ould be parity between
the Amer ican and the L iberian
do llar s.
S: Equivalence, Equality, Par
A: Dis parity, D issim ilar ity
A particular way of s peaking
It is dif ficult to co mmunic ate
with la wy ers who conv erse in
legal pa rlance.
S: Jargon , Dialect, Idiom
To bet on (an orig inal wag er
plu s its winnin gs ) o n another
race etc.
At the casino last night I won
$ 100 an d then parlay ed it into
$ 50 0.
Pa rox ys m ( N)
S: A gita tio n , Co n vu lsion ,
Spasm
A: Tr an qu illity, Ste ad in es s,
Com posu re
Parry (V)
To ev ade (a q uestion etc.)
His answ er was a good parry to
his op pone nt’s arg umen t.
S: Evade , Side-s tep, Def lect
Pa rs imony (N )
Sting ine ss
Shy lockwas a p arsimonious old
miser.
S: Miserly, Niggardly
Pa rve nu (Adj)
Out of date, Old fa shioned
Wearing Dhoti Kurta is passé.
S: O utmo d ed , A ntiq u ated ,
Ob sole te
A: Contemporary, Fashionable,
Avant-garde
Pa stiche ( N)
An artis tic compositio n drawn
from various so urces
Pa sto ral (Adj)
Of rustic life
Flow er -b ed s, m ea do ws a nd
o th er p as to ra l sc en es w er e
some of the beautiful elements
in Keat’s poetry.
S: Rural, Bucolic, I dy llic
A: Urban
Pa tho s ( N)
T he q u ality in s om e th in g
wh ic h ar ou se s p ity, s or ro w,
sy mpath y etc.
Th e p ath os in the ta le abo ut
po or little fo und lin gs mov ed
the aud ience.
The Ame ricans and th e North
Vietnam ese were parle y ing in
Par is.
Par ody (N)
A: Prodigal, Lavish, Generous
A newly rich person considered
an upstart
Na po leo n wa s n ot ro y a l by
birth, but was a parvenu who
made h imself emp eror.
S: Up star t
Pas sé (Adj)
To con fer espe cially w ith an
enemy
S: Confer, Discu ss, Negotiate
Co mic al imitation
Th e mov ie wa s a h umo ro us
s to ry
tha t
p ar od ie d
Hemmingway ’s Burlesque.
S: Car ica tu r e, La mp o on ,
Distor tion .
T he r ele as e o f a pr iso ne r
b ef or e h is s e nten c e ha s
expired, on condition o f future
good be haviour
He was sentenced to five y ears
but was paroled after two.
A sudd en outburst; A fit
S: Rural, Bucolic, Id y llic.
Pa tina ( N)
A: Urban
A fine g reenish crust o n bronze
or coppe r formed by ox idation
Af te r lo ng y e ar s o f so rr ow
EMANCIPATE : remove
th e ha nd
According to Roman law
th er e we re pr es cr ib ed
c er em on ie s fo r th e
pur chas e and lib eration
o f slav es . Wh en the y
w er e bo ug ht, th e ne w
master laid his hand upon
the m in token o f
posses sion. This a ct was
ca lled m an cipium , “
posses sion by the hand”
. Our word emancipate
ha s op po site me an in g,
an d is f ro m th e la tin
emancipatus; e-, “away,”
ma nu s, “ ha n d , ” an d
cap io,” ta ke.” So wh en
ou r
slav es
w er e
em an cipa te d,
th e
ow ne rs , “ to ok a wa y
their h ands.”
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HOLD Y OU R FEET TO
THE FIRE
Pertains to torture used. As a
me th od f or
e xtra ctin g
co nfes sion for he resy , no nbelievers were positioned in a
ma nn er tha t allo we d th e
inquisitor to apply flames to
the feet of the accuse d. This
was don e un till the accu sed
confessed or died.
tom or r ow is the d a y fo r
d elig h t, tim e to r em ov e
pa tina .
Pa tr imo ny ( N)
Property inherited fro m one’s
fath er or ancestors
Pe ev ish ( N)
After b eing awakened for two
d ay s co n tino u ou sly She ila
soun ded peev ish.
He squa ndered the pa trimony
& now is in rags.
Patro l (N)
Keeping guard by walking up
& down.
Th e b orde r Secu rity of fic er
patrolle d th e bor der to av oid
any infiltiation.
Pe lluc id ( Adj)
S: Tour of duty, Round, Beat.
Pat ron (N)
Benef actor
Mughals were patron of arts.
Pe nc ha nt ( N)
S: Supp orter, Benefa ctor
Pa ucit y (N )
Sh orta ge
P au city of
f un ds ne ve r
stop pe d the d ilig ent s tu de nt
fro m con tinuing ed ucation.
S: Dear th, Scar city
Pe ndent ( Adj)
A: Abundance
Pa vilion ( N)
A la rg e te nt; A te mp or ar y
building
Many pavilion were er ected
to shelte r Tsu nami victims.
Pe cc adillo ( N)
A small fault or o ffence
Apart fr om some pecca dilloes
in y o uth, h is life h as b ee n
blameless.
Pe cunia ry ( N)
S: Sin, Offence, Crime.
A: Asset, Virtue
Of o r involving m oney
The pec uniary rewards of the
job were smallwhen compared
to the job s atisf action.
S: Mo neta ry
Pe dag ogue ( N)
Pe dant ( N)
Unpleas eant pedantic teacher
T he p ed ag og ue kee p th e
stud en t aw ay fo rm c olle ge
unin terested.
On e w ho em pha sizes tr ivial
points in learn ing
The ped antic review d oes not
a ckno wle dg e the p ra c tica l
usef ulness o f the b ook.
S: Do ctrinair e, Sophist
A: Amateur, Dabbler
Pe ddle ( N)
(i) To g o from place to place
se lling
I t is p itifu l to wa tch s om e
sa les gir l e ke o ut a living by
ped dlin g pr oducts fr om d oor
to doo r.
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S: Ha wk
( ii) To de al ou t in sm all
qu antities
Irr itable , Fretful
Pe nite nt ( N)
P enur io us (N )
A: Ple asant, Refined
Tra nspa rent, Clear
Th e b otto m o f the rive r w as
c le ar ly visible thr o ug h th e
pellucid water.
S: Limpid , Pure
A: Turbid, Muddy, Dark, Opaque
A stro ng liking
H e ha s a p e nc ha n t fo r
ch ocolate s.
S: Pre dilec tion, Affin ity
Suspended , Hanging
I like d th e g o ld p e nd en t
presente d to me by my brother
on my b irthday
Sor ry fo r having do ne wr ong
and willin g to a tone
He was penitent abo ut h is f it
of te mper.
Mise rly, Stingy
He wa s so pe nur iou s th at he
even preserve d old so cks.
S: Par simonious
A: Generous
Pe nury ( N)
Ex trem e p over ty
The fam ily w as in a s tate of
wretched penury.
S: I nd ig e nc e, D e stitu tion ,
Po ver ty
A: Luxury, Plenty, Abundance
Pe ra mbulat e (V ) To walk up and down
T he in vigilator ’s co n stan t
perambulation didn’t a llow me
to co nce ntrate.
Pe r diem ( N)
Daily
Th e con sulta nt wa s p aid ten
dollars p er diem.
S: Diur nal
Pe rdition ( N)
Ruin, Hell
H am le t’s w ou ld no t kill his
uncle un less he could be sure of
th e la tter ’s perd itio n.
S: Da mna tion
Pe r-dure ( N)
To r emain in existence
Many of the things use d by my
gr an dfa th er like his ca r s till
p er -d u re a n d a re w o rkin g
pro perly.
S: Eter nal, Dur able
A: Tr an sien t
Pe re gr inat io n (V )Tr avelling abo ut
The sto ries of M arco polo’s
p er eg r in atio n
m ake
interesting reading.
A: Veg etative
Pe rempto ry (Adj) T ha t c an n ot b e d e nied ,
delay ed, not o pen to d ebate
He o rd er ed he r ou t of the
h ou se in a pe re m ptor y
mann er.
S: Impe rious, Firm
A: L en ie nt,
I nd ulge nt,
Fee ble
Pe rfidy ( N)
Betra y al of tr ust, Trea chery
It was an a ct of per fidy on
th e pa rt o f th e king to ha ve
attac ked his injured ally.
S: Tr ea ch ery , Dislo y a lty,
Faithle ssne ss
A: L oy alty, Fa ith fu lne ss ,
Sin cerity
Pe rfuncto ry (Adj)Do ne me rely a s a r outin e,
Superf icial
His play ing of the son ata was
perf unctor y and u ninspired.
S: Superf icial, Mech anical
A: Ze alo us,
E age r,
Enthusias tic
Pe ripate tic ( V) Going f rom place to p lace in
orde r to w ork
He wa s a p eripa tetic ne ws
r ep or ter w h o re c or de d
va lu ab le d etails du ring h is
tr ave l.
S: Wa nder ing, Itinera nt
Per jury (V)
T he w ilfu l te lling o f a lie
while under oath
He comm itted perjur y when
he said that he had ne ver been
at the scene of the crime.
S: Eq uivo cate , Conco ct
Pe rme at e ( N)
To sp read or diffuse
Wes te rn
c u ltur e
ha s
perme ated to s uch an e xtent
that we are forgetting our own
culture.
S: Saturate, Perv ade, P enetr ate
Pe rmut at io n (V ) Alter ation, Tra nsf orm ation
Af te r lot of pe rm uta tio n, I
co uld man ag e to floa t my
own co mpany.
Pe rnic io us ( N)
Cau sin g gr e at
in ju ry ,
des truc tion etc. , Fa tal
Th e per nicio us bu sines s of
s elling he ro in ru in e d th e
stu dent’s life.
S: Bane ful, Ruinous
A: I nn oc u ou s , Be n ef icial,
Pro fita ble
Pe ror atio n ( N)
T he c o nc lu d in g p ar t o f a
spe ech
T he p e ro ra tio n w as n ’t a s
effective as the speech
S: Spe ech, Oration
Perpetrate (V)
To d o some thing e vil, c rime
Te rr orist tr ied to p er petra te
ter ror in th e city.
Pe rs iflage ( V)
Frivo lou s talk o r wr iting ,
Ba nter
His silly persif lage really get
on my nerves
Pe rs ona ge ( V)
A n o ta ble p e rs on , A n
im por tan t p ers on
A pe rs on ag e like M ah atma
Ga ndh i h as left it’s imp rin ts
in history of m ankind.
Pe rs pica cio us ( Adj) Ha ving kee n ju dg me nt,
Dis cern ing
The per spicacious ump ire won
the hear ts o f the spec tato rs.
S: Astute, Shrewd
Pe rspic uous ( Adj) Clearly expressed.
His pe rs picu ou s wr itin g
impresses every one.
S: Articulate, Expres sive
Pert (Adj)
Liv ely
Pe rt ine nt ( N)
Per turb (V)
Pe rus e ( V)
The pert secre tary took c are
of all h is affairs & de aling in
his absence.
Conn ected w ith th e matte r at
ha nd
T he s tud en t’s p er tin en t
q ue stion s o n the s u bj ec t
impres sed the te acher.
S: Relev an t,
Ma te rial,
Ap pr opr ia te
A: A lien ,
In c on gr uo us ,
Irr elev ant
Cause to be alarmed, A gitated
or ups et
He was perturb because she had
kep t him wa itin g.
S: Agitate, Excite, Distr ess
A: Calm, Soothe, P acify
To read c arefully
T he a d vo ca te p ur su e d th e
ch arge s m ade by o ppo sition
for arg uments.
S: Read thoroughly, Scrutinize
Perver t (V)
A: Skim, Glide
To lead astr ay, Cor rupt
FOIB LE: o rigina lly a
fen cing term
One of the first ru les of
the game of fencing is to
re ce iv e y ou r e ne my ’s
fo ib le w ith y o ur ow n
fo rte, tw o
Fr e nc h
borrowings. His foible is
the weak part of his foil,
fr om the midd le to the
tip . Yo ur f or te is th e
strong part the middle to
the hilt. So the foibles o f
a hum an being ar e h is
weak points and his moral
frailties, while his forte is
his stron g po int, that in
which he excels.
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IRONS IN THE FIRE
To spe ed up.
Pe ss imis m (N )
He has a perve rted sense of
humo ur.
S: Co rr up t
Gloom iness
His pessimism is re sponsible
for his reluctance.
S: Cy nic ism, Dis trust
A: Optim ism, Sangu inity
Pe st if ero us ( Adj) Inf ectious
Ca nc er is n ot a pe stife ro us
disea se .
S: Co nta gio us
Peter (V)
Pet rify (V)
Pe ttif ogg er ( N)
Pe tulant ( Adj)
A: Salub rious, He althy
To beco me gradually s maller,
w ea ker e tc, an d the n
disap pear.
The strike petered out du e to
lac k of p ublic suppo rt.
To par aly ze as with fear
She became petrified when she
saw the intruder.
A p er so n wh o p ay s un du e
a tten tio n to u nimp o rtan t
thing s
Don’t act like a unreaso nable
pe ttif ogge r.
I mp atien t
or
irr ita ble
e sp ec ially o v er a pe tty
annoy ance
T he o ld wo m an b e co me s
petu lant if she do es not have
her wa y all the time.
Phanto m (N )
Phar is ee ( N)
Philande r (A dj )
Philippic (V )
P hilis tine (A dj )
P hleg ma tic (A dj ) Sluggish or unex cited
He is a phleg matic man who
rare ly display s emotion.
S: Dull, Indifferent, Apathetic
Phobia ( N)
A: Lively, Eager, Enthu siastic
An ir ra tio nal, exc ess iv e a nd
persiste nt fear of some thing or
situ atio n
Th e y o ung girl ha d a phob ia
fo r he ights.
A bird which lived for 500 y ears
an d th en co nsu me d its elf in
fire, rising renewed fr om ashes
Ju st like ph oe nix th e In dian
econo my has rev ived.
P hy siog nomy (N ) Facial f eatures and ex pression
Phoe nix (N )
She h a d a w ea k-lo okin g
ph y sio gnom y.
Piebald ( N)
Co vere d with p atc hes of two
co lou rs
Pie bald h orses fetch a hig her
price th an do horses of a single
colo ur.
Piec emea l (N )
Piece b y piece
He a t la st fin is h ed th e
h er cu lea n tas k tho u gh in
piece meal.
Pica yune ( Adj)
Tr ivial, Petty
It is p icay une to cr itic ize the
colo ur of a man’s so cks.
S: Tr ifling, Ins ignifica nt
S: Peevish , Fretful, Ir ritable
A: Pa tien t
An appar ition, Spec ter
A: Im por tan t, E sse ntial
The voy ager’s saw a phantom
s hip ap pr o ac hing to a ttac k
the m.
Pighea de d (A dj ) Stubbo rn
S: Gho st, Ap parition, Sp ook
A self-r ighteous, Hy po critical
pe rs on
Don’t be pharisee, che ck y our
action b efore criticizin g other.
To en ga ge ligh tly in lo ve affair s, said of a man
He was a philanderer by nature
and the idea o f marriag e did
not app eal to h im.
Pike r (N )
A bitter ve rbal attack
I didn’t ex pect suc h philippic
speech f rom her.
A
pe rs on
s mu gly
conv entiona l, narr ow, lac king
culture etc.
It was s heer misfortun e that a
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 100 of 131
pe rs on o f su ch high c ultu re
s ho uld g et m a rr ie d to a
ph ilistin e.
The pigh eaded child wo uld not
acc ept his m ista ke.
One who does things in a petty
or nigga rdly way
Do thing s in a grand, n ot piker
way.
Pillag e (V )
Plun der
A ttila ’s H u ns P illag e d an d
raped without m ercy.
P inio n (V )
Re stra in
The police tried to restain the
th ief bat he was suc ess ful in
fleeing away.
S: Trap , Pind own
P inna cle (N )
Th e h ig hes t p oint
When he was ele cted President,
he kn ew he had rea che d the
pinnac le of his p olitical c areer.
S: Peak, Top, Ze nith, Su mmit
A: Bo tto m, Foo t, nad ir
Piquant ( Adj)
Stimulatin g to the tas te
Plaudit (V )
Roa ds ide s na c ks , tho ug h
unhy gien ic have a piquan t taste.
S: Savo ury
P la us ible (A dj )
A: Unp alata ble, Insipid
Pique (N )
( i) To a ro us e r es en tme nt,
off end
She could sense his pique when
she tur ned down the date.
S: Ir rita tion
Pithy ( Adj)
Plea santry ( N)
(ii) Stir curio sity
Terse a nd full of m eaning
The jour nal carried a pithy onepage su mmary on the complex
iss ue.
Plebeian ( Adj)
S: Lac onic, Conden sed
A: Elaborate, Wordy, Rambling
Placat e ( V)
To ap pease, P acify
Th e sho pke ep er placa ted the
irate cu stomer by prom ising to
r ep la c e
th e
imp e rf ec t
mercha ndise.
S: So othe , M ollify
A: Aggr avate, Antago nize
Placid (Adj)
Calm, Quiet
T he p lac id la ke in th e
ne ig hbo ur hoo d is a be autif ul
s ig ht.
S: Unruf fled
Plaint ( Adj)
Plaint iv e (A dj )
Plaque ( N)
Plat itude ( N)
Plat onic ( Adj)
A: Chu rnin g, Tu rbulent
(i) A c omplaint or lament
(ii) Charge , Turbu lent
E xp r es siv e
s or ro w
or
melancho ly, Sad
Th e plain tive me lo dy of the
song m oved the aud ience.
S: Dole ful
A: Joy ful, Happy
A flat piece of m etal, wood etc.,
with decoration or letterin g on
it, hu ng on a wall etc., A dental
prob lem
Plaque is now a day s a common
pr oblem esp ecially in y ou ng
childre n.
A c om m on p la ce or tr ite
re ma rk
The spea ker bored the audience
by c iting platitudes in plen ty.
S: Banality, Clic hé, Insip idity
Not se xual but p urely spir itual
Th e r ela tio nsh ip betwee n the
y o ung lady and th e ag ed m an
c ou ld on ly be d e sc rib ed a s
platon ic .
Applause
T he y ou n g stu de nt’s gr ea t
discove ry won him plaudits.
Seeming ly true
T he s tud en t m an a ge d to pu t
forth a plausible excu se for his
prolo nged abs ence.
S: Cre dib le ,
A cc ep tab le ,
Prob able
A: Improb able, Incr edible
A frien dly, casual remark
It was customary for the students
to exch ange ple asan trie s wh en
they first m et in class.
S: Joc ular ity
One of the c ommon pe ople
H is p leb eia n ta s te s a re a t
varian ce with his elevated social
status .
S: Com mo n er , U nc ultur ed ,
Coa rse
A: Elite, Schola r, P atric ian
Plenary ( N)
( i) Full, Com ple te , Ab so lu te ,
Unlimited
T he D is trict J u dg e h as b ee n
ve sted with p len ary pow ers to
deal w ith both civil and cr iminal
cases.
(ii) Attended by all wh o have a
right to a tte nd
Plenipot entiar y (N ) Ha ving o r con fe rr in g fu ll
a utho r ity o n be h alf o f his
go ver nme nt
The plen ipotentia ry co mmittee
has performed it’s duty very well
and it’s appreciable.
Plethor a ( N)
Plex us ( N)
Plug ola (V )
An overa bundance
T he p oe m h ad a p letho ra o f
words which conf used the reader.
S: Oversupply, Glut, Excessive
A: Meagre, Scanty
A n etwo rk, a s bloo d v es se ls ,
nerves etc.
T he s e ns or y p le xu s is a
partic ularly sens itive part of the
human body.
S: Ne twor k, Com plic ation
T he p ay ing o f a b rib e fo r
underhan ded promotion on radio
or TV
A mo ng pr iv a te in stitu tion s
p lu go la is n o w a c om mo n
pra ctic e.
Pluv ia l (N )
Of, or having muc h rain
IN CU BU S: o nc e
obscene spirit
an
This wo rd an d its sis ter
su ccu bu s h av e mo rb id
a nd o bs ce ne o rigins .
In cu bu s is fr om th e
La tin in cu bo , “ lie
up on ,” a nd in th e
beginning re ferred to an
evil sp irit who wou ld lie
with the ladies when they
we re as le p a nd fo r no
good purpose. A succubus,
La tin su cc um bo , “ lie
beneath,” was a female
demon who, in turn, was
re puted to hav e s exu al
connection with men in
th eir slee p. Both sexe s,
ap pa re ntly , we re w ell
taken care of. In its later
history the word incubus
h as c om e to m ea n a
han dicap ping b urden of
some sort, as “ His career
w as h eld ba ck b y th e
in cubu s o f po ver ty.” A
suc c ubu s,h ow e ve r ,
never changed and is still
a stru mpet.
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JU MP
ON
THE
BA NDWAG ON
O ld tim e po litica l
ca mp aign s
wo uld
atte mp t
to
g ain
s up po rter s with w ha t
amou nted to a sm all
parade including a band
f or a c an dida te w ith
su ff ic ie nt
s up po rt.
Jump ing o n
th e
ba nd ag on w as a kin to
pro viding y our supp ort
f or
this
po pu la r
candidate.
Po gro m ( N)
Po ig na nt ( Adj)
Po ise ( N)
Be ca us e of p lu vial c au se s,
onion pr ices soared to heights.
An orga nized massacre , as of
Jews in Czarist Russia
I t wa s n ot a fo rtu itou s
inc id e nt, b ut a p og ro m
delibera tely organized by the
Br itis h at the J allian wa llah
Bag h.
Sharply painful to the feelings
The poigna nt sarc asm in her
w or ds hu rt th e O ld ma n’s
feelings.
S: Keen , Pierc ing, Biting
(i) Ba lanced, Sta bility
(ii) Quiet se lf-confidence
Her pois e in times of distress
was a sight to b ehold.
S: Gra vity, Evenn ess
Po le mic ( Adj)
Po ltr oon (Adj)
Po ly glo t ( Adj)
Of involving disp ute
T he
p o le mics
am on g
politicians hinder the progress
of th e na tio n.
A coward
The king was a poltroo n who
ag re ed to th e te rm s of the
Br itis h.
S: Dastard
A: Bold , Dared evil
Sp ea kin g o r writing sev er al
languages
The poly glo t dic tion ary was
very helpful to the fo reigner.
S: Linguistic , Mu ltilingu al
P olyt he is m (N )
Belief in more than one God
H in du ism e x po un d s th e
doc trine of po ly theism.
A: Athe is t, Mo no th eist
Ponder (N)
To think deep ly
O ne s ho uld po nd er b ef or e
com mitting a ny thing.
S: Consider, Mull over
( i) To b e p o mp ou s o r
dogm atic
Po nt if ica te ( V)
Por tent (N)
S: Omen, Aug ury, Sign
Po st humous ( Adj) After one ’s de ath
The high est military a ward was
conferre d on the brave soldier
pos thum ously.
Po st ula te ( N)
To assum e to be true, re al, etc,
e sp ec ia lly a s a b as is fo r
argu ment
Early scientists pos tulated that
the earth was the cente r of the
univers e.
S: Assume, Guess
Pot her (N)
Pot pourr i ( N)
Po und ( V)
Pr agmatic ( N)
Pr ea mble ( N)
(ii) The position or period in
the o ffice of a Pope
H e un n ec es sa r ily try to
pontificate even pe tty things.
Po pinj ay ( N)
Po rtend ( V)
Precept (N)
A con ceited p erson
The reason for no growth of
karen is her being a p opinjay.
To be a n omen of, P resage
Dark cloud s portend ra in.
S: O me n,
Wa r ning ,
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Pr esen time nt
Som ething th at p o rten ds a n
ev en t
H is w or d s tu r ne d ou t b e a
por tent of the co ming even ts.
Pre cinct (N)
A fus s, Commo tion
The y ou ng lady made a pother
abou t a triv ial matter.
S: Tr oub le
A: Peac e, Tra nquillity
A m ed ley o r m is ce lla ny ,
Mixtur e
T he e x hibitio n p re se n te d a
po tpou rri whic h r ange d fr om
arts an d crafts to drama.
S: Mixture, Me dley
A: Pure, Separate
To hit ha rd.
He poun ded a ha rd p unch on
his adve rsar y ’s n ose b reaking
the septum.
S: Hammer, Strike, Beat
Pra ctic al
T he te ac he r o ff e re d a
p ra gm atic so lutio n to th e
pr oble m.
S: Rea listic
A: The oretical, Abstr act
An Intro duction especially one
to a co ns titution , sta tu te etc,
statin g its p urpo se
T he
p re am b le
to
th e
co ns titutio n h as all th e r ules
clearly e xplained.
S: Prelude, Prologue, Preface
A: Postscript, Adde ndum
A r ule o f m or a l co n du ct,
Max im
T he p re c ep t o f do in g u nto
others, as y ou would h ave them
do unto y ou was the sa y ing of
a grea t man.
S: Doctr ine, Law, Rule
An enclosure between buildings,
walls etc.
Pr ecipit at e ( V)
Pr eco cious ( N)
Prec ursor (N)
Predatory (N)
Excessiv e ragging is pr ohibited
w ithin the p re c in cts o f th e
college.
S: Bo unda ry, Limitation
To ca us e to h ap pe n b ef or e
ex pected
T he
v er ba l
e xc ha ng e
pre cipitated a fist flig ht.
S: Impulsive , Sudden
A: Considered , Careful
Matured earlier tha n usual
The preco cious four -y ear old
could accurately multiply and
divide.
S: Adva nced
A: Backward
For erun ner
Isaac Newton wa s the precursor
of m odern p hy sicists.
S: Predecessor
A: Successo r, Heir
Of or living by p lunde ring or
robb ing
P re da tor y h or d es o f H un s
inva ded Eur ope.
S: Marauder , Killer
To af fir m as a qu ality o r
attribu te
He predicates the truth of his
p ro po sition .
Pr edilec tion ( N) A Pre ference, L iking
Pre dica te ( N)
She h a d a p re dilec tio n fo r
sh rimp s.
S: In clina tion
A: An tip ath y, Dislike
Pr edispos ed (Adj) To be in favour of something in
advance
Fe w Pa rlia me ntar ia ns w er e
pr ed isp os ed to wa rds w om an
res ervation.
S: Inclined, Liable
Pr e-empt ( V)
A: Unwilling, Relu ctant
To s eize b ef ore a ny o ne else
c an , A ctio n take n to ch ec k
oth er action be fore h and
T he la nd s pe c ulato r ha d
pre-empted most of the mineral
righ ts .
S: Fo res tall, Blo ck
P re he ns ile (A dj ) Adapted for seizing or grasping
especially by wrapping around,
some thing a s a mo nkey ’s tail
Th e finge rs of p rimates a re
pre hensile.
Pr ejudiced (Adj) Unfairly biased
In spite of prej udices he could
no t stop him self fr om loving
her.
S: Bia red, I ntoler ant
A: Fair, Reasonable
Pr elat e ( N)
A high -r ankin g ec cle sias tic,
like a bis hop
A m ee tin g w as ca lle d fo r
Chr is tma s c eleb r atio n s, o f
prela te on Su nday.
Pr emedita ted ( N) To plan or think befo re h and
The idea of destroy ing the fort
was pre-m editated.
S: I nten d ed , I nte ntion al,
Plann ed
A: Spo ntaneo us, Un forese en,
Im pro mp tu
P re mo nit io n (N ) A forew arning
She had a premonition that the
busin ess would fail.
S: Pre sentiment, For ebod ing
Prepo nderance ( Adj)To b e su pe rio r in a mo un t,
power etc.
A pre pon der an ce of wom en
atte nded the PTA meeting.
Prepossession (Adj)To be su perior in amoun t, power
etc.
His pre possessing app earance
m ad e h im s u cc ee d a s a
mar ketin g ex ecutive.
Prepo sterous (Adj) Contrary to nature, reas on etc.,
Absurd, Ridiculous
T hr ee hu nd r ed d o llar s is a
prep osterou s price for a hat.
S: Extravagant, Unreasonable
A: Sens ible
Pr er equisite ( N) Req uir ed b e fo r e an d a s a
nece ssary condition
N on -a lig nm en t is a p re r eq uisite fo r p ea ce am on g
n atio ns .
Pr erog ative ( N)
S: Pr econ dition , Mu st
A n ex c lu s iv e
p riv ileg e
es pec ia lly on e pec uliar to a
rank, class etc
Th e ty pe o f we dd in g is the
brid e’s pr erogative.
Pr esag e ( V)
S: Pr ivilege, Rig ht
An om en, po rte nt
The growin g disco rd between
the two na tio ns s ee m ed to
presage war.
S: For es h ad ow, For e bo de ,
Pr edict
P re se nt iment (N ) A f ee lin g tha t s om e th in g
es pec ially of an unf ortuna te
LUNATIC: mo onstr uck
There are many p eople
to da y wh o wo uld fe el
un co mf or tab le if th ey
ha d to s le ep w ith th e
mo on s hining in th eir
f ac es . Th ey p ro ba bly
wouldn’t believe that this
act would turn them into
lu natic s w ou ld n’t , bu t
the s ha do w of tha t
super stition still re mains
in the r ac e. D ow n
th ro ug h th e ce ntur ie s
the re h as b ee n a
wide spr ead n otion th at
madness is related to the
mo on , a nd tha t th e
violen ce o f ma dn es s
changed with the phases
of the moon .In Roman
my thology Luna was the
moon goddess, and it was
he r n ame th at ga ve us
lunatic bec ause she was
su ppo sed to cre ate th is
co nditio n.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 103 of 131
natu re is about to hap pen
I ha ve a strong p resentiment
that our pla n will f ail.
S: Pre monition, Forebod ing
KEEP YOUR SHIRT ON
Telling s omeone to ‘K eep
his shirt on’ was equivalent
to telling him ‘I do not want
to f ig ht’.
Prestidigitation (Adj)Sleig ht of ha nd
T he g a mb le r w on b y
p re stid ig itation a nd n ot b y
lu ck.
P re sumpt io n (N ) Takin g
fo r
As sum ption
Pr is tine ( Adj)
S: Immaculate , Perfect
A: Po lluted, Mur ky
Pr iva tio n ( N)
He suffe red extreme pr ivation
afte r the loss of h is pare nts.
It w as foo lish of y o u to be
und er the pres umption tha t I
would r ecommend y ou for the
job.
S: Swoo p, Jum pout
S: D es titutio n ,
Po v er ty ,
Pen ury
A: Ple nty, Wealth , Ric hes
( i) H a ving kn ow le d ge o f
som ethin g priv ate o r sec ret
(ii) A n am ount given by the
go ve rn me nt f or the p riva te
expen se of the king or queen
Hon esty , In tegr ity
Preterna tural events f orebode
some ca lamity.
Pre varic ate (V)
Wid ely e xisting
I llite ra cy is p r ev ale nt in
unde rdeveloped c ountries.
S: Com mo n , Un iv e rs al,
Wides pread
To evad e th e tr uth
Telling tr uth is b e tter tha n
pre varicating.
Privy (A dj)
S: Hedge, Quibble
One who smugly affects great
pro priety or morality
Pr imac y ( N)
Bein g first in time , rank e tc.,
Supremacy
He atta ine d p rim acy in the
field of a thletics by dint of
har d wo rk.
S: Pre-em inence
Prime f acie (Adj) Which s eems to b e r ight at
fir st sight
Pr obit y ( N)
The s tudents pr obity des erves
credit p articularly con sidering
the poor c ompany he ke eps.
S: Lo y alty
Pr oclivit y ( N)
There is a prima facie need to
p ro je ct
a gr ic ultu re
as
prof itable profess ion.
Of the e arliest times or ages,
Primord ial
S: An cien t,
P rimitive ,
Primal
A: Mode rn, Rece nt, Pre sent
Pr imo ge nit ure ( N)Th e c ond ition of being fir st
born of the same par ents
S: Ben t
A: Ap athy
Pr ocr astinat e ( V) To pu t o ff doing (so methin g)
until later, D awdle
He p rocrastinated for so long
that he missed the oppo rtunity.
S: De fer, Po stpo ne
A: Expe dite, H urry
Pr ocur eme nt ( N) An act of obtaining something.
Be fo re p ro cur em en t of a dva nc e te ch no lo gy m e mu st
know how to operate & mainta in it.
Pr odiga l ( Adj)
Recklessly was teful
His pr od ig a l da ug h te r wa s
reason for his wo rries.
S: Ex tr ava ga nt
A: Cautious, Car eful
Pr ofile ( N)
In anc ient tim es, the law of
primogen iture decided the line
of king s.
Pr imor dial ( Adj) Primitiv e, Fun damen tal
In primo rdial times, illiteracy
was widespread.
S: Or igin al
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A: Disho nes ty
A te ndency or in clination
The old codger has a pr oclivity
to gru mble and g rouch.
Pr ig ( N)
Pr imeva l ( Adj)
T he
lac k of
o rd in ar y
necess ities or co mforts
g ra nted ,
Preternatural (Adj)Differin g from or bey o nd what
is na tural, Abn ormal
Pr eva lent (Adj)
A: Rece nt, Mo dern
Un co rr up ted , In its or ig in al
state
A pristine lay er of snow.
Pr ofa nit y ( N)
( i) A view fr o m th e s id e
esp ecia lly that of th e hu man
face.
(ii) O utline of a n object a gainst
a background
(iii) A report about s omething
or some body in a publication
Disr espect to sac red th ings
H e wa s o stra c ized f o r th e
p ro fa nitie s th a t he utte re d
against his relig ion.
S: Blas phemy, Desecra tion
A: Sanc tify
Pr ofligat e ( V)
Pr oge nito r ( N)
Pr ogeny ( N)
Reckles sly wasteful; Immoral
Bec ause o f the profligate use
of he r inh erita nce , s he so on
had nothing lef t.
A: Up righ tne ss
(i) An a ncestor in dir ect line
( ii ) Po litic al o r in telle ctua l
predec essor
Des cenda nts
Th e p rog eny of Akbar we re
not a s great as him.
S: Children, Offspr ing
A n atu ra l inc lin ation o r
tend ency
He seems to have a pro pensity
for arg uments.
S: Ten denc y, I nclination
Pr ophylac tic ( N) P re ve n tive or pr ote ctiv e
espe cially preventing dis ease
etc.
T he g ov e rn me nt h a s ta ke n
p ro ph y la ctic m ea su r es to
eradicate lep rosy.
Pr opens ity ( N)
Pr ophe sy ( V)
To For etell.
Th e pr op he sy o f th e sa in t
proved out to be false.
S: Predict, Envisage
Pr opinquit y (N )
Near ness
Child re n a re th e on e , wh o
e stab lis h p ro pin qu ity w ith
th eir ne w e nv ir onm en t, the
ear lies t.
S: Clo sene ss
Pr ognos tic ate ( V) To for ete ll
Chu rc h ill
p ro g no stica te d
World War- II.
Pro ject ile (N)
Pr ole tar ia t ( N)
S: Predict, Augur
A: Re tro spe ct
A b ullet, Sh e ll g r en ad e
etc. f ired from a gun
The industr ial wo rking c lass
T he p r oleta riat ha ve th eir
right to demand equal wages for
equal work.
S: Wor kers , Plebs
A: Aristocracy, Landed gentry
Pr olif era tion ( N) To in crease ra pidly
Po pu latio n p rolif era tion is a
threat to world peace.
Pr olix ity ( Adj)
Wordy or longwinded
The reader was bo red by the
pr olix ity of the narr atio n.
S: Verbosity, Long windedness
A: Con dens atio n, Taciturnity
Pr olong ( V)
Ex te nd
Du e to p ro lo nge d illn es s he
looked haggard & wasted out.
S: Delay, Lengthen
A: Curta il, Restrain
P ro misc uo us (A dj ) Sexua lity indis creet
Being p romiscuous ma y be an
in vita tion to AID S.
S: Poly gamou s, Lecher
Pr omulga tion ( N) To make know n off icia lly
T he p r om ulga tio n o f th e
Bof or s r ep or t h ad a mixe d
rece ption in political circles.
Pr one (adj)
S: Pro clamation, Announ cement, D ecla ration
Inc lined to
That is a malaria prone area.
Pr opit io us ( Adj) Favou rably inc lined
A p ro p itio u s tim e fo r
requesting a raise is w hen y our
boss is in a generou s mood.
S: Au sp iciou s, Fa vo ura ble,
Tim ely
A: Un fav our able, Har mfu l,
Ill timed
Pr opound ( V)
To s et forth for co nsidera tion
At
th e
m ee tin g,
he
propoun ded his own views for
solving the city ’s proble ms.
S: Pr opos e, P rese nt
Pro scribe ( V)
To denou nce or forbid the use
of
Th e Bill of Right pr osc rib es
illega l entry and search
S: Ban ish, Outlaw, P rohibit
A: Inv ite, Solicit, Gr eet
One w ho has b een conv erted
from one religion, sect e tc to
an othe r
He gain ed many prosely tes by
his preach ing.
Pr ospective (Adj) Ex pected, Like ly
Pr ose lyt e ( N)
He is th e pr ospec tive heir to
th e in heritanc e.
S: Anticipa ted, Proba ble
A: Re tro spe ctive
Pr osody ( N)
Study o f meter, Rhy me etc.of
a poem
Pr ot ag onist ( N)
T he m a in c ha r ac te r in a
drama, novel, film etc.
The auth or is the protagon ist
in a ny auto biogra phy.
MAIM: kno ckin g ou t a
fr ont too th
An early statute say s that
y ou have maimed a man
if y ou kn oc k ou t his
front tooth, but he is not
maimed if y ou knock out
o ne o f his gr in de rs ,
b ec au se w ith a fr on t
tooth he cabite & tear at
the enemy, w hile with a
gr in de r he c an o nly
ma stic ate his fo od .
Anothe r amusing law in
16 41 s ay s tha t “ T he
c utting o ff a n ea r, o r
nose , or bre aking of the
hinder teeth, or such like,
is no maih em.“ Now, of
cours e, the w ords ma im
an d m ay- he m a pply to
any wilful mutilation.
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SLEEP TIGHT
Before box springs were
in use,old bedframes used
ro pe pulled tightly
between the frame rails to
support a mattress. If the
rope b ecame loos e, the
ma tre ss w ould s ag
making foruncomfortable
sleeping. Tightening the
ropes would help one get
a good night sleep.
Pro tégé (N)
Pro tocol (N)
Pro toty pe ( N)
S: Her o, Champ ion
A person guided and he lped in
his car eer by another person
The patr on helped his protégés
by bu y ing the ir paintings.
S: Respo nsibility, Depen dent
T he
ce re m on ial f o rm s
accepted as correct in official
dealings as be tween hea ds of
sta te or diplom atic officials
It was a gainst protocol for the
ambassad or to stand up before
the speec h ended.
S: Proced ure, Etiquette
The first th ing or being of its
kin d, mo del
T he e n gine er s e xp e ct to
co mp le te th e pr oto ty pe f or
the new plan e this w eek.
S: Or igin al
A: Fa ke , Imita tion
Pro tract ed (A dj) Drawn out, Prolonged
T he
p r im e
min is te r
p ro tr a cted his vis it to loo k
into the problems of the public.
S: Extended , Le ngthe ned
A: Sh orten ed, Ab bre viate d,
Cur tailed
Pr otuber anc e ( N) A part o r thing that pr otrudes,
Bulge
An y pr otu be ra nc e o n bo dy
could be a cancer.
Pr ovis o ( N)
A clause, as in a document or
statute, making some condition
or stipulation
H er c o ntra c t c on ta ine d a
pr oviso lim iting th e n umb er
of pers onal appe aran ces she
could make.
Pr ov oke ( V)
To ex cite to s om e a ction or
feeling
Pr uder y ( N)
Pr urienc e ( N)
The tea cher was prov oked by
the studen t’s mis behaviour.
S: Rou se, Stir
A: Plac ate, Mollify, Pa cify
One who is overly mo dest or
prope r in beha viour, Speech
She was a prude and co uld not
she d her inhibitio ns.
(i) Tend ing to exc ite lust
His cup board was filled with
porno graphic literature which
g av e a mp le p r oo f o f his
prurience.
( ii) Ha v in g o r sh ow ing a n
e xc es s iv e an d u nh e alth y
inte rest in matter of sex
S: Wa nton ne ss , Sen su ality,
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 106 of 131
Lewdness
A: Sobr iety, Cold
Pro wess (N)
Ta len t, Skill
Pt. Ravishanka r prowess with
sitar is still unparalled.
S: Incite, Good , Adroitness
P se udony m (N ) A f ictitious nam e esp ecia lly
one assumed by an author, Pen
name
He wro te the nove l u nder a
pseud ony m.
S: Alias, P en name
Ps ychosomatic ( N) D is or d er o rig in ating in
a gg ra v ated b y e mo tio na l
proc ess
On examining the patie nt, the
doc tor descr ibed his ailm ent
as psy cho somatic.
Puer ile ( Adj)
Childish , Silly
Her puer ile talks both er me a
lo t
S: Boy is h,
I m ma tu re ,
Fo olis h
A: Ex pe rien ce d,
W is e,
Sensible
P ug na cious (A dj ) E ag er a n d re a dy to f ig ht,
Quarrelsome
He was pugnacious by nature
and was alway s in trouble.
S: Bellig e re n t, Bellic o se ,
Agg ress ive
A: Peacefu l, Pacific, Placid
Pulv er ize (V )
To grind into powder, Destroy
Th e de ba te r pu lv er ized h is
o pp on e nt’s a r gu me n ts b y
p oin ting
ou t
s ev e ra l
in con sis ten cie s.
S: To powd er
P unct ilio us (A dj ) Ca refu l ab out corr ect poin ts
of be haviour and etiq uette
She w as punctilious in se tting
the table for the formal dinner.
S: Form al, Ex act
A: Car e le ss ,
N e glig e nt,
Heedless
Punitive ( V)
In flic ting or conc erne d with
pu nis hme nt
The erra nt students we re sent
on a pu nitive ma rch u p the
hill.
S: Retribu tive, Cor rective
Pur gato ry ( N)
A s tate o r plac e after dea th,
expiating sins by su ffering
Purlie u (N )
Do n’t be so c ru el tha t y ou
may not get pla ce in purgatory
too .
An outly ing area (as of a city )
Purloin (V )
Accom modation for the poor
was provided o n the purlieus
of the city.
To s te al
T he th ie f pu r lo in e d th e
manuscript while its owner was
away.
S: Ste al, Filch
A: To earn, To bor row
Pur port (V)
To prof ess or claim to be
The r ustic Ricky on retu rning
fo rm city pu rpo rte d to be a
urb anite.
Pusillanimous (Adj)Timid, c ow ar dly
T he little bo y w a s to o
pus illan imous to c ompla in.
Putat ive (Adj)
Put refy (Adj)
A: Bold, Brave
Generally thought of a s such,
Supp osed
His puta tive uncle helped him
to secur e a job.
To b ecome stale, Rot
Q uaff (V)
Q ua int (Adj )
Q uail ( V)
Q ua intnes s (N )
T he u n -r ef r ig e ra te d m ea t
slowly putref ied.
S: Decay, D ecompose
A: Clean se, Pur ify , Rene w,
Pres erve
Putre sce nt (Adj) Pu tref y ing , Rotting
Q ualm (N )
The putr escent corpses of the
dogs were cleared by the BMC.
Putrid (Adj)
(i) Rotten and fo ul smelling
T he p utrid d ra in a ge in th e
ne ig hbo ur hoo d aff ec ted the
ch ild’s h ealth.
Q uanda ry ( N)
S: Rotte n ,
Po lluted
Q uarr y (N)
De c ay ed ,
A: Clean , Pure, Fresh
(ii) Waste ful
Py ro tec hnics ( N) A rt o f m akin g a nd us in g
fir eworks; A brilliant disp lay
of skills
T he p y ro te c hn ics u s ed in
oly mpics were fab ulous.
Q uack ( N)
Q
(i) An untr ained per son who
p ra ctice s
me d ic in e
fraudu lently
The whe reabouts of th e quack
wer e dis cover ed an d he was
arres ted.
Q ueasy (Adj)
Q uell ( V)
Q uave r (N)
S: I mp o ster ,
Ch ar la tan ,
Pre tend er
A: Scho lar
(ii) So und made by a duck
To d rink de eply a nd hear tily
On Christmas we quaf fed rum
and en joy ed whole night.
S: Swig, Gulp, Drain
Attra ctively old fash ioned
The quaint little village was frequented by tourists.
S: Old world, Charming
To re coil in fear
Th e ne rvo us stud en t q ua iled
when his name was called for
the interview.
S: Cowe r, Flin ch, Re coil
Plea sing, O dd an d old -f as hion ed
T he s o ld ie r ’s ma nn e rism s
th oug h qu ain t w ere ver y e ndear ing.
S: Fr ea kish
A: Mo de rn
Uneas iness
The murd erer had n o qua lms
a bo ut s tr an glin g his wife to
de ath.
S: Com pu n ctio n , Sc r up le ,
Ap pre he nsion
Dilemma
Govt is in quandary over disinvestmen t issue
S: Fix
(i) An animal etc bein g hunted
down
(ii) To extract laboriou sly from
bo oks
The dete ctive ’s f avour ite p ast
time was to quarry little known
facts from old f iles.
(iii) Exca vation m ade by r emo ving sto ne
Feeling sick.
I was little queasy by the idea of
play ing a serious prank on him.
S: Nauseous, Ill
To clam, stifle
It was hard to quell the enraged
public
S: Subdue, Quash
A: Pro voke, Inflame
To s hake or tremble (of v oice
or so und)
The y ou ng girl quaver ed when
she was accosted by her father.
MOUNTE BANK: on a
ben ch
T he
h is to ry
of
mo un te ba nk tie s in to
th ose ba rke rs who ta ke
y ou into sides show at the
circ us, a nd to the oldtime fakers who stepped
up on a soapbox and sold
In dia n sna ke oil c ure s.
Th e de riva tion o f th e
wo rd pr ove s the po in t.
Mountebank comes from
the Italian montambanco,
a contraction of the pharse
mo nta- in -b an co , tha t
r ea ds in tr an slatio n “
m ou nt-o n- be nc h. ” I n
Ita ly the m ontam ban co
w as a q ua ck
wh o
customarily perche d on
a be nc h to h aw k his
fr au du le nt w ar es , an d
gathered a crowed around
him w ith his j oke s a nd
juggling.
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LIV IN G HA ND TO
MOU TH
D ur in g th e
Gr ea t
D ep re ss io n an d othe r
time s of e co no mic
scarcity, people often did
not know when or where
th e ne xt m ea l wa s
coming from. In such a
c as e, w he n y o u ge t
something in y our hand
that can be eaten, it goes
into
th e
mo uth
imm ed ia te ly , he nc e
‘h and to m outh ’.
Q uer ulous (A dj ) In cline d to f in d f ault, Co mplaining
Her quer ulous attitude irritated
all her friends.
A: Che erfu l, Satis fied , Co nten t
Q ueas y (Adj)
Squeamish, Easily na useated
Q uot idian ( adj)
Comp uters have b ecome part
of over quotidian existence.
S: Customary, Common place
R
It is difficult f or a queas y person to live with coarse people.
Q uibble ( N)
S: Sic k, I ll
A p etty ev a sion , Cav il, To
ev ade tru th of a po int und er
discu ssion by c aving
Ra bble ( N)
Ra m’s quib blin g ha s le d to a
delay in arriving at a decision
on this critical is sue.
Q uie sce nt ( N)
Q uie tude ( N)
S: Pla cid
A: Active, Dy n amic
A state of being quiet
(ii) Inciting, Rou sing
(iii) Lowe r classes
Ra bid (Adj)
Ra cke t ( N)
Q uir k (N )
Ra conteur ( N)
Q uixo tic (Adj)
Q uizzica l (a dj )
Discha rge from a debt
With a h uge debt on he ad quittance would be a distant dream.
Ex tr ava gan tly c hivalrou s or
roma ntically idealistic
The old man’s quixo tic m annerisms were a d elight to watch
but totally impra ctic al.
Amused
The quizzical look on her face
had a purpose.
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Cla mo ur ,
A: P ea ce ,
Q uie tu de ,
Harm ony
A p er so n s kille d at te llin g
stor ies or anecd otes
He was a raconteur an d would
ca ptu re eve ry o ne’s a tte ntion
by his na rration.
Rage (N)
Violent
In ra ge he br oke h alf o f h is
house hold articles.
S: Wrath, Tempe r, Fero city
Ra il ( V)
Scold
He railed at his employ ees for
not meetin g their targ ets.
S: Baniste r, Bar
R ag amuf fin (N )
A d ir ty, ra gg e d
especially a child
By s om e stra ng e qu ir k, w e
ended up on same train.
Q uitt anc e ( N)
A: Sober, Sane, Rational
A noisy confu sion
S: N oise ,
Co mm otio n
Q uie tus ( N)
His quip remark surprised us.
S: Sally, Rep ort, J est
A sudd en turn or twist
Vio lent, Inte nse
He rush ed rabidly in fury.
S: Fra ntic , Fa natical
The boy s cre ated a ra cket at
the inte r-collegiate f estiv al.
The quie tude of the nuns is fascinatin g.
S: Rep ose, Tran quillity
A: Ac tivity, Move ment, Stir
Finishing strike, A ny thing that
ends an activity
Q uint es se nc e (N ) Th e pu re e ssen ce or p erfe ct
ty pe
The quin tessence of th e essay
is the values and morals of life.
S: E mb od im e nt, E pito me ,
Soul
Q uip (Adj)
A witty or sarcastic remark
(i) A M ob, Disorderly crowd
The rabb le turned violent when
the p o lice star ted b e atin g
the m.
S: Cana ille, Crowd
S: Dodge
A: Speakplainly, Guilelessness
Quiet, still, I nactive
The Bla ck p lagu e wh ich was
quiesc ent for ce nturies, s truck
aga in.
S: Ques tionin g, Puzzled
Daily
p er so n
I n slu ms y o u f in d m an y
r ag am u ff in s w h o ar e v er y
talented, they just n eed to be
ch anne lize d.
R akish (N )
Ra lly ( Adj)
(i) Gay and dashing, Carefree
Sm ita w as in a ra kish mo od
after winning the lotte ry.
(ii) Lo oking s ma rt an d a s if
built fo r speed
(i)To co me together to support
(ii)Give new str ength
(iii)Ga thering or a ssembly
(iv)A co ntest of motor vehicle
endurance
Rambunctious (Adj) Diso rderly, Boister ous, Un ruly
The c rowd was rambunc tious
at the in ter-co llegiate me et.
A: Con formist, Su bvers ive
Ra uc ous ( Adj)
R amif ic at io n (N ) A r es u lt, Con s eq ue n ce , A
bra nch
Ra ve nous ( Adj)
T he
p olic e
ar e
still
investigating th e ramifica tions
of the plo t.
Ra mpant ( Adj)
S: Sub divisions
Widesprea d, Raging
We eds w ere ra mp ant in the
gard en.
S: Lu xur ia nt
A: Meager
R amshac kle (A dj ) Loose an d rickety likely to fall
to piec es
Th e fo rt w as in an o ld a nd
r am sh a ckle co n ditio n an d
re qu ir ed s om e re pa ir to be
don e.
Ra ncid (Adj)
Ra ncour ( N)
S: Sha ky
Havin g the bad smell or taste
of stale fats o r oils, Sp oiled
Th e cu rd ha s tu rne d ra nc id
do n’t hav e it.
S: Stin king ,
O f fe ns ive ,
Decay ing
A: Sweet, Fresh, Fr agrant
A co ntinuing bitter ha te or ill
will
He co ntinued to bear ra ncour
long a fter the qu arrel.
S: Malice, Enm ity, Ha tred
A: Frien dship, L ove, Res pect
R ankle (V )
To feste r, To cau se ir ritation
The insult rankled in his mind
until he retaliated.
S: Irr itate , An noy, Irk
Ra ns ac k (V )
To p lunder , pillage
Th e bur glars h ad ra nsa cked
eve n the close ts.
S: Rummage
A: Res tor e,
Redress
Ra pa cious ( Adj)
Rapport (N)
Ra ze ( V)
Re buke ( V)
A public rebuke for the faux pas
is well deserved.
Recalcitrant (Adj) Refu sing to obey autho rity
The recalcitrant s tudent body
did not heed the warn ings of
the princip al.
S: H ea ds tro n g, O b stina te ,
Rebellious
A: Amenable,Docile, Obedient
The ac t of going back
Man’s inventions of sophisticated
ar ms m erely in dica te h is
regression to primitive times.
S: Re vers ion, Retrogr ession
A: Progre ss, Advanc ement
R ehabilit at e (V ) To p ut bac k to u seful life
It is difficult to rehabilitate an
o bs tina te pa tie nt s u ff er in g
from Le prosy.
S: Restore , Cure
A: Ruin , Destroy
Re joinde r ( N)
A n an sw e r es p ec ia lly to a
reply
H er
re jo ind e r to
th e
acc usations levelled a t her is
no t c onv in cin g.
Re gr es sion ( V)
Re ckles s ( Adj)
Co m pe ns a te ,
Greedy, Voracious
The rap acio us sh arks pre y ed
on th e dy ing man.
S: G ra sp ing , Ava ric io us ,
Wo lf is h
Sy m pa th e tic r elatio n sh ip ,
Harm ony
His interferenc e disturbe d the
rapport we had establis hed with
th e p atients.
S: Acc ord
A: Hatred, Enmity, Animosity
Hoa rse, Irr itating
The rauco us la ugh o f the old
man s cared the little c hild.
Greedy, Very hungry
The beg gar had the bu rden of
feeding ten ravenous c hildren.
S: Vorac ious
A: Assuage d, Full
Destroy c ompletely
Ts un am i ra zed s om e of the
tribe s inhabiting the is land.
S: Demo lish, Annihilate
A: Con struct, Put up
Scold
Re leg at e ( V)
S: Answ er, Retort, Reply
Unrestrained
Reckless driving can be dangerou s.
S: Wild, Unc ontrolled
A: Cautious , Alert
To consign or assign es pecially
to an infe rio r po sition
The old chair was rele gated to
a back office.
FRANKENSTEIN :
one wh o is destro yed by
it’s own cr eation
F ra nk en s te in wa s a
char acter in a nove l by
M ar y She lley , f re e
thin king wif e of th e
British p oet. T he author
pictu red Franke nstein, in
he r sto ry , a s a stu de nt
w ho c on str uc te d a
mons ter out of mate rial
th at h e stole fr om the
dissecting laborato ry and
the g ra ve y ar d. T his
mo ns te r had a c er ta in
h um an ity , bu t h e wa s
too h o rr ib le to b e
accepted by other human
beings. He was so enraged
by this that he tur ned on
th e Fr an k en s te in , h is
c re ato r, in s av ag e
rev enge a nd killed h im.
T hu s th e na me o f th e
s tu de n t be ca m e th e
sy mb olic na me for one
who is detroy ed by his
own works ; but, larg ely
the m ov ie s, the n am e
Fr anke nste in
ha s
now co me to be attached
to the mo ns te r ins te ad
of his creator.
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CHINK IN THE A ARMOUR
‘Ch in k’ is an o bs cu re w or d
meaning a slit, fissure or weak
sp ot tha t ca n le av e on e
vulnerable. Hence, ‘Chink in the
armour’ means a weak spot in
ones , protection or plan.
Unwilling, Disinclined
He was r eluctant to en ter into
a pa rtnersh ip with us.
S: Une nthu siastic, Oppo sed
A: Willin g, Eager, Ready
R eminisc enc e (N )Remembrance
T he o ld f rien d s ex ch an ge d
reminisc ences of their college
day s.
S: No stalgia, Rec olle ctio n,
Mu sing
Re miss ( Adj)
Care less
S: Negligent, Unmin dful
A: Car e fu l,
Sc r up ulo us ,
Mindf ul
R ende zv ous (N ) A m eetin g, App ointm ent
My re nde zvo us with my
favourite star is unforgettable.
S: Try st, As signm ent
Re ndit io n (N )
A Ren de rin g, Pe rfo rma nc e,
Tr ans lation etc.
H er m e lo diou s v oic e wa s
p ar ticu lar ly s u ited fo r th e
ren dition o f light song s.
Re neg ade ( N)
On e who a ba ndo ns a pa rty,
mo ve me nt etc. , To jo in the
o pp os itio n
A ba nd of a rm y ren eg ad es
roamed the west.
S: Ap ostate , Tur nco at
Re neg e ( V)
To go back on a p romise
He r r ene ged on h is off er to
enterta in th e ch ildr en.
R enunc ia tio n (N ) Reno uncing, self-de nial
T he r e nu nc iation o f h ig h
office w as expected af ter, the
scan dal.
S: Rej ectio n, Rep udiation
A: Acce ptance , Rece ipt
Re pa rat ion ( N)
A m akin g o f am en ds ,
Com pe n sa tion , Som e th in g
done to make up for a wrong
Rep ar a tion o f p olicy is
esse ntial to ensu re gro wth.
S: A to ne m en t,
Re pa ir ,
Recom pense
A: Levy , Impos e, Dis tain
Repartee (N)
Qu ick witty reto rt
H is h u mo r ou s r ep a rtee s
enlivened the du ll par ty.
S: Ban te r , J ou sting , Wor d
Play
Re pe rc us sion ( N) A rebo und, After effect
The repercussio ns of world war
I were e xperienced all over the
wor ld.
S: Eff ect, E cho
Reperto ire (N)
The s tock of play s, songs etc.
tha t a c om pa n y sing e r is
prep ared w ith, Storeho use
P C Sor ca r h a s a w id e
r ep er to ire o f tricks u p his
slee ve.
Re luc tant ( N)
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Re pine ( V)
Re ple te (Adj)
To fe el or expr ess discon tent,
Co mp la in
In ste ad of re pinin g a t one ’s
de stiny , o ne sho uld a lwa y s
achieve successby perseverance.
Plen tifully supp lied
The poet led a life replete with
adv entu re.
S: Full, Surfeited, Ab undant
A: Star ved, E mpty
Re pr ehe nd ( V)
To rebu ke, blame or censure
Her behaviour was reprehended
by every one at home.
A: Co nd on e
Re prisa l ( N)
Re veng e, Retaliation
Th e u nd erw orld g ang lord ’s
reprisal was quick and brutal.
S: Pay back, Pun ishm ent
Reproba te ( V)
(i) A wicked person
( ii) Ex p re ss disa pp r ov al,
Cens ure
Britis he rs c r ue lity wa s
reprobate by freedom f ighters
peacef ully.
Rec ant (V)
To renou nce fo rmally (on e’s
belief s, remarks etc.)
No a mount of cajo ling c ould
make the girl recant her belief.
S: Retrac t, Abjure, Deny
A: Admit, Proclaim, Affirm
Re ca pit ulate ( V) To repeat, To summar ize
Th e j udg e r eca pitulate d the
eviden ce for the jury.
Re ce ns io n (N )
A revisio n o f th e text bas ed
on a s tudy of so urces
Mos t tale s of British strategy
in world war II will ha ve to be
recensed if the issue of codes
prove s to be true.
Re che rché (Adj) Too unusual or ob scure to be
easily unders tood.
Rec ipro cal (V)
In
re tur n;
M u tu al;
comp lementary
She e xp e cted a re cip ro ca l
favou r from he r friend when
she le nt them he r car.
S: Eq uiv ale nt
A: Unilate ral
Re condit e (Adj)
Bey ond ordinary understanding
T he r ec o nd ite w ritin gs o f
the or etic al p h y s ic is ts w er e
some of the collections in the
museum.
S: Esoteric, Abstruse, Obscure
A: Popular, Common, General
Re co nnoit re ( V) To surve y a region esp ecially
f or
o b ta ining
militar y
inf ormation of the en emy
The detectiv es r econn oitr eed
the te rr ain to o btain s om e
use ful infor mation.
S: Survey
Rec reant (A dj)
Cowardly, Unfaithful, Traitorous
The king died broke n-hear ted
bec ause o f his son’s recre ant
show n on the battle field.
S: Tim id, M ean- spirited
A: Brave
R ec rimina t io n (V )
To ans wer an accu ser by
a cc us ing h im in r e tu rn ,
Counter charge
The angry salesman exchanged
rec rimin atio ns.
S: A cc us a tion , Rep r oa ch ,
Alleg ation
Recrudesc ence (N) The app earance of so mething
un ple asa nt
N ob o dy
e x pe c te d
this
recrudes cence of plagu e after
th e po or mon soon s.
Re ctitude ( N)
M or al u p righ tne ss , Str ic t
ho ne sty
A man of r ectitud e do es n ot
reneg e on a pro mise.
S: Mor ality, Goodn ess
A: Deceit, Cunning, Tr ickery
Re cumbent (A dj ) Ly ing down, Reclining
Th e re cumb ent sta tue of the
mother a nd child won the first
pr ize.
Rec uper ate (V)
To get we ll again
I t to ok so me time f o r th e
y oung bo y to recuperate after
th e o pera tio n.
S: Con vales ce, M end
A: Relapse , We aken , Sink
Redac t (V)
To e dit
Alway s w rite with pass ion and
redact w ith care
Re do und (V )
To co ntribute to s omeb ody ’s
re pu tatio n.
M y me n tion in the bo ar d
m ee tin g by c h airm a n wa s
eno ugh to redou nd.
S: Pr om ote
Refe ctory (N)
Dining h all as in a mo nastery
In my b oarding school we had
a lar ge re fec to ry of se ating
capa city of more than 5 00.
Re fec tio n ( N)
A ligh t meal
After a refection, I ca n go the
w ho le da y w ith ou t h av in g
an y thing
Ref racto ry (A dj) (i) H ard to man age, obstinate
The refr actory child p roved to
be gr eat trouble at the p arty.
S: Rec alc itra n t,
Hea dstr ong
U n ru ly ,
A: Docile, Tractable, Amenable
(ii) Ha rd to melt ( metals)
Re fulg ent ( Adj)
Shin ing, Radiant, Glow ing
The re fulgent stick highlighted
the spot where the trea sure was
buried.
S: Sh inin g, Brillia nt
A: Dull
Re furbish ( V)
Re gale ( V)
To f reshen or po lish a gain
The refu rbished old de sks were
don ated to th e or phana ge.
S: Renovate, Restore, Smarten
up
To en te rta in
T he f ilm s ta r r eg ale d th e
audience on the New Ye ar eve.
Re gic ide ( N)
A killing of a king
He was decapitated for regicide.
Re gnant ( V)
Ruling, predominant, prevalent
I lliter a cy w a s re gn a nt in
medieval times.
S: Re igning
Rev erie (N)
Day -dream
He was shaken ou t of his reverie
by the groun d realities of life
arou nd.
Re vile ( V)
To use abusive la nguage
He reviled the traito r on the
sena te flo or.
S: Execra te, Rail, Slander
Rev ocable ( N)
Rhapso dy ( N)
A: Praise , Laud, Eu logise
That wh ich can be withdrawn,
repealed or cancelled (a law etc)
This license is revoc able.
An y ecs ta tic o r enthu sia stic
speec h or writing
He went into a rhapsod y about
life in the w oods.
S: Rap ture , Enthusiasm
A: Gloom, Darkness, Shade
Rhetor ic ( N)
T he a r t o f us ing wo rd s
eff ectiv ely e spec ially the art
of pros e co mpos itio n.
C A N T ER B U R Y
BELLS: flowers
These dainty flowers are
so n amed be cause they
re sem ble the be lls th at
jan gled o n the horse of
the Ca nterbu ry pilgrims
whom the poet Ch aucer
has told us about.
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BEYOND THE PALE
The ‘pale’ derives from
p alin g wh ic h me an s
fe nc e. Fen ce s ar e
er ec te d to d ef in e
bo un da ries . To b e
‘b ey on d th e pa le ’
im plie s th at o ne is
o utside o f de fine d
boundaries.
Ribald (Adj)
Ricochet ( V)
Rigmaro le ( N)
Rife (Adj)
Ripos te (Adj)
Risible (V )
Rococ o (N)
Ro tund (Adj)
Ro ué ( N)
Rubicund ( Adj)
R udiment (N )
Rue ( N)
R uminat e (V )
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S: Pub lic
Coars e or vulgar in j oking
Th e riba ld la ng uag e wa s in
striking c ontr ast to the subtle
humo ur of the story.
S: Dir ty, Filthy
A: G ra ce fu l,
Po lish ed ,
De ce nt
Th e g la ncing reb oun d of an
object after str iking a su rface
at any angle
It is unfortunate that the bullet
rico cheted an inn ocent man.
Co nf us in g an d lo ng w in de d
pro cedu re; Long, wan dering,
meaningless s tory
The spea ker tired his audience
with his long rigmarole before
he came to th e point.
Teem ing
Indian democrac y is rife with
limitatio n.
S: Wide spread, Rampant
A: Spa rse, thin
A shar p swift re sponse
T he g e ntle ma n ’s r ipo ste
silen ced the boor.
S: Re tort, Re partee
Causin g laughter, Funny
The writer contrive d a ris ible
s itua tion in the m ov ie w ith
gre at de xterity.
S: Ludic rous
A n ela bo ra te sty le o f
ar chitec tur e a nd dec ora tio n,
Foliag e, Scrolls etc.
Plu mp
T he r o tu nd little wo ma n
enlivened the du ll par ty.
S: Obe se, Corpulent
A: Lea n, La nky
A n eld er ly m a n giv en to
immo ral con duct, Rake
Don’s ro ué came for ex tortion.
Reddish , Ruddy
A: Pale, Pallid
A firs t principal, as of a s ubject
The rudiments of Fr ench are
quite easy to g rasp.
To regr et
She rued the fact that she had
enr olle d fo r th e co mpetitio n.
S: Remor seful, L ament
To m editate or ref lect
He rumin ated over the incident
all day.
S: Ref lect, Pon der
To ra nsa ck
Th e th ie ve s ru mm ag ed the
close t.
S: Plun der, Pillory
Runt ( N)
A weak person
D on ’t b e r un t, b e b ra ve to
su rviv e.
Rusticat e ( V)
To go o r s end to live in the
co untry
T he s tu de nt w as r us tica te d
f ro m c olleg e f or ba d
behav iour.
R ut hles s (N )
Withou t p ity or c omp assion
The ruth less murderer did not
spar e even the inf ant.
S: Cru el,
P itile ss ,
Unmer ciful
A: Merc iful, Sy mpath etic
Reproof (V)
(i) Blame, Find fault
Teachers all over the w orld are
que stion ing the u se of pub lic
rep roof of s tuden ts.
S: Rebuke, censure
A: Credit,
Praise,
Commendation
(ii) Make w ater p roof
Re pudia te ( V)
To d isown, To re ject
She ela r ep u diate a ll lo an s
incurr ed by her hu sband.
S: Discard, Disclaim
A: A cc ep t,
Af firm ,
Acknowle dge
Re pugnance ( N) Dis taste, Avers ion
T he re pu g na n ce w h ic h
crudenes s inspires is un iversal.
S: Hatred, A pathy , Dislike
A: A dm ir atio n ,
Lo ve ,
Ad ora tion
Re quie m (N )
Funeral hy mn, A mass for the
dead
In requiem father praised the
de mise d on e’s wor ks f or the
poo r.
Re quite ( V)
To r epay fo r benef it, ser vice
or in jury
She r e qu ite d h er f r ie nd s
kindness by buy ing her a flat.
S: R e c o m p e n s e ,
Co mpe nsa te
A: Slight, Pa rdon , Ov erlo ok
Re sc ind ( V)
To re vo ke or Can cel ( a law
etc .)
D ue to p ub lic p r otes t, th e
Governme nt had to resc ind the
ob noxious movie.
S: Annu l, Can cel
A: Com m is sio n, De le g ate
Adva nce
R umma g e (V )
Re silience ( V)
Rec ov er in g stre ng th , sp ir its
etc.
Fe ar of d ivine re tribu tio n is
on e of the saf egua rd a gain st
sinn in g.
Ch ildr en re cup er ate q uickly
after an illness on a ac count of
their natu ral re silien ce.
S: Rev en ge , Ven ge an ce ,
Re ta lia tion
S: Buoy ancy, Elasticity
A: Susceptibility, Vulnerability
Re splende nt (Adj) Shining brightly, D azzling
Ret rieve (V)
S: Br illia nt
A: Dull
Re st it ut io n (V )
Giving b ack something that has
b ee n los t o r taken aw ay ,
Re stora tion
Af ter the Zam ind ari s y stem
was a bolished, the lands were
r es tituted to the ir rig htfu l
owne rs.
A: Re ta in
Re tr og res sion ( V)Mo ving ba ckwa rd e spe cially
into a w orse c ondition
T he f a mily r e tr og r es se d
fin ancially after the death of
its brea dwinner.
S: Regre ssion, D eteriora tion,
Decline
S: Re par ation
Res tive (Adj)
Unr uly, Imp atie nt
A c alm d es ce n de d o n th e
re stiv e sp ec ta to rs w he n th e
popular cricketer appear ed on
the fie ld.
S: Restless, Impatient, Unruly
A: Pro gress ion
Ret rospective ( V) Lo oking b ack at the pa st
In retro spect I feel tha t I have
fulfilled all my amb itions.
S
A: Quiet, Peaceful, Docile
Re surge nce ( N)
Tend ing to rise a gain
Th er e wa s a re su rg en ce o f
crime all over the country after
th e terr orist a tta cke d it.
Re susc it at io n (V ) To re vive , ( whe n a ppar ently
dead or in a faint state)
Sa ble (N )
In s pite of all attem pts at
resuscitation, the cancer patient
could not be saved.
Re tice nt ( N)
Sile nt, Rese rved
Sh e is re tice nt by n atu re b ut
becomes communicative in the
pres ence of her pare nts.
Ret ract ion (V)
A rec en t s urv ey ala rm s the
dwindlin g population of sables.
Sa bot ag e ( N)
Ver bo se ,
( i) To d r aw b a ck or in
(sta tement, charge etc)
H e d em an d ed a pu b lic
re trac tion of the stor y.
(ii) Move ba ck or in side
Re trench ( V)
To cu t d ow n ( es pe c ia lly
exp ense s)
Sev er a l old w o rker s w er e
r etre n ch ed in a n e ff o rt to
ind uc e n ew b loo d in to th e
or ga nizatio n.
S: Eco nomise
Re tr ibut io n (N )
Dese rved p unishm ent
(i) Small animal valued for its
black fur
(ii) Dark, Africa n ante lope
(iii) Black, G loomy
S: Tac itur n, L acon ic
A: G ar ru lo us ,
Loqua cious
A: Clem en cy , Fo rg iv en es s,
Mercy
To g et bac k, Rec over
T he b all tha t Ten du lka r hit
had to be re trie ved f rom the
stand s.
Malicio us
Th ey s uspe ct s abo tage to be
cause of accident.
S: Dama ge, Disr upt.
(i) Of priests or office of priest
(ii)Sy stem of gov ernm ent in
whic h pries ts dominate
A sacerdotal form of government
promoted nepotism.
Sa cro sanct (Adj) Very sac red, holy or in violable
Sa cer dota l ( N)
Th e sa cr os anc t te mp le w as
sullied by blasphemiou s act of
pr ie st.
A: Un ho ly
Sadism (N )
Seeking pleasure from hurting
o th er s
T he P rin cipa l a cc us e d th e
student of sadism when he ill-
COW SLIP : co w du ng
A f lo we r with a n
un ro ma ntic n am e th at
comes from Old English
cu -s ly pp e, cu , “ co w” ,
and slyppe, “slime”, that
is , “c ow d un g. ” Th e
cowslip grows especially
we ll in pa sture s w hich
p ar tially e xp la in s th e
name . Anoth er for m of
th e wo rd ap pe ar in g in
Midd le
E ng lish a s
cou slop pe g ave us slop
and sloppy.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 113 of 131
trea ted all his fellow-stude nts.
S: Agg ressive, H ostility
LUCKY STIFF
‘Stiff’ is d efine d as an
or dina ry p er so n, a n
av er ag e Jo e, e ve n a
failure or flop. A ‘lucky
stiff’ then is an average
Joe who got lucky. The
suggestion here is that the
person was undeserving
and unworthy, just lucky.
Sa ga cious (A dj )
Salac io us (A dj )
Showin g good jud gment
One shou ld alway s seek advice
from a sagacious man.
S: Keen, Discerning, Shrewd
A: Foo lish , Silly, Irr atio nal
E ro tic
In marke t there is mor e of sala ciou s no ve l tha n a de ce nt
on e.
S: Scandalou s, Spicy
Sa lient (A dj )
Sa lly (N )
Con spic uous , Pr omin ent
T he s alien t fe a tu re s o f th e
la ndsc ape were th e to wering
m ou nta in s an d b ea u tifu l
flow ering tr ees.
S: Ou tsta nding
A: Hid den
( i) Sud de n b re aking o ut b y
soldier s surrounded b y enemy
(ii) Lively, Witty rem ark
The sally com ment given by
him made every one bur st into
laugh ter.
Salubr io us (A dj ) Hea lthy, Wholes ome
Salubrious sea air is very helpful
in curin g as thmatic pa tien ts.
S: Wholesome, Respectable
Sa lutar y ( Adj)
Bene ficial, Whole some
His initial day s of penu ry had a
salutary effect on his career.
S: Good, Remedial
A: H ar mf ul,
De trim ental
Sa ma rita n (N )
His sane suggestions impressed
me.
S: Ra tion al, Sou nd
A: Irr ation al, I llogical
Sanguina ry (A dj ) A cc om pa nie d by m uc h
bloodshed or murder
T he s a ng uin ar y b attle o f
Ku rukshe tra te ac hes a gre at
moral to ever y one.
A: Non -viole nt, Pe ace-lo ving
Sanguine (A dj ) (i) Cheer ful, O ptimis tic
A sanguine man sees th e world
through rose coloured glasses.
S: En thu siastic
A: D es pa iring , D ow n ca st,
Pes simis tic
(ii) Ha ving a red com plexion
Sa rdonic ( Adj)
Scorn ful or bitterly sarc astic
Sa rto ria l ( N)
Sa ta n (N )
Sa tiety ( N)
N ox io us ,
Sat ur nine (N )
Perso n who helps someo ne in
tr oub le
We n eed s ama ritan s o a s to
make this world a better place
to liv e.
Sanctif icat ion (V) Co nse cr ation
Sa nctification sho uld in clu de
mor al p urity to o.
Sa uc y ( Adj)
Sh e was a s auc y child w ho
s po ke
r ud e ly
to
he r
gra ndmoth er.
S: In so le nt
A: Modest, Humble
Sa nctimonious (Adj) Pretending to be p ious
The sanctimonious lecture on
duty and idea ls is a f ront for
his licentious way s.
Sa nc tua ry ( N)
Sa ne ( Adj)
S: Smug, Pious, Self righteous
A ho ly p la ce o r a plac e of
refu ge or protec tion
The lion sanctu ary was guarded
w ith g re at c a re a g ains t
poa cher s.
S: Refuge , Asy lum, Shelter
Reaso nable, Sen sible
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Her s ardonic ex pression irked
me.
S: Mo ckin g, Ridiculing
A: Pleasa nt
Co nc ern ed with clothes a nd
ta ilo ring
The s artorial s plendour o f the
Edwardian dandy was fascinating.
Dev il
Do n’t fo llow a Sata n, it will
lea d to destr uction on ly.
S: Villian , Demon
A: Fr ie nd
Being fully satisfied
He was s tuffed to satiety with
Ita lian foo d.
A: Wa nt, Sta rva tion
Sluggish, Gloomy, Grave
D on ’t be misle d b y his
s atur n in e loo ks ; h e c an b e
d ev as ta ting ly f as t wh en h e
wan ts to.
S: Sullen, Sombre
A: Cheerful, Gay
Rude, I mpudent
Sa vant ( N)
Sc at hing ( Adj)
A learne d person
Kin g Har sha wa s a s avant in
all fields of lea rning.
S: Scho lar
A: Illitera te
Harsh or severe
My b os s’s s ca th ing r em ar k,
made m e grew rebellious.
S: Sco rnfu l, M ocking
A: Complimentary , flatte ring
Sce ptre (N)
Schism (N )
Scint illa (N )
Sc le ros is ( N)
Sc rimmag e (N )
A staf f h eld by a r ule r as a
sy mbol of sovere ignty.
A sceptr e carried by r uler had
diam ond im pregna ted on it.
A s pilt (e sp in a c h ur ch )
b ec au s e of dif fe re n ce o f
opinion , do ctrine e tc
Though we were good friends
some time ago, a sch ism now
divides us in principle.
S: Rif t, D ivision, Rupture
A spec k, A tiny amount
In spite of r epea ted inquir es,
the ins pector c ould not get a
scintilla of evidence a bout the
murder.
An abnor mal hardening of soft
body tissues
Sclerosis is a common problem
in winter.
A confused struggle
The actu al culprit man aged to
get awa y in the scr immage.
S: Tu ss le
Scr upulo us (A dj ) Con sc ie ntio us ly h on es t an d
careful o f details
He ma in tained a scr up ulo us
acco unt of a ll expen ses.
S: Pun ctilious, Princip led
A: Remis s, Negligent
A small fight
D on ’t ge t inv olv e in th es e
scuf fle, th ey will bring a bad
name to y ou.
S: Brawl, Fra y, farces
Scurr ilous (A dj ) Vulgarly abusive
The scur rilous languag e of the
author was criticized.
S: Abusive,Vituperative, Vulgar
Se amy (A dj )
Unpleasant or so rdid
The tru thfu l na rration of h er
se amy e xpe rie nc es sho cked
the viewers.
Sc uf fle ( N)
Se cular ( Adj)
Se dat e (Adj)
S: Seedy, Squalid, Rough
A: Ple asant, Dec ent
Not bou nd by a monas tic vow
or relig ion
India is a secular, de mocratic
repub lic.
A: Religious, Spiritual
Sob er ,
Ser io u s
an d
u ne mo tio na l, Ca lm an d
comp osed
M os t sa ints h av e a s ed ate
demeanour.
S: Serene
Se de nt ary ( Adj)
Sedime nt (N )
Se duce ( V)
Sedulo us (A dj )
A: Merc urial, Frivo lous
Marked by much s itting
Some writers lead a se dentary
lif e.
S: I na ctive , Sitting , D es k
bound
A: Pe ripa tetic
M atte r tha t s ettle s to th e
bottom o f liq uid
Be caus e of def ores tation o ne
co uld fin d sed im en t b ro ug ht
down b y water bo dies.
To tem pt into wr ong -doing
He was seduced by dr eams of
wealth an d power.
S: Allure, I nveigle, Entice
A: Protect, Guide, Dis courage
Dilige nt, Pers iste nt
Her sedu lous devotion to studies
fetched her good re sults.
S: Attentive , In dus trio us
A: L etha r gic, I n diff e re nt,
In do le nt
Self-contained (Adj) Co mplete within itse lf
Ou rs is a se lf- co nta in ed flat
with all a menities.
Semblanc e (N )
Outward a ppearance
T he r o om to ok o n s om e
se mblanc e o f o rd er after an
hou r’s c leaning.
S: Likenes s, Form
Senile (A dj )
Old & mentally weak
I believed senility is a curs e, but
I was wrong.
Sente nt io us (A dj )Trite, Conc ise
His s ententious speeches were
brief but packe d with thoug ht.
S: M ea nin gf ul, Suc c in ct,
Pith y
Sentient (N )
Ser endipit y (N )
O f or c a pa ble o f fe e ling ,
Con scio us
He w as s entie nt of p ro blem
faced by v illagers.
A n ap p ar en t a cc id e ntal,
fortunate discov ery
In dian a Jon es ’ se ren dipito us
na tur e is th e c aus e o f all h is
adv entur es.
S: Chan ce, Fate, Des tiny
Se rrie d ( V)
A: Design, Plan, In tend
Placed close tog ether
The ser ried ran ks o f ch ildr en
in the lo tus flo wer for mation
NA RCI SSUS : in lo ve
with ones elf
Th e histor y of this
flowe r - nam e lea ds us
in to a n in vo lv ed lov e
story of the Grecian gods
w hich
e ve ntua lly
con tributed thr ee use ful
w or ds to th e En glis h
language. Echo, daughter
of air and e arth, was an
attendant on Hera, queen
of the h ea ve ns . Sh e
hap pened to of fend her
mistre ss, how eve r, a nd
f or p un is hm en t wa s
de pr ive d o f all sp ee ch
save the power to repeat
such words as migh t be
s aid to h er b y othe rs .
Hence our word echo. In
sp ite of h er h an dica p,
s he f ell ho pe le ss ly in
lo ve with the be au tif ul
y outh Nar ciss us, son of
a rive r go d, b ut h e
spurned her love and as a
result Ec ho faded away
until only h er bones and
he r vo ice wer e le ft. In
order to punish Narcissus
for his crime N emes is,
g od de ss o f ve ng en ce ,
ma de the y o uth fa ll in
lo ve w ith his ow n
ref lection in the waters
of a fountain; and s ince
suc h love s as this co uld
never be consumm ated,
Narcissus pined away and
fina lly c ha ng ed in to a
flower . So from this we
have our word echo, the
Freudian term narcissism,
and the narcissus itse lf,
with its han ds ome a nd
usua lly white or y e llow
flowers.
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CHOCK FU LL
‘Cho ck’ ha s se ve ra l
de finition s. One is ‘as
close or as completely
a s po ss ib le ’. H en ce ,
‘Ch oc k Fu ll’ me an s
lite rally to be as c lose
as possible to being full.
p re se n te d an im pr e ss iv e
spe ctac le.
Se squicentennial (N )A per iod of 1 50 y ea rs
E ve n a fter
co mp letin g
ses quicen tennia l, the build ing
loo ke d a s if c om p le te d
y esterday.
Sha mbles (N )
Sine cure ( N)
A Scene o f gre at de struction
or dis order
Th e ro om wa s in sh am bles
af ter the figh t.
Sinuo us (A dj )
S: Mess, Muddle
A: Order
Shibbo le t h (N )
Shift le s s (A dj )
A ny p h ra se , c u stom etc. ,
pe cu liar to a ce rtain clas s,
often considere d as outd ated.
Ob so le te s hibbo le th s of the
p as t mu s t be disc ar d ed in
flavou r of new cu stoms.
Incap able, Ine fficient, Lazy
A
c om p ac t gr o up o f
ha rdw orking stud ents is a ny
day better than a larg e group
of shiftless on es.
A: Active, Alert
Shilly- sha lly (N ) To be ir re so lu te, Va cillate
espe cially o ver trif les.
Sheela was alway s shilly -shally
re gar ding he r d res s, a lwa y s
confu sed.
Shoddy ( Adj )
Side re al ( N)
Silt ( N)
Simpe r (V )
Simula te (V )
Sc eptic ( N)
Sket chy (A dj )
Skinf lint (A dj )
S: Va cilla tio n, Irr eso lu tio n,
Ind ecis ion
A: Determ ination, Obs tinacy
Sham, I nferior
I never appreciate one buy ing
shod dy produ cts.
Siby l (N )
Sire ( N)
S: Slap dash, Inf erior
A p ro p he te ss of a n cien t
Greece or Rome
Of or expresse d in refe rence
to the sta rs
He b lames his mis fortun e on
sider eal influe nces.
S: Starry, Astral
A fine-grained sandy sediment
carried or deposited b y water.
State governme nt has b anned
use of silt for cons truction.
To smile in a silly or affected
way
The sim pering clown won the
applause of the audien ce with
his funny a cts.
S: Smirk, Grin, Leer, Sneer
To give a fa lse ap pear anc e,
Feign
She s imu la te d inn o ce nc e
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Skir mish (N )
Skitt ish (A dj )
Slande r (V )
throug h she was g uilty.
S: Pr eten d, I mita te
A: Genuine, Original
Any position that bring s profit
without involv ing m uch w ork
H av in g h e ld a sin ec ur e
po sition all th ese y e ars , s he
fou nd it difficu lt to ad just to
the n e w consc ientious work
en vir on men t.
Curv ed, Win ding
Th e wa y up to Sh ikha rj i is
sinu ous an d tiring.
A: Stra ig ht
A fath er or fore father
Bhishma was the rever ed sire
of the Kurus.
One w ho habitu ally ques tions
the matters gen erally accepted
He was s uch a sceptic that he
would c heck for himse lf when
told that the sun h ad ris en.
S: Cy n ic ,
Dis be liev er ,
Do ubter
Rough o r rapid
As his ans wer s w ere r ath er
sketc hy, he sco red less marks
in the exam.
Mis er
Th e s kin flint’s wif e f ou nd it
difficult to run the ho use with
a m ea gr e a mo un t tha t he r
husband g ave her.
S: Niggard
A: Sp en dth rift
Sligh t battle b etween opp osite
sid es.
The central govt of ficer s kirmish es with EC.
S: Conte st, Enc ounter
Live ly, pla y ful
She is too skittish to be trusted
w ith s uc h a n imp o rtan t
ass ignme nt.
S: Fidg ety, Ner vous
A: Bold, Au dacious
To say untrue
Even sla nder couldn’t b ring ill
fame to his re pute.
S: Ins ult, Malign, libel.
Slat ter n ( Adj)
A slo venly or sluttish woman
The slatternly way s of his wife
irritated him
A: Dainty, N eat
Sleight (A dj )
Skill, w ith th e h an ds ,
e sp ec ially in d ec e iv in g
onlo okers a s in m agic
Slit he r (V )
Slug ga rd ( N)
Smea r (V )
Smirk (N )
A magician’s chief asse t is his
sle ight of ha nd.
To slip, slide or glide along
The snake slithered fo rward on
the grou nd.
A lazy person
A sluggard never works f or a
living .
S: Pas sive , In dole nt
A: Active, E nerge tic
To make dirty mar ks.
His pa intin g a pp ea red to be
mere s mear on ca nvass.
S: Spread, Coat, Dumb
To s mile in a c on ceited a nd
complac ent way
H e lo st his s mirk w h en h e
realized that it was he who had
been ch eated.
Solec is m (N )
Solic it ude (N )
S: An xie ty
A: Apathy, In differ ence
Solit ude (N )
An noy in gly se lf -sa tis fied or
com plac ent
S: Con ceit, Self indulg ent
Sly ly m alicious or d erisive
So ma tic (N )
Of the body, Phy sical
This jo b demands both mental
and s omatic agility.
A: Men tal, Spiritu al
So p ( N)
Some thing given to app ease
As the ch ild w as c rea ting a
r ac ke t at the pa rty, h e wa s
offered a chocolate as sop.
So phis tr y (N )
So por ific ( V)
Misleading but c lever reasoning
No am ount of s ophistry could
convince the judge afte r he had
d ec id ed tha t th e ar gu me nts
were h ollow.
Causing sleep
So rdid (Adj)
Grandmothers narrated soporific
stories to put children to sleep.
S: H y p no tic ,
H ea vy ,
M on oton ou s
A: Stimula ting , In spir ing
Wretched, Foul
I h ate people wh o pas s sn ide
re marks a t innoc ent pa sser sby.
S: Sneer, Sly ness
Snub (N )
So br iquet ( N)
So da lity ( N)
So la ce ( N)
A: Pra ising , Eu logizing
To treat with s corn o r disd ain
etc.
She was alway s snubbed by her
friends whe n sh e tr ied to p ut
for th h er po int o f view.
S: Ignore , Slight, Rebuff
A: Admit, Acknow ledge
A nic kname
So me au th ors w rite und er a
sob riqu et.
A s ociety of Roman Catho lic
Church members for re ligious
or c haritable purpo ses.
Com fort in trou ble
Ma ny fin d s ola ce pr acticing
y oga.
S: Co nso la tio n, Su ppo rt
A: Aggr avation , Annoy ance
a lo ne ,
S: Lo neline ss
A: Society
Her smugness is understandable
because she has done very well.
Snide (A dj )
Being so litar y o r
Seclu sion
Mo st p oe ts pr ef er to liv e in
solitu de to pursu e their pa ssion.
S: Pie ces
A: Who le
Smug (A dj )
Her kno wledge of gra mmar is
ve ry g oo d a nd h er us ag e is
never g uilty of solecism.
Being solicitous, Care, Con cern
H er s o lic itud e f o r th e
down trodde n is w ell kn own.
S: Leer, Sne er, Grin
Smither e ens (N ) Fra gmen ts
T he h o us e w as blo wn to
smithere ens by the bom b blast.
A
v io latio n
in
th e
conv ention al usag e, gra mmar
etc of a language
The sordid experie nce of visiting th e newly opened restaurant is un forgettable
So t ( N)
Spart an (Adj)
Spec io us ( Adj)
S: Squalid, Distas teful
A: Pleas ant, Enjo y able
A habitual drunkard
Her life has become miserable
after her husban d became a sot.
A: Te etota ller
Hard y, War like, D isciplined
His Sp arta n lifes ty le re flec ts
his simplicity.
S: Frugal, Simple, Basic
A: Luxu rious, Comfortable
Se em in g to be g ood , so un d,
c or re ct e tc ., w itho ut r ea lly
bein g so
Her speciou s reaso ning fa iled
SALVI A : goo d hea lth
Th e olds te rs kne w
s om ething
of
th e
my stical hea ling powers
of sage tea. This id ea is
co ntaine d in the L atin
na me s alvia, w hich is
fr om sa lv us , m ea n in g
“s ou nd ” or “ in g oo d
he alth .” In o ld Fr en ch
this sa me latin w or d
be ca me s au ge wh ic h
eventually gave us sage.
But the scarlet variety of
sa ge is an or na me ntal
plant, and it r eta ins its
sty lis h La tin na me o f
sa lvia.
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HURTS LIKE THE DICKENS
Dicken s in this ca se is a
euphemism for ‘devil’. Hence,
the phrase is really ‘hurts like
the d ev il’ wh ic h is a ls o a
commo n phrase . Dicken s was
likely c onsidered more polite
than ‘devil’ in Victor ian times
an d ma y ha ve b ee n a
sup erstitious alte rnative.
to impress the lectu rer.
S: Beguiling
A: Can did
Sphinx (N )
On e wh o is dif ficu lt to kn ow
or unde rstand
He ma intained a sphinx - like
silence when questione d about
the the ft in the hou se.
S: Enigmatic
A: Garrulous
Spo one ris m (N ) The accidental interch ange of
the initial s ound of words
Eg: “Well b oiled ic ic le” f or
“well oiled bicy cle”.
Spora dic (Adj)
H ap pe ning o r a pp ea ring in
iso late d in stan ces
S: In fr equ en t, Un com mo n,
Is olated
A: Con s ta nt,
P r ev ale nt,
Co ntin ua l
Spruc e ( N)
Neat a nd in a sma rt way
The spruced up y oung lady was
selected as the rece ptionist.
S: Ne at
A: Untidy, Slove nly
Spurious (A dj )
Not g enuine, False
The spurious drug manufacturer
was arrested an d sentenced to
five y ears imprisonment.
S: Cou nte rf eit, Dish o ne st,
Dec eptive
A: Genuin e, Real, A ctual
Squabble (N )
To quarr el noisily over a small
ma tter
The y squ abbled occa siona lly
but it was nothin g serious.
S: Wrangle , Dispute, Q uarrel
Squa lid (A dj )
Shabby, Filthy.
The s qualid su rrounding were
re sp on sible fo r ou tb re ak o f
epidemics.
S: Dirty, Nasty
A: Spotless, Uns oiled
Squa nder ( V)
To waste away money or energy.
Don’t squan der y ou r talen t in
dabbling, act professional.
S: Waste, Dissipate
A: Put asid e, Bank
Squea mis h (A dj ) Ea sily up se t; Ha ving stro ng
moral views
An a rtis t, if s qu ea mish c an
neve r progr ess.
S: Delic ate, Pru dish
Sta ccato (N)
A: Str ong, Rob ust
M us ic with distinc t b re aks
betwee n successive tones
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St aid (Adj)
Sta nding (N )
St at ionary ( V)
The sta ccato bu rst of g unfire
s ha tter ed the s ilen ce o f th e
n ig ht.
Sober, Sedate
The Child’s staid behav iour was
unus ual.
S: Serious
A: Ex cited
Status or reputation (Figurative)
T he le ar ne d m an ha d a
r es pe cta ble so c ia l s ta nd in g
w hich
he
m aintaine d
th roug hout his lif e.
Still, M otion les s.
Nothing is stationary, every thing
is fa st chang ing.
A: Dy namic, Speeding
Wr itin g Ma terial
College has invited ten ders for
station er y.
St ento rian ( Adj) Very loud
The drill ser geant’s stentor ian
voice frighte ned ever y one.
A: Melliflu ous
St er ling ( Adj)
Ex celle nt
Th e s ter lin g p er for man ce of
the s ita r m ae str o ha s b ee n
acclaimed widely.
S: Genuine, Valuable
A: Spu riou s, T rivial
St ert oro us (Adj) Cha ra c te rize d b y r as py ,
labou red brea thing
St at ionery ( N)
Ste vedo re ( N)
Stigmat ize (V )
St ilt ed (Adj)
St odgy (Adj)
St oic al (Adj)
H is s ter to r ou s b re a th in g
signalle d that the end w as near.
A person employ ed for loading
and u nloading ships
Ste ve do r e un ite d to figh t
ag ain st exp lo ita tio n.
To mar k as disgr aceful
It was w rong to stigma tize her
of b eing infertile.
Artificially formal or d ignified
Her stilted mann er of spe ech
display ed her e ffort to a ppear
so phistic ate d.
S: Stiff, Unn atur al
A: Casu al, Info rmal
Du ll, Unin ter esting
M os t no ve ls o f tod ay m ake
read ing sto dgy.
A: I nter e stin g , A ttra c tive ,
Ma gnetic
Sh owing ind iff ere nce to jo y,
grief , pain etc., Impa ssive
She ha d a stoical attitude to all
the incide nts in her life.
S: In sens itive
A: Se nsitive
Slow & Heavy
Its better to have stolid growth
than a temporary spurt.
S: Impassive, Matter o f fact
St rait -la ced (Adj) Narrowly strict in beha viour or
moral views
I t is im po s sible to m ake a
straitlac ed p ers on c han ge h is
op in io ns .
St rang le ( V)
To kill by pressing the th roat
Th e s mall indu str y s tra ngled
becau se of long period of loss
demand.
S: Ch oke , Th rottle , Sm oth er
A: Enliven , Br ighten
St rident (Adj)
Harsh, Shrill, G rating
The f isherman’s strident voice
rang ac ross the sea shore.
A: So ft
St upef y ( V)
To ama ze
The y oung boy was stupe fied
by the b low he received for his
mis condu ct.
S: As ton ish, Stun
Stupe ndous (A dj ) As to nis hing
P T Us h a’s v ic tor y in th e
Oly mpics would hav e bee n a
stu pendou s ach ieveme nt.
S: Amazing, P rodigious
A: Minuscule , Meagre
St yg ian ( Adj)
Dark or gloomy
They set out on horseb ack into
the sty gian nig ht.
A: Cheerful, Gaiety
Subj ug at e (V )
To conquer or make subservient
Rome su bjugated much of the
ancient wo rld.
S: Do mina te
A: Free
Subliminal (A dj ) Below th e thr e sh o ld o f
conscious awareness
St olid (Adj)
Adver tising aim s to mould the
sub limin al.
Subor n (V )
To indu ce to commit perjury
Th e sta tem en t is a s ubo rn ed
one, I ho pe the judge will ignore
it.
S: Bribe
Subpo ena (N )
A writte n legal order d irecting
a pe rs on a pp ea r in c ou rt to
te stify
Four politicians were subpoenaed
for this case.
Secre tly, Priv ately
The g ang met s ub Rosa in the
basem ent.
Sub R os a ( N)
Subs ta nt iv e (A dj ) Genuine , Real
H is s er iou s an d s ub s ta ntiv e
eff orts b rought succe ss to our
pr ojec t.
Subsume (V )
Subt er fuge ( N)
Succ inc t ( Adj)
Succ our ( V)
A: Fake, Fa lse
To inclu de within a larg er class
His spee ch subsumed a variety
of to pics
Tr icke ry, Dece it
T he a c cu se d r es or ted to
sub terfug e whe n he found his
argu ments ineffective.
Clear and Brief, Terse
He prese nted his views in a few
succ inct s entenc es.
S: Co ncise
A: Circ umlocu tory
To he lp in time of n e ed o r
distre ss
I am grateful to him full because
he s uc co ur w he n e ve ry on e
marooned me.
Suffr ag e ( N)
Th e r ight to vo te
A pr op er u se of s uf fr ag e is
imp ortant for d emocra cy.
Superannuated (Adj)Retired becau se of old age
Alth ou gh s up er an nu ated , he
still ha d considerable influence
in the firm.
Super c ilio us (N ) Disd ainfu l or co ntemp tu ou s,
Haug hty
H is s u pe rc iliou s b eh a viou r
off ended his ho st.
A: Kind, Sensitive, Sympathetic
Supererog ation (V)Doing m ore than is needed
It was a n act of supere rogation
do ne with a n a im to win the
good will of the peo ple.
Super nume r ar y (N ) An extr a per son o r th ing
It’s su pernu mera ry to dep loy
forces to an already p rotected
area.
Super na l (A dj ) Celes tial, Hea venly
On full moon nights, th e Jaipur
palace pr esents a superna l sight.
S: Divine
A: Ea rthy
Supe rve ne ( V)
To c om e o r h ap pe n a s
s om eth in g ad d itio n al o r
une xpec ted
T he e x -g ra tia
p a y m en t
superve ned at a time when he
despera tely wanted money.
Supine (V )
Ly ing on the back
We ha ve many y oga pos tures
f or w hic h y o u h av e to lie
su pin e.
ALCOHOL: b lu ing for
the eyes
Q ue en Cle op atra o f
E gy pt d ar ke ne d an d
lengthened her ey ebrows
with antimony paste, and
the Arabic w ord for this
was al-k oh’ l, al “the ,”
an d ko h’ l, “p ow de re d
a ntim on y, ” Th is w or d
ca me in to E ng lish a s
alc ool, a name for any
fin e po wder or e xtra ct.
Th us “ alco ol o f wine ”
was for drin king. It was
not until the 19th century
that the word alcohol was
u se d on ly to sign if y
dr inkin g.
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SLOW P OKE
Poke has a numbe r of
mean ings, includin g to
move o r act slow ly or
aimlessly. For example,
‘we just poke d aro und
and did not accomplish
much ’. So, ‘slow p oke’
is a lm ost r edu nd an t.
Th is ph ras e p ro bab ly
ev olved a s o rigin ally
describing the action(e.g.
mo ving slow ly ) to
become a description of
the person perfor ming
the action. Also, m akes
on e th ink, abo ut the
word cowpoke. Perhaps,
‘s lo w poke’ w as a
de sc rip tion of a slow
cowboy.
To ma ke m akes a h um ble
requ est
Politic ians supp lica te in th eir
election speeches but lo se track
of their pr omises when v oted
to po wer.
S: Begging, Pleading, Imploring
Surce as e ( N)
An en d or cess ation
The s urcease of the civil war
is in sig ht.
S: Ceas ing
Surfe it (Adj)
Too great an amo unt
T he c h ild ha d a s u rf eit
crackers for Diwali.
A: Meagre, Scanty
Sur mis e (V )
To g uess
I s urmise d tha t she had b een
talking abo ut m e.
S: Assume
A: Ce rta in ty
Sur mo unt (V )
To overcome an obstacle
Progressresult when y our document y our dete rmination surmo unts lim ita tion s.
S: Prevail, Longuer
A: Fail, not pass
Sur re alis m (N )
Mo de rn
Mo ve me nt in ar ts try in g to
d ep ic t the w o rkin g o f th e
subco nscious mind.
Surr eptitious (A dj ) Done, g ot, acting, e tc in a
stealthy way
T he s u rr ep titio u s me e ting s
e xp os e d the m e mb e rs to
su spicio n.
S: Clande stine
A: Op en, Fra nk
Surro gat e ( N)
A subs titute or deputy
Supplica te ( V)
Suze ra in (N )
A s tate in rela tion to another
over which it ha s some political
c on tr ol.
Sw agge r ( V)
To wa lk with a bold, arr ogant
stride
His o utward sw agger ref lects
his cha racter.
S: Str ut, Pomp ous
Sw elt ering ( Adj ) Scorc hing
The swe lter ing summ er w as
aggravated by water shortage.
S: Re dhot, Sizzling
A: Freezing, I cy, Chilly
Sw ill (V )
To drink greed ily
The drun kard swilled the beer
as if we re without the dose for
y ears.
Sy bar it e ( N)
One who is very fond of luxury
and pleasure
Do n’t be a s y b ar ite, lif e is
more than me rry -making.
Sy co phant (A dj ) O ne w h o se eks f av o ur b y
flattering peop le of wealth or
influ ence
I hate sy cophant aro und me.
S: Boo t licker, Obse quio us.
Sy lv an ( Adj)
Rural, Rustic
Sy lva n lif e is simp le an d
tens ion fr ee.
A: Urban
Symbios is (N )
T he liv in g tog eth er o f tw o
kind s of o rg an is ms to th eir
mutu al advan tage
Synchro nis m (V ) To ca us e to h ap pe n a t th e
same time or rate
A ban on direct advertising of
liqour h as promoted su rrogate
ad vertisin g.
S: Pro xy, Re placem ent
Sur ve illa nc e (V ) Watch ke pt ov e r a p er so n
espec ially a su spect
The sus pected shopkee per was
kep t unde r surv eillan ce.
S: Su perv ision, Inv igilation
Sus te na nc e (N )
Suture ( V)
No uris hmen t, Suppo rt
Ch ildre n d er ive their m aj or
sustenance from m ilk.
Th e stitc hing to geth er of the
two e dges of a wound
W ith ad ve n t of d iss olva ble
su tu re , su rg er y is n ow les s
pa infu l.
S: Stitc h
A: Asunder , Separate, Dissect
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Syndr ome (N )
L et u s s y nc hr o nize ou r
wa tc he s an d m ee t ag ain in
exactly two h ours.
A: An ac hro nis m, Ob solete,
Fu tur istic
A
s et
of
s y m ptom s
ch ar ac te rizing a dise as e or
co nd itio n.
T
Ta bloid ( N)
Popular newspaper with many
pictures
‘Blitz’ was once a popular tabloid.
S: Lurid, Scandalous
Taboo ( N)
A: Admirable, Excellent
Any social res triction
Sexual awareness, once a taboo,
is no w b e in g tau g ht to
teen agers in scho ols.
S: For bidd en
A: Permit, Allow, L icense
Unspoken , Silently und erstood
Th e c hild ren un der stoo d the
ta cit war ning of the ir fath er
an d silen tly retir ed to the ir
ro om s.
S: Im plicit, Uns poken
A: Exp licit, Ver bal
Ta cit urn (Adj)
Almost alw ay s silent, n o t
inclined to talks
If y ou want to make a career
in s elling, y ou w ill h av e to
change y our tacitur n way s.
S: Res er ve d,
Re tice nt,
Unc ommun icative
A: Talkative, Loqu acio us
Tac tile (Adj)
Of, having, or p erceived by the
sense o f touch
S: Phy sic al, Percep tible
A: Intangible
Talis ma n (N )
A r in g, s to ne etc. , be ar in g
engr aved figures suppose d to
bring go od luck, avert e vil etc.
He said he wasn’t super stitious
bu t wo re h is clas s pin as a
talisman while he w as in the
army.
S: Charm, Amulet
Tanta mo unt (A dj ) Equal in value effe ct etc.
H is d ec is ion to n ot d ef en d
himse lf is tan tam oun t to h is
political suicide.
S: Equa l, Identical
A: Un like, D iff ere nt
Ta nt rum ( N)
A vio len t, wilf ul outbur st of
rage etc.
His tantrums are very c hildish.
S: Outburst, Parox y sm
A: Unf it, I n po or sh ape
Tar dy (A dj)
(i) Late, Delay ed, D ilatory
His tard y attitu de led to h is
dismiss al from the office.
(ii) Slow mo ving
S: Late, Slow, Behind
A: Prom pt, Punc tual, Ready
Tat terdemalion (N)A perso n in ragged c lothing
At the s ignals one could find a
fle et o f tatterde malion.
Taut ( Adj )
Tense, Hard
T he tau t s itu atio n a t th e
refugee camp was distr essing.
Ta ut olo gy ( N)
Tac it (A dj)
Taw dry(A dj)
Taw ny ( N)
Ta xider my ( N)
Te dious ( Adj)
S: Tight, Ha rd, Rigid
A: Slack, Loose, Limp
Needle ss repetition of an idea,
using a redundant word , phrase
etc.
If y ou c ould minimise tautology
in y o u r wr iting it w ill d o
wond ers.
S: Redundancy
A: Terse, Concise
Cheap an d gaudy
T he ta wd r y co s tu m e an d
Jeweller y from the dom e store
reflected her po or tas te.
S: Showy, Garish
A: Sober , Mild
Bro wnish -y ellow, Tan
The tawny textu re of her s kin
is attr active.
The art of prep arin g, s tuff ing
th e s kins of an ima ls to ma ke
them appear life like.
Practicing taxidermy f or y ears
he turn ed into a bu tcher.
Long an d Dull
A ltho u gh the sp ee c h wa s
te diou s I fe lt ex hila ra te d on
seeing the dance which followed
it.
S: Slow, Wearisome, Fatiguing
A: Ligh t, Hearty, Chee rful
To be pr olific, Abound , Swarm
T his ar e a is te em in g w ith
mos quito es.
Te eny-bopper ( N) A f ad dis h y o u ng tee n ag er ,
especially a girl of th e 1960’s
I h av e a ph oto gr ap h of m y
gra ndmoth er po sing as tee ny bopp er.
Te eto talle r ( N)
O ne w h o pr ac tic es to ta l
abstinence from alcoholic liquor
Te em ( V)
Foo lish o r rash boldn ess
The fres hman had the temerity
to qu e stion th e d ea n’s
au th or ity.
S: Audacity, Boldness, Rashness
A: Foresight,Prudence, Vigilance
Te mpera nce ( N) Self- r es tr a in t in co n du ct,
indulg ence of the appetites etc.,
Mo der ation
Onc e sho uld alway s advoc ate
temperan ce in all walks of life.
S: Austere, Stoic
A: Audacity, Temerity, Rashness
Te mpe st uous ( Adj)Of or like a te mpest, Violent
Suicide bro ught an end to the
tem pe stu ou s c ar ee r o f th e
Te mer ity (Adj)
CANDY: broken bits
Until quite rec ent times
we said,not just candy but
su gar c and y, an d th e
derivation of these words
ind ic ates tha t
ou r
c on fe ctio n mu st h av e
alway s been on the hard
side f or c an dy is
ultima te ly f ro m th e
Sa nskrit k ha nd a wh ic h
m ea nt a p ie ce o f
something, or lump sugar.
These two words sarkara
khan da ar e rep resen ted
in Italia n to f or m
zu cc he ro c an di, ou t
of familiar sugar candy.
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WHAT’S THE SKINNY
Th is is a sh or te ne d
ve rsio n o f th e ‘skin ny
na ke d tr uth’, wh ic h
co me s fr om W.W.I I.
Skin ny in th is c as e
me an in g ‘re se mb ling
skin ’
an d
be in g
red unda nt w ith nake d.
This phrase literally is
as king f or th e na ke d,
un-obscur ed truth.
Te mpora l ( Adj)
Te mpor ize (V )
celebrate d actor.
S: Sto rmy
A: Sedate , Calm, Pe aceful
Of time
If individu als temp oral nee ds
are fulf illed then & the re, they
are h appy.
To give temporary compliance,
Evade decision.
The candidate was a dvised to
tem po r ize u ntil mo re fa cts
were ava ilable.
Persistent, Stubborn, Perseverant
Her tena cious adherenc e to her
mo ra ls he lp ed he r to le ad a
disciplined life.
S: To ugh, Per tin acio us
A: Non- adhesiv e, Unstable
Tende nt io us (A dj )Adv ancin g a defin ite p oint of
view
Drug aware ness sp eeches are
mo stly ten den tiou s.
Te nta tiv e (Adj) Done as a tes t, Not f inal
A tentative agreement has been
put forw ard to end the clashes
betwe en India and Pakistan.
S: He sita nt, Ca utio us
A: Establis hed, Certain
Tente rho oks (N ) In an xious sus pense
T he w h ole fa m ily w as o n
te nter ho oks u ntil th ey h ea rd
fro m their son after the n ews
of flood in the city he lived.
Te nuous (A dj )
Slender or fine as a fibre
The old man retained a tenuous
hold on life.
S: T hin
A: Stro ng, T hick
Te rmag ant ( Adj) A quarrelsome scolding women
H is w ife is a m er c iles s
ter maga nt.
S: Shrew
Tet e-a-t ete (N)
A
p riv ate
c on v er s atio n
betwe en two p eople
She w as so enga ged in te te-ate te tha t sh e co uld no t ke ep
the tra ck o f time.
Theat ric al (Adj) De signe d f or ef fe ct, Sh ow y,
Unn atur al
H is the a tr ic a l ma nn e rism s
ma de him the la ugh ing sto ck
of the class.
S: Dram atic
Theo cracy (N)
A g ov e rn m en t b y p ries t
claiming to r ule with divine
au tho rity
Te na cious (A dj )
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Theocracy promoted nepotism.
The rape utic (Adj) Se rvin g to cu re or h eal or to
pre serve hea lth
Ther e is a distinct th erapeu tic
s eg me nt in th e to oth pa ste
ma rket.
S: Healing, Benef icial
A: Detr imental, Dama ging
Thes aurus (N )
A b oo k o f s y n o ny m s an d
an tony ms
Thes pian ( Adj)
(i) Hav ing to do with drama
(ii) An actor
T he o ld th es p ia n’s las t
p er fo r ma n ce r e ce ive d a
stand in g o vatio n.
S: The atrica l, Sta ged
Thic ks et ( Adj)
Thick in bo dy, Stoc ky
Thrall ( V)
En sla ve
L a Be lle D am e sa n s me rc i
sp eaks of a bea utiful wom an
w ho h e ld m an y kin g s an d
princes e ntralled.
Threa dba re (Adj) Sta le
Th e th rea dba re j oke s d id n ot
e vo ke la ug hte r fr o m th e
audience.
S: Oft- repeated , Hackn ey ed
Threnody ( N)
A son g of lame ntation, Dirge
Thre sho ld ( N)
Th e be ginn ing point
H e wa s on the thr es ho ld o f
success in his business when his
wife’s death s hattered him.
S: Be ginn ing, Sta rt
A: En d
Thr ong (N)
Great crowd of people.
Throngs of peop le appeared at
the temple hea ring of theft.
S: Multitude, Mass, Horde
A: Few, little, Not many
Thr ottle (V)
To strang le.
T he kid na pp er thr ottle th e
bo dy o n no t re ce iv in g th e
rans om.
S: Str angle . Ch oke
Timo rous ( Adj)
Full of fear, Timid, Afraid
Sh e co uld no t su cce ed in the
group discussion becaus e of her
timoro us n atur e.
A: Bold , Brazen, Plucky
Tincture ( N)
A light colour, T inge
Ap ply ing tin ctu re on w oun ds
bur ns.
Tins el ( V)
Superf icial ador nment
In stea d go in g fo r tins el o ne
should go for inh erent qualities.
Tintinnabulation (N)Th e r in gin g s oun d o f bells
Titillat e( V)
Titanic (Adj)
Toady (N)
To pog raphy ( N)
Torpor (Adj)
Tort uous (Adj)
Tintinn abu lation of temp le
provokes a spiritual exhilaration.
S: T in klin g
To exc ite pleasu rably
The prattle of the one y ear old
titilla ted me.
S: stimula te, Excite
A: Repuls e, Disgust, Annoy
Of great size, Strength or power
A titanic effor t was need ed to
res cue th e victims of the s hip
wre ck.
S: Gigantic, Immense
A: Tin y, Sm all
Servile, Flatterer
I hate toadies around me.
S: Min ion, Sy c opha nt
Description of surface features
of a region on maps and charts
Dullne ss, Lack of energy
A f eeling o f to rpor pre vailed
after we returned from the long
jour ney.
S: In activity
A: En thus iasm , I nvolveme nt
Dece itful or tricky
tra mmel f or the northern c old
win ds.
S: Hinder, Hamper
A: Enco urage, Help
Transcendental (Adj)(i) Su pern atu ral, No t ba sed on
human e xperience or reason
T ra ns ce n de nta l me ditatio n
g iv es a lo t o f p ea c e an d
tra nquillity to the min d.
A: Natu ral
(ii) Vague, Not c lear to or dinary
minds
Tr ansf igure ( V)
To transfor m so as to glo rify
With h is ten ac io us e ff or t he
tran sfigured his he rmitage into
a centre of religious learning.
A: Mutilate, D estr oy
Tr ans fix ( V)
To ma ke mo tio n le ss as if
impa ired
T he s ig h t of th e ac c id en t
se em ed to tr ans fix him with
ho rro r.
S: Petrify, Para ly ze
A: Anima te, Rejuv enate
To break (a law, comma nd etc.)
sin (again st)
He trans gressed social decorum
by misbe having with th e girl.
S: I nf ring e,
Tr es pa ss ,
En croa ch
A: Behav e, Act, Pe rform
Tem pora ry
It’s a tr ans ie nt ph ase o f lif e,
face it with cou rage.
S: Tra nsitory, Brief
A: L as ting ,
P er ma ne nt,
Un ending
A p er s on w h o g ets s ex ua l
p le as ur e f ro m d re ss ing in
clo thes of the o pposite s ex.
A n em otion al sh oc k, of te n
having a lasting psy chic effect
The traum atic e xperience that
s he w e nt thr o ug h o n he r
moth er’s de ath has left a deep
scar on h er mind.
S: U np le a sa nt, D istre s sing ,
Ag onizing
A: Pleas ant, T itillating
(i) Very hard w ork, Laborious
ef fo rt
After y ears of tr avail, he f inally
achieved his goal.
(ii) Pains of child b irth
A farc ical imitation in rid icule,
Pas s thro ugh
He trave rsed across the river by
a dainty boat.
Tr ans gres s ( V)
His to rtuo us p olic y wa s th e
cause of his failure.
S: De vio us
A: Str aightforw ard
To ta lita rian ( N)
Tracer y (N)
Tr acta ble (Aj d)
Tra duce (V)
Tr amme l (N )
A go ver nm en t in which o ne
p olitic a l gr o up m ain ta in s
co mp le te c on tro l es pe cially
under a d ictator.
Until recently Pakistan was under
a totalitarian government.
S: Des potism, Ty ra nny
A: Democr acy, Egalitarian
Ornamental work of interlacing
or branch ing lines
She was an expert of tracery.
Easily managed, Docile
She was a mild a nd tr acta ble
ch ild.
S: Controllable, Pliant, Obedient
A: U nr u ly ,
I ntr ac ta b le ,
Ob stina te
To slan der
Sh e to ok e xtre me d elig ht in
tra du c in g
he r
a un t
unneces sarily.
S: Calumniate, Malign
A: Praise , Admire, Eu logize
Som eth in g tha t c on fin es o r
res trains
I ts H ima la y as , tha t a ct a s
Tr ansie nt ( N)
Tr ans ves tit e ( N)
Tr aumatic (Adj)
Tra vail (N)
Traver se (V)
SENATE : a group of old
me n
Our sometimes comment
about the “nine old men”
of the Su pr eme Cou rt
indica tes that our y oung
nation do esn’t look u pon
o ld a ge w ith as m uc h
re spe ct as th e Roma ns
did. For th eir wo rd
senatus, “senate,’ derived
from the Latin senex, “an
old ma n, ” an d th eir
se na te , th us , wa s a
revered council of elders.
We Americans are more
apt to look upon o ld age
as senile, which also is a
derivative of sen ex.
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WHAT’S THE SKINNY
Th is is a sh or te ne d
ve rsio n o f th e ‘skin ny
na ke d tr uth’, wh ic h
co me s fr om W.W.I I.
Skin ny in th is c as e
me an in g ‘re se mb ling
skin ’
an d
be in g
red unda nt w ith nake d.
This phrase literally is
as king f or th e na ke d,
un-obscur ed truth.
Tre mbling
A tremo r of fear ran down my
spine wh en I saw the te rrorists
at my place.
S: Sha king, Fear ful
A: Brave
Tre mulo us (A dj ) Fearful, Timid
I t is hu ma n n atu re to f ee l
tr emulous at a n in terv iew of
im portanc e.
S: Tre mbling , Nerv ous
A: Bold, co urageous
Tre nch (N)
Long narrow ditch on ground.
Th e trenc h h ad ste ep s lop ed
walls.
S: Ditc h, Chan nel, D rain
A: Ridge, Edge.
Tr enc hant (Adj) Sharp, Keen, Inc isive
I n a tr e nc ha n t vo ic e , sh e
b er ate d th e s tu de n t fo r
misbeha viour.
S: Po inte d, Caustic
A: Ambigu ous, Weak, Feeble
Tr epidation ( N) Tre mbling movem ent
With ner vous trep idation, the
y o ung , c hild aw aited to g et
his mar ks ca rd s igned by his
fath er.
S: Alarm
Tre mor (V)
Tr ibulat io n (N )
A: Comp osure, Calm
Great misery or distress
Sh e had to u nde rg o a lo t of
tr ia ls an d tribu latio ns in the
later s tages of her life.
S: Trouble, Grief, Trail
Tr oglodyt e ( N)
Tr ollo p ( N)
Tro upe (N)
Tr uc ulent ( Adj)
Trudge (V)
Tr uism ( N)
Tr umpery (Adj)
Tr unca te ( V)
A s tr o ng , Ha r d- wo r king ,
Determine d per son
H is T ro j an w o rk e th ic ha s
ensur ed his suc cess.
S: Brave
A: Coward
A pros titu te
As the night d ar ken s tro llop
star t pour ing in the c ity ’s red
light area.
A gr oup esp ecially of actors,
singer s etc.
Th e da nce tro upe wen t on a
trip to Delhi for the Ka la Mela.
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One w ho shirks his du ties
Th e clerk play ed truan t ve ry
o ften an d he n ce w a s no t
en titled for th e p romo tio n.
S: Vagran t, Idler, Shirker
A: Offic ious
Fierce , Cruel, Savage
The fath er w as in a tr uculent
mo od w he n he he ar d of h is
daug hter’s miscond uct.
S: Ru thle ss
A: Harmless, Tame, Mild
To w alk esp ecially wearily or
laboriously
He trudged down th e stree t to
his hom e after being sacked.
A statem ent, the truth of which
is obvious
It is a truism to say that man is
intellec tu a lly s up er ior to
anim als.
S: Axiom, Say ing
Something which is sh owy but
wor thle ss
His jewe llery shop has less of
genuine & more of tr umpery.
To cu t off a part
He trunc ated his tour to return
hom e.
S: Sh orte n, Trim, Cut
A: L en gth te n,
E x te nd ,
Stre tc h
Tr ust wort hy (Adj) Wor thy o f tru st, Relia ble
T he
r e sp on s ib ility
of
co nd uc ting th e mee ting w as
g iv en to th e tru stw or th y
officer.
S: Dep endable, Hon est
Any o f the preh istoric p eople
who lived in caves
I n Aj a nta & E llo ra ca ve s
troglody te made very beautiful
pa in ting s.
S: Cave-dweller
Tro jan (A dj)
Tr uant (Adj)
Tryst (N)
Tumid (A dj )
A: Vacillating, Undepend able
A secret meeting
T he tr y s t w ith n atur e in a
s an ctua r y is plea sin g an d
exh ilar atin g.
Swollen, Bulging
Mumps is normally ass ociated
with a tumid neck.
Turbid (Adj)
S: Dis tend ed
A: Shrunken, Reduced, Concise
Mu ddy, Thick
Turb id wate r was a vailable to
drink in flood hit ar ea.
S: Muddled
A: Cle ar, Tr anspar ent, P ure
Turbule nt ( N)
Wild or d isorderly
Se at belt s ign s in an air cra ft
come on wh en the weathe r is
tu rbu len t.
S: Distu rbed, Agitated
A: Calm, Composed, Peaceful
Turgid (Adj)
(i) Bo mb as tic, p om po us ( of
language)
H is tu rg id po em s w er e
un in te lligible to th e a ve ra ge
reader.
S: High -sound ing
A: Simp le, Mo dest
Tutelag e ( N)
Tw addle ( N)
(ii) Swollen, Bloated
Guard ianship, Care Instru ction
Under the able tutelage o f the
lear ned ma n, he w as exp osed
to dif fe re n t b ra nc h es o f
litera tur e.
Foo lish empty talk or writing,
No nsen se
Mo st no vels toda y a re me re
twaddle and have no value.
Ty ra nnic ide (V )
Tyc oon (N)
Slay ing of a ty rant
Ty rann icide is itself a cru el act
and c annot be appreciated.
A business magnate.
It was exh ila rating to truck a
deal with ty coon.
Tyro (N)
S: Magnate , Mogul
Beginner
Being a ty ro my blunders were
excused.
S: Novice, Learner
A: Exper t, Old h and.
U
U biquit ous (A dj ) Present every where at the same
time
T he te le visio n ca m er as ,
u biqu ito us a n d de ma n ding ,
o ve rs h ad ow ed th e e ntir e
co nve rsa tio n.
Ukas e (N )
An offic ial decre e, Ar bitr ary
order
Ult erio r (A dj)
Ly ing bey ond wh at is expressed
or im plied
H is u lte rio r mo tiv e w as to
inh erit his a unt’s wealth.
U lt imat um (N )
A fin al offer o r demand as in
ne go tiatio ns
Th e ma nag em en t ser ve d an
ultimatum to th e wor ker s to
either accept the terms or face
dismissal.
Ululate ( V)
To h owl, ho ot or wail lo udly
T he u lulatin g c ro w d wa s
sile nced by the arr ival of the
po lic e.
Umbra ( N)
A sh ado w fr om a pla ne t or
sa tellite on th e s ide opp osite
to the s un.
G iv e o r ta ke of fe n se o r
re sen tme nt
She seem ed to take umbr age
at th e teacher’s well-me aning
advice.
Umbrag e ( N)
Unanimous (A dj ) Con sens us.
Son ia Ga nd h i w as e lec te d
un animous ly as pre side nt of
congr ess.
S: Common, Agreed
A: Co ntes ted , D isse nt
Unbo so m (V )
To te ll or reve al (feelin gs or
secr ets)
Sh e un bo so med h er d ar ke st
sec rets to the p sy chiatrist.
Unbr idled (A dj ) Which is not co ntrolled, Free
His Unbridled g rowth has made
him p roud.
S: Un inhib ited, Unco ncealed.
A: Con tain ed, Limited
Unca nny ( Adj)
My s terio us.
Her uncann y rese mblanc e to
Ashwa riy a mad e her po pular
in the college.
S: Eerie , Weird, Strange
Unconscionable (Adj) Not guided or res traine d by
conscience; Exce ssive
Unct ion ( N)
Unct uous ( Adj)
T he p o litic ia n w e nt to
uncon scionable heights to win
the f avour of the pub lic.
S: Ino rdinate, Unr easona ble
A: Co nsc ien tio us
Flattery, Pretended and insincere
sm oo thn es s
in
spe ec h,
Insinc erity
She flatter ed her s eniors with
gr ea t un ctio n to en su re h er
p ro mo tion .
S: Flatte ry
Cha ra c te rize d b y s mo oth
p re te n ce of f e rv o ur o r
earnestn ess, Too suave or oily
T he s m ug , se lf- ce n tr ed ,
un ctuou s man c ould not g et
along with his senior of ficials.
S: Flatte ring
A: Blunt, Fra nk
ERASE: scratc h out
Back in the 18th cen tury
th e ph y s ic is t, J os ep h
Priestley, discovered that
the gum fro m So uth
America called caoutchouc
wou ld “ru b” o ut pe nc il
marks. From then on this
s ub stan ce w as c alle d
“rubber.” The word erase
deals with older day s. It
is derived from the Latin
erasus, a part of the verb
er ad o, “ sc r atch ou t. ”
T he a nc ie nt Rom an s
liter ally had to “scr atch
out” the wor ds that they
had written on their wax
tablets, o r to s crape the
wa x off with th e b lu nt
end of their iron w riting
instrument, the sty lus.
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AT THE END OF MY
ROPE
This evolve d from the
phrase ‘at the end of my
tether’, such as a dog or
a horse might be tied or
tethered.The old phrase
meant to convey a sense
of self-r estraint, wh ile
th e n ew sug ge sts th at
on e ha s re ac he d or
exceeded one’s defined
boundaries.
Underwr ite (V)
Undula te ( V)
Uneart h ( V)
To in sure
The u nder write turned o ut to
be a fake.
S: Guarantee, Countersign
To move or cause to move in
waves
T he u nd ula ting la nd o f th e
rolling coun try side pr esen ted
a p retty pictu re.
Dig up.
Some more secrets would be
unearthed with his arrest.
S: Unco ver, Ex pose
A: Conceal, Hide, Disguise
Unequivoca l (Adj ) Hav ing one mean ing, Cle ar
In unequ ivocal terms, the dean
an noun ced all term s th at the
stu dent union had to me et.
S: Plain, Clear
A: Ambiguous, Vague, Abstract
Unfeigne d (Adj)
Genuine
Her manners are unfeigned.
S: Hear tfelt, Authe ntic
A: Dish onest, Deceitful
Unflappa ble (A dj )Impertur bable, Never u pset in
a cr isis
She rem aine d unf lapp able in
the midst of all the problems
she f aced.
A: Dis cord, Enm ity
U nmit ig a te d (N ) Ab solu te
Sri L a nka a nd Pu nj a b ar e
e xp er ien cin g u nm itiga te d
vio lenc e.
Unpalat able ( Adj) Not plea sant to th e tas te.
It was unpalatable experience.
S: Inedible, I ndigestible
A: Tasty, Delic ious
Unpre cedented (V) Neve r having hap pened, Not
kno wn bef ore
Such actions ar e unprecedented
in this centu ry.
Unr avel (V)
With the disc overy of a new
archaeological site many facts
unravelled.
S: Loo sen, Untan gle
U ns cr upulous (A dj ) No t r estrain ed by mor al
scru ples
The Gov ernment in Ch ina was
un scr upu lou s in c rus hin g the
stu dent mov emen t.
S: Un prin cipled
A: Co nsc ien tio us
Unsee mly ( Adj ) Unbecoming , Indecent
Due to an unseemly act of his,
he has earned a bad name.
S: Rude, U ncouth.
S: Co mpos ed
A: Agitate d, E xcited
Unguent (N )
Unveil ( V)
A sa lve or ointm ent
The unguent brough t relie f to
the injur ed lady.
Unhing e (A dj )
S: Ointme nt, Lub rica nt
Men tally unsta ble
Upbraid ( V)
Sh e bec am e quite un hing ed
afte r the s udden d eath of her
two-y ear daughter.
S: Un settled
A: Sane , Rational, Calm
Uphea va l ( N)
Unilat er al ( Adj) Of o ccurrin g on, o r affec ting
one sid e only
It was n ot r ight on y o ur p art
to take a unilateral dec ision on
this iss ue.
U niso n (N )
Uphill ( Adj)
A: Bilater al, M ultilate ral
Agreement, Harmony
A ll
th e
no n -a lig nm en t
countries decid ed in unis on to
b ring
p ea c e
am on g
neighbour ing c ountries.
S: Acc ord
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Dis entang le.
Uprising ( N)
A: Prop er, Cor rect
Display
Through his painting h e unveil
his fa ntasy.
S: Reveal, Disc lose, Unmark
A: Conceal, Hide, Disguise
To reb uke seve rely , Ce nsur e,
Scold
She upb raided him for coming
hom e la te.
A: Co ndon e, Forgive
A sudd en, violent change
T he re wa s a n u ph ea v al in
Ch in a wh ic h res ulte d in the
ov erth rowing o f th e pr evio us
go vern men t.
(i) Up a slope
(ii) Laborious, Tiring
It was an u phill ta sk to un ify
the two fig hting cou ntries.
S: Arduo us, Diff icult
A: Easy
Re vo lt,
Th e u pr ising at Ja lia nw allah
Bag h m ar ke d the g r ad ua l
downfall of the British Empire.
Upr oar (A dj)
Usurp ( V)
Us ury (Adj)
Ut opia ( N)
Ux or ious ( Adj)
S: In surr ection
Violent disturban ce, Tu mult
As the s tudents were n ot happy
with the ir lecturer they created
a b ig u proar whe n he star ted
delive ring a lec ture.
S: Co nfus ing, Cha os
A: Peace, Calm, Tranqu illity
To take po ssessio n by f orce
Th e la nd m afia ar e us urping
the la nd in our c ities.
S: Seize, Ass ume, Grab
A: Admit Defeat, Submit, Yield
Le ndin g m oney at exc essive
rate of inter est
Most pa wn brokers len d money
at u surious rates o f inter est.
An y visio nary sch eme for a
perf ect soc iety
For two weeks I lived in Hawaii,
my idea o f Utopia.
Dotingly fond of or su bmissive
to one’s wife
The uxoriou s husb and use d to
wake his wife up with b reakfast
every day.
V
Va cilla te ( V)
Va cuo us ( Adj )
Wav er
She vacilla ted between de sire
to be a manager and a pilot.
S: Hes itate , Ir resolute
A: D eter min ed , Ob s tina te ,
Res o lute
Silly, Vacant
of the w eather.
S: Capr ice, W him, Q uirk
Va mpire ( N)
Vanda lis m (V )
Some students were arrested for
acts of van dalis m wh en they
tr ie d to da mag e th e c olle ge
build ing.
Va nguar d ( N)
Vendor (N)
Va cuit y ( N)
Vag ary (N)
Forer unner
This storm is v anguard o f upcoming disaster.
S: Fron tline, Precur sors
Seller
Vendor are prohibited to put up
the ir stalls on the fo otpa th.
S: Merch ant, Retailer
A: Purchaser, Consumer
Va pid (Adj)
Tas teless , Fla vourless, D ull
Her vapid chatter failed to hold
the atte ntio n of her f rien ds.
S: Fla t, Ins ipid, Lifeless
A: Spic y, Piqua nt, Pun gent
Va rie gat ed (Adj) Marked with differ ent colours
in spots, s trea ks e tc.
W id e r ea ding an d tra ve l
p ro vid e an as s or tm e nt o f
varie gated kno wledge o n men
and matte rs.
S: Sp otte d, D appled
Va udev ille ( N)
A: Uniform, Identical
A s ta ge s h ow c on s is ting o f
various acts of son gs, dan ces,
skits e tc
Th is time even , I also was a
part of city ’s vaudev ille.
Va unt ( V)
It’s va cu ous to talk of
development without up liftment
in livin g s tan da rd of who le
society.
S: Empty headed
A: Brillia nt, Intense, D azzling
Emptines s, Absence of thought
or intellige nce
A feeling of vac uity fille d his
mind a fter the d ea th o f his
fath er.
A n od d n otion , e cc e ntric
a ctio n
She s et ou t on a tr e k, w ell
pre pare d fo r all th e va garies
One who prey s
Shy lo ck, the ch ar ac ter in
Sha ke sp e ar e’s M er ch a nt o f
Venice was a Vampire seeking
his p ound of f lesh.
To de stroy or damage (p ublic
prop erty ) m alicio usly
Ve geta te ( V)
Bo as t
My frien d vaunted his shallow
knowledge in the compa ny of
illite rate s.
S: Brag
To lead a dull, inactive life
She felt, she was vegetating at
home whe n she couldn’t attend
work for a few day s due to illhe alth .
S: Sit a round, Stagnate, Loaf
Ve he me nt ( Adj)
(i) V io len t,
Pa ssiona te
I mp e tu o us ,
His vehemen t prote station s of
innocenc e did not conv ince the
judge.
HECKLE : to comb flax
W he n we h ec kle a
sp eake r, we emba rra ss
him with question s. And
the word is related to the
Middle English hekel, an
ins trum ent f or c lean ing
a nd c ar ding f la x an d
h em p. You a re r ea lly
“testing” the speaker just
as y ou are r uff ing the
hemp with a comb. And
one present- day meaning of tease is to scratch
a cloth with tea ze ls to
raise a nap . So we can
tease and heckle both flax
and campaign speakers.
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A: Sober, Sedate, Co mposed
(ii) Strong, Eager
Q UIT YOU R BELLY
ACHING
Someone affected with
a belly ache might do a
bit of complaining. The
ph ra se m ig ht b e a
s ho rten ed v er sion o f
‘q uit te lling me abo ut
y our belly aching’.
Vellum (N )
Ve na l ( Adj)
Ve nde tt a ( N)
Ve nee r ( N)
Ve nial ( Adj)
Venomous (A dj )
Ver acity (N)
Ve rbatim ( Adj)
Ve rbiag e ( N)
Ver bose (Adj)
A fin e p arc hme nt pre par ed
fr om c alf skin, lamb skin etc.
u se d fo r w riting on o r fo r
bin ding boo ks
Pa in ting s on v ellu m wh ic h
h av e b ee n p re s er v ed in
museums bear witness to our
artistic he rita ge.
Ope n to or cha racte rized by
corrup tion or br ibery
I t is sa d tha t p eo ple h av e
come to accept venality as a
pa rt of p olitic s.
A: H on es t
A family feud
The ven detta between the two
families was the cause of the
children’s dea th.
Superf icial appe arance
He w as a g angster under his
veneer of being a gen tleman.
S: Face, Surf ace, Lay er
Pardo nable
Th e y o ung stu dent pu nish ed
for a venial error.
S: Excus able
A: Deadly, Serious
Spite ful, Malicious, D eadly
H er ve no m ou s r em a rks
aga inst h er lec turer had f arreaching repercus sions.
S: Po iso no us
A: Kin d, Ben ign, Charita ble
Tr uth
As v er ac ity w as his stro ng
point, he was a ble to win the
case.
S: Tru thfulness, Reality
A: Fa lseh ood,
Artific e,
Trickery
Word fo r word
The y oun g girl was asked to
r ep ea t the c o nv er s atio n
ver batim.
S: Precisely, Lite rally
A: Appr oximate ly, Ne arly
A n ex ce ss
of w or ds ,
Wor dine ss
The main theme of the poem
was a simple id ea buried under
much ve rbiage.
U sing to o m an y w or ds ,
Wor dine ss
The speech after dinner was
boring and verbose.
S: Pro lix, Red unda nt
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A: Ter se, Pithy, Conden sed
Fre sh an d g re en (o f g ra ss ,
plan ts )
T he v er da nt s ur ro un ding o f
Bhilai is pleasa nt.
Ver is imilitude (N )
Th e ap pear anc e of being
true o r real
There wa s verisimilitud e in the
news of the accident bu t it was
not the abs olute n ews.
S: Like liho od
A: Falseho od
Ver ity (N)
Tru th, Reality
Ver ity w as the high lig ht o f
Ga ndhi’s p hilo soph y.
S: Ac tuality , Fa ct
A: Fa lseh ood, Falsification
Ve rs at ile ( Adj)
Com pete nt in many things
Kalidasa was a ve rsatile p oet
and wr iter.
S: Reso urcefu l, Multitale nted
A: Inco mplete, Imper fect
Ve rtig o ( N)
A s ensation of dizzin ess
Som e p eo ple s uf fe r f ro m
e xtre m e ve rtigo a t h ig h
altitude s.
S: Giddiness , Nausea
Verve (N)
Vigour, Energy, Enthusiasm
Even after a long, tirin g day at
office , she taug ht her children
with great ve rve.
S: Vitality , Vigour
A: Indif ference, A pathy
Viand ( N)
An ar ticle of food
Tour ist visiting Raj asthan liked
th e ty pical via nd of the la nd
very much.
Vica rious ( Adj) Endured or performed by one
pers on in place of ano ther
He dr aws vicar io us ple asu re
w atch ing o th e r ch ild re n
play ing, he be ing ph y sically
challe nged.
S: Deputed, Delegated
A: Or igin al, Ex plic it
Viceg erent ( N)
A de puty
The supe rvisor blamed himself
for the death of his vic egerent.
Vicina ge ( N)
Neig hbourh ood
Th is is a ca lm an d p eac ef ul
vic inag e.
V ic is situde s (N ) Unpr edictab le chang es in life,
for tune e tc.
The vicissitudes holds what for
y ou , no o ne kno ws.
Vigne tt e ( N)
A shor t, delicate literary sketch
T he v ig ne tte s of life in th e
c olon ial d ay s h av e b ee n
Ve rdant ( N)
Vilify ( V)
Vindica te ( V)
Vindict iv e ( Adj)
Vint age ( N)
Vint ner ( N)
Virago (Adj)
Virilit y ( Adj)
Virtuos o ( N)
Virulent ( Adj)
Visag e ( N)
Vis ta ( N)
interestingly narrated in some
literary wor ks.
To use a busive languag es about
or of, Defame
T he n a zi in fo r ma tiv e wa s
vilified whenever he a ppeared
on the stre et.
S: Male dictio n, Sla nder
A: Praise, Eulo gize
To clear from criticis m, blame
etc.
H e vin dica ted hims e lf b y
p ro vin g th at he h a d no t
comm itted the cr ime.
S: Extenua te, Justify, Defend
Reve ngeful in sp irit
The vind ictive divorce e tr ied
to tur n her c hild ren a ga in st
their fath er.
S: Ran coro us, Male vole nt
A: Fo rgiving
An earlier model
Vintage cars are alway sin great
demand.
S: Period, A ge, Epoch
A wine m erchant
The vin tner was arres ted for
selling tox ic liq uor.
A q ua r re ls om e , Sh r ew is h
woman
My frien d had to under go a lot
of difficulties with a v irago as
wife.
S: Term agant, Shrew
H av in g m an ly s tr en g th o r
vigo ur
She do es n ’t ha ve an y
boy frien d because of v irility.
A: Fe min inity
A per son with g reat tech nical
skill in some fin e art espe cially
in play ing music
U nd er th e gu ida nc e o f th e
renowned virtuoso, the disciple
s oo n atta in ed pe rf ec tion in
Hindu stani mu sic.
S: Genious, Performer
Extreme ly Poisonous , Deadly
The fam ily was plagu ed by a
virulent dise ase.
A: Harmless
Fac e, Cou ntena nce
His visa ge did not sho w any of
the turmoil that h e was g oing
th ro ug h.
S: Cou ntena nce, Feature
A mental view of events
In a n ostalg ic m ood , the o ld
ma n lo oked bac k at the vis ta
of his college day s.
S: Panorama, Landscape
Vitiat e ( V)
To spo il, To weaken
It is de batable whether society
vitiates m en o r me n vitiate
so ciety.
A: In vigo rate, Stre ngth en
Vitupe ra tion ( V) Speaking abusively to or about
T he s tud en ts la un c he d a
vitu perative attack ag ainst the
new ed ucation po licy.
S: Vilify , Rebuke, Abuse
A: Praise, Flattery, Eu logy
Vivacity ( N)
Full of enthu siasm, Cheer
Sh e lost he r vivac ity af ter a
ser ious attac k of asth ma.
S: L iv elin es s, En th us ia sm ,
Cheer
A: A pa th y ,
D ullne ss ,
Lackadaisical
Vivise ction ( N)
Surgery performed on a living
animal in medical r esearch
Vo cifer ous ( Adj) Nois y, Clamo rous
The spectators were vociferous
when there was a sudden power
shutdown in th e cinema hall.
S: Noisy,Clamorous, Boisterous
Vo la tile ( Adj)
A: Quiet, solemn, Pe aceful
Uns table or fic kle
The vola tile political s ituation
ca use d a lo t of un res t in the
state
A: Staid, Sober
Volit io n (N )
Volubilit y (A dj )
The act or power of using one’s
will
Ta lkative na tu re
Her volub ility was a constant
s ou rc e o f d is tur ba n ce to
e ve ry on e in the a tte ntiv e
cla ssro om.
S: Loquac ity, Garrulo usness
A: Ta citur nity
Volupt uo us (A dj ) Shapely, Producing or fond of
sensual p leasures
He r vo lup tuou s ch arm swe pt
many a man off his feet.
Vor tex (N)
A ny th in g like a w hirl in its
rush , catas trophic power etc.
Cau gh t in th e v or tex o f
mo no to no us w or k, h e co uld
not devo te time to his c hildren.
S: Edd y, W hirlp ool, Curr ent
Vot ary (N)
One boun d by a vow esp ecially
b y re lig io u s w ay s, Lo y a l
follower
I TA LI CS:
Italia ns
fro m
th e
Th e Aldine P re ss w as
among the earliest of the
printing firms to become
fam ous. T his o utfit was
no ted for the sch olar ly
s ta nd in g of its b oo ks .
The he ad of the o rganiza tion , Aldo M an uzio ,
was ke enly interes ted in
Greek studies, and he invented a ty p e that gave
the slan ting sty le to the
Gree k letters tha t is s till
in us e today. This slanting sty le was som ething
of a speciality of his. In
1501 the Aldine Press put
out an edition of Ver gil
and dedicated the work to
Italy. They printed all of
th e volume s in slo ping
letters, and this sty le later
o n be ca me kno wn a s
Italic us , wh ic h me an t
“ Italia n” o r “I ta lic. ”
Hence our word italics. It
wa sn’t u ntil th e m idd le
of the 16th century, however, that italics was used
to express emphasis.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 129 of 131
Th e sa in t tr ie d to m ake as
m an y v otar y a s po s sible
thro ugh sp iritua l effigy.
OVER THE HILL
A r ef er en ce to a
j ou rn ey o ve r a hill.
Once y ou reach the top
of the h ill an d be gin
y our journey down, y ou
have p ast the midpoint
and are on the downside
o r de clin e (o ve r th e
hill). W ith a ge , on ce
y ou h av e pa st y ou r
pe ak, y ou a re on the
downside.
Vulg ar ia n (N )
A rich pe rso n with coa rs e,
vulg ar tas tes
Vulne ra ble (A dj ) Wea k
Even Yesterday ’s Asian tigers
can be vulnerable economically.
Vy ing (Adj )
Wa spis h (A dj )
A: Impervious,Impermeable
Riv al.
Wa ss ail (N )
Wa yla y ( V)
Indian companies are now
vy ing at glo bal market.
S: Com petin g, O pposing,
WXYZ
Waf fle (N)
Waft (V)
Wa if ( N)
W ake (N )
Wa llop ( V)
Wa llo w ( V)
Wa ng le ( V)
To talk or write a lot without
giv ing clear in formation
Don’t waffle be to the po int.
S: Gobble dy gook, Ru bbish
To move gen tly thro ugh the
air
So un d of th e sita s wa fted
dow n the stairs.
S: Dr ift, Flo at
Or ph an
The char ity looked after waif.
S: Stray , Urchin, Soul
Wav e lef t b y a b o at,
Af ter ma th
In wake of earthquake, people
were adv ised to sleep in open.
S: Stir, Rouse, kin dle
To b eat sou ndly
Th e girl w as w allo pe d fo r
misbeh aving in c lass.
S: T hr as h
To indu lge
Buffalo wallow in mud during
s um me r so a s to m aintain
body temperature.
Per suas ion
This is a good deal tha t he has
wangled.
S: Coax, W heedle
Male eq uivalent of a witch
His activities seems as if he is
occupied by a wa rlock.
War ren (N)
A ny c r ow de d b uild ing o r
build ings
I cann ot unde rsta nding h ow
people of Mumbai sur vive in
a warren.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 130 of 131
We an ( V)
Bad- tempere d, Snap pish
H er w a sp is h tem pe r am en t
irritated every o ne.
S: Irr itab le
A: Af fectiona te
Occasion of drinking and merry
ma king
They wer e so lost in the wassail
tha t th ey d idn’t re alis e wh en
the fire bro ke.
To wa it fo r a nd a tta ck b y
surp rise
T he p o lic e wa y la id th e
smu ggler when he go t out of
his hideou t.
S: Ac co st
To discha rge a nur ture d b ad
ha bit.
Th ey w ean ed their da ughter
w ho u se d le f t ha n d fo r
per form ing most activities.
Welter (N)
A co nfused mixtur e of th ings
or peop le
At th e ma nag eme nt institu te
it wa s total w elter, I felt.
Whee dle (V )
Coa x.
Whet ( V)
Wharf ( N)
Th e bo y fr iend whe edled the
girl to elope & get m arried.
S: Inveigle, Charm, Persuade
Sh arp en
Th ou gh t pr oc es s is w he tted
thr ough G Ds.
S: File, Increase, Arouse
A s tr u ctur e o n a s ho r e, a t
wh ich s hip s a re moo re d f or
load ing or unload ing.
Wither ( V)
Shrivel, Decay
The s apling withered be cause
of not b eing watered p roperly.
S: Wilt, Sh rin k, Dro op
Wize ne d (A dj )
Drie d up
Ev en at se ven ty he wa s n ot
wize ned.
S: Wrinkled, lined, Aged
Wo eful (Adj)
A: Sm ooth , Flat, So ft
Mo urnf ul
It is wo eful that repres entative
tha t we e lect a re bus y filling
th eir p oc ke t.
S: Unh appy, Dolef ul.
Wa rlock ( N)
Wr angle (N )
A: Chee rful, J olly
Argu ment
D on ’t wr an g le ov er pe tty
th in gs .
S:
Argue, Dispute
Wr ench ( V)
Wr it he ( V)
Wry (adj )
Xe no phobic ( N)
To twist o r pu ll
W re nc h in g o ut fa cts f ro m
ter roris t is n ot ea sy.
S: Pu ll, Tug , Ya nk
To distort the b ody
He writh ed the whole n ight in
pain.
S: Squirm, Wriggle
A hu morous twist
He had a wry smile on his face
over po or performance on all
fr on ts .
S: Ironic, Cy nic al, Sard onic
Hate or fear for for eigners
I n I nd ia
th e re is n o
x en op ho bia, the y we lc om e
peo ple with open hear ts.
S: Chauv inism, Racism
A: B r o a d - m i n d e d n e s s ,
Accep tance
Xa nt hippe (A dj ) Shrewish woman o r wife
It was sh ocking to lear n th at
wo man whom we thou ght to
be g ra ce fu l wa s ac tu ally a
xa nthipp e.
Ya ho o ( Adj)
A rude or violent person
The ball was full of y ahoos.
Yank (N )
Shor t sharp pull
You r te eth, the den tist wou ld
just y ank them out.
S: Wrench, Haul
Yen (N)
Yie ld ( V)
Yo ke l (A dj )
Yore (N)
Desire
I y en the moment, I would be
with my family.
S: Urge, Carving
Yule ( N)
Zany (N )
Children en joy ed the feats of
zany at the circus.
Ze al ( N)
Time past
Homer’s Iliad is an epic of the
y ore.
In te nse en th usias m, Ard ou r,
Fe rvo ur
AT THE END OF
ON E’ S ROPE
At the lim it o f on e’s
ability to cope. I am at
the e n d of m y r op e
about what to do about
my cur rent situation at
wo rk.
Th is g rou p o f so cia l w orke rs
has worked with great zeal for
th e la st two m onth s.
S: Ear nestn ess
Zenit h (N )
A: Apathy, In differ ence
Th e h ig hes t p oint
Venice was at her zenith as a
sea p ower in th e 15th century.
S: Pinn acle, Su mmit
A: Nadir
Ze phyr ( N)
Ze st ( N)
A gentle breeze
I en jo y e d the zeph y r w hile
str ollin g at the pr omena de.
(i) Keen enjoy ment
(ii) Stim ulatin g quality
Don’t mind his prank, they are
just in ze st.
S: Gus to
A: A pa th y,
D e pr es sion ,
Despon dency
Zing ( N)
Zombie (N )
Produce, Surrender
This year’s agriculture y ield was
very low due to less Rainfall.
S: Give way, give up
A: Resist, Op pose
A pe rso n fro m the c oun tr y,
Bu mp kin
That y okel actually tu rned out
to be CEO of a repute d firm.
S: Naive, Bumpkin , Rus tic
Chr istm as
Last Yule was un forgettable, we
enjo y ed the whole night.
A clown or buffoon, Half-witted
pe rs on
Zy murg y (N )
Spirit, Spar kle
A bit of lemon juice willadd zing
to the sauce.
S: Vitality, Dy namism
A: Apathy, Leth argy
Dead body
Too much of stres s & ten sion
reduced him to a zombie.
S: A utom atio n,
Rob ot,
Andr oid
A: Person, Being, Self
The chemistry of fermentation
as applied in brewing
Zy murgy is important s o as to
imp rove the quality of liq uor
available in the country.
JEST : a brave deed
In medieval France tales
of feu dal adventu re and
knightly prowess were an
important par t of the literature of the day. They
were called chansons de
geste, or “songs of deed.”
The French geste became
the Eng lish ges t o r je st
and was at their word for
a brave and famous deed
or for the story of such a
deed. By the 16th century,
however, jest had degenera ted and was used to
mean mocking, a jeer, or
banter. Thus a jes t n ow
means a joke.
Chapter 2 | Basic Word List | BMM10303 | 131 of 131
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