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A few words .............................................................................................................. 3 – 9
This may be the first time you are contemplating an activity as focused as ‘vocabulary
bui lding’. Some of you may have undertaken i nformal exercises on an i rregular
basis and if you have, then you already know what a pleasure it can be.
Questions based on vocabulary form an important part of most MBA entrance tests
and we need not emphasise the importance of such an exercise. Besides this, a
sound vocabulary will:
1 . help you develop testspecific skills because vocabularybased questions
are one of the fastest and easiest ways to score well
2 . p r o v i d e i n d i r e c t h e l p i n o t h e r t e s t r e l a t e d a r e a s l i k e r e a d i n g
comprehension and language usage
3 . give you a knowle dge asse t that you can leverage throughout your
c a re e r.
This book contains an Alphabetical listing of Words. We have tried our best to
provide you with a list of the most commonly used words in a typical management
entrance test. Enormous efforts have gone into making the content intensive as
well as extensive. Put in a lot of intelligent, dedicated and focused effort and you
will be able to reap rich rewards from this book.
Your w ork does not stop w ith the l earning. Form f ri ends w ho share the same
passion about vocabulary building. Continuous stimulation and reinforcement
of whatever you learn in the classroom are very important.
Before you start, a word of caution. Do not take words for granted. They have a
way of getting even with those who do so.
Happy vocabulary building!
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Essence of the test of vocabulary: Most tests do not check whether you know exactly what a particular word means. Even if
you do not know the precise dictionary definition, if you have a good idea what the word means, you will score. The tests only want
to see if you have a broad and diverse vocabulary capable of helping you carry out your managerial tasks.
Important observations: Our analysis of test papers over the last few years shows that most tests use the same kind of words.
For example, all the words in the list that follows nearly mean the same thing. They all have something to do with the concept of
criticism. The examination may well test you on one of these words or one of the other synonyms of ‘criticise’.
Criticise/Criticism: Calumny, castigate, chastise, deride, derisive, derogate, diatribe, harangue, lambast, oppugn, pillory, rebuke,
remonstrate.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How is vocabulary checked in these tests?
A . A few MBA entrance tests check your vocabulary head on. These include analogy questions (determine the relationship
between a pair of words); antonym questions (choose a word opposite in meaning to a particular word); synonym questions
(choose a word similar in meaning); oddmanout type questions (choose the word different in meaning from the other given
words), etc. If you know the meaning of every word in the question, you can easily answer these questions. The more words
you know, the better your chances of narrowing down the choices to the correct one.
Tests can also gauge your vocabulary indirectly, through Reading Comprehension passages and questions, questions that ask
you to correct sentences and other questions based on critical reasoning. Students with a strong vocabulary have an edge
when it comes to these questions.
Q. How are the words chosen for these tests?
A . The tests check if a student possesses a wellrounded vocabulary. This is the kind of vocabulary you need to read, write and
speak effectively in college and beyond. “Testworthy words” include those any educated person might use in speaking or
writing, as well as those that are quite specific to a particular academic field.
1 . Remember that learning English is a gradual process. It does not happen overnight.
2 . Define your learning objectives early. What do you want to learn and why?
3 . Make learning a habit. Try to learn something every day. It is much better to study (or read or listen to English news etc.)
30 minutes each day than study for 4 hours just once a week.
4 . Choose your study material well. You will need material to help you with reading, grammar, writing, speaking and listening.
5 . Vary your learning routine. It is best to do different things each day to help keep the relationships among different areas
active.
6 . Converse and study with friends who are also learning English. Learning English together can be very encouraging.
7. Choose listening and reading material that relate to what you are interested in. Your interest in the subject will make learning
more enjoyable and more effective.
8 . Relate grammar to practical usage. Grammar by itself does not help you use the language. You should practise what you are
learning by employing it actively.
9 . Move your mouth! Understanding something doesn’t mean the muscles of your mouth can produce the sound. Practise
speaking aloud. It may appear strange but it is very effective.
10. Be patient with yourself. Remember that learning is a process. Speaking a language well takes time.
11. Communicate! There is nothing like communicating in English for being successful. Grammar exercises are good. It is fantastic
to have your friend on the other side of the world understand your email.
12. Use the Internet. The Internet is the most exciting, unlimited English resource available and it is right at your fingertips.
To sum up,
Ø Remember that English learning is a process
Ø Be patient with yourself
Ø Practise, practise, practise
How to develop interest and learning skills simultaneously
Let us see some very basic ways to build up interest in reading and thus enrich your word power. Try one or more of these at your
convenience. What appears most appealing will probably work best for you.
1. Make a list of subjects that fascinate you most. The more you enjoy a topic, the easier it is to learn about it. Go to your
local library and search for a dictionary of words specific to the topic. If you like Economics, find a dictionary of words used in
Economics. Not every topic will have its own dictionary but you’ll be surprised how many do. Once you have found a dictionary,
browse through it. Look for words that you have never heard or words you have heard but do not understand. The sheer joy of
discovering the words and their meanings will help them sink into your memory. Since they relate to your favourite topic, you will
practise and use them regularly with all the commitment needed to make them a part of regular conversation.
2. People favour different words in different parts of the country. Try picking up or subscribing to a newspaper from another
part of the country. Enlist a friend or relative from another area to join you in your vocabulary improvement mission. Offer to
send him/her a copy of your heaviest city newspaper in exchange. Or go online and read such a newspaper online for free.
3. In order to make learning easier and more productive, use flash cards to master several words at once. Pick four words that all
have the same or similar meanings and write them on one side. Write their meanings on the other side. You will be learning four
words and one definition with slightly subtle changes. Effectively, you will learn four times as much in about the same time. Such
flash cards are part of the study material accompanying this book. Add your own flash cards to enhace your learning.
4. Object words are easier to learn. You will be learning the definition of a word which is also a tangible item you can picture in your
mind. Go to a curio shop, speciality store or a museum you have never been to before. Pick up brochures or other documents that
describe what you are seeing. Let the mental pictures drive the names of these items and their descriptions deep into your mind
for later recall.
5. You learn a lot more by being humble than by being proud. When you are trying to place an address in a new locality, you should
be willing to stop and ask for directions. Similarly, you shouldn’t be afraid to do some investigation when you encounter a new
word. Look it up or even have the courage to ask. Go on a word hunt. Write down what you did not understand. Do not rest
until you hunt down the word and its meaning. The satisfaction of victory over your ignorance of that one word will bolster your
confidence and you will be pumped up to master many more words.
Ø Ask yourself every week: What do I want to learn this week?
Asking yourself this question every week will help you stop and think about what is most important to you. It is easy to focus
only on the current alphabet, exercise, etc. If you take a moment to stop and set a goal for yourself every week, you will
notice the progress you are making and, in turn, become more inspired by how quickly you are learning English! You will be
surprised at how this feeling of success will motivate you to learn more and more.
Ø Break up the task into small and manageable pieces
Do not try to cram words. Instead, tackle about 20 to 30 words at a time. In this book, you will find that we have divided the
words into manageable chunks.
Ø Learn words in the context of a story
This is a very beautiful way of learning. You learn with reference to the context. Try and write short paragraphs with respect
to some specific words. Also use 10 to 15 newly learnt words in this paragraph.
Ø Discuss words with your friends
Form a small group of friends interested in vocabulary building. You and your friends should be excited to discover and discuss
new words. Use new words while talking to your friends. You should make it a way of your life.
Ø Quickly review important new words shortly before going to bed
Research has shown that our brains process information that is fresh in our mind while we sleep. By going over some exercise,
or by reading before you go to bed, your brain will work away on this information while you sleep! Sounds interesting?
Ø While doing exercises and when alone at home or in your room, speak English aloud
Connect the muscles of your face to the information in your head. Just as understanding the basics of tennis does not make you
a great tennis player, understanding grammar rules does not mean you can automatically speak English well. You need to
practise the act of speaking often. Speaking by yourself at home and reading the exercises will help connect your brain to
your facial muscles, improve pronunciation and make your knowledge active.
Ø Look for situations in which you must speak/read/listen to English
This is probably the most important tip. You need to use English in a real world situation. Learning English in a classroom is
important but putting your English knowledge into practice in real situations will improve your fluency. If you cannot think of any
“real life” situation, create situations by using the Internet or the radio to listen to news, write English responses wherever
possible, exchange emails in English with friends, etc.
Our approach
Exercises
In the classroom sessions, you will be given regular exercises that test and reinforce your vocabularyrelated knowledge on a
continuous basis. If you take these exercises seriously, tremendous advantages will accrue to you.
Pronunciation
Another important part of learning vocabulary is learning the correct pronunciation of each word. You are advised to look up the
pronunciation from a good dictionary whenever you come across a new word. In order to help you with the correct pronunciation of
the words which have rather unusual pronunciations, we have given a very easytouse pronunciation key along with such words.
This way as you improve your vocabulary, you will also improve your spoken language abilities.
Maintain a personal dictionary/vocabulary book
Develop your own personal dictionary/vocabulary book. This will be a major help in the long run in improving your language abilities.
You can put in important information that is not in other dictionaries. For example,
Ø you can include information in any language (you can write the pronunciation in your mother tongue)
Using your own dictionary is faster.
Ø It only contains words you need, so it has fewer entries and it is easier to search for the word you need.
Ø You can put in words that are not headwords in a normal dictionary, such as ‘jumped’, rather than ‘jump’.
Ø You can put in any type of information that would otherwise require you to refer to different types of dictionaries. For
example,you can include information from technical, pictorial, monolingual and bilingual dictionaries under one headword.
Therefore, you only need to look in one place to find all the information.
Ø You can do away with confusing abbreviations and write what you need to know in full. For example, you can write
‘Uncountable noun’ instead of [U].
A noun
Word : Fluke
Meaning : Something good that happens by accident and good luck
(It also means a whale’s tail but this is a rare and technical meaning.)
Example : ‘The goal was a fluke as the ball went between the goalkeeper’s legs.’
Pronunciation: /flu:k/ Grammar : Countable noun.
Plurals are unusual but grammatically possible;
e.g. “Their goals were all flukes but ours were skilful!”
An expression
It’s raining cats and dogs.
Meaning: It’s raining heavily.
Note: This expression is a bit oldfashioned, it is not used much nowadays.
A modern equivalent is : “It’s pouring.”
An adverb
Word : Badly
Meaning: adverb of ‘bad’ Examples:
Pronunciation: /bædli/ Ø ‘He did very badly in his test, so he will have to read the study
material again.’
Ø ‘This is a badlywritten assignment.’
To swallow a/the dictionary
Meaning: To use long and unnecessarily complicated words and expressions, especially in normal conversation.
Example: “He talks like he has swallowed a dictionary, I can’t understand half of what he says.”
As you learn more, you can move words from Section One to Section Two and then to Section Three.
Here is a sample card.
Front of the card Back of the card
Expression meaning 'extremely rarely'.
Once in a blue moon Example: "He smiles once in a blue moon."
The phrase refers to the appearance of a second full moon within a calendar month, which actually
happens rarely, about every 32 months.
Ø Read, read, read ! Most words are learned from context. The more words you’re exposed to, the better your vocabulary.
While you read, pay close attention to words you don’t know. First, try to figure out their meanings from context. Then look the
words up. Read and listen to challenging material so that you’ll be exposed to many new words. What should you read? Refer
to the Standard Booklist given in the Student’s Handbook.
Ø Practise, practise, practise. Learning a word won’t help very much if you promptly forget it.
Our research shows that it takes from 10 to 20 repetitions to really make a word part of your Pramod Panvel
vocabulary. It helps to write the word both the definition and a sentence you make up using the IIMA, K
word perhaps on an index card that can later be reviewed. As soon as you learn a new word,
start using it.
PT provided the
Ø Make up as many associations and connections as possible. Say the word aloud to
platform which helped
activate your auditory memory. Relate the word to words you already know. For example, the
word gargantuan (very large) has a meaning similar to the words gigantic, huge, large, cornucopian me ex c el i n M B A
etc. You could make a sequence: small, medium, large, very large, gargantuan. List as many
entrance exams. In fact,
things as you can that could be considered gargantuan: Godzilla, the fat person, the zit on your
nose, etc. Create pictures related to the word’s meaning that involve strong emotions. Think I would recommend
“the gargantuan creature was going to rip me apart and then eat me!” everybody to join PT
Ø Use mnemonics (memory tricks). For example, consider the word egregious (extremely and reap great benefits.
bad). Think EGG REACH US imagine we’ve made a mistake so bad that they are throwing eggs
at us and a rotten EGG REACHES US. Such funny little mental pictures are fun to make up and will
help you remember what words mean. Also, find out which learning style suits you best. Everyone
learns differently!
Ø Get in the habit of looking up words you don’t know. If you have a dictionary program on
your computer, keep it open and handy. Or always keep a good dictionary close to you when you
read or write. Use a thesaurus when you want to use the word that fits best. (Don’t know what
“thesaurus” means? Look it up in the dictionary!)
Ø Play with words. Play scrabble, boggle and do crossword puzzles. These and other word games are available on the computer,
so you do not need a partner to play.
Ø Use vocabulary lists and take the tests. For serious vocabulary students, using vocabulary lists like the ones given here
will be a major help. And the tests are great fun even as they let you know where you stand.
You could read this book straight through from cover to cover or focus on certain parts, depending on how you prefer to learn
new words and how much time you have. Here's a brief description of each part, along with some suggestions for using your study
time most effectively.
Ø Alphabetical wordlists
This is an anytime dictionary for you which we have framed as per the test requirements. Here, you can systematically choose
a set of words and go after them. Think of this as the ultimate reference for MBA entrance!
Ø Foreign words in English
English as a language has assimilated a large number of words from different languages and that is one reason it’s often
referred to as a catholic language. Although the words given in this part are essentially foreign, they are used freely as part of
the English language itself.
Ø Topicwise words
This will provide you with a more interesting style of learning wherein you can relate words to human behaviour, animal
characteristics, anatomy, phobias etc. You will benefit more if you are able to relate these words to happenings or observations
from daily life.
Ø Confusing words
While building up your word power, a common happening is that you get yourself entangled among several words. This
special section on confusable will help to make your journey go smoother. Keep returning to this section till you are very sure
of these tricky words.
Ø Idioms and phrases
This section will expose you to various usages popular among English speakers. You may never be asked the meaning directly,
but knowledge of these idioms and phrases will help you in other test areas like Reading Comprehension.
Ø Jargons
Words dealing with specialised areas like law, games, geography etc. are usually missed out. Go through these words and make
sentences so that you are very familiar with these words.
Ø Phrasal verbs
This part deals with usage of verbs (called phrasal verbs), which when followed by various prepositions or adverbs, acquire an
idiomatic sense. This part includes several examples to help you understand the correct usage of these phrasal verbs.
Ø Roots/Suffixes/Prefixes
Vocabulary learning can never be complete without knowing the origin and usage of words. Once you are thorough with this
part, it will be easier for you to understand the meaning of new words.
The following pages are an expressway into the land of words, words that will help you express your way to success. On your marks,
get set and vroooom!
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reminders etc. related to MBA Entrance Tests.
The process for the students to use this facility will be :
1. The st u dent will regist er for t his facilit y t hr o ugh a link pro vided o n
www.PTeducation.com
2. He/she will update the mobile no. whenever it changes using this weblink itself
3. Students registering for SREN will automatically avail of this facility
All the best ... Kar ke dikhayenge!
Atul Meena
ABSCOND IIMA, B, C, I, K
to depart secretly
þ Syn. flee, run away The CTs and PracCATs
¬ Ant. arrest, stay
gave me the realistic
@ Senior officers were taken by surprise as the policeman under
suspension absconded with a loaded weapon. picture of the CAT and
proved to be very
ABSOLVE beneficial for the
to forgive, free from blame
written tests. The AIRs
þ Syn. acquit, exonerate
were very realistic and
¬ Ant. condemn, incriminate
@ The queen absolved the general from blame for the defeat. helped me benchmark
myself. Thanks!
ABSCESS N.
boil, pimple, ulcer, localised accumulation of pus in body tissues
þ Syn. sore, swelling, eruption, pustule
@ You need a surgeon to remove this abscess.
A CME
ACCOLADE
highest point, summit
praise, di stinction
þ Syn. pinnacle, zenith
þ Syn. honour, recognition
¬ Ant. pit, nadir
¬ Ant. criticism, disparagement
@ The dictator was assassinated just as he reached the acme
@ The winners of the contest beamed as the audience heaped of his power.
accolades on them.
ACOLYTE N.
ACCOMPLICE N.
an assistant, a faithful follower
conspirator, companion, coworker, associate in a crime
@ He h ad ho rd es of ac ol yt es to en su re hi s vi c to ry at t he
þ Syn. accessory, coconspirator el ecti ons.
@ The police nabbed the accomplice after a dramatic chase.
ACOUSTIC Adj. ACOUSTICS pl (N.)
ACCORDANCE Adj. related to theory of sound or hearing, quality that makes a room
conformi ty, agreement, concurrence easy or hard to hear in
þ Syn. agreement, harmony, uni ty þ Syn. audio, aural, auditory, sound
@ In accordance with her wishes, she was buried in France. @ The auditorium has perfect acoustics.
@ Animals use a whole range of acoustic, visual and chemical
signals in their systems of communication.
IC : PTpntvb01 (13) of (188)
ACQUISITION N. ACRONYM N.
possession, property, addition, gain, prize a word formed from the initial letters of other words
þ Syn. attainment, achi evement þ Syn. short form, contraction, ellipsis
¬ Ant. loss, defeat, beating, hammering @ GATT, FERA, Laser, Radar, Maser, TRIPs, TRIMs, VAT etc.
@ Economic reforms have unleashed a spate of acquisitions in N o t e : W T O , O E C D , U N , I C I C I , S B I , M R T P e t c . a r e
the corporate world. abb revi ati o ns a nd n ot a cron yms. An abbr evi a ti on i s the
shortened form of something. An acronym is a word formed
f r o m t h e f i r s t l e t t e r s o f a s e r i e s o f w or d s . U n l i k e a n
ACQUIESCE abbrevi ation, an acronym i s usually pronounced as a w ord
to agree, comply quietly and not letter by letter.
þ Syn. concur with, consent to
¬ Ant. forbid, object ACTUARY N. ACTUA RIAL Adj.
@ The princess acquiesced to the king’s demands, but she was A statistician who computes insurance risks and premiums.
not happy about it. @ Rohit’s father i s an actuary; no wonder hi s know l edge of
statistics is so good.
A CQUITTA L
release from blame ACTUATE V.
þ Syn. discharge, exonerati on to put something into action, to start something, motivate
¬ Ant. conviction, incarceration þ Syn. drive, incite, goad, instigate
@ The public was astonished at the acquittal of the serial killer. ¬ Ant. hinder, deter, restrain
@ The writings of Karl Marx actuated the October Revolution in
ACRIMONY Russ i a.
bitterness, animosity
þ Syn. resentment, causticity ACUITY N.
¬ Ant. goodw ill, benevolence keenness of perception; sharpness
@ The evi dent acrimony between the coupl e made everyone @ Sara’s acuity of taste landed her a winetaster’s job.
feel uncomfortabl e.
ACUMEN
ACRID Adj. sharpness of insight
bitter, pungent, sarcastic, acerbic, vitriolic, caustic, sharp, biting þ Syn. astuteness, sagacity
þ Syn. choki ng, unpl easant, harsh ¬ Ant. witlessness, idiocy
¬ Ant. savoury, delectable @ The portfolio manager's financial acumen helped his clients to
@ Clouds of acrid smoke issued from the building. become rich.
AFFRONT
A ERIA L
personal off ence, insult
having to do with the air
þ Syn. indignity, aspersion
þ Syn. airborne, inflight
¬ Ant. compliment, justice
¬ Ant. terrestrial, earthly
@ Stephen took the waiter's insulting remark as an affront to
@ Fr om t he p l a ne , w e t oo k se ve ra l ae ri al p i c tu re s of t he his whole family.
mountaintop.
AFICIONADO N.
AERODYNAMIC
an ardent follower, an amateur, a devotee
relating to the movement of air and its effects on objects moving
through the air þ Syn. enthusiast, adherent, f anatic
AMAZON N.
ALTAR N.
a tall, strong masculine woman, female warrior
a table for making sacrifices or religious offerings, table used for
communion in churches þ Syn. stream, masculine
@ An Amazon is a member of a legendary race of female warriors
@ Many an ambition has died at the altar of social taboo.
in Scythia and elsewhere.
ALTERCATION N.
AMBIDEXTROUS
a heated di spute, quarrel , noi sy fi ght, angry di spute, heated
di spute able to use both hands equally well
þ Syn. brawl, ruckus, melee, fracas @ The ambi dextrous cook w as able to chop vegetabl es w ith
both hands simultaneously.
¬ Ant. safeguarding, def ense
@ Th e d eba te, w h i ch ha d s tar ted pe ace abl y e nou gh, so on
turned into an altercation that left bitter feelings behind. AMBIENT Adj. AMBIENCE N.
surroundi ng
þ Syn. encompassing, enveloping
A LTRUISM
@ I love dining in the Taj because of its ambience.
unselfish concern for others' welfare
þ Syn. compassion, benevolence
¬ Ant. self ishness, malevol ence A MB IG UOUS
@ The woman’s generosity showed that altruism was alive even uncertain, subject to multiple interpretations
in today’s moneyminded world. þ Syn. ambivalent, enigmatic
¬ Ant. unambiguous, clear
ALTIMETER N. @ His directions were so ambiguous that we were soon lost.
an instrument for measuring height (altitude)
@ An altimeter in an aircraft shows height above sea or ground AMBIVALENCE
l evel . attitude of uncertainty, conflicting emotions
þ Syn. equivocation, indecision
ALUMNA N. ¬ Ant. certainty, deci siveness
a female graduate of a college or school (plural – alumnae) @ The government’s ambivalence over the dam is posing a threat
@ Mrs.Indira Gandhi was the alumna of Shantiniketan. to the environment.
AMEND A MO RA L
to improve or correct flaws in unprincipled, unethical
þ Syn. modify, correct þ Syn. unscrupulous, without standard
@ The government should amend the tax law. ¬ Ant. principled, moral
@ The preacher was very agitated about the amoral nature of
AMENITIES N. modern values.
convenient f eatures, courtesi es
þ Syn. facilities, services A M ORO US
@ They have all amenities for the business traveller in the hotel’s strongly attracted to love; showing love
busi ness centre. þ Syn. amatory, ardent
¬ Ant. unloving, cold
AMENITY @ The poet wrote many amorous poems about his love.
pleasantness, something that increases comfort
þ Syn. conveni ence, advantage A MORP HOUS
¬ Ant. i nconvenience, unpleasantness having no definite form
@ The kidnap victim was happy to regain access to the amenities þ Syn. forml ess, structureless
of civilised society after spending several months in the jungle. ¬ Ant. shaped, defini te
@ Flubber was an amorphous cartoon character that looked like
a bouncing blob of jelly.
@ He was forced to amputate the less profitabl e activiti es to þ Syn. accompanying, addi tional
ensure the survival of the company. ¬ Ant. main, prime
@ As reforms were only instituted at the main factory, and not
at the ancillary plants, defects continued to occur.
A MULET
ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
@ Laxmi claimed she was not superstitious, but always wore an ANCHOR N., V.
amulet around her neck. a device to stabili se a structure, a reliable, principal support,
secure or fasten firmly,
ANIMA TION
ANOMALY
enthusiasm, excitement
irregularity or deviation from the norm
þ Syn. vivacity, livel iness
þ Syn. aberration, excepti on
¬ Ant. sluggishness, lethargy
¬ Ant. regularity, norm
@ Bobby spoke wi th animati on about his wonderf ul, exci ti ng
trip to London. @ There are a number of anomalies in the present system.
ANIMOSITY ANONYMITY
hatred, hosti li ty condition of having no name or an unknown name
þ Syn. acrimony, antagonism @ Af ter abandoni ng her movie career, Greta Garbo retreated
into relative anonymity.
¬ Ant. af fecti on, friendship
@ The deeprooted ani mosi ty betw een them made it dif ficult
for the cousins to work together. ANONYMOUS Adj. ANONYMITY N.
unattested, uncredited, uni denti fied, unnamed
ANNALS N. þ Syn. unidentified, unspeci fied, secret
record of events in a yearwise fashion ¬ Ant. characteristic, i ndividual, unique
þ Syn. archives, chronicl es, history @ The anonymous letter could not be traced.
@ In the annals of cricket, Kapil’s name will be written in gold. @ For reason s of personal saf e ty, the i nf ormant requested
anonymi ty.
ANNEAL V.
ANTAGONISM N. ANTAGONISTIC Adj.
strengthen; esp.glass temper by subjecti ng to great heat and
slow cooling hostility, active resistance
@ The windscreens of cars are usually made of annealed glass. þ Syn. rivalry, opposition, aggression
¬ Ant. collaboration, assistance, help
@ The underlying antagonism between the tw o men doesn’t
exactly encourage party uni ty.
ARCH Adj.
APPROBATION N. APPROBATE V.
principal, chief, roguish
approval
@ Real Madrid beat their arch rivals AC Milan 20 to lift the Euro
þ Syn. consent, esteem, good opinion c up .
¬ Ant. condemnation, displeasure
@ He had worked long and hard on the project and, when his A RCHA IC
efforts succeeded, the committee never gave him so much as
antiquated, from an earlier time, outdated
a word of approbation.
þ Syn. dated, oldfashioned
belonging to or living in water @ Her archaic computer could not run the new software.
@ The heaviest aquatic creature, the whale, dwarfs the largest scientif ic study of human antiquities by excavations, study of
land animals, as its weight is supported by water. artifacts and relics of early mankind
@ Many anci ent ci vil i sati ons coul d be unearthed because of
man's advancement in the field of archaeology.
AQUILINE Adj.
like an eagle, bent, hooked, curved
ARCHETYPE N.
þ Syn. hooked, curved, an aquiline nose, aquiline features
the original model, prototype, ideal form
@ The statue of Adonis has an aquiline nose.
þ Syn. epitome, standard, classic
@ Carl G. Jung tri ed to explain human behaviour i n terms of
ARAB LE “archetypal patterns” i nheri ted through the generations of
suitable for cultivation collective human experi ence.
þ Syn. generati ve, fruitf ul
¬ Ant. infertile, barren ARCHIVES N.
@ The overpopulated country desperately needed more arable a repository of public records/monuments, etc.
land to grow food for its starving people. þ Syn. documents, annals, collection
@ I've been studying village records in the local archives.
A RB ITRA RY
depending solely on individual will, inconsistent ARCHIPELAGO
þ Syn. peremptory, autocratic large group of islands
¬ Ant. democratic, rational @ Boat taxis are the only form of transportation between villages
@ To everyone’s surpri se, Nutan w as given the priz e, making in the Stockholm archipelago.
the judges' decision appear completely arbitrary.
time or place of great war between forces of good and evil. ¬ Ant. inarticulate, dumb
þ Syn. World War @ She is such an articulate defender of labour that unions are
among her strongest supporters.
@ He said that unless people in western societies change the
w a y i n w hi ch th ey l i ve, t he w o rl d w a ss he ad i ng f o r an
environmental Armageddon. A RTIFA CT
historical relic, item made by human craft, fabrication
ARMOURY N. a storehouse of arms and ammunitions @ The archaeologist discovered hundreds of interesting artifacts
@ The bandits gained access to the armoury after kil ling the in the ruins of the mansion.
guards and helped themselves to more arms.
ARTIFICE N.
AROMA N. AROMA TIC Adj. skill, trickery, contrivance, ingenuity
bouquet, fragrance, perfume, scent, flavour, charm þ Syn. pretence, ploy, deception, lie
þ Syn. smell, odour, whiff @ His remorse is just an artifice to gain sympathy.
@ The aroma of good food makes one’s mouth water.
ARTILLERY N.
offensive weapons of war
þ Syn. arms, guns, armaments, missiles
@ Naval gunfi re and groundbased artillery are generally less
accurate than many aircraftborne w eapons.
AVUNCULAR Adj.
AVENGE V. AVENGER N.
like an uncle
to vindicate, to take revenge on behalf of someone else
@ Kids delight in his avuncular indulgence.
þ Syn. retali ate, get revenge, get even
@ T he y s ay t ha t M rs Ga nd h i ’ s as s as si n at i o n p ro mp t ed b y
Operation Blue Star. AWE N., V
reverential wonder or fear (aweinspiring, awestruck)
@ The aven ger as port rayed i n t he mo vi e w a s a v i cti m of
consistent social abuse. þ Syn. fear, terror, dread, fright
@ Nehru’s staunchest critics were in awe of him.
¬ Ant. plane, basic, pure, bare, obvious þ Syn. coarse, vulgar, lewd
@ We are fascinated by Melinda’s absolutely baroque life; her ¬ Ant. refined, advanced, superi or
huge Victorian house, complex career and elaborate clothing @ The bawdy remarks infuriated Ipshita and she retaliated.
intrigue us.
@ The baroque entrance to the lobby is indeed impressive. BAWL V., N.
cry, lament, grieve, bemoan, wail
BARONIAL Adj. þ Syn. cry, howl, wail, roar, sob, shout
grand, majesti c, august, grandi ose ¬ Ant. whisper, murmur, undertone
þ Syn. grand, impressive, opulent @ She lay there bawling but nobody came to forward to comfort
¬ Ant. humble, modest, poor, meek h e r.
@ The baronial rooms of his house depict opulence.
BAY( v)
to howl long and deep
(n) – large body of water, recess of land
þ Syn. howl, bellow
@ The dog bayed all ni ght, much to the annoyance of the
nei ghbours.
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BEATIFIC Adj., BEATITUDE N. BEGUILE
supremely happy, angelic, giving bliss, blissful to deceive, mislead, charm
þ Syn. innocent, saintly, virtuous þ Syn. dupe, bewitch
¬ Ant. evil, wrong, depraved, immoral ¬ Ant. be honest or straight
@ The beatific smile on the face of the pilot belied the fact that @ You will be beguiled by his sweet talk.
he was facing certain death.
BEHEST N.
BEAU N. command, an urgent prompting
lover, dandy, boyfriend þ Syn. request, command, order, will
@ Sara broke up with her beau and needed emotional support. @ The world trade no longer functions at the behest of any one
superpow er.
BECKON V.
to make a summoning to, gesture, motion, nod BEHEMOTH
þ Syn. signal, sign, summon, gesture huge creature or thing
¬ Ant. dismiss, release, discharge, sack þ Syn. colossus, goliath
@ The nation beckons you, young man, rise and shine. ¬ Ant. tiny, lilliput
@ The spate of mergers are creating corporate behemoths.
BEDIZEN V., BEDIZENMENT N.
to dress vulgarly BELA TED
@ I was shocked to see girls bedizened in seethrough costumes late, behind time
in the bar. þ Syn. delayed, overdue
¬ Ant. earl y, punctual
BEDRAGGLE V. @ George handed Sushmita a bel ated bi rthday gi ft wi th an
to wet thoroughly apologetic grin.
@ T h e p u p p y w a i t e d o u t s i d e t h e d o o r, b e d ra g g l e d a n d
miserable, hoping to be allowed in. BELEAGUER
harass, surround
BELABOUR V. þ Syn. annoy, badger
to attack verbally, to explain or insist on excessively ¬ Ant. assist, aid
@ You d o n ot h av e t o b el ab ou r t he p o i n t, I ha ve al re ad y @ Manisha’s beleaguered parents finally gave in to her request
accepted my mistake. for a PC.
BEFUDDLE V. BELITTLE
confuse thoroughly to represent as unimportant, make light of
þ Syn. muddle, mix up, bewilder, baffle þ Syn. demean, disparage
¬ Ant. teach, coach, tutor, educate, drill ¬ Ant. praise, applaud
@ The umpire’s strange signal befuddled not just the batsman @ Chandrika’s parents scolded her for constantly belittling her
but also the entire fielding side. younger sister's views.
1 . banal a . surrounded
2 . basti on b . unoriginal
3 . bel eaguer c . combative
4 . beli ttle d . stronghold
5 . belligerent e . make to seem little
5 . (c ) 4 . ( e ) 3 . ( a ) 2 . (d ) 1 . (b )
BEMOAN V.
BERATE
to express deep grief or distress over
to scold harshly
@ Ruby bemoaned separation from her lover for six months.
þ Syn. rebuke, admonish
¬ Ant. praise, laud
BEMUSE V. BEMUSEMENT N.
@ Andy was embarrassed when his mother berated him in public
BEMUSED Adj. for damaging the family car.
to put in confusion
þ Syn. bewilder, puzzle, perplex, muddle BERSERK Adj.
@ The bemused parents looked at their son's ponytail carefully. violently frenzied or angry, out of control, mad
þ Syn. maniacal, amok, crazy, mad
BENCHMARK ¬ Ant. sane, sensible, sound, normal
standard of measure @ Denied permission to marry hi s lady l ove, Prince Dipendra
þ Syn. criterion, yardstick went berserk and opened fire on his entire family.
@ The average scores of the previous year's students are used
as a benchmark to assess the new batch. BEREAVE V., BEREAVEMENT N.
to deprive of something, to take away by force, state of sorrow
BENEDICTION N. after the death of a beloved
good wishes, blessings, encouragement, sanction @ He was bereaved of his possessions when his father kicked
him out of the house.
þ Syn. blessing, approval, sanction
@ The entire nation was in bereavement after the death of the
@ Benediction, they say, at the ri ght ti me, i n right amounts, young prime minister.
can inspire one to move mountains.
BESEECH V.
BENEFACTOR
to entreat, to implore, to ask for, to solicit,
someone giving aid or money
þ Syn. beg, request, ask, plead, press
þ Syn. patron, champion
@ He came again and again beseeching for money.
@ A mysterious benefactor paid off Ravina’s debts, making it
possible for her children to attend college.
BESIEGE V.
to surround to force to give up, harass, cause to feel distressed
BENEFICENT
þ Syn. blockade, surround, beset
kindly in action and purpose, charitable, producing good effects
¬ Ant. di vest, uncover, expose
þ Syn. altruistic, philanthropic
@ A f t er t h e co n tr ov er s i a l f i l m w a s t el e ca st t h e te l ev i s i o n
¬ Ant. unkind, mean
company was besieged by angry phone calls and letters.
@ Despite his tough reputation, Kumar was a beneficent man,
and donated millions to worthy charities.
BESMIRCH V.
to make dirty with smoke or soot, to sully, soil, defile
BENEVOLENCE N., BENEVOLENT Adj.
þ Syn. defame, scandalise, malign, slur
charitableness, phi lanthropy, kindness
@ T h e c r i m e s t h e y c o m m i t t e d i n t h e S e c o n d W o r l d W a r
þ Syn. contributi on, donation, largesse besmirched the country’s name.
¬ Ant. enmity, resentment, malignancy
@ Hi s benevol ence turned out to be a charade to cover hi s BESTOW
nefari ous activi ties.
to give as a gift
@ Hi s benevol ent nature is refl ected i n many of hi s chari ty
þ Syn. confer on, award to
proje cts.
¬ Ant. deprive, refuse
@ The students bestowed many gifts upon the teacher on her
reti rement.
B IA S
BINGO N., Interjection
prejudice, sl ant
a game, an expression of unexpectedness
þ Syn. partiality, favouritism
@ I was just about to borrow some money when bingo! I won
¬ Ant. impartiality, objectivity the l ottery.
@ Racial bias in employment is illegal in the United States.
BIOPSY N.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
the removal and examination of tissue, cells or fluid from a living
list of books b od y
þ Syn. catalogue, list of references @ Af ter studying the bi opsy report, the doctor assured the
@ Please i nclude a bibliography at the end of the thesis so patient that the growth was benign.
that the reviewer can identify the sources.
BISECT – to cut into two (usually equal) parts
BIBLIOPHILE þ Syn. break in two, split
book lover ¬ Ant. join, unite
þ Syn. bookworm, bibliomaniac @ The new road bi sected the f orest, putting al l the smal l
@ The librarian was a real bibliophile; she knew every author animals at risk.
we mentioned.
BIVOUAC N., V.
BICKER V. a temporary shelter or camp, tent
quarrel, qui bble, argue @ The first time I slept outdoors was when we had to spend the
þ Syn. di spute, debate, squabble night in a bivouac in the last year of school.
¬ Ant. agree, consent, correspond
@ It is pity that educated girls bicker over trivial matters. BIZARRE Adj.
striking; out of ordinary
BIGOT N., BIGOTED Adj. þ Syn. f antastic, extravagant, eccentri c
biased, narrowminded person @ Most fashion designers present bizarre creations.
þ Syn. extremist, dogmatist, hypocrite
@ The bigot was thoroughly disliked for his hatefilled opinions. BLANCH V.
@ She’s so bi goted that she ref uses to accept anyone w ho bleach, whiten; to parboil in water or steam in order to remove
doesn't think like her. the skin
þ Syn. grow pale, lighten, blench
BILATERAL @ Use blanched almonds for this recipe.
twosi ded
þ Syn. twopronged, joint BLAND Adj.
¬ Ant. independent, unilateral smooth, gentle, suave, polite, mild
@ The battle finally came to a halt when the two sides signed þ Syn. insipid, weak, tasteless, plain
a bilateral treaty. ¬ Ant. spicy, pi quant, peppery, zesty
@ Continental food is too bland for the Indian palate.
BILIOUS Adj.
related to lever trouble, irritable, suffering from indigestion BLANDISHMENT N.
@ T h e e n d i n g o f t h e f i n a n c i a l y e a r s e e s m a n y a b i l i o u s coaxing, cajoling, flattering, adulation
businessmen. @ Despi te the blandi shments of f ered by the sal esman, she
resisted buying the product.
BILK V., N.
to cheat out of something valuable, frustrate, escape BLARE V., N.
þ Syn. def raud, baffle, disappoint to roar, to sound harshly, loud, flamboyance
@ The fake fakir bilked the lady of her belongings in the name of þ Syn. blast, boom, make a racket
Go d. @ The blaring horns of the truck will make you deaf one day.
@ His attire this evening is nothing but a blare.
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BLASPHEMY N. BLASPHEMOUS Adj. BLOND (also BLONDE) N., Adj.
w ords/ acti ons meant to mock somethi ng, prof ane speaki ng, a person of fair complexion and golden, light auburn coloured
swearing about something sacred, irreverence, cursing hai r
þ Syn. desecration, impiety, sacrilege þ Syn. fair haired, pale, flaxen
¬ Ant. faithf ulness, godliness, piousness @ Blondes are generally considered beautiful.
@ Blasphemy is punishable by death in certain fundamentalist @ Meg Ryan’s blonde hair gels well with her personality.
countri es.
@ S a l m a n R u s h d i e e a r n e d t h e “ f a t w a ” f o r h i s a l l e g e d l y BLUSH V.
blasphemous writings.
to grow red out of shame and confusion
þ Syn. go red, flush, colour, redden
B LA TANT
¬ Ant. blench, draw back, falter, recoil
glaring, obvious, showy
@ He blushed profusely when she asked him out for dinner.
þ Syn. shameless, evident
¬ Ant. subtle, inconspicuous
BLUSTER V., N.
@ The building was constructed in blatant violation of the law.
to talk or act w ith noisy swaggering threats, threaten emptily,
bully
þ Syn. harangue, bulldoz e, rant, bristle
BLEAK Adj. @ The bully was all bluster and no substance.
colourless, cold, depressing, grim @ Many f ound Fi del Castro’s blusters agai nst the USA quite
þ Syn. barren, exposed, gaunt, open amusing.
¬ Ant. cheerful, happy, smiling, joyful
@ The chances of a majority government at the centre has now BOG V., N.
become bleak. marsh, morass, swamp, slow down
þ Syn. marshland, quagmire, retard
BLEMISH N., V. @ The expansion plans of the company have been bogged down
flaw, stain, def ect, scar, blot by certai n controversies.
þ Syn. mark, imperfection, fault, blotch
@ Morarjibhai’s 75 years in public life were without a blemish. BOGGLING Adj.
something astounding, astonishing, amazing
BLISS N. @ Many mindboggling problems in LR section of CAT 2004 were
the highest happi ness, heavenly happi ness responsible for the student’s poor performance.
þ Syn. ecstasy, paradi se, deli ght
¬ Ant. misery, sadness, grief, sorrow BOHEMIAN N.
@ It’s bliss to be able to lie back and just forget all about your s o m e o n e w h o s e t s s o c i a l c o n v e n t i o n s a s i d e , a n a r t i s t ,
worries. unconventi onal , unorthodox
@ Maqbool Fida Hussein is known for his Bohemian ways.
BLITHE Adj.
cheerful, sprightly, gay, joyous, merry, casual, li ghthearted BOISTEROUS Adj.
þ Syn. carefree, unconcerned, happy wild, noisy and exuberant; turbulent, violent, rough
¬ Ant. tense, anxi ous, bothered, edgy þ Syn. clamorous, obstreperous
@ He blithely ignored the warning and swam out far from the ¬ Ant. quiet, shy, timid
sho re. @ The children were having a boisterous game in the playground.
þ Syn. reward, prize, payment, generousi ty @ The manager’s brashness was the cause of the company’s
f ai lure.
@ The bounty of politicians at the electiontime is no longer a
@ Don’t you think that suit is a bit brash for a funeral?
s ec r et .
@ The bountiful harvest this year has brought smiles to many a
f a ce . BRAVADO N.
a displ ay of bravery, false show of bravery, swagger, assumed
air of defiance
þ Syn. boldness, daring
@ It was an act of bravado that made him ask his boss to resign.
¬ Ant. harmony, accord, agreement inexperi enced, immature, juvenil e, unsophi sticated, youthful
þ Syn. naive, adol escent, green
@ There are some people who enjoy even the cacophony of the
st reet s. ¬ Ant. stylish, difficult, urbane, mature
@ Richard was just a callow youth of sixteen when he arrived in
CADAVER N., CADAVEROUS Adj. Pari s.
corpse
þ Syn. dead body, remains, carcass CALUMNIATE V., CALUMNY N.
@ Rivers like the Ganges, the Yamuna etc. have been polluted to spread malicious slander
by human and animal cadavers, in addition to other pollutants. @ Media is always handy in calumniating a politician or a public
@ He is so emaciated that he appears cadaverous. f i gu re.
@ The office was torn apart by calumny; soon nobody trusted
a ny bo dy.
CADENCE N.
Balanced, rhythmic flow, as of poetry or oratory
CAMARADERIE N.
@ The cadence of the parade at the Republic Day always instils
a sense of patriotism in me. good fellowship, the feeling of comradeship
þ Syn. brotherhood, esprit de corps
secretive, artfully shy, marked by cleverness @ Peaceloving nati ons of the w orl d must unite as it is only
thr ough camar ader i e th at th e evi l s of the w orl d can be
þ Syn. wary, guarded, reticent, evasi ve eliminated.
¬ Ant. careless, slapdash, imprudent
@ The secret service is cagey about the whole phonetapping CAMEO N.
busi ness.
shell or jewel carved in relief; a small theatrical appearance
þ Syn. character part, cameo role
CA JOLE
@ He has a cupboard full of cameos.
to fl atter, coax, persuade
@ Even a cameo by Amitabh Bachhan is sufficient to pull the
þ Syn. wheedl e, coax crowds to the theatres.
¬ Ant. bully, coerce
@ She was confident that she could cajole her father into buying CAMOUFLAGE N., Adj., V.
her a new dress.
a device used for disguising oneself to deceive others, conceal
þ Syn. disguise, mask, obscure, facade
@ The chameleon’s camouflage was so good that the bird failed
to spot it.
@ Militarymen wear a camouflage jacket.
(40) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
CANARD N. CANTANKEROUS Adj.
An unfounded or false, deliberately misleading story perverse in temper, testy, quarrelsome
@ The canard of sexual exploitation in the university claimed its þ Syn. argumentative, contentious
first victim as the professor committed suicide. ¬ Ant. quiet, submissive
@ T h e o l d e r s o m e p e o p l e g e t , t h e m o r e d e m a n d i n g a n d
CANDID Adj., CANDIDNESS N., cantankerous they seem to become.
CANDOUR N.
frank, ingenuous, clear, impartial, fair, open and honest, free of CANTER N., V.
bias even to the extent of bluntness an easy gallop/motion
þ Syn. true, veracious, scrupul ous þ Syn. run, gallop, trot, jog, sprint
¬ Ant. fal se, untrue, dishonest, evasi ve @ The horse’s canter was so graceful!
@ A candid judgement is what we all seek from the judiciary.
@ They of ten cri tici sed me f or my candour, but real i sed its CANVASS V., N.
significance when I was given the best manager award.
determine or seek opinions, votes; to do a survey, solicit votes,
opinions or orders; a firm closely woven cloth used as a surface
CANINE Adj., N. for painting
like or pertaining to a dog, related to dogs þ Syn. drum up support, test, poll
@ The feline are loners while the canine move in packs. @ The party w orkers canvassed the whole night for the l ocal
@ Sometimes my canine instinct is aroused but I quickly control candidate.
it. @ Mona Lisa, the canvass by Leonardo Da Vinci is a masterpiece
to many and a mystery to some.
CANNIBAL N., CANNIBALISM N.
one who eats of the flesh of one’s own species CAP ACIOUS
@ It is believed that even today cannibals exist in some parts large, roomy, extensi ve
of our country. þ Syn. spacious, commodious
¬ Ant. small, cramped
CANNY @ We wondered how many stores occupied the capacious mall.
smart, founded on common sense, careful
þ Syn. astute, sharp CAPE N.
¬ Ant. obtuse, unintel ligent a point or extension of land jutting out in water like a peninsula;
@ The executi ve's canny business sense saved the company a sleeveless outer garment that fits closely at the neck and hangs
from bankruptcy. loosely over the shoulders.
þ Syn. isthmus, mantle, promontory, headland
CANOE ( KENOO ) N. @ Ships had to sail around the Cape of Good Hope in order to
reach Indi a.
a boat made of hollowed trunk of a tree
@ Sushmita wore a purple woollen cape for the IFFI awards.
@ Canoes are the cheapest mode of transport in the backwaters
of Kerala.
CAPITOL V.
CANON N. the building in which a legislature convenes (in the US), senate
a law or a rule, standard or criterion @ Following the bomb threat, the capitol was evacuated.
þ Syn. norm, principle, tenet, annals
@ Hard working executives coin their own canons of business CAPITULATE V.
practi ce. to yield or surrender on certain conditions, to give in, acquiesce
þ Syn. cede, succumb, yield, forfeit
CANOPY N., V. ¬ Ant. vanquish, subdue, overcome
aw ning, covering, shade, tester @ The company had to capitulate to the employees’ demand of
þ Syn. cover, shelter, blind, roof a wage hike.
@ We sat drinking our coffee under the canopy, grateful for the
s ha de . CAPRICE N., CAPRICIOUS Adj.
a sudden/abrupt change of mind or opinion
CANT N., V. þ Syn. impulse, quirk, fancy, fad, vagary
a hypocri ti cal or perfunctory styl e of speech, i ncli ne, jargon, @ The caprice of fate caught him unawares.
trite talk, dialect of a particular group
þ Syn. insincerity, false piety, humbug CAPSIZE V.
¬ Ant. seri ousness, earnestness to overturn
@ Despite his cant he cannot pass off as a foreigner. þ Syn. keel over, tip over, upset
@ T he p ol i c e sa i d th at t he b o at h ad c ap si z ed b ec au se o f
overl oading.
@ The cellars full of wine casks made a tempting sight. þ Syn. imbroglio, clutter, disarray
¬ Ant. regularity, unif ormity, symmetry
@ Chaos theory is a scientific theory about situations that obey
CEMETERY N.
particular laws but appear to have little or no order.
burial ground, churchyard, graveyard
þ Syn. memorial park
CHAPERON N.
@ The municipal cemetery dotted with tombstones provided the
an older person who supervises and protects younger ones
eerie setting for the finale of the horror movie.
þ Syn. escort, gui de, retinue
@ The family was chaperoned to safety by the commandos.
CENSURE ( SENSHER ) V., N
to condemn, to blame, to express disapproval of
CHARISMA N. CHARISMATIC Adj.
þ Syn. fault, reprimand, knock, scorn
divine gift; great popular charm or appeal
¬ Ant. praise, admire, extol, eulogise
þ Syn. personality, magnetism, allure
@ The directors w ere censured for their lack of deci siveness
@ I can’t understand how a man of so little personal charisma
during the crisis.
came to be the chairman of this company.
@ A charismatic actor like Shahrukh is a known face in Hollywood
CENTRIPETAL t o o .
directed or moving towards the centre
¬ Ant. centrifugal CHA RLA TA N
@ Centripetal force keeps trains from derailing as they round quack, fake
c ur v es . þ Syn. fraud, cheat
¬ Ant. real, genuine
CERULEAN Adj. @ The patient called the doctor a charlatan as the medicines did
sky blue, sea green not work.
þ Syn. azure, cobalt, navy, sapphi re
@ I was mesmerised by her cerulean eyes. CHARY Adj.
careful , prudent, w ary, watchful, ungenerous, stingy, cauti ous
CESSATION N., CEASE V. þ Syn. suspicious, mindful, shy of
a stoppi ng, pause, suspension @ Banks used to lend money to anyone but they’ve grown chary
since the recession.
þ Syn. termination, close, ending, pause
@ The politician asked if the cessation of terrorist activities had
made the Punjab police complacent. CHASM ( KAZM ) N.
a big gap on earth’s surface, abyss, a major difference of opinion
CIRCUITOUS Adj.
CHIVALROUS (SHIVALROUS) Adj. CHIVALRY N.
having a circular or winding route; roundabout
brave, bold, gallant, courteous to ladies
þ Syn. indirect, meandering, winding
þ Syn. courtly, mannerly, gracious
¬ Ant. direct, strai ght, through
¬ Ant. boorish, rude, impolite, rough @ To declare someone very simple is a circuitous way of calling
@ Men, they say, are chivalrous as long as the bride is new or him a fool.
bel ongs to another.
@ Chivalry in tits and bits is still visible in the Indian society.
COLLOQUY N.
COFFER N.
m u t u a l d i s c o u r s e , f a i r l y s e r i o u s c o n v e r s a t i o n , d i a l o g u e ,
a chest for holding treasure or money, vault conf erence
þ Syn. casket, strongbox, saf e, treasury þ Syn. discussion, meeting, symposium
@ The government’s forex coffers were empty in 1991. @ John burst into the house eager to tell his good news but,
noticing that his parents were engaged in quiet colloquy, he
decided to wait.
IC : PTpntvb01 (47) of (188)
COLLOQUIAL Adj., N. COMMISSA RY N.
informal talk, unceremonious tal k, pertaining to conversational one to whom any charge is committed, an officer, a deputy
talk @ He is the newly appointed commissary for the region.
þ Syn. idiomatic, everyday
@ His colloquial manner was contrary to the traditional sti ff COMMISERA TE V.
upperlip of the British. to condole with, to express pity for, to sympathise with
þ Syn. empathise, console
COLOSSAL Adj., COLOSSUS N. @ Most commiserate with the poor, only a few lend a helping
huge, enormous; a huge statue han d.
þ Syn. gargantuan, mammoth, titan
@ Th e sw i ndl i ng empl oyee cau sed col o ssal dam age to t he COMMODIOUS Adj.
company. roomy, spacious, comfortable
@ India is ruled by the colossus of bureaucracy. þ Syn. large, ample, big, vast, extensive
¬ Ant. overcrowded, restri cted
COLLUSION N. @ Colonial mansions are commodious and have an ambience.
A secret agreement between two or more parties for a fraudulent,
illegal, or deceitful purpose; connivance COMMONPLACE
@ The collusion between the two terrorist groups is a matter of found every day
grave concern for the police department. þ Syn. ordinary, mediocre
¬ Ant. speci al, exceptional
COMATOSE Adj. @ Computers are commonplace in modern offices.
drowsy, sleepy, affected with coma, unconscious
þ Syn. exhausted, spent, passed out, torpid COMMOTION N.
¬ Ant. energeti c, active, brisk, bouncy activity, ado, action, turmoil
@ The edi torial asked if the intel li gence of the country was þ Syn. disquiet, conf usion, bustle
comatose after the police failed to achieve any breakthrough ¬ Ant. calmness, tranquillity, serenity
in the bomb blasts case. @ The bomb scare created a commotion in the court house.
5 . ( e ) 4 . (d ) 3 . ( a ) 2 . (c ) 1 . (b )
CONCORD
CONFLUENCE
agreement, harmony
gathering, meeting of two streams
þ Syn. pact, consensus
þ Syn. assemblage, merger
¬ Ant. discord, disagreement
¬ Ant. divergence, split
@ The manager and her empl oyees were in concord over the
changes to the product. @ Allahabad is situated at the confluence of two rivers.
CONGENIAL
CONSCIENTIOUS Adj.
similar in tastes and habits
moral, honourable, right
þ Syn. aff able, convivial
þ Syn. diligent, exact, meticulous
¬ Ant. antagonistic, unsociable
@ S h e e t a l i s a n e x c e l l e n t s t u d e n t b r i g h t , a t t e n t i v e a n d
@ Couples with congenial personalities stay together longer than
consci entious.
those who are opposites.
CONGRESS CONSENSUS
formal meeting or assembly unanimity, agreement of opinion or attitude
þ Syn. convention, convocati on þ Syn. accord, concord
¬ Ant. dispersion, disbanding ¬ Ant. discord, dissension
@ The parties debated long into the night, but could not reach @ The jurors f i nal l y reached a consensus and decl ared the
a compromise. def endant gui l ty.
CONSUL N.
CONTOUR N.
an official agent of a govt. appointed in a foreign land to take
care of its citizens’ interests outline, general character or aspect
þ Syn. diplomat, ambassador þ Syn. curve, line, form, outline, shape
@ T h e n e w l y ap p o i n t ed c o n s ul w a s so o n b e l e a g u e r ed b y @ He studied the contour of her face, silhouetted against the
probl ems. darkening sky.
CONVOLUTED
CONTRITE Adj.
twisted, complicated, involved
brokenhearted f or sin, penitent, sorry, apol ogeti c, sorrowf ul ,
þ Syn. serpentine, tangled
regretf ul
¬ Ant. straight forward, simple
þ Syn. remorseful , repentant, penitent
@ Although many people bought ‘ A Brief History of Time’ , very
¬ Ant. unapologetic, shameless
few could follow its convoluted ideas and theories.
@ Her set, contrite face told him more about her misery than
words could have expressed.
COPIOUS Adj.
CULVERT N.
CRA SS Adj.
a transverse and totally enclosed drain under a road or railway
very unrefined, grossly insensible
@ The road contact with Shimla was lost as the culverts alongway
þ Syn. tactless, stupid, inane, ridiculous
were overf low ing.
¬ Ant. sensitive, recepti ve, percepti ve
@ Crass consumerism has affected the elite most.
COUNTERMAND V.
@ He made crass comments about her w ornout dress even
to give an order cancelling the previous one, to revoke
though he knew she couldn’t afford to buy any more clothes.
þ Syn. cancel, stop, annul, retract
@ Th e s upr eme co urt ha s t he aut hor i ty to co unt erm and a
decision of the lower courts.
CREDULOUS
CRUMPLE V.
gullible, trusting
to crush into irregular wrinkles
þ Syn. naive, i ngenuous
þ Syn. crease, crinkle, crush, screw up
¬ Ant. worldlywise, suspicious
¬ Ant. smooth, flat, level, even, soft
@ Although small children believe in the Easter Bunny, only the
most credulous teenagers do so. @ Sylvie crumpled up the letter and threw it in the bin.
CREED CRYOGENICS N.
statement of belief or principle branch of Physics dealing with very low temperature phenomena
þ Syn. doctrine, dogma, faith @ Indians were surprised at Russia's reluctance to share the
Cryogenic engine technology with them.
@ It was part of the old man's creed to cook his own food.
CRYPTIC Adj.
CREME DE LA CREME (French)
hidden, mysteriousl y obscure, secret, unseen
the best of the elite, the very best
þ Syn. puzzling, baffling
@ The creme de la creme of society were present at the classical
music concert. ¬ Ant. exoteric, easy
@ W he n i t ca m e t o w i n ni ng qu i z co nt e st s, ou r c l a s s w a s @ Archaeologists have deciphered the most cryptic of all ancient
considered the creme de la creme. l anguages.
A nt hr op ol og y
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
DEFAMATORY
DECIPHER V.
slanderous, injuri ous to reputation
to decode
þ Syn. libellous, malicious
þ Syn. interpret, transl ate, crack
¬ Ant. complimentary, esteemed
@ Only a chemist can decipher a doctor’s handwriting.
@ The tabloid was sued for making defamatory statements about
the celebrity.
DECLIVITY N.
a place that declines or slopes downwards DEFECTION N.
@ The hill people utilise the declivity of land for setting up water deserti on
mills.
@ His defection from the charity resulted in a drop in the trust’s
projecti ons.
DECOR N.
@ Recent changes in policy have resulted in largescale defection
general decorative effect of a room, scenery from the party.
þ Syn. furnishings, interior decoration
@ Red seats and cream walls may not be the most elegant decor
but it’s a friendly pub.
Pramod Kumar Dubey
IIMK
DECOROUS
proper, tastef ul, sociall y correct At PT, the faculty team
þ Syn. mannerly, dignified
was highly qualified
¬ Ant. indecorous, immodest
@ He was always very decorous in the company of women. and professional in
their approach. Such a
DECORUM focused attitude helped
proper behavi or, propriety me prepare duly for the
þ Syn. etiquette, modesty
CAT and other MBA
¬ Ant. impropriety, immodesty
@ The way he handled the fork and knife, it was clear that he entrance exams. I was
lacked the decorum to fit into high society. regularly given
feedback on my
DECOY N.
performance which
an animal, person or thing used to entrap a victim
þ Syn. lure, trap, snare, distraction, bait further enhanced my
@ They used a girl hitchhiker as the decoy to get him to stop. s k i l l s . T r u l y
Professional!
DECREE N.
a judicial decision, an order by an authority
þ Syn. ruling, verdict, announcement
@ Ayatollahs’ decree to assassinate Rushdie made life difficult
for the author.
1 . debilitate a . flood
2 . decorous b . express disapproval of
3 . definiti ve c . concl usi ve
4 . del uge d . w eaken
5 . de pre ca te e . proper
5 . (b ) 4 . ( a ) 3 . (c ) 2 . ( e ) 1 . (d )
DISCREDIT
DISINCLINED
to disprove or disgrace
averse, unwilling, lacking desire
þ Syn. confute, dishonour
þ Syn. rel uctant, recal citrant
¬ Ant. prove, honour
¬ Ant. inclined, willing
@ The war hero was discredited after it was revealed that he
had fled in terror from the battle. @ Harry was disinclined to put in a lot of effort into his homework,
since the teacher never checked it.
(64) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
DISINGENUOUS Adj. DISPERSE
crafty, not i ngenuous, insincere, deceitful to break up, scatter
þ Syn. untruthful, hypocriti cal þ Syn. disseminate, sprinkle
¬ Ant. strai ghtforward, simple, easy ¬ Ant. unite, assemble
@ The disingenuous world of Hindi films catches many a victim @ The workers dispersed after receiving their paychecks, many
unaw are. of them heading for the local bar.
DISPENSE
DISSIPA TE
to distribute, administer
to scatter, to pursue pleasure to excess
þ Syn. disburse, all ocate
þ Syn. evaporate, squander
¬ Ant. coll ect, receive
¬ Ant. i ntensify, save
@ Pharmacists require doctors' prescriptions to dispense some
@ The fog gradually dissipated, revealing all the ships docked
medicines to customers.
in the harbor.
DOGGED Adj.
DISTRESS N., V., Adj determined, stubborn
discomfort, misery, suffering, w retchedness þ Syn. persistent, resolute, gri tty
þ Syn. pain, sorrow, grief @ Her ambition and dogged determination ensured that she rose
¬ Ant. peace, calm, tranquility, silence to the top of her profession.
@ Many of the horses were showing signs of distress at the end
of the race. DOGMA N., DOGMATIC Adj.
@ Sunita was di stressed to see her younger sister in a porn an authoritative doctrine, a settled opinion; strongly opinionated,
vi d eo. di ctatori al
þ Syn. creed, canon, bel ief, vi ew, tenets
DISTRUST (n) @ Raja Rammohan Roy’s crusade agai nst dogmas in the dark
disbelief and suspicion ages was remarkable.
(v) – be wary of, be suspicious of @ Rita tended to be dogmatic about what she believed in.
þ Syn. suspicion, wariness
¬ Ant. trust, faith DOLEFUL
@ An atmosphere of distrust pervaded the office af ter a rash sad, mournful
of burglaries. þ Syn. woeful, sorrowful
¬ Ant. happy, joyous
DITHER V., N. @ Looking into the dolef ul eyes of the lonely puppy, the gi rl
decided to take it home.
to tremble, to shiver; a state of indecisive agitation
þ Syn. hesitate, dal ly, dawdle, vaci llate
DOLOROUS Adj.
@ The government is di thering on hard reforms li ke the exit
pol i cy. very sad, melancholic, gloomy
@ Her music always has a faintly dolorous feel.
DIVEST V., DIVESTITURE N.
strip, deprive; disposal of property, title etc. under a government DOLT N.
order stupid person
þ Syn. rid, deny, rob @ I have never come across such a pack of dolts.
¬ Ant. add, put in, insert, adjoin
@ He was divested of his priestly authority when his promiscuity DONOR
was discovered. benef actor, contri butor
@ The di v esti ture of go vernment’s l es s prof i tabl e b usi ness þ Syn. philanthropist, patron
operations has reduced the burden on the exchequer. ¬ Ant. recipient
@ Donors should be tested f or diseases bef ore their blood is
DIVULGE V., DIVULGENCE N. used for transfusion.
to reveal, to make public, to expose, to make known
þ Syn. reveal , acknow ledge, concede DORMA NT
¬ Ant. conceal, hide, shroud at rest, inactive, in suspended animation
@ The divulgence of trade secrets by disenchanted employees þ Syn. inert, latent
has cost the company dearly. ¬ Ant. acti ve, awake
@ Sources close to the Prime Mi ni ster have di vul ged that he @ The vol cano seemed dormant, but a devastating eruption
would like to retire after the next election. was brewing deep beneath.
(66) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
DORSAL Adj. DRIBBLE V., N.
belonging to the back side, posterior, tail to fall in small drops, move a ball by repeated taps or kicks
@ The sight of a shark’s dorsal fin above the water is enough to þ Syn. trickle, trip, ooz e, seep, salivate
clear the sea of swimmers. @ The dribbl ing gai ns of economic ref orms proved to be too
slow for a populace impatient for results.
DOSSIER N. @ David Beckham is adept at dribbling the ball.
a bundle of documents relating to a person, a brief
þ Syn. fil e, record, report, database DRUDGERY N.
@ The secret service probably has a dossier on all of us. a very hard, boring work; uninteresting toil
þ Syn. labour, hard work, toil, chore
DOTE V. @ E l ectroni c i nformati on retri eval w i l l remove much of the
drudgery of research and leave time for the more interesting
to show excessive love, to treasure bi ts.
@ People tend to dote on their grandchildren.
DUBIOUS Adj.
DOUBLEENTENDRE doubtful, debatable, disputable, equivocal, questionable
(DOUBLE AN TRANDA) N. þ Syn. uncertain, unsure, undeci ded
phrase with two meanings: one of them indecent @ The dubious credentials of the politician will make interesting
@ Hindi films teem with doubleentendres. scoop material.
EBB EDIFY
to f ade aw ay, recede to instruct morally and spiritually
þ Syn. retreat, wane þ Syn. enlighten, educate
¬ Ant. increase, intensify ¬ Ant. to keep in the dark, conceal
@ Madhu enjoyed watching the ebb and flow of the tide from @ Th e gu ru w as pa i d t o ed i f y t he a ct re ss i n t he w ay s of
her beachsi de balcony. Buddhism.
EBULLIENT Adj., EBULLIENCE N. EDITORIALISE
enthusi asti c, excessi vely excited, exuberant to express an opinion on an issue
þ Syn. cheerful , happy, jovial , bright @ T h e o l d j o u r n a l i s t c r i t i c i s e d t h e m o d e r n t e n d e n c y t o
editorialise even regular news items.
¬ Ant. depressing, gloomy, miserable
@ Our ebullient host couldn’t stop laughing and talking.
EFFACE V., EFFACEABLE Adj.,
@ Meg Ryan’s bubbling ebullience is simply infectious.
EFFACEMENT N.
to destroy the surface of, to obliterate, to erase
ECHELON N.
þ Syn. wipe out, eradicate
a group of individuals at a particular level i n an organisation,
hi erarchy ¬ Ant. engrave, etch, carve
þ Syn. level, stratum, rank, height @ Hi tl er’s attempts at ef facement of the Jews fi nally proved
f uti l e.
@ Reaching the highest echel ons of i nternational politics is a
dream for many. @ The police had a difficult task as the culprits had effaced all
evidence from the scene of burglary.
ECLECTIC Adj.
EFFERVESCENT
made up of elements borrowed from different sources, carefully
selected, chosen from the best or various sources bubbly, li vely
þ Syn. assorted, f ree, mi scellaneous þ Syn. vivacious, jaunty
@ Maria reads an eclectic array of books and can always suggest ¬ Ant. depressed, fl at
a good title. @ Tina's effervescent personality made her the perfect game
show host.
ECSTASY N., ECSTATIC Adj.
a feeling of great happiness, exultation, intense delight EFFEMINATE Adj., N.
þ Syn. joy, rapture, del ight feminine, womanly, unmanly
¬ Ant. deject, gloom, agony @ He’s got a very effeminate gait.
@ The agony and ecstasy of motherhood can be onl y f elt by
those who go through it. EFFETE Adj.
worn out, exhausted, no longer useful, outmoded, nonproductive
EDDY @ With nothing to do all day except amuse themselves, the rich
air or wind current kids had grown effete and lazy.
þ Syn. whirlpool, vortex
@ When water gets pulled down a drain, it forms a small eddy. EFFICACY N., EFFICACIOUS Adj.
power to produce the desired effect
EDICT þ Syn. ef fectiveness, useful ness, w orth
law, command, official public order ¬ Ant. incompetence, i nadequacy
þ Syn. diktat, proclamation @ The efficacy of the medicine can be ascertained only after its
prolonged use.
@ Peopl e were angered by the new edict of the dictator that
restri cted free movement. @ For years, people hoped that someone woul d discover an
efficacious treatment for polio.
EFFRONTERY
ELATION
impudent boldness, audacity
exhi laration, joy
þ Syn. impertinence, braz enness
þ Syn. delight, glee
¬ Ant. politeness, timidity
¬ Ant. misery, suffering
@ The receptionist had the effrontery to laugh out loud when @ The actress was filled with elation when she heard that she
the visitor tripped and fell. had been awarded the Oscar.
A rc hi te ct ur e
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
AISLE : a passage between rows of seats in a building such as
Church or Theatre , an aircraft or train.
BOULEVARD : a wide street in a town or city typically one lined with trees
CONCOURSE : an open space where several paths meet
EDIFICE : a monument
HOVEL : a shed or poorly constructed or illkept house
MEZZANINE : a low balcony above the ground floor of a building
OBELISK : a tapering (narrowing) column that forming pyramid at
the top
PERISTYLE : a colonnade or row of piers surrounding a building or courtyard
ROCOCO : ornate; highl y decorati ve
VOUSSOIR : a wedgeshaped stone used in making an arch or vault
EMULATE V.
EMBROIL
to strive to equal or excel, to imitate
to involve in, cause to fall into disorder
þ Syn. follow, simulate, copy, imitate
þ Syn. entangle, enmesh
@ Adolescents often try to emulate their favourite pop singers
¬ Ant. disentangle, extricate or movie stars.
@ Lawyers became embroiled in the dispute when a compromise
appeared difficult without their help.
ENCORE
additional performance, often demanded by audience
EMBRACE V., N.
þ Syn. replay, repetition
to clasp in the arms; to take up especially readily or gladly
@ Soon as the danseuse finished her performance, the audience
þ Syn. hug, cuddle, cling
enthusiastically demanded an encore.
@ They embraced and kissed before departing.
@ Mata Amritanandmayi Devi is well known for her diseasecuring
embraces.
(70) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
ENCHANT V., ENCHANTING Adj. ENGROSS V.
to bewitch, delight, beguile, charm to absorb, captivate, charm
þ Syn. captivate, f ascinate, enthrall þ Syn. occupy, involve, hold
@ The enchanting music of A.R. Rehman is the only saving grace ¬ Ant. repul se
of the movie. @ He was engrossed in the movie.
@ The guests were enchanted by the actor’s presence at the The poli tician was so engrossed in selfaggrandization that
w eddi ng. he was blind to the misery around him.
ENORMITY
ENERVATE V., ENERVATED Adj.
state of being gigantic or terrible
ENERVATION N.
þ Syn. vastness, massiveness
to depri ve of nerve, strength or vi tali ty, to rob of energy, to
diminish the strength of mind or body ¬ Ant. triviality, smallness
þ Syn. weaken, sap your strength @ The manager underesti mated the enormity of the probl em
and his delay resulted in disaster.
¬ Ant. energise, boost
@ It is normal to feel enervated after a good w orkout i n the
gymnasium. ENRAGE V.
@ The enervated look on your face tel ls me that you haven’t to make angry, bother, irri tate, aggravate
eaten for some days. þ Syn. infuriate, madden
@ He was so enraged at the article about him that he sued the
ENGENDER new sp aper.
@ The death of a friend by snakebite engendered the fear of þ Syn. capti vate, enchant, begui le
snakes in him. @ The live pop concert enraptured the audience.
þ Syn. implore, beseech @ Epigrams of Churchill and Bernard Shaw are famous.
¬ Ant. command, demand
@ I entreated him to just tell me what the problem was, but he
re f use d.
ERADICATE
EPITAPH N.
to erase or wipe out
inscription in memory of a dead person,
þ Syn. exterminate, obliterate
writing on a tomb or at the gravesite
¬ Ant. generate, propagate
@ I do not know what my epitaph would read but I never did
invite infamy. @ Politicians promise to eradicate poverty and then renew the
vow before the next el ection.
EP ITOME
EROTIC Adj.
representing the highest feature, summary tending to arouse sexual love or desire
þ Syn. embodiment, conspectus @ The erotic art depicted in the Khajuraho temple makes it world
¬ Ant. complete version, worst f amous.
@ The host w as the epitome of graciousness, maki ng all the
guests feel perfectl y comfortable. ERRANT
straying, mistaken
EPOCH N., EPOCHAL Adj. þ Syn. mischievous, roving
a point of time made remarkable by some great event ¬ Ant. strai ghtforw ard, aboveboard
þ Syn. era, period, time, age, eon @ The errant disciple realised his mistake and returned to the
guru after several weeks of hardship.
@ The president said that the country was moving into a new
epoch of lasting peace with the old rival in the neighbourhood.
@ During his epochal term as the primeminister, Rajiv Gandhi ERRAND N.
changed the face of modern India. a mission, a purpose, a short journey either to deliver or collect
somethi ng
þ Syn. task duty, chore, job
EQUABLE Adj.
@ I am in Singapore running an errand for my father.
tranquil , steady, unif orm
þ Syn. composed, calm, levelheaded
ERUDITE Adj.
¬ Ant. nervous, anxious, w orri ed
schol arl y, learned, wel l cul tured, educated, possessi ng great
@ Compared to the extreme climate of Af ri ca and the West, know ledge
India enjoys an equable climate.
þ Syn. cultured, intell ectual
@ The erudite scholar knew a great deal about ancient history
EQUANIMITY N. but very l ittle about current events.
evenness of mind and temper under stress, calmness
þ Syn. composure, calmness, equability ESCAPADE N.
@ T h e f i n a n c e m i n i s t e r ’ s e q u a n i m i t y i n t h e f a c e o f t h e a usually adventurous action that runs contrary to convention
opposition’s accusations is creditable. @ The escapade in the Amazon jungl es was expected to f ree
the minds of the senior executives of the software giant.
EQUESTRIAN Adj., N.
ESCHEW
related to horse riding; a horserider
to abstain from, avoid
@ They erected an equestrian statue of the prince.
þ Syn. shun, renounce
¬ Ant. indulge in, take liberty of
EQUITABLE Adj.
@ Models generally eschew rich desserts that can be fattening.
fair, impartial, aboveboard, uncoloured
þ Syn. evenhanded, reasonable, just
ESOTERIC
¬ Ant. unfair, unjust, i nequitable, undue
understood by only a learned few
@ There’s a great need for a more equitable tax system. þ Syn. recondite, arcane
¬ Ant. simple, familiar
EQUIVOCAL @ On l y a han df ul of exp erts ar e kn ow l e dgea bl e abo ut t he
ambiguous, open to more than one interpretation esoteric world of particle physics.
þ Syn. indeterminate, ambiguous
¬ Ant. explicit, specific ESPIONAGE N.
@ Poems are inherently equivocal, and diff erent readers may the practice of spying to obtain information about the activities
interpret them di fferentl y. of a foreign country or a rival company
þ Syn. spying, intelligence
@ IB and RAW are the counter espionage agencies in India.
EUNUCH N.
EVINCE
one who lacks virility and power, a castrated man
to show clearly, display, signify
@ Eunuchs begging in local trains in Mumbai hurl obscenities to
þ Syn. indicate, exhibit
scare passengers into shelling out money.
¬ Ant. conceal, obscure
@ The new secretary evinced impressive typing and filing skills.
EUPHEMISM
use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful
one EVOCATIVE Adj., EVOCATION N.
@ The funeral director preferred to use the euphemism "passed EVOKE V.
away" instead of the word "dead." tending to call up or remind
@ Driving through the bylanes of Mumbai evoked sweet memories
EUPHONY N., EUPHONIOUS Adj. of my childhood.
an agreeable sound, sweet sound, pleasing or agreeable sound @ My evocative journey to my hometown brought tears to my
eyes.
¬ Ant. cacophony
@ The euphony of temple bells in the morning is so soothing to
the soul.
@ There is always an exodus to the coast at holiday times. ¬ Ant. impede, obstruct, hamper, delay
@ T h e g o v e r n m e n t m u s t e x p e d i t e t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d
commissioning of the new power project.
EX OFFICIO Adj.
by virtue of the office; automatically a member because of the
post already held EXPIATE V., EXPIATION N., EXPIABLE Adj.
@ The President i s the exoffi cio supreme commander of the to make amends for, atone for, to make up for, in the sense of
armed forces. atoni ng
þ Syn. make up, redress, apologise
EXONERATE V. @ He bought her a bunch of flowers to expiate for forgetting
her birthday.
exculpate, to free from blame, to acquit, vindicate, to free from
guil t, absolve
þ Syn. absolve, acquit, forgive, pardon EXPIRE
¬ Ant. convict, bl ame, charge to come to an end, die, breathe out
@ After being exonerated from the charges, the minister looked þ Syn. lapse, become obsolete
very happy. ¬ Ant. inhale, inspire
@ Since her driver's licence was about to expire, she had to go
EXORBITANT Adj. and exchange it for a new one.
going beyond normal limits, excessive
þ Syn. very hi gh, inflated, steep EXPLETIVE Adj., N.
¬ Ant. reasonabl e, sensible, rational an obscene exclamation
@ Th e f oo d w as pal ata bl e b ut the bi l l f o r t he di n ne r w as þ Syn. curse, oath, exclamation
exo rbi ta nt. ¬ Ant. blessing, benediction
@ He let out a string of expletives at being pushed so roughly.
EXORCISE V., EXORCIST N.
to free a person from an evil spirit, to get rid of something terrible EXPLICIT
by formal prayer clearly defined, forthright in expression
þ Syn. get rid of, escape, jettison þ Syn. specific, precise
@ We must exorcise ourselves of the ghost of partition. ¬ Ant. vague, general
@ The exorcist stripped the girl and beat her with a broom to @ The owner gave several explicit instructions to the tenants
get rid of the spirit that had possessed her. about the proper maintenance of the house.
¬ Ant. endorse, permit @ The animal population in the jungle is affected by extrinsic
factors like encroachment and poaching.
@ Government propagandists expurgated all negative references
to the dictator from the film.
EXUBERANT Adj., EXUBERANCE N.
EXTEMPORANEOUS – unrehearsed, at the spur of the moment to give off, ooze
@ Jyoti gave an extemporaneous performance of a skit at her @ The candidate exuded an aura of selfconfidence, impressing
surprise birthday party. the i nterviewers.
þ Syn. mitigating, justifying @ An exultant Steffi Graff cheered the crowd at Roland Garros
after winning the French Open.
¬ Ant. implicating, corroborating
@ In their exultation, the crowd threatened to strom the ground
@ The extenuating circumstances of the crime helped him secure and mob their team after the match.
bail.
EXTINCTION
end of a living thing or species
þ Syn. eradication, elimination
¬ Ant. survival, activation
@ The dodo was hunted to extinction by man many years ago.
wrong, unsound, illogical @ He made some sort of fatuous suggestion about standing on
a chair to do the job.
þ Syn. inaccurate, misguided
¬ Ant. true, correct
FAUNA N.
@ "The Earth is flat" is a fallacious statement.
the animals living in a region or in a particular period
@ She took part in an expedition to explore and describe the
flora and fauna of the Amazon basin.
FERVID
passionate, intense, z ealous
þ Syn. w holehearted, heartfelt
¬ Ant. half hearted, di spassi onate
@ His fans were particularly fervid, doing anything to catch a
glimpse of the great singer.
IC : PTpntvb01 (79) of (188)
FESTER V. FIGMENT N.
to cause increasing irritation, to exist in a state of progressive a fabrication or invention, fiction
deteri oration, rankle þ Syn. creation, illusion, fantasy
@ The municipal corporation allowed slums to fester and today @ Ghosts are just figments of one’s imagination.
they have become a nuisance for the authorities.
FILCH V.
FETE N.
to steal, burglarise, appropriate, to steal in a sneaky way (usually
a festival, a holiday something of minor value)
þ Syn. bazaar, f air, gala, party þ Syn. steal, pinch, rob, thieve, snatch
@ They’re holdi ng the coll ege f ete on the greens adjacent to @ Don’t filch any of those cookies before they’ve had time to
the auditorium. cool.
5 .(e ) 4 . (b ) 3 . (d ) 2 . (c ) 1 . ( a )
FLUCTUA TE
FORENSIC Adj.
to alternate, w aver
relating to the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems
þ Syn. vacillate, oscillate
@ Forensic examination revealed a large quantity of poison in
¬ Ant. be steady, unequivocal
the dead man’s stomach.
@ Prices of certain stocks fluctuate so much that it is risky to
invest in them.
FORESHADOW V.
give an i ndication beforehand, portend, prefigure
FLUKE N.
@ The recent outbreak of violence was foreshadowed by isolated
an accidental success incidents in the city earlier this year.
þ Syn. accident, stroke of luck
@ Taiwan’s success in computer hardware is not a fluke. FORESTA LL
to prevent, del ay, anticipate
FLUSTER V. þ Syn. apprehend, hamper
confuse, a nervous state
¬ Ant. encourage, facil itate
þ Syn. bother, agitate, upset, muddle
@ The landlord waited outside the door to forestall the tenant’s
¬ Ant. soothe, cal m, paci fy, appease attempt to slip away.
@ During the enquiry he continuously flustered the cops.
FORETHOUG HT
FOIBLE N. anticipation, foresi ght
a minor weakness, short coming, defect or imperfection þ Syn. insight, prudence
þ Syn. quirk, bad habit, eccentricity ¬ Ant. hindsight, negligence
@ Great leaders have their own foibles that sometimes cost the @ W i t h a l i t t l e f o r e t h o u g h t y o u c o u l d h a v e m a d e y o u r
nati ons greatl y. presentation a lot more effective.
(82) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
FORLORN Adj. FRA CA S
neglected, wretched, quite lost, forsaken noisy dispute
@ The forlorn victims of Bhopal gas tragedy died slow deaths. þ Syn. commotion, scuffle
¬ Ant. concord, harmony
FORMIDABLE Adj. @ When the bandits discovered that the gambler was cheating
causing fear, inspiring awe fostering respect or awe, arousing fear them at cards, violent fracas ensued.
or worry
þ Syn. alarming, dreadful, terrifying FRA CTIOUS
@ A formidable opposition is what every ruling alliance dreads. unruly, rebellious
þ Syn. disobedient, uncontrollable
FORMULA TE ¬ Ant. dutiful, contented
to concei ve, devise, express, state @ The general had a hard time maintaining discipline among his
þ Syn. to draft, plan fracti ous troops.
@ The marketers formulated a new advertising strategy to launch
the product in the market. FRANTIC Adj.
marked by fast and nervous or anxiety driven activity
FORSA KE þ Syn. anxious, f renz ied, frenetic
to abandon, withdraw from ¬ Ant. tranquil, peaceful, calm, still
þ Syn. renounce, di sown @ A frantic search is on for the assassin.
¬ Ant. keep, return to
@ Crimi nals on death penalty tend to feel that everyone has FRAUDULENT
forsaken them. deceitful, dishonest, unethi cal
þ Syn. duplicitous, unscrupulous
FORSWEAR V. ¬ Ant. honest, above board
renounce, abandon @ The factory engaged in fraudulent practices, producing radios
þ Syn. disavow, reject, disown, abjure with spurious components.
@ He was courageous enough to forswear his religion by birth.
FRAUGHT Adj.
FORTE N. filled with, laden, accompanied by
something in whi ch one excel s, special strength or skill, what þ Syn. burdened, full, filled
you’re known for ¬ Ant. lacking, absent, missing
þ Syn. strong point, speciality, gift @ Life is fraught with opportunities if you can see them.
¬ Ant. failing, deteriorating
@ Laila’s forte was bellydancing but she was also an excellent FRENZY N., FRENZIED Adj.
bal leri na.
violent excitement
þ Syn. fury, anger, rage, passion
FORTIFY V., FORTIFICATION N.
¬ Ant. cal mness, serenity, peace
to strengthen, invigorate, confirm, enrich
@ The frenzy of a mob on the rampage is difficult to control.
þ Syn. make stronger, reinforce, brace
@ The frenzied crowd was restless as soon as their f avourite
¬ Ant. weaken, damage, fail, wane, fade
hero alighted from the plane.
@ The Great Wall of China was made to protect Chinese territory
from Mongol attacks.
FRESCO N.
a mode of painting upon walls covered with damp plaster
FORTITUDE N.
þ Syn. wall painting, mural, frieze
courage in endurance, persistence, vi gour
þ Syn. courage, resilience, guts, grit @ The frescoes of Ajanta caves w ere discovered by a Briti sh
ci ti zen.
@ The fortitude of Tilak was inspiring.
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
Civil Law
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned above.
GENEALOGY N. GESTATION
a history or study of the descent of a family, ancestry, pedigree growth process from conception to birth
@ My father has produced a genealogy of our family going back þ Syn. incubation, maturation
to 1732. @ The longer the gestation period of an organism, the more
developed is its baby at birth.
GENERIC Adj., N
having a wide appli cation, of a type of cl ass, comprehensive, GESTICULATE V., GESTICULATION N.
uni versal to make vigorous and expressive signals or gestures
þ Syn. basic, common, standard þ Syn. wave, signal, sign, indicate
¬ Ant. explicit, exact, unambiguous @ I n K a t h a k a l i , t h e d a n c e r s c o n v e y t h e i r s t o r y u s i n g
@ Xerox has become a generic term for photocopiers. gesticulations and facial expressions.
@ As he became more excited, he gesticulated more and more
wildly.
GLOAT V.
GIBE V., N.
to look with intense, malicious satisfaction
to scoff at, to make fun of, deride, tease with rude remarks
þ Syn. revel, take pride, glory, triumph
þ Syn. mock, tease, jeer, joke, laugh
¬ Ant. lament, mourn, grieve, bewail
@ The gibes should be well directed so that they entertain and
@ She won’t stop gloating over her new job.
not irritate.
GRIMY
GUILD N.
dirty, filthy
an association for mutual aid or help
þ Syn. unclean, grubby
þ Syn. association, union, league, club
¬ Ant. clean, sterile
@ The city’s Writers’ Guild could not help the author when his
@ Betty w as di spl e ased w hen h er date sh ow ed up i n di rty
story was allegedly plagiarised.
clothes.
HIDEOUS Adj.
HOA RY
offensive to the senses, grotesque, gruesome
very old, whitish or gray from age
þ Syn. ugly, repugnant, shocking
þ Syn. venerabl e, hackneyed
@ The new concrete structures l ook so hideous next to the
¬ Ant. original, young
simple huts in the serene village.
@ The old man's hoary beard contrasted starkly with the new
stubble of the teenager.
HIEROGLYPHIC N.
picture writing HOAX N.
@ The hieroglyphics on the walls of the pyramid warned everyone a trick, practical joke, deception
of the danger inside.
þ Syn. flimflam, humbug
@ Unfortunately some virus threats are a hoax and simply cause
HILARIOUS Adj., HILARITY N. some panic with no real damage.
very funny, jolly, merry
þ Syn. amusing, comical, entertaining HOBBLE V., N.
¬ Ant. serious, grave, weighty to walk unsteadily or awkwardly
@ Hilarity is improper on serious occasions. þ Syn. limp, hop, shamble, totter
@ He tries to flirt with women half his age, with hilarious results. @ The beggar hobbling along the road presented a painful sight.
HINDSIGHT HOBSON’S CHOICE
an offer where you really have no alternative, the choice between
perception of events after they happen
a thing offered and nothing
@ In hi ndsight, Hari sh realised that eating the entire box of
@ When it came to food, the canteen off ered us a Hobson’s
chocolates was probably not a wise idea.
choi ce.
1 . grandiose a . uniform
2 . gregarious b . over used
3 . hac kney ed c . soci able
4 . hapl ess d . absurdl y exaggerated
5 . homogenous e . unl ucky
5 .(a ) 4 . ( e ) 3 . (b ) 2 . (c ) 1 . (d )
HOOLIGAN N., HOOLIGANISM N. ¬ Ant. si nceri ty, honesty, authenti ci ty
a young, violent, rude person @ The government’s claim that it did not know about the arms
deal is a lot of humbug.
þ Syn. punk, gorilla, ruffian, hoodlum
@ The police warned the hooligan and let him go.
HUMDRUM Adj.
@ Hooliganism is the norm of the day when these rioting football
fans meet. dull, monotonous
þ Syn. bori ng, routine, everyday
¬ Ant. exciting, thrilling, stirring
HORDE N.
@ After the metropol is, he found life in the small town quite
crowd
humdrum.
þ Syn. crowd, mass, gang, group, pack
@ Hordes of his admirers await his entry on the stage.
HUSBANDRY N.
@ When they heard the concert was free, they came in hordes.
f r u g a l i t y, t h r i f t , a g r i c u l t u r e , c a r e f u l u s e o f r e s o u r c e s ,
conservati on
HORS D’OEUVRE @ Thanks to his husbandry, they were not short of food even
savoury like olives, sardines etc. to whet the appetite before a when the war prolonged.
meal @ He gave a lecture on crop and animal husbandry.
@ The hors d’oeuvre tasted better than the main course at the
di nn er.
HUTCH
pen or coop for animals, shack, shanty
@ The rabbits bred so rapidly that they outgrew their hutch in
no time.
HYPOCRITE
person claiming beliefs or virtues he or she doesn't really possess
þ Syn. phony, pretender
@ The docto r w ho advi se d hi s pati e nts to stay aw ay f rom
tobacco was called a hypocrite when he was caught smoking.
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
ACCRUE : to accumulate over time (e.g., interest or money owing)
BULLISH : characterized by rising share prices on Stock Exchange
EMBA RG O : an official prohibition or restriction of foreign trade by
one nation against another
ESCROW : a temporary account established to hold funds pending
the completion of investment or purchase transaction
HEDGE : to of f se t t he ri s k o f l oss ( e.g .; f ro m m ark et pri ce
fl uctuations)
PECUNIARY : financial; monetary
RED HERRING : something especial ly a cl ue, w hi ch is i ntented to be
misleading or distracting
SCRIVENER : a professional or public copyist, scribe, or notary
SURETY : one who guarantees the perf ormance (e.g., payment)
on behalf of another
USURIOUS : referring to an extremely high or unlawful rate of interest
IMBIBE V.
IDYLLIC Adj.
to absorb, receive in the mind
simple, innocent, charming
þ Syn. drink, down, swallow
þ Syn. peaceful, calm, tranquil, restful
@ Imbibing the ideals of the great men will be worth the effort.
@ Idyllic scenery of Manali allures thousands every year.
IMBROGLIO N.
IGNOBLE Adj.
of low birth or common origin, plebeian confusion, chaos, embroilment, full of trouble and problems
þ Syn. lowborn base þ Syn. entangl ement, embarrassment
¬ Ant. noble, dignified, highborn @ The Sovi et Uni on became anxi ous to wi thdraw i ts sol diers
from the Afghan imbroglio.
@ Ignoble means to achieve success are despicable.
5 .(e ) 4 . (c ) 3 . (b ) 2 . ( a ) 1 . (d )
@ All imperial palaces of Europe are tourist attractions. to urge with troublesome persistence
þ Syn. appeal, beg, plead
IMPERIOUS Adj. @ The contesti ng candidates importuned me f or votes ri ght
through the campaigning period.
domi neeri n g, tyr anni ca l , aut hori ta ti ve, di ctat ori al , haugh ty;
intensely compelling
IMP OSE
þ Syn. arrogant, superior
¬ Ant. submissive, obedient, compliant to inflict, force upon
@ Imperious government officials close their eyes to the plight þ Syn. press, compel
of the public. ¬ Ant. bully, refuse
@ We need to find a solution to the imperious problems of new @ Her father refused her request and imposed his will on her
age gizmos like cellphone cameras. against her wishes.
1 . inept a . clumsy
2 . inert b . i nactive
3 . i nf atuated c . conclude
4 . inf er d . fool ish
5 . i ngenuous e . artl ess
5 . ( e ) 4 . (c ) 3 . (d ) 2 . (b ) 1 . ( a )
INDELIBLE Adj.
INCLUSIVE
that cannot be removed, washed away or
comprehensive
er as ed
þ Syn. with everything included, allencompassing
@ The whole election turned out to be a f arce when the so
¬ Ant. exclusive, excepti ng called indelible ink smeared on voters’ fingers turned out to
@ It took 30 years, but the publisher managed to produce the be easily washable.
most inclusive encyclopedia on the market.
INDEMNIFY V., INDEMNITY N.
INCONCEIVABLE to secure against or compensate loss
impossible, unthinkable
@ The state provided indemnity f or the steel plant project in
þ Syn. implausible, absurd Ori s sa.
¬ Ant. likely, believable
@ It was inconceivable to the dictator that his subjects could INDICATIVE
hate him, although they obviously did.
showing or pointing out
þ Syn. suggestive of, symptomatic
INCONSEQUENTIAL
@ T h e l o o ti n g o f t he s h op w as i n di c a t i v e o f t h e g e n er a l
unimportant, trivial lawlessness that prevailed in the city.
þ Syn. insignificant, trifling
¬ Ant. significant, important INDICT V., INDICTMENT N.
@ The director di smi ssed the report as i nconsequential and to charge with a crime formally, accuse
ordered a fresh round of research.
þ Syn. impeach, summons
@ The High Court indicted the seer for murder.
INCORRIGIBLE
incapable of being corrected
INDIGENOUS
þ Syn. i ncurable, inveterate
native, occurring naturally in an area
¬ Ant. occasional , repentant
þ Syn. original, initial
@ Shabana is an incorrigible flirt.
¬ Ant. expatriate, migrant
INCREDULOUS @ Palm trees are indigenous to Florida, unlike penguins.
sceptical, doubtful
þ Syn. disbelieving, distrustful INDIGENT Adj., INDIGENCE N.
¬ Ant. credulous, gullible poor, destitute, in need of money
@ Apparently my friend missed the incredulous look on my face þ Syn. poor, needy, impecunious
because he went on to tell another tall story. ¬ Ant. wealthy, rich, prosperous, flush
@ The indigent Chakma refugees live in a pitiable condition.
INCULCATE V. @ Economists or politicians could not find a way to eliminate or
to i nsti l l by repet i ti on , to f i x ( i deas, bel i ef s, f acts etc.) i n even reduce inequalities of wealth and eliminate indigence.
someone’s mind esp. by repeating them often
þ Syn. beat, hammer, pound, repeat INDISCRIMINATE Adj.
@ Right values have to be inculcated right from infancy. choosing at random, confused, promiscuous
þ Syn. haphazard, random, arbitrary
INCUMBENT Adj., N., INCUMBENCY N. @ The indi scriminate use of fertil isers has caused l ongterm
lying, resting, officially having the named position problems in the area.
þ Syn. current, in office, present, now
¬ Ant. past, history, precedent, beyond INDOLENT Adj., INDOLENCE N.
@ The present incumbent is due to retire next month. lazy, sluggish
@ The antiincumbency wave removed NDA from power. þ Syn. lethargic, slothful, idle
¬ Ant. industrious, busy, productive
INDEFATIGABLE @ People living in warm climates tend to be indolent.
never tired @ If you want to make progress you have to shed your indolence
þ Syn. untiring, tenacious f i rst.
¬ Ant. idle, feeble
@ Vasanti seemed i ndef ati gabl e, ready f or a few laps in the
pool after a 10kilometre run.
(100) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
INDOMITABLE Adj. INEXORABLE Adj.
invincibl e, unconquerable, dauntl ess unrelenting, stubborn, obstinate, not movable by any means
þ Syn. strong, resolute, tough þ Syn. unal terabl e, unchangeable
¬ Ant. feeble, weak, frail, delicate @ The storm’s path was inexorable and the best we could do
@ Meenu proved indomitable and she did not let even the fall was prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
affect her preparation for her arangetram .
INEXPLICABLE Adj.
INDUCE incapable of being explained
to persuade, bring about þ Syn. mysterious, unf athomable
þ Syn. prompt, instigate ¬ Ant. understandable, reasonable
¬ Ant. dissuade, prevent @ The sudden change in her mood was inexplicable.
@ Tom thought the prospect of a walk in the hills would induce
his girlfriend to go skydiving with him, but she refused. INFAMY
reputation f or bad deeds
INDUCT þ Syn. notoriety, disrepute
to place ceremoniously in office ¬ Ant. honour, anonymi ty
þ Syn. install in, instate in @ His infamy threatened to degrade the high position he now
¬ Ant. bar from, dismiss occupied.
@ The wicketkeeper was proud to be inducted into cricket’s Hall
of Fame. INFANTILE
childish, immature
INDULGE þ Syn. juvenil e, adolescent
to give in to a craving or desire ¬ Ant. mature, levelheaded
þ Syn. splurge, luxuriate in @ The young man's infantile behaviour in the presence of his
¬ Ant. deny oneself of, stifle mother annoyed his fiancee.
@ Jenny indulged herself with a weekend at a luxurious spa.
INFATUATED
INEBRIATE V., INEBRIATED Adj. strongly or foolishly attached to, inspired with foolish passion,
INEBRIETY N. overly in love
to i ntoxicate þ Syn. besotted, smitten
@ Deepak was caught in an inebriated condition while on duty @ After seeing her picture in a fashion magazine, Lalit became
and was promptly dismissed. completely infatuated with the beautiful model.
INEFFABLE Adj. INFER
causing too much emotion (esp. pleasure) to express in words to conclude, deduce
þ Syn. indescri bable, unspeakable þ Syn. surmise, imply
@ There is ineffable joy in seeing one’s baby start to walk for @ I think we can infer from this study that the quality of old
the first time. age homes needs to be improved.
INGENUOUS INJECT
straightforward, open, naive and unsophi sticated to force into, to introduce into conversation
þ Syn. candid, forthright þ Syn. instil, infuse
¬ Ant. cunning, artful @ Her loud remark injected an element of uneasiness into the
@ She was so ingenuous that her friends feared she would be conversations at the party.
exploited in the big city.
INNATE
INGRATE natural, inborn
ungrateful person þ Syn. inbred, congenital
þ Syn. thankless, unappreci ati ve
¬ Ant. acquired, extraneous
¬ Ant. thankful, grateful
@ Her innate level headedness w ill help her to withstand the
@ When nobody thanked her for the fruit cakes she had sent, enormous pressure of the job.
Neena condemned them all as ingrates.
INNOCUOUS
INGRATIATE V.
harmless, inoffensive
to commend to someone’s grace or favour, to work your way into
þ Syn. peaceful, insipid
someone’s good graces
þ Syn. curry flavour, toady, grovel to ¬ Ant. harmful, obnoxious
@ For once the bureaucrat’s ingratiating manner failed to work @ Some snakes are poisonous, but most are innocuous and pose
and the nononsense minister ordered him to produce results. no danger to humans.
INHIBIT INNOVATE
to hold back, prevent to invent, moderni se, revolutionise
þ Syn. restrict, restrain þ Syn. institute, pi oneer
¬ Ant. allow, encourage @ Coco Chanel innovated a new suit design, transforming the
fashi on industry.
@ Ruchi was too i nhibi ted to tell Amar that she resented his
failure to repay the money he kept borrowing from her.
INNUENDO N.
INIMICAL an indirect derogatory comment, insinuation
hostile, unfriendly þ Syn. aspersion, barb, implication
þ Syn. antagoni sti c, antipathetic @ The many innuendoes about his private life eventually made
¬ Ant. warm, friendly him resign.
@ E v en t ho u g h t h e c e a se f i re w as h ol d i n g, t he t w o s i d e s
remained inimical and the tension did not ease. INNUMERABLE
too many to be counted
INIQUITY þ Syn. numerous, countless
sin, injustice, wickedness ¬ Ant. few, calculable
þ Syn. villainy, immorality @ There are innumerable stars in the sky.
¬ Ant. virtue, goodness
@ The iniquity of his act was apparent to all and it was an easy
decision to bar him from entering the church.
INSATIABLE INSTIGATE
to incite, urge, agitate
never satisfi ed
þ Syn. goad, encourage
þ Syn. unquenchable, unappeasable
¬ Ant. dissuade, discourage
¬ Ant. easily satisfied, content
@ The man who had instigated the rebellion escaped, although
@ Meera's insatiable appetite made it difficult for her to lose
all his followers were arrested.
w ei ght.
INSULAR
INSCRUTABLE Adj.
isol ated, detached
that which cannot be understood, mysterious, difficult to interpret
þ Syn. segregated, separate
þ Syn. enigmatic, deadpan
¬ Ant. tol erant, accessible
@ The inspector’s inscrutable smile gave nothing away as the
accused rambled on. @ Her insular attitude made it very difficult for her to adjust to
the new workplace though others were willing to accommodate
h e r.
INSIDIOUS Adj.
deceptive, treacherous, wily, alluring but dangerous, deceitfully INSURGENT Adj., N., INSURGENCY N.
damaging
rebellious
þ Syn. sinister, menacing
þ Syn. rebel, rising
@ Insidious mortal pleasures make one run after money.
¬ Ant. content, happy, substance
@ The coup was masterminded by the insurgent troops.
INSINUATE V., INSINUATION N.
@ T he a r my ca rr i ed o u t c ou nt e r i n s ur g en cy op er a ti o ns i n
to suggest indirectly, imply Kashmir valley last fortnight.
þ Syn. make out, intimate
@ He w as insi nuati ng that the starl et had succumbed to the INSURRECTION N.
casting couch to bag the role. a rising or revolt, mutiny
þ Syn. rebellion, revolution, mutiny
INSIPID @ This insurrecti on against orthodoxy is necessary for radical
lacking f lavour, without excitement ch an ge .
þ Syn. bland, unpalatable
¬ Ant. tasty, interesti ng INTEGRAL
@ The critic claimed that the soup was insipid, without any spice. central, indi spensable
þ Syn. essential, fundamental
INSOLENT ¬ Ant. incidental, peripheral
impudent, cheeky @ Paper is an integral part of a book.
þ Syn. uncivil, impolite
¬ Ant. polite, courteous INTEGRITY
@ Despite several warnings, the student continued to be insolent decency, honesty; whol eness
and was asked to leave the class. þ Syn. uprightness, morality
¬ Ant. di shonesty, insincerity
@ The candidate's integrity made him a refreshing contrast to
his sleazy political opponents.
IC : PTpntvb01 (103) of (188)
INTERMINABLE INTRANSIGENT
endl ess uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled
þ Syn. incessant, ceaseless þ Syn. inflexible, unbending
¬ Ant. restricted, limited ¬ Ant. flexible, compliant
@ By the time the interminable play ended, the last train home @ The professor was intransi gent and ref used to extend the
had already lef t. deadline for submission of the assignment.
INTERMITTENT INTREPID
starting and stopping fearless, dauntl ess
þ Syn. sporadic, fitful þ Syn. undaunted, unafraid
¬ Ant. steady, continuous ¬ Ant. fearful, cow ardly
@ The flow of traffic was intermittent on the highway. @ The intrepid hiker completed his ascent to the peak, despite
the bleeding wound and the freezing winds.
INTERPOLATE
to insert, change by adding new words or material INTRIGUE (INTREEG) N., V.
þ Syn. append, interject conspiracy, machination, secret af fair
¬ Ant. remove, delete þ Syn. plot, deception, scheme
@ The editor interpolated a few sentences, and the new edition @ The silence of the minister is very intriguing as his ministry is
was ready to print. in the thick of the scam.
INTERROGATE INTRINSIC
to question formally inherent, i nternal
þ Syn. grill, crossexamine þ Syn. inherent, integral
¬ Ant. respond, reply ¬ Ant. acquired, extrinsic
@ The secret police interrogated the suspected rebel for days, @ The intrinsic value of this diamond is already considerable;
demanding to know the names of his coconspirators. the elegant setting makes it truly priceless.
INTERSPERSE
INTRINSICALLY Adv., INTRINSIC Adj.
to distribute among, mix with
essentiall y i nnate, inherently
þ Syn. intermingle, disperse
þ Syn. basi cally, f undamentally
¬ Ant. assembl e, congregate
@ We all like to be judged for our intrinsic worth and not for
@ The gardener interspersed shrubs with flowering plants giving extrinsic things like money or position.
the garden a fresh and colourful look.
INTIMATION
INTUITIVE
announcement, suggesti on
instincti ve, untaught
þ Syn. notification, indication
@ As he was away from work without leave, he stood to lose his þ Syn. inborn, inherent
wages for the entire month. ¬ Ant. cerebral, cultivated
@ Riya's talent with numbers was completely intuitive; she had
INTIMIDATE V., INTIMIDATION N. not received any formal training.
browbeat, bully, cow, lean on
þ Syn. threaten, frighten, scare, bully INUNDATE
@ Managements now realise that intimidation does not contribute to cover with water, overwhelm
to eff iciency. þ Syn. submerge, besiege
@ The don’s intimidating presence in the nightclub was disturbing ¬ Ant. afl oat, leave unaf fected
the other patrons. @ The tidal wave inundated the island, which simply vanished
from the face of the earth.
INTRACTABLE
not easily managed INVECTIVE N.
þ Syn. uncontroll able, unmanageable censure, sarcasm, satire, verbal abuse or insult, vituperation
¬ Ant. compliant, obedient þ Syn. diatribe, criticism, tirade
@ The hardened criminals were intractable and the reformer’s ¬ Ant. praise, admire, commend, extol
task was not likely to be easy.
@ Their conversations are always laced with invectives.
(104) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
INVEIGH (INVAY) V. IRATE Adj.
to make a bitter verbal attack, to object w ith bitterness, to ang ry
complain forcefully, to rail þ Syn. furious, mad, irritated
þ Syn. di sparage, censure ¬ Ant. calm, tranquil, peaceful, quiet
@ T h e l a w y e r i n v e i g h e d a g a i n s t t h e u n n e c e s s a r i l y s t r i c t @ The irate crowd burnt several buses and cars.
sentence given to his client.
IRIDESCENT
INVEIGLE V.
showing many colours
to e nt i c e, t o co ax b y f l at te ry, to c on vi nc e or p er su ad e by
cl everness or f lattery þ Syn. kaleidoscopic, multicoloured
þ Syn. cajole, wheedle, trick, deceive, con ¬ Ant. monochromatic, colourless
@ Many young Nepali girls are inveigled into the flesh trade in @ The touri sts sighed at the beautiful sight of the i ridescent
Mumbai. tropical butterfly fluttering among the orchids.
þ Syn. shred, ounce @ The words that leave your tongue is irrevocable.
@ Duryodhan told Krishna that he would not even give an iota
of land to the Pandavas. ITINERARY N.
a plan for the journey, record of journey, travel route, guidebook
IRASCIBLE þ Syn. schedule, plan, trip
easil yangered @ Our itinerary takes us through the four southern states.
þ Syn. irri table, tetchy
¬ Ant. sweetnatured, cooltempered
@ The dacoit’s irascible and violent nature made all who dealt
with him fear for their lives.
J
JAUNT N., V.
an excursion; to make a short journey
þ Syn. outing, spree, stroll, excursion
@ The soldiers are on extra pay during their jaunt to one of the
JAB V., N. world’s most expensive resorts, Siachen .
to pierce, poke with a sharp object; a short straight boxing punch @ We jaunted through Madhya Pradesh in just three days.
þ Syn. scoff, scorn
¬ Ant. praise, laud, extol JAUNTY Adj.
@ Tyson’s right jab can knock his opponent out in one blow. having a sprightly manner, lively and cheerful in manner
@ She jabbed tw o sti cks i nto the ground and ti ed a stri ng þ Syn. cheerf ul, vivacious
between them.
¬ Ant. gloomy, listless, dull
@ Our mountain guide had a jaunty air about him as we set off
JADED on our trek up the slopes of Himalayas .
tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typical ly after having had
too much of something
JEER V., N.
þ Syn. burned out, wearied
to make fun of, deride, scoff, mock
¬ Ant. fresh
þ Syn. boo, hiss, heckle, taunt
@ While the naive girls stared at the spectacle in awe, the jaded
¬ Ant. applaud, cl ap, congratul ate
matrons dozed in their chairs.
@ She jeered at him after he was expelled from the class.
@ I am no longer disturbed by her jeers.
JACUZZI N.
a special type of bath mechanism where water is agitated to give
a whirlpool effect JEOPARDY N., JEOPARDISE V.
@ I may not have time even for a regular bath on working days danger, insecurity, peril, hazard
but on Sundays you cannot get me out of my jacuzzi. þ Syn. risk, threat
@ International terrorism has put humanity in jeopardy.
JAGGED Adj. @ Indira jeopardised Mohan’s plan to get nominated by filing a
uneven, roughedged, notched sexual harassment case against him.
þ Syn. rough, serrated
¬ Ant. smooth, f lat, even JETTISON V.
@ The jagged rocks i n the rapids of Ganga make whitewater to throw overboard, to eject from an airplane or spaceship in
rafting very dangerous. flight
þ Syn. discard, ditch, dump
JAMBOREE N. ¬ Ant. keep, stay, remain, be, maintain
a boisterous frolic, a spree @ As political instability perseveres, worthless shares are being
þ Syn. party, cel ebration, fête, shi ning jettisoned and the market continues to sink.
@ The issue was ignored during the huge political jamboree of @ Ai r traf fi c control instructed the pil ot to jettison f uel and
prepare for emergency landing.
the polls.
JAUNDICED
JOVIAL Adj.
affected by jaundice, prejudiced or embittered
joyous, full of geniality
þ Syn. cyni cal, resentful
þ Syn. cheerful , jol ly, happy, buoyant
¬ Ant. optimistic, charitable
¬ Ant. miserable, unhappy, sad, down
@ T he c yn i ca l ma n a do pt e d a j au nd i c e d vi ew to w ar ds al l
marriages after going through five divorces. @ The jovial boss is a delight to work with.
KEN N.
JUGGERNAUT N.
range of knowledge or mental perception
a massive force, campaign that crushes everything on its path
þ Syn. knowledge, awareness
@ The advertising juggernaut launched by the giant company is
calculated to wipe out the small players. @ This maths problem is difficult but it is not beyond my ken.
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned above.
CALIPER : a twopronged instrument used to measure diameter or thickness of an object
DOWEL : a round peg used to join wooden parts together
FLANGE : a projecting rim, edge, collar or ring on a pipe or shaft
GLAZ IER : one who cuts and fits glass panes for windows
HYDRAULICS : the branch of sci ence and technol ogy concerned w i th the conveyance of
liquids through pipes and channels, especially as a source of mechanical force
or control
MA SONRY : stonework
PITON : spike hammered into rock fissures or ice to aid in climbing
RA SP : an abrading tool made of steel
SHA FT : a long cylindrical rotating rod for the transmission of motive power in a machine
WINCH : a machine used to pull up heavy weights
LACONIC – using very few words @ Stealing a wallet can be categorised as a petty larceny.
LAUREATE N.
the recipient of honour for achievement in art or science LESION N.
@ Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s poems are best enjoyed a harmful change in an organ
in Bengali.
þ Syn. sore, laceration
@ Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections.
LAUREL N.
a prize, honour, distinction
@ Behind every laurel lies a lot of sweat and grime.
1 . l ethargy a . li ghtness
2 . l evi ty b . taking a lot
3 . loquacious c . sl uggishness
4 . lucid d . exaggeratedl y mournf ul
5 . lugubrious e . easy to understand
5 . (d ) 4 . ( e ) 3 . (b ) 2 . ( a ) 1 . (c )
a master, especially an eminent music composer or conductor @ She wrote about the depression and malaise felt by women
trapped in their suburban homes.
þ Syn. genius, expert, ace, whiz
¬ Ant. amateur, unpaid, recreational
MA LAPROPISM N.
@ The si tar maestro Pt. Ravi shankar wi l l gi ve a reci tal thi s
even i ng. Verbal blunder, misapplication of words
without mispronunciation, wrong use of a similar sounding word
@ In the sentence, “The price of food in Japan is gastronomical”,
MAGNANIMOUS Adj., MAGNANIMITY N.
the word ‘gastronomical’ is a malapropism, because it should
generous, largehearted, not petty, noble and generous in victory be ‘astronomical.’
as well as defeat, forgiving
þ Syn. benevolent, ki nd, chivalrous
MALCONTENT N.
¬ Ant. petty, mean, mal icious, obdurate
a person who is not satisfied
@ Arsenal’s manager was magnanimous in victory and praised
the losing team. þ Syn. dissident, nonconformist
@ The usual malcontents turned up for the meeting and made
trouble.
MAGNATE N.
a very powerful person, VIP, tycoon
þ Syn. attraction, inducement, pull
@ Bombay and Surat are inhabited by diamond magnates.
(114) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
MALEDICTION N. MALODOROUS
cursing, a calling down of evil foulsmelling
¬ Ant. benediction þ Syn. fetid, putrid
@ Malediction, if heartfelt, does come true at times. ¬ Ant. fragrant, aromatic
@ The malodorous beggar stood no chance of winning anyone’s
MALEFA CTOR N. sym path y.
an evildoer, a criminal
¬ Ant. benef actor MA LNUTRITION
@ A malefactor policeman can wreak havoc. undernourishment
þ Syn. anorexia, hunger
MALEVOLENT Adj., MALEVOLENCE N. @ The child's distended stomach and spindly limbs were sure
signs of malnutrition.
illdisposed, wishing evil, sinister, ominous, bad, intense hatred
¬ Ant. benevolent
MAMMOTH Adj.
@ The character was not entirely malevolent; the author made
a point of showing her good qualities as well. very huge, colossal, goliath, promethean
þ Syn. enormous, huge, massive
MALFEASANCE N. ¬ Ant. tiny, minute, little, small, petite
mismanagement, malpractice @ Cleaning up the Yamuna is going to be a mammoth task.
@ Several cases of malpractice and malfeasance in the financial
world are currently being investigated. MANDA TORY
necessary, requi red
MALFUNCTION þ Syn. obligatory, compulsory
breakdown, fail ure ¬ Ant. opti onal, voluntary
þ Syn. collapse, impairment @ It i s mandatory f or al l company empl oyees to wear bl ue
@ The malfunction of the booster rocket meant that the space uniforms while on the job.
shuttle could not be launched on schedule.
MANIFEST(adj.) – obvious (v) – demonstrate
MALICE N., MALICIOUS Adj. þ Syn. show, exhibit
illwill, spite, antipathy, animosity, acrimony ¬ Ant. hide, mask
þ Syn. hatred, malevolence, cruelty @ The fact that she had had plastic surgery was manifest, since
¬ Ant. compassi on, gentleness she looked 20 years younger than she did the previous week.
@ One of my malicious students has spread canards about me.
@ Killing the neighbour’s dog was an act of sheer malice. MANIFESTO N.
a written public declaration
MALIGN Adj., V., MALIGNANT N. þ Syn. policy, proposal, programme
baleful, injurious, malignant, to speak of in an evil way, to defame @ Mani f estos of al l pol i tical parti es are hi gh sounding and
or slander; having an evil influence theref ore all uring.
þ Syn. slander, criticise, libel
¬ Ant. praise, admire, commend MANIFOLD
@ El aborate and speci ali sed treatment is required to prevent diverse, varied, comprising many parts
the spread of a malignant disease. þ Syn. multitudinous, multifarious
@ She has maligned my reputation because she has a prejudiced ¬ Ant. simple, single
vi ew . @ The manifold touri st attracti ons of London make it a great
place to visit.
1 . martyr a . lying
2 . maudlin b . overl y sentimental
3 . mendacious c . one who dies for a cause
4 . mentor d . te ac he r
5 . mercenary e . hired soldier
5 . ( e ) 4 . (d ) 3 . ( a ) 2 . (b ) 1 . (c )
MANUMIT V. MA RT IA L
emancipate, free from bondage, release from slavery warlike, pertaining to the military
@ The authorities in our big temples should come forward and þ Syn. combative, soldierly
manumit the devdasis . ¬ Ant. civil, civilian
@ Experts in martial arts know how to defend themselves using
MAR – to damage, deface, spoil their bare hands.
þ Syn. disfigure, detract
¬ Ant. improve, enhance MA RTINET
@ T he t el e ph o ne p ol e s m a rr e d t he n at u ra l be a ut y o f th e strict disciplinarian, one who rigidly follows rules
countrysi de. þ Syn. bully, authoritarian
¬ Ant. liberal, lenient
MARAUDER N., MARA UD V. @ A complete martinet, the official insisted that Pankaj fill out
a plunderer, a raider, seeker of goods, pillager all the forms again even though he was already familiar with
þ Syn. raider, l ooter, prowler, intruder his case.
@ The marauders burst into the camp, shooting into houses,
hurling stones and smashing car windows. MA RT YR
person dying for his or her beliefs
MARGARINE N. @ Joan of Arc became a famous martyr after she was burned at
a butterlike substance, fat or lard used in cakes, desserts etc. the stake for her beliefs.
@ I prefer my toast with margarine.
MA SCOT N.
MARGINAL – barely sufficient a talisman, one who brings good luck
þ Syn. insignificant, minimal þ Syn. lucky charm, amulet
¬ Ant. vast, gross @ T h e r e ’ s a c o m p e t i t i o n f o r d e s i g n i n g a m a s c o t f o r t h e
commonwealth games.
@ Because her skills were margi nal, she was paid a very low
sa l a ry.
MASOCHISM N., MASOCHIST N.
MARIJ UANA N. pleasure obtained by being tortured by others, grati fication in
pai n
cannabis, ganja , grass
@ He was so lazy that, for him, the marathon was nothing short
@ Regular smoking of marijuana can cause shortterm memory of masochism.
loss and longterm health problems.
MA SQUERA DE
MARINATE V., MARINATION N.
disguise, action that conceals the truth
to soak food in a liquid or paste; a step in food preparation
þ Syn. pretence, decepti on
@ Marinate the chicken i n w hi te w i ne f or a coupl e of hours
bef ore fryi ng. ¬ Ant. honesty, candour
@ The rogue who was masquerading as a senior police officer
managed to dupe several wealthy persons.
MA RITIME Adj.
pertaining to the sea, having a sea coast
MASTICATE V.
þ Syn. marine, naval
to chew or grind to a soft material before swallowing
@ The blockade of the ports has eliminated
þ Syn. munch, crunch, chomp
mariti me trade but some suppl ies are sti ll getti ng through
over land. @ Ayurvedic drugs need to be masticated.
MAVERICK N.
MEDDLER
a nonconformi st, a stray person, unorthodox person
person interfering in others' affairs
þ Syn. eccentric, rebel
þ Syn. intruder, interloper
¬ Ant. conformist, follower
@ Mi c key i s a rea l me ddl e r, al w ays rea dy w i th unso l i ci ted
@ He was considered as something of a maverick in the publishing suggestions and offers of help.
worl d.
MEDDLESOME Adj.
MA WKISH
very of fici ous, interfering
sickeningly sentimental
þ Syn. intrusive, nosy
þ Syn. sickening, nauseating
@ We have very meddlesome neighbours, who always want to
¬ Ant. cool, impassive know what we’re doing.
@ The poet hoped to charm his lover with his romantic poem,
but she was put off by its mawkish tone.
MEDIEVAL
relating to the Middle Ages (about 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.)
@ In medi eval times, diseases consi dered trivi al today ki ll ed
thousands, because medicine w as not very advanced.
1 . mercurial a . gloomy
2 . metamorphosis b . magical change in form
3 . mitigate c . sof ten
4 . mollify d . moderate the eff ect of
5 . morose e . emotionally unpredictable
5.(a) 4.(c) 3.(d) 2.(b) 1.(e)
MELLIFLUOUS Adj.
sweetly or smoothly flowing, very smooth MENDACITY N., MENDACIOUS Adj.
þ Syn. smooth, honeyed untruthfulness, lying, deceiving, falsity
¬ Ant. harsh, cruel, callous þ Syn. dishonesty, deceit, lies, falsehood
@ The mellifluous tunes of Beatles songs made them living pop @ Mendacity is the hallmark of most Indian politicians.
l egends.
@ The mendacious saint was in for a public thrashing now that
he w as exposed.
MELLOW Adj., V.
soft and ripe, well matured, melodic MENDICANT N., MENDICANCY N.
þ Syn. smooth, rich, full, soft a beggar
¬ Ant. harsh, cruel, unsympathetic @ Mendicancy seems to be a thriving business in India.
@ Age mellows the wildest of youth.
MENIAL Adj., N.
MELODRA MATIC Adj., MELODRAMA N. work of a servile or humiliating nature, bluecollar work
exaggerated, histri oni c, overdone, sensati onal þ Syn. unskilled, boring, tedious, basic
@ If all Hindi films are not melodramatic, what are they ? ¬ Ant. skilled, capabl e, expert, able
@ We Indians love melodrama, be it TV serials or films. @ The lot of the menials will never improve in the world.
@ Many nurses fi nd themsel ves gi ven meni al tasks, such as
making beds and washing patients, which make little use of
their skills.
MISNOMER
MOLLIFY
an incorrect name or designation
to calm or make less severe
@ Some f eel that "peacemaker" is a mi snomer for a nuclear
missile. þ Syn. appease, allay
¬ Ant. enrage, inflame
MISOGAMIST N., MISOG AMY N. @ Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe
any compromise could mollify them.
a person hating marriage
@ G.B. Shaw was often accused of being a misogamist.
MOLLYCODDLE V.
@ Failed marriages are creating misogamy in today’s youth.
to pamper
@ She mollycoddled the irate child by buying him a soft toy.
MISOGYNIST N., MISOGYNY N.
a person hating women
MOMENTOUS Adj.
@ The club’s refusal to allow women to become members is sheer
misogyny. extremely important, crucial, decisive
þ Syn. important, significant, crucial
@ Whether or not to move overseas was a momentous decision
for the family.
G as t ro n om y
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
BRA ISE : to cook f irst by seari ng, then si mmering i n a smal l
amount of liquid
BREW : make beer, tea or coffee by soaking formation or boiling
COLANDER : a perforated basket used to strain waterfilled foods
CONFECTIONERY : any sweet food comprised primarily of sugar
DECANTER : narrownecked glass container used to hold and serve
wi ne
GASTRONOMY : the science of preparing and serving food
PASTEURIZE : to steri l i z e by rai si ng and l ow eri ng temperature to
prevent fermentation and growth of bacteria
SAUTE : fry briefly over high heat
TRUSS : to secure (hold together) with skewers or twine before
cooki ng
Z EST : the outside rind of any citrus fruit which contains the
essential oils used for flavoring
NUGGET N.
NON SEQUITUR Adj.
a lump
an irrelevant conclusion, an illogical statement
þ Syn. piece, bit, chunk, hunk, wad
@ It was obvious that he was not paying attention during the
discussion as he came up with a non sequitur. @ Confucius’s philosophy consists of many nuggets of wisdom.
@ A chicken or fish nugget is a small piece that has been covered
in bread crumbs and fried.
NOSTALGIA N.
sentimental longing for past times, reminiscence, recollection
NULLIFY
þ Syn. wistfulness, longing
to make legally invalid; to counteract the effect of
@ Nostalgia is the last resort of fallen heroes.
þ Syn. annul, repeal
¬ Ant. ratif y, vali date
NOSTRUM N.
@ Rowl ing nul lified her contract wi th her publisher when she
a secret or quick remedy received a better offer from another company.
@ There are no nostrums available for the chronic ailments of
Indian society.
NUMISMATIST N.
person who collects coins
NOTORIETY
@ The numismatist’s collection of antique coins is unique because
unfavourable f ame he has taken pains to document the history of every coin.
þ Syn. infamy, disrepute
¬ Ant. low profile, anonymity NUPTIAL Adj.
@ Arjun realised from the silence that greeted him as he entered pertaining to marriage
the bar that his notoriety preceded him.
þ Syn. marriage, wedding, bridal
@ Apparently, the nuptial knot is tied stronger in the east than
in the west.
@ The President remains obdurate on the question of cutting þ Syn. humiliation, disgrace, misery
t a x e s . ¬ Ant. honour, credit, tribute
@ Regardless of the provocation, the obloquy on her character
OBEISANCE N. was in bad taste.
OBSTREPEROUS Adj.
noisy, clamorous, unruly, boisterous
þ Syn. hostile, defiant, sullen
¬ Ant. cheerful, joyful, in good sprits
@ The shop announced heavy discounts but failed to placate its Abhinav Dave
obstreperous customers as the goods were sold out within an IIMK, MDI
hour.
prophetic, hard to interpret, enigmatic made of bone, bony; change or harden into bone
@ The creature appeared to be osseous, yet very fl uid in i ts
þ Syn. predictive, prescient, prognostic
movements.
@ The saint spoke in an oracular tone.
Linguistics
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
ASSONANCE : repetition of sounds, especially vowel sounds, in a word
or phrase
DIALECTOLOGY : branch of linguistics concerned with dialects
ELOCATIVE : causing an emotional reaction in the listener ( or reader)
INTONATION : the melodic pattern produced by the variation in pitch
of the voice during speech
LOCUTION : any utterance, expressi on, or phrase
PERORATION : th e c onc l u di n g p art of a pu bl i c a ddr ess o r s pee ch
(especi ally, summing up and recapitulating key points
and /or exhorting and uplifting the audience)
PHONETIC : based on sounds (e.g, th phonetic spelling of a word)
REBUS : the representation of a word by pictures or symbols
SEMA NTIC : involving sings (especially, words) and the things (ideas)
they are intended to signify
SYNTAX : construction of a sentence; arrangement of words in a
se nt en ce .
PAEAN N.
PALPABLE Adj., PALPITATION N.
song of praise or joy
tangible, obvious, detectabl e, noti ceable
þ Syn. exal tation, panegyric, alleluia
þ Syn. bl atant, flagrant, overt
@ I wonder if singing paeans to our freedom fighters once or
twice a year is sufficient to instil patriotism in our children. ¬ Ant. covert, hidden
@ The sense of excitement among the crowd was palpable.
PA CIFIST
one opposed to war PA LTRY Adj.
insignificant; petty
þ Syn. peacel over, appeaser
þ Syn. worthless, measly, trivial
¬ Ant. warmonger, belligerent
@ For one who claimed to be a pacifist, Dinesh was surprisingly ¬ Ant. substantial, large, considerable
fond of weapons of war. @ The company offered Jeremy a paltry sum which he refused.
Lite r ature
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
1 . p ar a do x a . satirical imitation
2 . parochi al b . obvi ous
3 . pa ro dy c . narrow in point of view
4 . parsimonious d . contradi ctory truth
5 . pa te nt e . stingy
5 . (b ) 4 . ( e ) 3 . ( a ) 2 . (c ) 1 . (d )
stamp collector @ Shantanu, a pious man, walks to the temple everyday and
p ra ys .
@ The high value of the old rare stamps is what motivates many
to become philatelists.
PIQUANT Adj.
PHLEGMATIC Adj.
calm, not easily annoyed, imperturbable, sluggish, slow, showing PIQUE N.
little emotions, impassive, stolid resentment, annoyance, i ndi gnati on
þ Syn. apatheti c, indiff erent, placid þ Syn. interest, attract
¬ Ant. energetic, lively, acti ve @ He stormed from the room in a fit of pique shouting that he
@ As a f ootbal l er hi s great asset w as hi s cal m, phl egmati c had been misunderstood.
manner.
PITHY Adj. PITH N.
PHOBIA concise, meaty; core, marrow , essence
exaggerated illogical fear þ Syn. terse, condensed, curt
þ Syn. dread, fixation ¬ Ant. convol uted, compl icated
¬ Ant. obsession, mania @ He gave a pithy summary of his political views.
@ According to Tanya her phobia of spiders started when she
was bitten by one in the school. PITTANCE N.
low wages or allowances
PHONETICS þ Syn. meagre amount, trifle, nothing
study of speech sounds @ When you pay a pittance, don’t expect the best brains to
@ The f i el d of p honeti cs had i nterested Il a ever si nce she work for you.
conquered her stammering as a teenager.
PLACATE V.
PICTURESQUE Adj. to c al m, so othe, m ake l es s angry, assuag e, al l a y, appe ase,
very artistic, beautiful, charming, special, uncommon particularly by offering to be good; to do a favour for someone
þ Syn. charming, striking, quaint þ Syn. pacify, conciliate
@ Th e p i ct ure squ e s i gh ts of Ka shm i r att rac t t hou san ds of ¬ Ant. enrage, i nfuriate
tourists from all over the world. @ It takes skill, experience and guts to placate an irate mob.
PIEBALD Adj.
of different colours; mottled; spotted
þ Syn. speckled, pied, variegated
@ The farmer rode a piebald horse.
IC : PTpntvb01 (137) of (188)
PLACEBO N. PLAUDIT N.
an innocuous or inert medication, given as a pacifier or as part of enthusiastic approval; round of applause
experiments on the efficacy of a drug @ The movie generated great reviews and earned plaudits from
þ Syn. sop, gesture the classes and the masses alike.
@ P l a c e b o s a r e s o m e t i m e s u s e d t o t r e a t p s y c h o s o m a t i c
disorders. PLEBEIAN Adj.
comm on, pert ai ni ng t o the co mmon pe opl e, co ncerni ng the
PLA CID common folk or masses (often used in a derogatory way)
calm, imperturbable þ Syn. blue collar, working class
þ Syn. tranquil, serene ¬ Ant. aristocratic, noble
¬ Ant. turbulent, temperamental @ Pol iticians make speeches calculated to appeal to plebeian
@ Looking at Aparna's placid expression, no one could tell that minds.
she was inwardly seething with rage.
PLETHORA N.
PLAGIARISM N. , PLAGIARISE V. excess, overabundance, a vast amount, great excess
copying the work of someone else, theft; steal another’s ideas) þ Syn. overabundance, excess, surf ei t
þ Syn. copying, lifting, bootlegging ¬ Ant. shortage, lack, defici ency
@ The editor has the experience and the skill to know whether @ Our l ibrary boasts of a plethora of books on modern and
a work is plagiarism or original. anci ent li terature.
PRESA GE
to foretell, indicate in advance PROBITY N.
PUTRID Adj.
PUNITIVE Adj. dirty, rotten, vicious, disgusting, foul
punishing þ Syn. rotten, rotting, rancid
þ Syn. penal, disciplinary ,corrective, severe, stringent ¬ Ant. fresh, clean, new, bright
@ The judge ordered $4 million in punitive damages against the @ We came across the putrid body of a dead fox while we were
convi ct. walking in the woods.
G ov e rn m e n t
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
COUP : a sudden, vi ol ent and il legal seiz ure of pow er from a
government.
INSURGENCY : a minor revolt against a local government; uprising
JUNTA : a small group, usually composed of military officers, ruling
a country in the absence of a civilian government
MORA TORIUM : an officially declared stoppage
OMBUDSMA N : an intermediary between a citizen and the government
w h o i n v e s t i g a t e s c o m p l a i n t s b y c i t i z e n s a b o u t
government agencies or officials
POTENTA TE : a monarch, dictator, or similar person possessing great
political power
REG A LIA : emblems and trappings of a political or military office
SECEDE : to separate from an organized body of government
THRA LLDOM : sl avery; serfdom
USURP : to assume political power or office by force or without
right
QUINTESSENCE N.
QUIZZICAL Adj.
essence, core, crux, gist, pi th, substance
amused
þ Syn. embodiment, epitome, soul
þ Syn. questioning, curious, puzzled
@ Mot her Teresa w as the q ui ntes sence of c ompas si on and
sacrif ice. @ The quizzical expression on his face is deceptive; he knows
exactly what is going on.
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
RAKISH Adj.
RAPACIOUS Adj. , RAPACITY N.
stylish, sporty
greedy, grabbing
þ Syn. dashing, debonair, jaunty, carefree
þ Syn. greedy, voracious, graspi ng
¬ Ant. shabby, dull
@ Rapacious soldiers looted the houses in the city.
@ He was a rakish guy who set fashion trends in the college.
RAPPORT N.
RAMBLE N., V.
harmony, intimacy, liaison, association
wander aimlessly, itinerate, discuss
þ Syn. rel ationshi p, understanding
þ Syn. walk, hike, stroll, wander
@ Maintaini ng rapport w ith those in pow er is crucial f or the
@ I love to ramble through the fields. growth of many an industrial empire.
RAMIFICATION N. R A P T
consequence, progression, branching out deepl y absorbed
þ Syn. result, implication, corollary þ Syn. engrossed, preoccupi ed
@ The collapse of communism in Russia had global ramifications. ¬ Ant. uni nterested, inattentive
@ Surprisingly, the normally restless infant sat rapt in attention
RAMPAGE N. during the classical music performance.
riot, stampede, storm
þ Syn. charge, run riot, storm, go wild RA SH
@ T he tr oo p s w en t o n a r a mp ag e t h ro u gh t h e c on qu e re d careless, hasty
territory. þ Syn. reckless, impulsive
¬ Ant. cautious, prudent
RAMPANT Adj. , RAMPANCY N. @ Rash driving can be injurious to one’s own health.
unrestrai ned, free, audacious
þ Syn. uncontrolled, unbridled, wild RATIFY V.
¬ Ant. controlled, restricted, limited approve formally, confirm, verify
@ Corruption has become rampant in the country. þ Syn. sanction, endorse, corroborate
¬ Ant. reject, revoke
@ The countri es decided to ratif y the Free Trade Agreement
within one month.
(148) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
RATIOCINATION N. RAZE V.
reasoning, act of drawing conclusion from premises destroy completely
@ Her gift of ratiocination helped her immensely in her research þ Syn. demolish, annihilate, level, wreck
work. ¬ Ant. construct, put up, erect, make
@ The land mafia wants to raze the ancient structure so that it
RATIONAL Adj. can grab the land.
open to logical reason or being reasonable; of sane mind
þ Syn. lucid, balanced, sane, normal REACTIONARY Adj.
¬ Ant. illogical, unreasonable, foolish recoiling from progress; retrograde
@ We need to decide what would be the most rational course of þ Syn. di ehard, conservati ve
acti on. ¬ Ant. activist, campaigner, protester, objector
@ It is surpri sing that the urban educated support thi s party
RAUCOUS Adj. which is so blatantly reactionary.
noisy, blatant, rough, harsh
þ Syn. rough, harsh, strident, hoarse REBUFF V. N.
¬ Ant. soft, yielding, spongy snub; beat back
@ I think their music is rather raucous. þ Syn. rejection, refusal, snub, denial
¬ Ant. accept, welcome
RAVAGE V. @ I rebuffed his proposal in the most polite manner.
to plunder, devastate, maraud
þ Syn. devastate, destroy, desol ate REBUKE V.
@ Chechnya is a provi nce ravaged by war. scold, berate, admonish
þ Syn. censure, reprimand, reproach
RAVE N. ¬ Ant. praise, admire, commend, extol
overw helmingly favourable review ; praise enthusiastically; talk @ Her mother rebuked her for frightening her brother.
in a noisy or excited manner
þ Syn. talk wildly, rant, ramble REBUTTAL N.
@ The cri tics gave a rave revi ew of the movi e and w ere al l ref utati on, response w ith contrary evidence
praise for the director.
þ Syn. disproof, confutation, denial
¬ Ant. acceptance, receipt, taki ng
RAVENOUS Adj.
@ S h e i s su e d a p o i n t by p oi n t re b u tt a l o f t he c om p a ny ’ s
very hungry, voracious, covetous accusati ons.
þ Syn. famished, starving, starved
¬ Ant. full, filled, occupied RECALCITRANT Adj.
@ Growing children have ravenous appetites. stubborn, unmanageable, unruly
þ Syn. i ntractable, refractory, wayw ard
RAVINE ¬ Ant. well behaved, obedient, duti ful
deep, narrow gorge @ Overindulgent parents tend to raise recalcitrant children.
þ Syn. canyon, gully
@ Police officers scoured the crime scene for days and finally RECANT V.
found the murder weapon in a ravine.
to take back, recede, retract, rescind
þ Syn. renounce, disavow , deny
@ The witness was forced to recant by the mafia.
REMEDIABLE REMUNERATION
capable of being corrected pay or reward for work
þ Syn. curable, treatable þ Syn. emoluments, wages
¬ Ant. irremediable, incurable @ You can't expect peopl e to do this ki nd of bori ng work
without some form of remuneration.
@ In the belief that the juvenile thief was remediable and not
a hardened criminal, the judge put him on probation.
RENDEZVOUS N.
REMINISCENCE meeting place, appointment
remembrance of past events þ Syn. tryst, assignation, assembly point
þ Syn. recall, recollection @ The lovers met at a secret rendezvous in the park.
¬ Ant. amnesia, forgetful ness
@ The old timer's reminiscence of his childhood was of a time RENEGADE Adj.
when there were no cars. rebel, dissident, agitator
þ Syn. traitor, rebel , turncoat
REMISS Adj. @ T h e p o l i t i c a l p a r t y w a s w e a k e n e d b y t h e r e n e g a d e s
negl igent clamouring for their share of the spoils of power.
þ Syn. careless, lax, slipshod
@ It was remiss of me to forget to give you the message. RENEGE
to go back on one's word
REMIT þ Syn. repudiate, retract
to send (usually money) as payment ¬ Ant. keep, honour
þ Syn. dispatch, transmit @ Hitler reneged on his promise not to attack the Soviet Union
when his troops invaded the country during World War II.
@ Every month, the sailors had to remit part of their pay to
creditors in the village.
RENOUNCE V.
REMNANT N. resign, quit, relinquish
remainder, residue, vesti ge þ Syn. reject, relinquish, abandon
þ Syn. remainder, remains, relic ¬ Ant. accept, believe, recognise
@ The remnants of the marriage party littered the lawn. @ Buddha renounced the world.
RESOLUTE RETAIN
determined, with a clear purpose to hold, keep possession of
þ Syn. purposive, resolved þ Syn. keep, engage
¬ Ant. irresolute, doubtful ¬ Ant. give up, dismiss
@ Louise was resolute; she would get into medical school no @ Britain had to give up most of its colonies, but it retained
matter w hat. control over Hong Kong until very recently.
RETINUE N.
RESTIVE Adj.
fol lowers, escort
restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control
þ Syn. entourage, fol low ers, attendants
þ Syn. agitated, anxious, recalcitrant
@ A w hole reti nue accompanies the film star on all outdoor
¬ Ant. calm, biddable, peaceable shoots regardless of the need and the cost.
@ The star was very late in his arrival and the crowd was growing
increasi ngl y restive.
RETIRING
shy, modest, reserved.
RESTORA TIVE
þ Syn. diffident, unassuming
having the power to renew or revitalise
¬ Ant. bold, outgoing
@ Indu told all her fri ends about the miraculous restorative
@ A shy and reti ring man, he w as horri fi ed at the idea of
powers of herbal tea.
having to speak in public.
RESTRAINED
RETORT N.
controlled, repressed, restricted
quick, sharp reply
þ Syn. reticent, discreet
þ Syn. reply angrily, rejoin, snap
¬ Ant. immoderate, emotional
@ She was ready with a retort every time he chose to chastise
@ The formerly wild girl became restrained and serious after a her on her conduct.
month in the strict boarding school.
RETRENCHMENT N. RETRENCHMENT V.
RESURGENT Adj. RESURGE V.
reduction, cutback
rising again after a defeat; new increase in interest or activity
þ Syn. cutback, economising
@ In his articl e, he tal ks of the resurgent fundamentalism in
many religious movements. @ Workers’ retrenchment is an emotionally charged issue.
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
cause to be set aside; replace to do better than, be superior to
@ He was promoted superseding other senior officers. @ Ayrton Senna surpassed his own record to clinch the F1 title.
SURREPTITIOUS Adj.
SUPPLANT V.
cl andesti ne, deceitful, covert
replace; usurp
þ Syn. di splace, succeed, supersede þ Syn. secret, sly, craf ty
@ In most offices, the typewriter has now been supplanted by ¬ Ant. bl atant, open, honest
the computer. @ He’d been so surreptitious about hi s dri nking that no one
realised he'd become an alcoholic.
SUPPLE
flexible, pliant SURROGATE N.
@ Few can resist a suppliant dog. @ More banks are now installing surveillance cameras.
SUSCEPTIBLE
SUPPLICANT
vul nerabl e, unprotected
one who asks humbly and earnestly
þ Syn. borrower, suitor þ Syn. credulous, gullible
@ He w as normal l y a tough f el l ow , but transf ormed i nto a ¬ Ant. sceptical, streetw ise
supplicant when pleading with the banker for a loan. @ Because of her w eakened state, Veena was suscepti bl e to
infection.
SURFEIT Adj.
excess, plethora, abundance SUSPEND
SWERVE V.
SYNTHESIS
to move to one side, deviate, detour
blend, combination
þ Syn. veer, deviate, change directi on
@ The methods used i n the experiment w ere a synthesis of
@ The car swerved after slipping on the road. techniques from biology and medicine.
Political Science
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
TENSILE
THEOCRACY N.
capable of withstanding physical stress
government of a community by religious leaders
@ Archi tects use tensi l e materi al s to construct bui l di ngs i n
earthquakeprone areas. @ Theocracy is feasible in the country where there is a single
religion and that is the state religion.
TENUOUS Adj.
THERAP EUTIC
thin, rare, slim, weak, easily damaged or proved false
medicinal
þ Syn. weak, shaky, feeble, vague
þ Syn. remedial, curing
¬ Ant. strong, sturdy, tough
¬ Ant. harmful, detrimental
@ We w ere only able to make a tenuous connection between
@ Tarun found the hot springs to be very therapeutic for his
the two robberies.
aches and pains, so he bathed in them often.
TEPID
THESIS
lukewarm, showing little enthusiasm
theory or hypothesis; dissertation; long, written composition
þ Syn. warmish, apathetic
þ Syn. proposal, contention
¬ Ant. hot, cold, passionate
@ Henry worked for six years on his Ph.D. thesis.
@ Roxanne refused to take a bath in the tepid water, f earing
that she would catch a cold.
TINGE
THRA SH V.
shade, col our
to batter, assail, attack; to hit hard or make a series of violent
and uncontrolled movements þ Syn. dye, stain
@ Photographs develop a yellowish tinge as they age.
þ Syn. beat, whip, lash, batter
@ Police thrashed the outlaw but failed to extract a confession.
TIRADE N.
TITAN
THROES N.
person of colossal stature or achievement
great suff eri ng; i n the process of doing somethi ng w hi ch i s
difficult, unpleasant or painful @ Despite hi s odd personal habits, it can't be deni ed that Mr
Shah was a titan of the nation’s industry.
@ My brother is in the throes of a midlife crisis which makes him
rather difficult to live with.
TITANIC Adj.
to strangle by squeezing the neck; a valve which allows more or @ These days many advertisements are designed to titillate.
less fuel to go into an engine and thus changes the power of the
engine TITULA R Adj.
þ Syn. strangle, choke, stifle having the title of an office without the obligations, having the
@ The operator opened the throttle a little and the machine ran title of a position but not the responsibilities, duties or power; in
f a s t e r. name only
þ Syn. supposed, ostensible, socalled
THWART V. ¬ Ant. actual, real, definite
prevent, deter, foil, hinder; to stop (something) from happening @ Even though he was only the titular head of the company, he
or (someone) from doing something enjoyed all amenities and perquisites.
þ Syn. spoil, prevent, foil, ruin
¬ Ant. encourage, cheer, hearten TOADY N.
@ She i s constantly trying to thwart my efforts to make new servile flatterer, yes man; a person who praises and is artificially
f ri ends. pl easant to people i n authority, usuall y in order to get some
advantage from them
þ Syn. f latterer, creep, crawl er
@ Bosses l i ke the toadi es and not the i ndi vi dual w orker or
i ndependent adviser.
TURBID Adj.
muddy, thick, disordered; (of a liquid) not transparent because
of suspended matter
þ Syn. di rty
¬ Ant. clear, obvious, lucid
@ The onceclear waters of the lake have become turbid with
microscopic algae.
UNABASHED Adj.
UNCTUOUS Adj.
not ashamed, blatant, barefaced, shameless, impudent, without
any worry about possible criticism or embarrassment oily, bland, insincerely suave; full of praise, interest, friendliness,
etc. that is unpleasant because it is false
þ Syn. brazen, blatant, f orward, brash
þ Syn. sycophantic, grovell ing, creepy
¬ Ant. modest, coy, demure, dismayed
@ The salesman was unctuous and glib, hoping to sell us his
@ He w as quite unabashed i n admi tting hi s need f or cheap products.
publicity to retain his position in the film industry.
UNDERHAND Adj.
UNA DULTERATED
c ra f t y, c r o o k e d , d e c e p t i v e , d o n e s e c r e t l y a n d s o m e t i m e s
absolutely pure dishonestly, in order to achieve an advantage
þ Syn. undiluted, original þ Syn. devious, dishonest
¬ Ant. degrade, debase ¬ Ant. aboveboard
@ Only bottles containing drinking water that is unadulterated @ The underhand dealings of bankers, bureaucrats and brokers
with chemicals should be labelled "pure". led to the Bombay Bank scam.
UNANIMITY UNDERMINE
state of total agreement or unity to sabotage, thwart
þ Syn. accord, harmony þ Syn. threaten, compromise
¬ Ant. disagreement, division ¬ Ant. enhance, improve
@ The unanimity of the council on this issue was surprising; I @ Rumours of his infidelity undermined the star's marriage, and
never thought they'd be able to agree on it. it eventually ended in divorce.
UNFLINCHING Adj.
solemn, stoic, unemotional, dignified; not frightened of or trying UNPRECEDENTED Adj.
to avoid danger or unpleasantness novel; unparallel
þ Syn. unwavering, constant, resolute þ Syn. extraordinary, unrivall ed, excepti onal
@ Only with an unflinching desire for perfection can an artist ¬ Ant. normal, common
create masterpieces. @ In an unprecedented move, the company deci ded to close
the lossmaking factories.
UNGAINLY Adj.
awkward, graceless in movement UNRAVEL V.
þ Syn. clumsy, lumbering, mean di sentangle, sol ve; (of a pi ece of w ool len or woven cloth) to
¬ Ant. elegant, refined, poi sed separate into threads
UNIMPEACHABLE Adj.
blameless and exemplary; (of a person's character) completely UNREQUITED Adj.
honest and moral not reci procated
þ Syn. faultless, flawless, impeccable @ She suffers in unrequited love.
¬ Ant. shameful, disgraceful, appalling
@ He has an unimpeachable record of services to the cause of UNRULY Adj.
the chari ty. wild, with no discipline, defiant; difficult to control and not tending
to obey rules
þ Syn. boisterous, disobedient, wild
¬ Ant. wellbehaved, dutiful, polite
@ The unruly crowd of demonstrators suddenly turned riotous
as the police appeared.
UNTENABLE Adj.
URBANE Adj.
indefensible, not able to be maintained
sophisticated, cultured; (esp. of a man) confident, comfortable
þ Syn. refutable, flimsy, implausible
and polite in social situations
¬ Ant. tenable, defensible þ Syn. suave, refined, cultured, stylish
@ The w itness gave such an untenable account of her stand ¬ Ant. simple, primitive, unrefined
that the judge ruled it as inadmissible.
@ The socalled urbane class of our society does not know the
ground realities of our country.
UNTOWARD Adj.
u n f o r t u n a t e , a n n o y i n g ; u n e x p e c t e d a n d i n c o n v e n i e n t o r USURP V.
unpl easant
to take possession by force; to take ( control or a position of
þ Syn. troublesome, awkward power), esp. without having the right to
¬ Ant. appropriate, suitable, ri ght, apt
þ Syn. seize, take, assume, grab
@ Unless anything untoward happens we should be there just
¬ Ant. admit defeat, submit, yield
before mi dday.
@ The land mafia are usurping the open plots in our cities.
UNWARRANTED Adj.
UTILITARIAN Adj.
w hi ch i s not justi f i ed, unreasonabl e, undue, l acki ng a good
reason, unnecessary practical, accessible, within reach
þ Syn. gratuitous, needl ess, uncalled for þ Syn. useful, practical, functional
¬ Ant. needed, essential, requi red ¬ Ant. ineffecti ve, futile, i nadequate
@ Cel ebri ti es have to f ace unwarranted i ntrusion i nto thei r @ A utilitarian attitude in life does not bring happiness.
private li ves.
UTOPIA N.
UNWIELDY Adj. an imaginary ideal place; (the idea of ) a perfect society in which
large and awkward; (of an object) di fficult to move or handle everyone works well with each other and is happy
because it is heavy @ To think of eradication of poverty in India is to chase utopia.
@ All PSU s are not unwi eldy; some are marketfri endly and
flexibl e too. UXORIOUS Adj.
submissively fond of a wife
UNWITTING Adj. @ He was so uxorious that he thought it an honour to be called
unintentional, not knowing, without knowing or planning henpecked.
þ Syn. ignorant, innocent, unconscious
¬ Ant. cauti ous, cagey, circumspect
Ajeeta Kahale
@ The two women claimed they were the unwitting victims of a
IIFT, XLRI, FMS
drugs dealer who planted a large quantity of heroin in their
l uggage. The comprehensive
course material helped
UPBRAID V.
me prepare thoroughly
to scold severely
for CAT. The tricks
þ Syn. tell off, reproach, rebuke
@ In her newspaper articles she consistently upbraided those gi ven by fac ult ies
in authority who overstepped their limits. helped me a lot to
remember and recall
UPROARIOUS Adj.
marked by commotion, extremely funny, very noisy
the words. It was a
þ Syn. hilarious, a hoot, hysterical great experience being
@ The New Year’s party was an uproarious affair and a huge with PT. Thanks!
success.
þ Syn. emptyheaded, stupid, inane @ Napoleon was vanquished by the E ngl ish at the Battl e of
Water l oo.
¬ Ant. bright, brilliant, intense, dazzling
@ Family planning and poverty reduction slogans are becoming
vacuous in our country. VAPID Adj.
dul l , a bsent mi nd ed, s i l l y, bor i ng; hav i ng n o i m agi na ti on or
excitement
VAGARY N.
þ Syn. insipid, lifeless, weak, watery, flat
oddity, whim, impulse, caprice
¬ Ant. lively, sparkling, vivacious
@ Vagaries of the monsoon still determine India’s fate.
@ Audiences will never listen to vapid presentations or talks.
VAGRANT Adj.
VARIEGATED Adj. , VARIEGATION Adj.
wandering, gypsy, nomadic, a person who is poor and does not
have a home or job, Manycoloured; a pattern of different colours, especially yellow,
white or red, on the leaves of a plant
þ Syn. nomadic, itinerant, roaming
þ Syn. spotted, dappled, f lecked
@ Vagrants and drunks hang around the bars at the end of the
¬ Ant. uniform, identical, even, regular
s t re e t .
@ The gypsies wear variegated cl othes.
VAINGLORIOUS Adj.
boastful ; excessi vel y conceited VAUNTED Adj.
@ The actress turned out to be vainglori ous and arrogant in boasted; bragged; highly publicised
att i tud e. þ Syn. flaunt, brag, extol
@ The muchvaunted movi e f ail ed to get even a decent first
VA LIDA TE week collection.
VALOUR N.
b r av e r y VEGETATE V.
@ Rani Lakshmi Bai’s valour in the battle against the British has live in a monotonous way, to live in a way that lacks physical and
gone down in history. mental activity
þ Syn. sit around, stagnate, loaf, kill time
@ A rep ort ha s s how n t hat ch i l d ren sp end to o m uch ti me
VAMPIRE N.
vegetating in front of the TV when they come home from
ghostly being that sucks the blood of living beings school .
þ Syn. leech, parasite, tick, mosquito
@ The most famous vampire is Count Dracula of Transylvania in VEHEMENCE N. , VEHEMENT N.
the stories of Bram Stoker.
forceful way; f ierce, furious
þ Syn. intensity, fervour, vi olence
VANGUARD N.
¬ Ant. indi fference, unresponsiveness, apathy, unconcern
forerunners; advance forces, esp. an army or figuratively, who
are making changes or developments @ The vehemence of the Narmada Bachao Andolan took the
government by surprise.
þ Syn. frontl ine, precursor, f orerunner
@ Our environment group has always been in the vanguard of
all movements related to environment and ecology.
IC : PTpntvb01 (179) of (188)
VEHEMENTLY VERACIOUS Adj. VERACITY N.
strongl y, urgently truthf ul, legiti mate, factual; truthf ulness
þ Syn. forcef ully, frantically þ Syn. trustw orthy
¬ Ant. in a laidback manner, impassively ¬ Ant. deceitful, dishonest, lying
@ Ritika vehemently denied the accusation that she had cheated @ She proposed hi s name f or the promotion because of hi s
in the test. v erac i ty.
VIGNETTE N.
VEX N.
picture; short literary sketch
annoy; distress
@ The star of yesteryears stil l looked stunning in her l atest
þ Syn. irritate, enrage, nettle vi gne tt e.
¬ Ant. placate, mollify, appease
@ You will vex the teacher if you keep talking in the class.
þ Syn. amnesty, absolution @ The bizarre stone is vitreous in structure.
clamorous, noisy, repeatedly expressing opinions and complaints ¬ Ant. tiny, tightfitting
in speech @ The bride's voluminous dress trailed several yards behind her
þ Syn. voluble, enthusiastic, noisy as she walked down the aisle.
W
WANGLE V.
wiggle out, fake, achieve by trickery
þ Syn. contrive, mani pulate, devise
WAFFLE N.
@ Th e st ud en ts de ci de d ei t he r to w a ng l e a n i nv i t at i o n or
to talk or write a lot without giving any useful information or any
gatecrash the New Year’s party.
clear answers
þ Syn. gobbledygook, rubbish
WANTON Adj.
@ The Presi dent has been w af f l i ng on thi s i ssue, probabl y
because he is still uncertain about what to do. unrestrained, wilfully malicious, unchaste
þ Syn. gratuitous, reckless, wilful
WAFT V. ¬ Ant. justifi ed, correct, acceptable
to carry or f loat gentl y or l ightl y through the ai r or over the @ He spends whatever he earns in a wanton manner.
w ater
þ Syn. drift, float, fan, blow, breath WARRANT V. WARRANTED Adj.
@ Sounds wafting across the lake create a romantic feeling. justify, authorise; to make (a particular activity) necessary
þ Syn. merit, deserve, demand, justify
WAGGISH Adj. @ The responsibility of the post warrants my twentyfour hour
mischievous; humorous; tricky readiness for the job.
þ Syn. roguish, playful, comical
@ His waggish attitude lands him in trouble with the authorities. WARRA NTY
guarantee of a product's soundness
WAIF N. þ Syn. assurance, promise
homeless child or animal; a child or animal which does not receive @ I can't believe that the warranty on this car ran out two days
enough care before it broke down.
þ Syn. stray, soul, thing, urchin, orphan
@ The hostel is designed to give a bed for the night to homeless WARY Adj.
people and other waifs and strays. very cautious, not completely trusting or certain about something
or someone
WAIVE V. þ Syn. cautious, distrustful, guarded
to give up a claim to, postpone, delay; to not demand (something ¬ Ant. slapdash, casual, uncaring
you have a right to) @ She's been a bit wary of dogs ever since one bi t her as a
þ Syn. surrender, give up, put aside chi ld.
¬ Ant. put into effect, implement, inflict
@ They have waived the fine in view of your past record. WASTREL N.
profligate, one who does nothing positive with one’s life
WALLOW V. þ Syn. spendthrift, compulsive shopper
roll in, indulge in, become helpless; to lie or roll about slowly in @ His son turned to be a wastrel who drank and gambled away
deep wet earth, sand or water the family fortune.
þ Syn. flounder, stumble, lurch, stagger
@ I wallowed through the muddy ravine up to the hill. WAX V.
increase, grow
WAN Adj. þ Syn. polish, shine, buff, increase
pale, colourless, sickly; (of a person's face) paler than usual and @ Due to her hardwork and zeal, her career was always waxing.
tiredlooking
þ Syn. pallid, ashen, feeble, weak WAYLAY V.
@ He would remember the child's wan face at the window, waving ambush, lie in wait
at him. þ Syn. accost, intercept, surprise, stop
@ The underworld mafia of Mumbai can waylay and kill anybody
WANE V. anyti me.
grow gradually smaller, weaken in strength or influence
þ Syn. diminish, get smaller, disappear WA YWA RD
¬ Ant. shi ne, buf f, expand, enl arge errati c, unrestrained, reckless
@ By the late seventies the band's popularity was beginning to þ Syn. wilful, unmanageable
w an e. ¬ Ant. wellbehaved, docile
@ Mr. Sharma’s wayw ard son squandered hi s inheri tance and
got into trouble with the law.
(184) of (188) IC : PTpntvb01
WEAN V. WILFUL Adj.
accustom a baby not to nurse, give up a cherished activity intentional, headstrong; determined to do exactly as one wants,
@ She decided to wean herself away from the habit of taking even if it is known to be wrong
tea frequently. þ Syn. stubborn, obstinate, unruly
¬ Ant. instinctive, spontaneous, refl ex
WEATHER V. @ The present crisis is the result of years of wilful neglect by
endure the effects of weather or other forces, the conditions in the council.
the air above the Earth such as wind, rain or temperature
þ Syn. climate, conditions, withstand WILY Adj.
@ He has learnt to weather the vagaries of both climate and fortune. cunning, artful; (of a person) clever
þ Syn. crafty, sl y, devious
WELTER N. ¬ Ant. open, unlock, begin, start
turmoil, bewildering jumble; a large and esp. not well organised @ In money matters, she is very wily.
number (of things)
þ Syn. flurry, jumble, mass, confusion WINCE V.
@ The welter of complicated process and paperwork precludes shrink back, flinch, to show pain briefly and suddenly in the face
high collection of income tax revenues.
þ Syn. flinch, cringe, start, make a face
@ It makes me wince even thinking about eye operations.
WHEEDLE V.
cajole, coax, deceive by flattery; to try to persuade (someone)
to do (something) by praising them or being intentionally charming WINDFALL N.
þ Syn. inveigle, charm, persuade, talk fallen fruit, unexpected lucky event
@ She’s one of those children who can wheedle you into giving þ Syn. bonus, boon, extra, premium
her anything she wants. @ The inheritance was a windfall for him.
WHET V.
sharpen, excite, stimul ate, arouse WINSOME Adj.
þ Syn. sharpen, file, increase, arouse agreeable, gracious, engaging; (esp. of people) attractive and
pleasing
@ I read a brief extract of his new novel on the train and it has
whetted my appetite for the book. þ Syn. charming, pleasant, endearing
¬ Ant. repellant, disgusting, revolting
puff or gust of air, scent etc., hint, a brief smell, carried on a
current of air WISPY Adj.
þ Syn. smell, aroma, scent, hint, trace thin, slight, barely discernible
@ He starts working as a detective on the slightest whiff of a þ Syn. f eathery, fi ne
myst ery. @ Her wispy hair was all ruffled in the wind.
A n a t o m y
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .
XYLOPHONE N.
a musical instrument consisting of flat wooden bars of different
Z
ZANY Adj.
lengths hit with a pair of sticks
absurd, preposterous, mad, crazy
@ He plays the xylophone beauti fully.
þ Syn. madcap, wacky, screwball
@ Many consider time travel to be a zany idea.
Y ZEALOT N.
YACHT N.
enthusi ast, f anatic, crusader, a person who has very strong
sailing boat, cruiser, craft, vessel, a boat with sails and sometimes
opinions about something and tries to make other people have
an engine
them too
þ Syn. ship, cruiser, dinghy, f erry, craft
þ Syn. supporter, bel iever, advocate
@ More than 800 yachts from 26 classes are racing at Cowes ¬ Ant. scepti c, cynic, doubter
this year.
@ The irrational religious zealots have shunned all approaches
to peaceful talks.
YARD – backyard, workshop
þ Syn. courtyard, factory
ZEALOUS Adj.
@ After all the passengers had alighted, the train was moved to
fiery, loyal , enthusi astic, eager
the yard for cleaning and overhauling.
þ Syn. keen, passionate, extreme
¬ Ant. apathetic, uni nterested, droopy
YARN – thread used for weaving
@ He has remained a zealous supporter of the government's
þ Syn. strand, string
policies.
@ Sweaters are made from yarns of wool.
The SMS REMINDERS for EXAM NOTIFICATIONS
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The process for the students to use this facility will be :
1. The st udent will regist er fo r t his facilit y t hr ough a link pro vided on
www.PTeducation.com
2. He/she will update the mobile no. whenever it changes using this weblink itself
3. Students registering for SREN will automatically avail of this facility
All the best ... Kar ke dikhayenge!
The following are 10 words that are related to the topic mentioned
a bo ve .