Word power

ACHARYA ANGAD CHAUPAL RAJENDRA SARSWATI SHISHU MANDIR BIRAUL .

English Word Power Development

---

Given below is a list of words placed in alphabetical order. Each word is followed by a few of its synonyms. Note these words whenever you come across them. You should be familiar with most of the words for which synonyms are given if you have done all the exercises till this point thoroughly. So, this list will be giving you synonyms for the words which you know. Thus learning will be easier.

Words Starting with A

Abandon	Leave, desert, forsake
Abase	Degrade, disgrace, humiliate
Abhor	Hate, loathe, detest
Abridge	Shorten, abbreviate
Absolute	Unalterable, unrestricted, unconditional
Absurd	Ridiculous, silly, foolish
Abundant	Ample, plentiful
Accessory	Additional, auxiliary, subsidiary
Adept	Proficient, skilled, expert
Adherent	Follower, stickler
Adhesive	Sticky, glue, gum
Admire	Praise, adore, esteem
Adore	Respect, idolise, worship, admire
Adversity	Misery, misfortune
Affliction	Distress, sorrow, sadness
Alien	Foreign, stranger, unknown
Alive	Lively, vivacious, living
Alleviate	Relieve, lighten, ease
Alms	Gratuity, donation, grant
Amend	Improve, change, emend
Amicable	Suitable, friendly, lovable, amiable
Anxiety	Eagerness, misgiving, worry
Apathy	Indifference, neutrality
Appalling	Terrific, terrifying, dreadful, horrible
Apposite	Apt, suitable, well chosen
Appraise	Evaluate, estimate
Apprehend	Seize, fear, arrest
Arbitrary	Despotic, wayward
Assent	Agree, consent, acquiesce
Astonish	Astound, surprise, amaze, bewilder
Audacious	Bold, courageous, daring
Aversion	Dislike, detestation, hostility, hatred

Words Starting with B

Base	Mean, low, ignoble
Beg	Implore, ask, beseech, solicit
Behaviour	Conduct, deportment, way, demeanour
Brave	Courageous, intrepid, bold, daring, valiant
Brisk	Active, fast, quick, busy, alert
Brittle	Frail, fragile
Brutal	Animal, savage, beastly, cruel
Burglar	Thief, bandit, brigand, stealer
Bystander	Spectator, onlooker, beholder

Words Starting with C

Calculate	Estimate, count, reckon, compute
Callous	Hard, indifferent, cold-blooded
Calm	Cool, confident, quiet, serene, tranquil
Cancel	Annual, withdraw, revoke, delete
Candid	Sincere, straightforward. frank
Captive	Prisoner, confined, jailed, bonded
Cause	Make, originate, induce, generate, create
Censor	Cut off, prohibit, ban
Censure	Blame, condemn, reprove, reprimand
Character	Letter, emblem, type, OR nature, disposition, quality
Charity	Philanthropy, benevolence
Chaste	Pure, immaculate, virgin, refined
Chatter	Babble, ramble, talk, discourse
Cheat	Defraud, gull, outwit, dupe
Cite	Quote, mention, name, adduce
Clothes	Apparel, attire, dress, garb
Colossal	Huge, gigantic, enormous, big
Commence	Begin, start
Commensurate	Equivalent, suitable, applicable, proportionate
Conceal	Hide, cover, shelter, disguise
Confess	Admit, acknowledge, reveal, agree
Confuse or confound	Mix, perplex, astonish, Amaze, bewilder
Consequent	Following, resultant, outcome
Conspiracy	Plot, intrigue, treason
Convict	Felon, culprit, criminal, guilty
Cowardly	Craven, dastardly, fearful, poltroon
Coy	Modest, shy, reserved
Crafty	Artful, adroit, dexetrous, cunning, deceitful
Crazy	Mad, insane, silly
Credence	Belief, faith, trust, confidence
Crisis	Turning point, emergency, decisive moment
Criterion	Test, touchstone, standard, yardstick
Criticism	Analysis, review, stricture
Cruel	Brutal, unmerciful, beastly, savage
Cynical	Captious, incredulous, sarcastic, morose

Words Starting with D

Danger	Hazard, risk, peril
Dash	Run, rush, fly
Dastardly	Cowardly, invaliant, afraid, fearful
Dawn	Daybreak, appear, (sunrise), begin
Deadly	Fatal, lethal, destructive
Dearth	Scarcity, lack, want
Debase	Degrade, defame, disparage, humiliate
Decay	Decompose, rot, decline in power, wealth, waste, wither, fade
Decease	Death, demise, end
Deceit	Fraud, cheating, forgery
Decipher	Translate, interpret, solve, explain
Decorum	Decency, etiquette, propriety, gravity
Decree	Law, edict, ordinance, mandate, judgement
Defamation	Calumny, disparagement, debasement
Defection	Abandonment, desertion
Defer	Postpone, delay
Deference	Respect, reverence, honour
Deformity	Disfigurement, malformation, ugliness
Dejected	Depressed, distressed, downhearted, downcast
Delectable	Charming, delightful, pleasant
Delegate	Commission, depute, authorise
Deliberate	Knowingly done, intentional, forcible
Delicacy	Softness, nicety,slenderness, refinement, purity
Delusion	Illusion, fancy, error, false belief
Demeanour	Behaviour, conduct, bearing
Demise	Death, decease
Demolish	Break, destroy, annihilate
Demure	Modest, coy, humane
Denomination	Name, appellation, designation
Denounce	Accuse, malign, criticise, defame, condemn
Deny	Contradict, refuse, disavow, withhold
Deride	Ridicule, mock, taunt
Descant	Discourse, expatiate, enlarge
Desire	Wish, long for, crave, covet
Desolate	Lonely, deserted, solitary, devastated
Despise	Condemn, dislike
Despondency	Despair, dejection,hopelessness
Despotic	Arbitrary, tyrannical, illegal
Destitute	Needy, poor, miserable, indigent
Destruction	Ruin, demolition, ravage
Detain	Lock in, arrest, hold, custody
Detest	Despise, abhor, dislike
Dethrone	Depose, remove (from office)
Devastate	Ruin, demolition, ravage
Devoid	Lacking, empty, vacant
Devout	Religious, reverent
Dexterity	Adroitness, cleverness, skill
Diabolical	Fiendish, devilish, wicked
Diatribe	Tirade, denunciation
Dictatorial	Tyrannical, arbitrary, despotic
Diffident	Hesitating, doubtful, distrusting
Digression	Excursion, deviation, misguidance
Diligence	Care, industry, effort
Dire	Terrible, awful, horrible; miserable
Disapprove	Condemn, reject, disallow
Disavow	Deny, refuse
Disciple	Follower, learner, student
Disclose	Reveal, tell, uncover, divulge
Disconsolate	Sad, cheerless, miserable
Discredit	Disbelieve, doubt, disgrace
Disgust	Abhorrence, dislike, detestation
Dismay	Disappointment,discouragement
Disorder	Disease, illness, OR untidiness, uncleanliness
Disown	Disclaim, deny, renounce
Disparage	Debase, decry, defame
Dispose	Adjust, arrange, incline
Dispute	Argument, controversy, altercation
Disregard	Neglect, overlook,disrespect
Dissolute	Corrupt, mean, lax, licentious
Distaste	Abhorrence, dislike, detestation
Distorted	Blurred, maligned, changed, disguised, deformed, misrepresented
Distress	Affliction, depression, misery
Divert	Turn aside, deflect, deviate
Divine	Heavenly, metaphysical, godlike
Divulge	Reveal, uncover, disclose
Docile	Amenable, tractable, submissive
Doctrine	Precept, principle, teaching
Dogmatic	Categorical, authoritative, firm, preachy
Dolt	Blockhead, stupid, fool, idiot, dullard
Domicile	Dwelling, home, residence
Dotage	Senility, imebcility
Downright	Simple, unquestionable, blunt, frank
Dread	Apprehend, fear
Drench	Soak, wet
Drowsy	Sleepy, comatose, lazy, lethargic
Dubious	Suspicious, doubtful, unreliable
Ductile	Pliant, yielding, flexible
Dupe	Cheat, befool, steal
Dwindle	Shrink, diminish, decrease

Words Starting with E

Earnest	Eager, ardent, intent,anxious, sincere
Eccentric	Irregular, anomalous, abnormal, odd
Economise	Save, retrench
Ecstasy	Trance, enchantment, rapture
Efface	Blot out, obliterate, destroy
Effeminate	Womanly, weak, unmanly
Efficacy	Energy, virtue, potence
Egotistic	Self-centered, egoist, self-conceited
Egregious	Conspicuously bad, sinful, monstrous, shocking
Elaborate	Explain, discuss, elucidate
Elevated	Elated, promoted, upgraded, risen
Eliminate	Remove, replace, dismiss, discard
Eloquence	Oratory, rhetoric, finery (of speech) fluency of expression
Emanate	Originate, proceed, spring, issue
Emancipate	Free, deliver, liberate
Embarrass	Vex, confuse, entangle
Embezzle	Steal, peculate, cheat
Embody	Incorporate, include, comprise
Emolument	Salary, wage, remuneration
Emulate	Compete, rival, vie against, copy
Enchant	Charm, bewitch, hypnotise
Encompass	Surround, encircle
Encounter	Come across, combat, fight
Encroach	Trespass, intrude, invade
Endeavour	Attempt, effort, aspiration
Endorse	Back, approve, ratify
Endurance	Patience, continuance, fortitude
Enfranchise	Liberate, free, (also: give right to vote)
Enlighten	Illuminate, edify, elaborate
Enmity	Hostility, hatred, animosity
Enormous	Big, huge, colossal, gigantic
Enrage	Infuriate, madden, incense, irritate
Ensue	Succeed, follow, result
Entangle	Ravel, involve, perplex
Enterprise	Undertaking, venture, endeavour
Enthusiasm	Zeal, ardour, interest
Entice	Allure, tempt, seduce, attract
Entreat	Beseech, implore, beg
Entwine	Encircle, surround, encompass
Enumerate	Count, number one by one
Enunciate	Declare, publish, propound, reveal
Envoy	Legate, messenger, ambassador
Epoch	Era, time, age
Equivocal	Doubtful, Ambiguous, uncertain
Eradicate	Root out, extirpate, annihilate
Erroneous	Wrong, false
Erudite	Learned, scholarly, lettered
Esteem	Admire, appreciate, adore, respect
Eulogy	Laudation, praise, extolling, felicitation
Evidence	Testimony, proof, witness
Evince	Show, manifest, demonstrate
Exact	Extort, oppress, loot
Exaggerate	Amplify, overstate
Excerpt	Extract, quotations
Exile	Expulsion, banishment, expatriation
Exonerate	Acquit, absolve, release
Exorbitant	Excessive, too much, very high
Extinguish	Quench, terminate, destroy, put out
Extravagant	Excessive, lavish, stylish
Exuberant	Abundant, plentiful
Exult	Triumph, rejoice, delight

Words Starting with F

Fable	Story, legend, myth, fiction
Fabricate	Construct, forge, invent
Fabulous	Fictitious, mythical, exaggerated
Facile	Fluent, ready, glib (of writing), pliable, docile, tractable
Faction	Clique, cabal, discord, section
Fallacy	Deception, illusion, mistake
Falter	Waver, hesitate, delay, flounder
Famine	Hunger, starvation, scarcity of food
Fanatical	Bigoted, enthusiastic
Fancy	Liking, conception, craving, whim
Farcical	Droll, comic, extravagant
Fascinate	Charm, bewitch, attract
Fastidious	Particular, over-nice, squeamish
Fatal	Deadly, lethal, mortal
Fatigue	Weakness, exhaustion, tiredness
Feeble	Weak, frail, dim
Felicitate	Congratulate, compliment
Felicity	Joy, happiness, good luck
Felon	Criminal, sinner, guilty, bandit
Ferment	Excite, agitate
Ferocity	Fierceness, vehemence, fanaticism
Fervent	Glowing, heated, impassioned
Fervour	Warmth, glow, vehemence
Festivity	Gaiety, merry-making
Fetter	Shackle, bind, imprison
Feud	Dispute, broil, strife
Fickle	Changeable, vacillating, varying
Fiendish	Devilish, diabolical, malignant
Figurative	Typical, imaginative, emblematic, metaphorical
Filthy	Dirty, foul, nasty
Fissure	Crevice, rift, narrow opening
Flaccid	Soft, loose, weak
Flatter	Adore, please, praise
Fleece	Rob, despoil, cheat
Flexible	Variable, pliable, changeable
Flimsy	Transparent, thin, trivial, tenuous
Flounder	Stumble, falter, wallow, struggle
Fluctuate	Undulate, waver, vacillate
Flutter	Flip, quiver, ruffle, agitate
Folly	Absurdity, silliness, imprudence, foolishness
Fondle	Caress, touch, rub
Foray	Incursion, inroad, venture
Forbearance	Abstaining, refraining
Forbid	Prohibit, disallow, debar
Forebode	Betoken, indicate, augur
Forlorn	Disconsolate, cheerless, distressed, abandoned, lonely
Formidable	Dreadful, difficult, hard to overcome
Fragile	Weak, feeble, slender, delicate
Fragrant	Odorous, balmy, soothing
Frailty	Weakness, delicacy,fragileness
Frantic	Frenzied, mad, distracted
Fraudulent	Dishonest, cheating, deceitful
Fray	Battlefield, combat, brawl
Frisk	Skip, dance, caper, frolic
Frivolous	Vain, foolish, trivial
Frugal	Economical, thrifty
Futile	Useless, hopeless, in vain

Words Starting with G

Gaiety	Hilarity, jollity, festivity
Gainsay	Contradict, dispute, controvert, deny
Gallantry	Courage, bravery, heroism
Garbage	Filth, waste, useless, throwaway, trash
Garner	Accumulate, collect, gather
Garrulous	Prattling, chattering
Gawky	Awkward, clumsy
Gay	Happy, merry, joyous
Generous	Noble, magnanimous, kind, liberal
Genteel	Well-bred, well-cultured, polite, refined
Genuine	True, authentic, real
Ghastly	Horrible, horrifying, horrific
Ghost	Phantom, spirit, spectre
Glimmer	Shine, flash, gleam
Glimpse	Glance, (quick) look, (brief) view
Glisten	Shine, beam, glow
Gloom	Depression, melancholy, loneliness
Glutinous	Sticky, viscous
Gluttonous	Greedy, gorging, voracious
Grandeur	Splendour, magnificence, glory
Grapple	Grasp, clutch, seize
Gratification	Satisfaction, enjoyment
Gravity	Seriousness, importance, calmness
Greed	Avarice, ravenous, envious, covetous
Grievance	Hardship, complaint, trouble
Grotesque	Horrifying, contorted, bizzare, whimsical
Grudge	Grievance, begrudge, resent
Gullible	Simple, easy, pliable, credulous

Words Starting with H

Hallucination	Delusion, illusion, nightmare
Hamper	Impede, block, fetter, bind
Hapless	Unfortunate, unlucky
Harangue	a lengthy speech, oration
Hardship	Trouble, adversity, difficulty
Haughty	Arrogant, overbearing, imperious
Havoc	Devastation, destruction, ruin
Hearty	Sincere, warm, ardent
Heave	Raise, lift
Hedge	Fence, hem
Heed	Advise, note, consider, mind
Heinous	Atrocious, odious, wicked
Hem	Border, edge, fringe, outskirt
Herculean	Colossal, laborious, excessive
Heterogeneous	Dissimilar, unlike, different, diverse, varied
Hideous	Terrific, horrible, filthy
Hilarious	Exceedingly, funny, boisterously merry, amusing, joyous
Hindrance	Impediment, hampering, obstruction, obstacle
Histrionic	Theatrical, dramatic
Hoax or Humbug	Dupe, cheat, befool
Homage	Deference, salute, worshipping
Horizon	Verge, limit, skyline
Hostile	Adverse, opposing, inimical
Hover	remain in one place in the air, remain suspended, linger
Humane	Compassionate, caring, bvenevolent
Humiliate	Abase, insult, mock, defy
Humorous	Amusing, laughable, comical
Hypocrisy	Pretence, imposture, deceit

Words Starting with I

Idolise	Adore, worship, admire
Illegal or Illicit	Unlawful, prohibited
Illogical	Inconsequent, irrational
Imitate	Copy, follow, mimic, emulate
Immaculate	Spotless, stainless, perfect
Immature	Crude, childish, unseasoned
Imminent	Impending, near, due, threatening
Immodest	Indecent, indelicate, unchaste
Immortal	Everlasting, undying, endless
Impassioned	Fervent, frenzied, fanatical
Impeachment	Imputation, accusation
Implicit	Implied, assumed, inferred
Impostor	Cheat, conman, charlatan
Impracticable	Impossible, (merely) theoretical
Impressive	Striking, affecting, extraordinary
Impunity	Exemption (from punishment)
Inane	Empty, silly, idiotic
Inarticulate	Voiceless, indistinct, inexpressive
Incense	Infuriate, enrage, anger
Incessant	Unceasing, continual
Incognito	(Identity) Concealed, secretly, stealthily
Inculcate	Instil, enforce, pass on, generate
Inculpate	Blame, incriminate
Incumbent	Compulsory, obligatory, binding
Incursion	Inroad, foray, venture
Indefatigable	Tireless, assiduous
Indict	Accuse, charge
Indiscriminate	Mixed, undistinguished, confused, wanton
Indolence	Apathy, inactivity, laziness, sluggishness, lethargy
Industrious	Busy, active, tireless
Inevitable	Unavoidable, certain, sure
Inexorable	Relentless, indefatigable
Infallible	Unfailing, unerring, certain
Infectious	Catching, contaminating, corrupting, transmittable
Infer	Gather, conclude, deduce
Influence	Authority, effect, power
Infringe	Break, violate, transgress, encroach
Ingredient	Constituent, component, element
Inherent	Inborn, innate, built-in
Inhibition	Restraint, check
Iniquitous	Unjust, wrong, unfair
Initiate	Start, begin, inchoate
Innocuous	Harmless, mild, innocent
Insanity	Madness, lunacy, mania
Insidious	Deceitful, treacherous
Instantaneous	Immediate, Sudden, quick
Instigate	Arouse, misguide, provoke
Intact	Untouched, unscathed, whole, unbroken, undamaged, unimpaired, entire
Integrity	Oneness, entirety, completeness, honesty, wholeness, soundness
Intellectual	Intelligent, rational, learned
Intentional	Deliberate, intended,
Intercourse	Intimacy, association, communication
Intermission	Suspension, stoppage, pause, cessation, interval
Intervene	Interpose, mediate
Intimate	Close, tender, friendly or informal, advertise, inform
Intolerable	Unendurable, unbearable
Intransigent	Uncompromising, inflexible
Intrepid	Brave, fearless
Intricate	Complex, difficult, complicated
Intuition	Insight, premonition, instinct
Inveterate	Habitual, deep-rooted
Involuntary	Compulsory, unwilled, reflex
Irksome	Annoying, disagreeable, tedious
Irresolute	Wavering, confused, vacillating
Itinerant	Travelling (on a circuit), wandering, nomadic

Words Starting with J, K and L

Jaded	Tired, weary
Jargon	cant, technical language, gibberish
Jocose	Jocular, humorous
Jocular	Inclined to joke.
Jovial	Merry.
Judicious	Prudent.
Juxtaposition	Closeness, nearness
Kiosk	Stand (open on one side), booth
Knead	Work up (into dough), press, squeeze
Lacerate	Tear (tissue toughly), mangle
Lachrymose	Given to shedding tears.
Lackadaisical	Listless.
Laconic	(Briskly) Short, concise, pithy
Languid	Listless, spiritless
Languish	Die (with hunger or desire), weaken, droop
Lascivious	Lustful.
Lassitude	Weariness, tiredness
Latent	Hidden, concealed
Laudable	Praiseworthy.
Legacy	A bequest.
Legitimate	Genuine, lawful
Levity	Frivolity.
Libel	Defamation.
Licentious	Wanton.
Lithe	Supple.
Loquacious	Talkative.
Lustrous	Shining.

Words Starting with M and N

Malaise	A condition of uneasiness or ill-being.
Malevolence	Ill will.
Malleable	Pliant.
Mawkish	Sickening or insipid.
Mellifluous	Sweetly or smoothly flowing.
Mendacious	Untrue.
Mendicant	A beggar.
Mesmerize	To hypnotize.
Meticulous	Over-cautious.
Mettle	Courage.
Mien	The external appearance or manner of a person.
Moderation	Temperance.
Modicum	A small or token amount.
Mollify	To soothe.
Mordant	Biting.
Moribund	On the point of dying.
Morose	Gloomy.
Multifarious	Having great diversity or variety.
Mundane	Worldly, as opposed to spiritual or celestial.
Munificent	Extraordinarily generous.
Myriad	A vast indefinite number.
Nadir	The lowest point.
Nefarious	Wicked in the extreme.
Negligent	Apt to omit what ought to be done.
Neophyte	Having the character of a beginner.
Noxious	Hurtful.
Nugatory	Having no power or force.

Words Starting with O

Obdurate	Impassive to feelings of humanity or pity.
Obfuscate	To darken; to obscure.
Oblique	Slanting; said of lines.
Obstreperous	Boisterous.
Odious	Hateful.
Odium	A feeling of extreme repugnance, or of dislike and disgust.
Ominous	Portentous.
Onerous	Burdensome or oppressive.
Onus	A burden or responsibility.

Words Starting with P

Palate	The roof of the mouth.
Palatial	Magnificent.
Palliate	To cause to appear less guilty.
Palpable	Perceptible by feeling or touch.
Panoply	A full set of armor.
Paragon	A model of excellence.
Pariah	A member of a degraded class; a social outcast.
Paroxysm	A sudden outburst (of any kind of activity).
Paucity	Fewness.
Pellucid	Translucent.
Penchant	A bias in favor of something.
Penurious	Excessively sparing in the use of money.
Penury	Indigence.
Peremptory	Precluding question or appeal.
Perfidy	Treachery.
Perfunctory	Half-hearted.
Peripatetic	Walking about.
Perjury	A solemn assertion of a falsity.
Permeate	To pervade.
Pernicious	Tending to kill or hurt.
Persiflage	Banter.
Perspicacity	Acuteness or discernment.
Perturbation	Mental excitement or confusion.
Petulant	Displaying impatience.
Phlegmatic	Not easily roused to feeling or action.
Pique	To excite a slight degree of anger in.
Plea	An argument (to obtain some desired action).
Plenary	Entire.
Plethora	Excess; superabundance.
Poignant	Severely painful or acute to the spirit.
Polyglot	Speaking several tongues.
Ponderous	Unusually weighty or forcible.
Portent	Anything that indicates what is to happen.
Pragmatic	Practical(values), empirical
Precarious	Critical, dangerous
Preclude	To prevent.
Precocious	Advanced (in development), overforward, premature
Predilection	Preference, partiality, inclination
Predominate	To be chief in importance, quantity, or degree.
Preposterous	(Very) Absurd, ridiculous
Prerogative	(Special) Right, privilege
Presage	To foretell.
Prescience	Knowledge of events before they take place.
Preternatural	Extraordinary.
Prim	Stiffly proper.
Pristine	Primitive.
Probity	Virtue or integrity tested and confirmed.
Proclivity	A natural inclination.
Procrastination	Delay.
Prodigious	Large, immense
Profligate	Immoral, wanton, reckless, dissolute, licentious
Profuse	Produced or displayed in overabundance.
Prolix	Verbose.
Promiscuous	Indiscriminate, impure, casual
Propinquity	Nearness, proximity
Propitious	Kindly disposed.
Prosaic	Unimaginative.
Protagonist	Leading character), hero(ine)
Providential	Fortunate, lucky
Prudence	Caution.
Puerile	Childish.
Pugnacious	Quarrelsome.
Puissant	Powerful, influential, mighty
Punctilious	Exact (in formalities), ceremonious, conscientious
Pungency	The quality of affecting the sense of smell.
Pusillanimous	Without spirit or bravery.
Putrefy	Decay, rot, decompose
Pyre	A heap of combustibles arranged for burning a dead body.

Words Starting with Q

Qualm	A fit of nausea.
Quandary	Doubt, dilemma, plight
Quibble	An utterly trivial distinction or objection.
Quiescence	Being quiet, still, or at rest; inactive
Quirk	Twist, quibble, deviation
Quixotic	(Foolishly) Chivalrous, unrealistic, whimsical

Words Starting with R

Rabble	Throng (of the vulgar), crowd, proletariat
Rabid	Furious, mad, fanatical
Raconteur	A person skilled in telling stories.
Raillery	Jesting (language), banter, ridicule
Ramify	To divide or subdivide into branches or subdivisions.
Rampant	Rife, widespread
Ramshackle	Dilapidated, tumbledown, rickety
Rapacious	Sieze by force, avaricious
Raucous	Harsh.
Recalcitrant	Stubborn, refractory
Recluse	One who lives in retirement or seclusion.
Recondite	Incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding.
Recuperate	To recover.
Redoubtable	Formidable.
Redundant	Wordy, repetitious, superfluous, needless
Refractory	Not amenable to control.
Regale	To give unusual pleasure.
Regicide	The killing of a king or sovereign.
Reiterate	To say or do again and again.
Relapse	To suffer a return of a disease after partial recovery.
Relegate	Assign a lower position, banish, demote
Repast	A meal; figuratively, any refreshment.
Repine	To indulge in fretfulness and faultfinding.
Reprisal	(Injury in) Return, retaliation, revenge
Reprobate	One abandoned to depravity and sin.
Repudiate	Disavow, disclaim
Resilience	The power of springing back to a former position
Resonance	Able to reinforce sound by sympathetic vibrations.
Respite	Interval of rest.
Restive	Resisting control.
Revere	To regard with worshipful veneration.
Reverent	Humble.
Rotund	Round from fullness or plumpness.
Ruffian	A lawless or recklessly brutal fellow.
Ruminate	To chew over again, as food previously swallowed and regurgitated.

Words Starting with S

Sagacious	Wise, shrewd, astute
Salacious	Obscene, foul, indecent, lecherous
Salubrious	Healthful; promoting health.
Salutary	(Morally) Healthy, salubrious, beneficial
Sanguine	Ardent, confident, optimistic
Sardonic	Ironical, scornful, derisive
Satiate	Gratify (fully), surfeit, saturate
Satyr	A very lascivious person.
Savor	To perceive by taste or smell.
Schism	Disjunction, split
Scribble	Hasty, careless writing.
Sedition	Plotting (against government), incitement, insurgence
Sedulous	Persevering in effort or endeavor.
Severance	Separation.
Sinecure	Any position (having emoluments with few or no duties).
Sinuous	Curving in and out.
Sluggard	A person habitually lazy or idle.
Solace	Comfort in grief, trouble, or calamity.
Solvent	Having sufficient funds to pay all debts.
Somniferous	Tending to produce sleep.
Somnolent	Sleepy.
Soporific	Causing sleep; also, something that causes sleep.
Sordid	Filthy, morally degraded
Specious	Plausible.
Spurious	Not genuine.
Squalid	Having a dirty, mean, poverty-stricken appearance.
Stanch	To stop the flowing of; to check.
Stingy	Cheap, unwilling to spend money.
Stolid	Expressing no power of feeling or perceiving.
Submerge	To place or plunge under water.
Subterfuge	Evasion.
Succinct	Concise.
Sumptuous	Rich and costly.
Supercilious	Exhibiting haughty and careless contempt.
Superfluous	Being more than is needed.
Supernumerary	Superfluous.
Supersede	To displace.
Supine	Lying on the back.
Supplicate	To beg.
Suppress	To prevent from being disclosed or punished.
Surcharge	An additional amount charged.
Surfeit	To feed to fullness or to satiety.
Susceptibility	A specific capability of feeling or emotion.

Words Starting with T

Taciturn	Disinclined to conversation.
Taut	Stretched tight.
Temerity	Foolhardy disregard of danger; recklessness.
Terse	Pithy.
Timorous	Lacking courage.
Torpid	Dull; sluggish; inactive.
Torrid	Excessively hot.
Tortuous	Abounding in irregular bends or turns.
Tractable	Easily led or controlled.
Transgress	To break a law.
Transitory	Existing for a short time only.
Travail	Hard or agonizing labor.
Travesty	A grotesque imitation.
Trenchant	Cutting deeply and quickly.
Trepidation	Nervous uncertainty of feeling.
Trite	Made commonplace by frequent repetition.
Truculence	Ferocity.
Truculent	Having the character or the spirit of a savage.
Turbid	In a state of turmoil; muddled
Turgid	Swollen.
Turpitude	Depravity.

Words Starting with U

Ubiquitous	Being present everywhere.
Umbrage	A sense of injury.
Unctuous	Oily.
Undulate	To move like a wave or in waves.
Untoward	Causing annoyance or hindrance.
Upbraid	To reproach as deserving blame.

Words Starting From V to Z

Vagary	A sudden desire or action
Vainglory	Excessive, pretentious, and demonstrative vanity.
Valorous	Courageous.
Vapid	Having lost sparkling quality and flavor.
Variegated	Having marks or patches of different colors; also, varied.
Vehement	Very eager or urgent.
Venal	Mercenary, corrupt.
Veneer	Outside show or elegance.
Venial	That may be pardoned or forgiven, a forgivable sin.
Veracious	Habitually disposed to speak the truth.
Veracity	Truthfulness.
Verbiage	Use of many words without necessity.
Verbose	Wordy.
Verdant	Green with vegetation.
Veritable	Real; true; genuine.
Vestige	(A visible) trace, mark, or impression (of something absent, lost, or gone).
Virago	Loud talkative women, strong statured women
Virtu	Rare, curious, or beautiful quality.
Visage	The face, countenance, or look of a person.
Vitiate	To contaminate.
Vituperate	To overwhelm with wordy abuse.
Vivify	To endue with life.
Vociferous	Making a loud outcry.
Volatile	Changeable.
Voluble	Having great fluency in speaking.
Whimsical	Capricious.
Winsome	Attractive.

---

Idioms and Phrases List

---

Learning Idioms and Phrases are very important part of Competitive Exams as well as language-learning process. Much of everyday speech is based on colloquial and slang vocabulary – much of this vocabulary is based on idioms.
Edudose collection of English Idioms will teach you the type of questions that asked in competitive exams. This topic also helps you to become more fluent in English and will be able to communicate better.
Below is the list of some important Idioms and Phrases, it will be helpful for you to prepare.

 

List of Idioms and Phrases in English with Meaning and Examples

• Beat back (to compel to retire) : The firemen were beaten back by angry flames and the building was reduced to ashes.
• Boil down to (to amount to) : His entire argument boiled down to this that he would not join the movement unless he saw some monetary gain in it.
• Cast aside (to reject, to throw aside) : Men will cast aside truth and honesty for immediate gains.
• Cry down (to deprecate) : Some of the Western powers did their best to cry down India’s success in the war.
• To cut off with a shilling (to give someone a mere trifle in the will) : The father was so angry with the son over his marriage that he cut him off with a shilling.
• Egg on (to urge on) : Who egged you on to fight a professional boxer and get your nose knocked off?
• Gloss over (explain away) : Even if you are an important person your faults cannot be glossed over.
• To laugh in one’s sleeves (to be secretly amused) : While I was solemnly reading my research paper to the audience, my friends were laughing in their sleeves for they knew what it was worth.
• Play off (to set one party against another for one’s own advantage) : It best serves the interests of the super powers to play off one poor nation against another.
• Pull one through (to recover, to help one recover) : Armed with the latest medicines, the doctor will pull him through.
• Cost a slur upon (by word or act to cast a slight reproach on someone) : Many a man casts a slur on his own good name with some mean act.
• To catch a Tartar (to encounter a strong adversary) : When Hitler marched in to Russia he little knew that he would catch a Tartar in the tough people of that country.
• To come off with flying colours (to come out of a conflict with brilliant success) :The 1971 election outcome was uncertain but finally the congress came off with flying colours.
• To come off second best (to be defeated in every contest) : Be it an election or a tambola, I have always come off the second best
• To cut the Gordian knot (to remove a difficulty by bold or unusual measures) :The Parliament threw out the Bill for Abolition of Privy Purses. The Government cut the Gordian knot by abolishing the privy purses through an ordinance.
• To fall to one’s lot (to become one’s fate):It fell to the lot of Mujib and. his colleagues to reconstruct the shattered economy of their nation.
• To get into hot water (to get into difficulty) : The businessman got into hot water with the Income-tax authorities for concealing his income from ancestral property.
• To give someone the slip (to dodge someone who is looking for you) : The police had nearly got the dacoits when the latter gave them the slip in the Chambal ravines.
• To go on a fool’s errand (to go on an expedition which leads to a foolish end) :Many people earlier believed that going to the moon was like going on a fool’s errand
• To go to the wall (to get the worst in a competition) : In the struggle of life, the weakest goes to the wall.
• To go to rack and ruin, to go to the dogs (to be ruined): If a big war comes, our economy will go to the dogs.
• To have one’s hands full (to be very busy) :Pakistan could hardly expect active help from the U.S.A. as her hands were already full with Vietnam, Laos and West Asia problems.
• To have a bone to pick with one (to have a difference with a person which has not yet been fully expressed): The extreme leftists have a bone to pick with the police and if ever they come to power there may be unpleasantness between the two.
• To have the whip hand of (to have mastery over): After the split in the party Mrs. Gandhi has the whip hand of the Congress.
• To have too many irons in the fire (to have so much work in hand that some part of it is left undone or is done very badly): Let the Government not go in for nationalisation so fast. If they have too many irons in the fire they are bound to fare badly.
• To have the tree or right ring (To be genuine): Nixon’s pronouncements on world peace do not have the right ring.
• To have two strings to one’s bow ( to have an alternative means of achieving one’s purpose): A wife always has two strings to her bow if coaxing fails to achieve the desired end; tears succeed.
• To have an axe to grind (have personal interests to serve): Bigger nations supply arms to the smaller ones primarily because they (the bigger nations) have their own axe to grind
• To keep the wolf from the door (to keep away extreme poverty and hunger): Lakhs in India have to struggle everyday to keep the wolf from the door.
• To make short work of (to bring to sudden end): The locusts made short work of the ripe standing corn.
• To make amends for (to compensate for damage): By his kindness today he has made amends pr his past insolence.
• To make common cause with (to unite, to co-operate with): During the last elections the princes made a common cause with the rightist parties. Both went down.
• To make a virtue of necessity (to do a very disagreeable thing as though from duty but really because you must do it):When a minister knows that he is going to be booted out of the cabinet he makes a virtue of necessity and resigns on health grounds.
• To make much ado about nothing (make a great fuss about a trifle): Demonstrations and protests over the change in the timing of news bulletins over AIR was making much ado about nothing
• To make a cat’s paw or a tool of someone (to use someone as a means of attaining your object): The super-powers have made a cat’s paw of the smaller nations of Asia in their game of power politics.
• To play into the hands of someone (to act as to be of advantage to another): By raising the slogan ‘Indira Hatao’ the opposition played into her hands and Mrs. Gandhi won the elections hands down (easily).
• To play second fiddle’ (to take a subordinate part): With Mrs. Gandhi as the undisputed leader of the Congress and the nation, everyone else is content to play second fiddle to her.
• To put the cart before the horse (to begin at the wrong end to do a thing): Preparing the blue print of a project without the provision of funds is like putting the cart before the horse.
• To put one’s shoulder to the wheel (to make great efforts ourselves): No amount of foreign aid will pull us out of the economic morass; we have to put our own shoulders to the wheel.
• To set store by (to value highly): India, surely sets much store by the Indo Soviet Treaty of Friendship.
• To set the Thames on fire (to do something extraordinary): He is a steady worker but never likely to set the Thames on fire.
• To set one’s house in order (to arrange one’s affairs): Let Pakistan set her own house in order before talking of the welfare of the Kashmiris.
• To take into one’s head (to occur to someone): The Manager look it into his head that by shutting off the electricity for a few hours daily he could save on refrigeration costs.
• To take the bull by the horns (to grapple with a problem courageously instead of avoiding it): There is no short cut to prosperity. We have to take the bull by the horns and make people work like slaves.
• To take a leap in the dark (to do a hazardous thing without any idea of what it may result in): You took a leap in the dark in going into partnership with that man.
• To throw cold water upon (to discourage something): The doctor threw cold water upon my plans for a world tour by declaring that I could never stand the strain of it.
• To throw up the sponge (to give up a contest): Faced with stiff competition from big companies, many a small company will throw up the sponge.
• To turn over a new leaf (to change one’s course of action completely): After a long career of crime the convict suddenly turned over a new leaf and became a model citizen.
• To turn tail (to retreat ignominiously): The enemy turned tail in the face of heavy onslaughts on its key positions.
• To turn the tables (to reverse someone’s success or superiority): Pakistan started war with a blitz on our positions but the superior tactics of our Armed Forces soon turned the tables on them.
• To cook or doctor an account (to tamper with or falsify the account): From the balance sheet presented to the shareholders, the company seemed to be flourishing, but it afterwards turned out that the Secretary had cooked the accounts.
• To bear the brunt of (to endure the main force or shock of): The infantry has to bear the brunt of a battle.
• To beard the lion in his den (to oppose someone, in his stronghold): The Indian Army broke through strong Pakistani fortifications, and in the Shakargarh area bearded the lion in his own den.
• To bid fair to (to give fair prospect of): His health is so good that he bids fair to live till he is sixty.
• To blow one’s own trumpet (to parade one’s own good deeds): Modesty does not pay. Only if you blow your own trumpet, you can succeed.
• To blunt the edge of (to make something less effective): Time blunts the edge of grief.
• To build castles in the air (to indulge in reveries or visionary schemes): There is nothing wrong if you build castles in the air; now put foundations under them.
• To burn the candle at both ends (to use too much energy): Our resources are limited. Let us use them judiciously and not burn the candle al both ends.
• To buy a pig in a poke (to purchase a thing without previously examining it): Buying shares in a new Company started by unknown entrepreneurs is like buying a pig in a poke.
• To cross or pass the Rubicon (to take a decisive step forward): The Government will have to think of many things before nationalising the textile industry for once they cross the Rubicon there will be no going back.
• To cry over spilt milk (to nurse unnecessary regrets): We have failed to build up a sizeable total against England’s meagre first innings total. It is no use crying over spilt milk now.
• To err on the safe side (to choose a course which may in fact be inaccurate, but which will keep you safe from risk or harm): In going in for mixed economy rather than wholesale nationalisation the Government were erring on the safe side.
• To flog a dead horse (waste one’s energies): We are flogging a dead horse if we are trying to make Sanskrit the national language of India.
• To feather one’s nest (to provide for oneself through dishonest means): Many tax collectors make a point of feathering their own nests well while they have opportunity.
• To Eat one’s heart out (to brood over one’s sorrows or disappointments): Don’t eat your heart out over failure in this competition.
• To eat humble pie (to have to humiliate oneself): Since none came to his support he had to eat humble pie and give in to their demands.
• To eat one’s words (to retract one’s assertions under compulsion): It is hard for a haughty man to have to eat his words.
• To throw down the gauntlet, to take up the gauntlet (to offer or give a challenge, to accept a challenge): It is not for a small country to throw down the gauntlet to the right and the left.
• To run the gauntlet (to undergo severe criticism or ill treatment): Most trend-setting books have to run the gauntlet of the literary critics.
• To burn one’s fingers (to get oneself into unexpected trouble): They were happily placed in the woollen industry. But they went in for cosmetics and burnt their fingers.
• To force one’s hands (to compel one to do something unwillingly or earlier than he wished to do it): The Government wanted to do all that they could to meet the workers’ demands. But the violence by the strikers forced their hands to declare a lockout.
• To haul over the coals (to scold a man, reprove him): If your bad habits become known, you will get hauled over the coals and richly deserve it.
• To let the grass grow under your feet (to be inert and passive to things around):The authorities should listen to students’ grievances. By being indifferent they would only let the grass grow under their feet till it will be too late to turn these young people away from the path of violence.
• To put in a nutshell (this is said of a thing which is capable, of, or presented in, brief expression): His conduct is weird. To put in a nutshell be is insane. The explanation of his conduct can be put in a nutshell – he is insane.
• To let loose the dogs of war (to set in motion the destructive forces of war):Pakistan has let loose the dogs of war in Kashmir, through organized terrorism.
• To lord it over someone (to domineer over someone, to act as a lord): The love of power is’ so strong in human nature, that when a man becomes popular he seeks to lord it over his fellows.
• To mind one’s Ps and Qs (to be punctilious): The manager suspects his chief clerk of dishonesty, and if the clerk does not mind his Ps and Qs, he will soon find himself without a job.
• To muster in force (to assemble in large numbers): The citizens mustered in force to welcome their beloved leader.
• To pay one back in one’s own coin (to give tit for tat, to retaliate): Howsoever revengeful you may be, unless you are strong enough you cannot pay him back in his own coin.
• To plough a lonely furrow (to work without help or support): In the organised society of today no individual or nation can plough a lonely furrow.
• To poison the ears or mind (to prejudice another person): A judge must not allow anyone to poison his mind against either the plaintiff or the defendant.
• To rest on one’s laurels (to rest satisfied with honours already won, and to make no attempt to gain further distinction): Even if he wins the biggest award, a film star will never rest on his laurels. He will try to rise higher and higher.
• To rest on one’s oars (to suspend efforts after something has been attained): The agitators have been vigorously at work during the winter, but at present they seem to be resting on their oars.
• To harp on the same string (to keep repeating the same sentiment over and again): This gentleman keeps harping on the same string: he is from Oxford and deserves this and deserves that etc.
• To rise like a phoenix from its ashes (the phoenix was a fabulous Arabian bird. It had no mate but when about to die, made a funeral pile of wood and aromatic gums and on it burned itself to ashes. From the ashes a young phoenix was believed to rise): Germany was completely decimated in the second world war. But she has risen like a phoenix from its ashes.
• To rule the roast or roost (to lord it over others in a party or group): In almost every party there is some overbearing person who tries to rule the roost.
• To run in the same groove (to move forward on the same path, to advance in harmony): It is clear that the ideas of both reformers run in the same groove.
• To run in the blood (a peculiarity which clings to certain families): Snobbery runs in the blood of the Englishmen.
• To scatter to the winds (to waste, to scatter abroad): We have scattered to the winds what we had gained by our independence.
• To be on the right scent (to be on the right track): The customs have decided to patrol the Kerala seas to nab smugglers from Dubai. They are on the right scent (Its opposite is to be on the wrong scent or wrong track)
• To see how the wind blows (to observe what influence, favourable or adverse, is likely to affect the existing state of things): In party-politics people sitting on the fence keep on watching how the wind is blowing before deciding on their options.
• To see a thing through coloured glasses (to regard something favourably because of one’s prejudice): Pakistan has for long looked at India through coloured glasses and never trusted even the most genuine gestures for peace. (The world is a place of strife and one should not see it through coloured glasses.)
• To show the white feather (to show signs of cowardice): The agitators shouted and gesticulated but the moment the police appeared on the scene they seemed to show the white feather.
• To sow broadcast (to scatter widely or without stint): The emissaries of the banished king were sowing sedition broadcast.
• To split hairs (to make subtle and useless distinctions): As the drought played havoc in Bihar, the authorities were busy splitting hairs trying to decide whether it was ‘scarcity conditions’ or famine.
• To steal a march (to gain an advantage over another stealthily): While we were still debating the desirability of joint ventures with foreign concerns, Singapore and Malaysia stole a march over us and opened their gates to foreign investment in a big way.
• To steer clear of (to avoid): India decided on non-alignment to steer clear of the hazards of alignment with one block or the other.
• To stick at nothing (the phrase implies readiness to stoop to baseness or deception to reach one’s end): An ambitious politician will stick at nothing if he can only serve himself.
• To strain every nerve (to use one’s utmost efforts): We have to strain every nerve to get over the poverty line.
• To strike while the iron is hot (to take advantage of the opportunity when it arises): If you want to succeed in life, you must strike the iron while it is hot. In going in for general elections immediately after the war, the Congress struck while the iron was hot.
• To swallow the bait (to catch others by guile, by offering them large promises):The candidate offered the people everything on earth and in the heavens if selected. The people swallowed the bait and elected him.
• To talk shop (to use the phrases peculiar to one’s circumstances): Except for the undertakers, people of the same professions always talk shop at parties.
• To tie one’s hands (to restrain one from action): The Government’s hands are already tied with problem plants. It would not like to go in for nationalisation in a big way.
• To tread on the heels of (follow close behind): Famine treads on the heels of drought.
• To fish in troubled waters (to make personal profit out of a disturbance): The super powers are there in West Asia to fish in troubled waters.
• To pour oil on troubled waters (to say or do anything which soothes and calms angry passions): The government poured oil on troubled waters by announcing a judicial enquiry into the firing
• To win or gain laurels or to bear away palm (to achieve success in a contest):The Indian Cricket Team won laurels on two successive occasions once in West Indies and then in England.
• To worship the rising sun (to pay respect to the man who is rising in power the influence): The newly appointed manager has taken over and his 
• clerks worship the rising sun.
• Argus-eyed (jealously watchful): The husband of a pretty wife has got to be Argus-eyed.
• Aegean stables (to clean Aegean stables, To correct a great abuse, from the stables of king Agues of Greece, whose stables had not been cleaned for thirty years):The law against prostitution has cleaned no Aegean stables; it has merely pushed it underground.
• Backstairs influence (influence exerted secretly and in a fashion not legitimate):The moneyed people do exercise backstairs influence on Parliament.
• Bad blood (active enmity): There has been bad blood between India and Pakistan since 1947.
• A bone of contention   (subject of dispute): Kashmir continues to be a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since 1947.
• A bosom friend (A very intimate and trusted friend): Bosom friends never betray one another.
• A bull in a China shop (Someone who destroys everything at the same time he happens to be in): The plainsmen proved to be a bull in a China shop in the hills, ruining the hill people in all ways.
• A close shave (a narrow escape from collision accident): The bus had a close shave as its driver swerved to the right a split second before the on-coming truck could run into it.
• A cold comfort (something calculated to cause pain or irritation): The promise of a better future is only cold comfort to the frustrated youth of today.
• A dog in the manger policy (said of a person who cannot himself use what another wants, and yet will not let that other have it): The affluent nations are a dog-in-the manger, destroying what they can’t use themselves than giving it to the poor nations of Asia and Africa.
• Elbow room (opportunity for freedom of action): Only give him elbowroom and he will succeed.
• A fair-weather Friend (one who deserts you in difficulties): A fair-weather friend disappears the moment your money disappears.
• French leave (absence without permission): He went on a french leave and was summoned by the direction the next day he went to office.
• Good offices (recommendation): One can get a good job only through the good offices of some one in power.
• A good Samaritan (one who be-friends a stranger or a friendless person): Centuries ago, India played a good Samaritan to the hapless Parsees fleeing their native land.
• The green-eyed monster (jealousy): The green-eyed monster strikes a woman the moment she sees her husband talking to a pretty woman.
• A Herculean task (a job requiring great efforts): Eradication of poverty is a Herculean task requiring the collective efforts of the entire country.
• Lynch Law (the practice of punishing people where the punishment is inflicted by unauthorised persons and without judicial trial): Mob law denotes the same thing when carried out by a mob. In African countries they often resort to lynch laws.
• A maiden speech (the first speech of a new member in a public body as in Town Hall or in Parliament): Amitabh’s maiden speech was very impressive.
• A nine day’s wonder (a fascinating but temporary phenomenon): Beauty is, proverbially, a nine day’s wonder.
• An open question (a matter for discussion and not yet decided): As far as India is concerned, Kashmir is no longer an open question.
• A red-letter day (an auspicious, fortunate or important day): The 26th January, 1950 is a red-letter day in India’s history.
• Scot-free (exempt from payment, unhurt, safe): Because he had influential connections, the culprit went scot-free.
• A sheet anchor (the chief safety, the last refuge for safety): One’s faith in God is one’s sheet anchor in times of stress and strain.
• Tall Talk (boastful language): If we have no real accomplishments, we indulge in tall talk to delude ourselves and others too.
• A white elephant (an unprofitable possession): The upper Houses are white elephants and should be abolished.
• A white lie (an evasion, a harmless and non-malicious untruth): Professional members often indulge in white lies.
• A wild goose chase (a foolish, wild, unprofitable adventure): Attempts towards stabilisation of prices in a developing economy, is a wild goose chase.
• An apple of discord (a subject of envy and strife): Kashmir continues to be the apple of discord between India and Pakistan.
• Cock and bull story (a silly improbable story): That India wanted to break up West Pakistan was a cock and bull story published by the U.S.A.
• A fish out of water (a person in uncomfortable surroundings): An Indian may earn tons of money in the Western countries, but he will always feel like a fish out of water there.
• The gift of the gab: (fluency of speech):The gift of the gab combined with a slight cunning makes for a successful politician.
• Lion’s share (an unfairly large share): The big nations continue to have the lion’s share of world trade.
• A mare’s nest (a discovery that turns out to be false or worthless): There was much fanfare about the solar cooker. Later it turned out to be a mare’s nest.
• The milk of human kindness (kindly feelings a phrase used by Shakespeare):With all their poverty, Indians do not lack the milk of human kindness.
• Penelope’s web (a work which seems to be going on and yet never comes to an end): A housewife’s chores are a penelope’s web.
• The pros and cons of a question: (arguments for and against a thing): They discussed the pros and cons of the matter before taking a decision.
• The skin of one’s teeth (a phrase used when one escapes losing everything except life): The storm broke up the ship but the. sailors escaped by the skin of their teeth.
• A snake in the grass (a secret foe): China has certainly been a snake in the grass for India. Even in the heyday of Hindi Chini bhai-bhai, she was quietly devouring bits of our territory.
• A stone’s throw (very near): The Taj Hotel is at a stone’s throw from the Gateway of India.
• All moonshine (foolish, idle, untrue statement): The talk about welfare of the poor is all moonshine.
• Behind the scenes (of a person having secret or private information and influence): The dismissed Secretary, having been behind the scenes, has made some strange revelations as to the way in which the business is managed.
• Between two fires (assailed or shot at from two sides): A man, arbitrating between the mother and wife, is to be between the two fires, for his decisions can rarely please both.
• In a body (together): The striking workers went in a body to the Manager to present their demands.
• Wide off the mark or beside the mark: (irrelevant): ‘Beside the mark reasoning or argument’.
• Cheek by jowl (in the same position):There was a lawyer who never had a client cheek by jowl with a doctor who never had a patient.
• Out at elbows (destitute): The rising prices and the new taxes may soon see most of us out at elbows.
• Part and Parcel (integral part of a society, community etc.): Some customs and traditions are a part and parcel of Indian culture.
• A storm in a tea cup (a great fuss about a trifle): The crackers fired by Diwali revellers caused a storm in the tea cup when minority communities thought it to be a bomb attack by the other community.
• A fly in the ointment (a trifling circumstance which mars enjoyment): It was a wonderful picnic, the only fly in the ointment being the absence of shady trees at the picnic spot.
• Not worth his  salt (good for nothing): A soldier who shivers at the boom of guns is not worth his salt.
• With a pinch of salt (to take a statement with a grain of salt is to feel some doubt whether it is altogether true): Shaw’s claim of having remained a celibate even after marriage has to be taken with a pinch of salt.
• Null and void (Invalid, valueless, no longer in force): The court declared the appointment to be null and void
• To be posted up (well acquainted with): I want to be posted up in Indian History.
• To be worth its weight in gold (extremely valuable): In the desert a bottle of water is often worth its weight in gold
• To be Greek or double Dutch to one (unintelligible): He spoke so fast that all he said was double Dutch to the audience.
• To be wit in an ace of (to be very nearly):He was within an ace of being shot.
• To be at the beck and call (to be always ready to serve): You must not expect me to be at your beck and call, I have my own business to attend to.
• To be at daggers drawn (in bitter enmity):With every passing year the hostility between the Arabs and the Israelis has grown more bitter. They have always been at daggers drawn.
• To be at sea (contused, uncertain of mind): I am quite at sea in Mathematics.
• To be at one’s wits end (perplexed): With the master shouting from the bathroom and the mistress from the kitchen the servant was at his wits end as to whom to attend first.
• To be in one’s element (to be in agreeable company or work) : Shaw is in his element when he is writing about the social ills of his time.
• To be on wane (to be on the decline) :After the second World War, the British Empire was on the wane.
• To be on the carpet (to be summoned to one’s employer’s room for reprimand) :The unpunctual clerk was repeatedly on the carpet.
• To be on the last legs (about to collapse) : With science dominating life more and more, religion seems to be on its last legs.
• Chip of the old block (a son who is very like his father) : The younger Nawab of Pataudi has proved to be a chip of the old block. He is as good a batsman as his father.
• To bring under the hammer (to sell it by auction): If a person goes insolvent, his creditors will bring everything that he owns under the hammer to recover their money.
• To pay one’s way ( not get into debt):While at college, he paid his way by working as a newspaper vendor.
• To weather the storm (to come out of a crisis successfully): In a crisis it is unity which helps a nation to weather the storm.
• To sail before the wind (to go in the direction towards in which the wind is blowing): An opportunist is he who sails before the wind (Its opposite is to sail close to the wind i.e. to break a law or principle)
• To be in the same boat (To be equally exposed with a person to risk or misfortune): In a nuclear war, the rich and the poor nations will be in the same boat. None will be able to protect themselves.
• To sail under false colours (To pretend to be what one is not, to try to deceive): In our blessed country, a smuggler sailing under the false colours of a socialist will never be exposed.
• To take the wind out of one’s sails (Frustrating him by anticipating his arguments, take away his advantage suddenly): Before the U.S. could spread the canard about India’s intention to destroy West Pakistan after “capturing” Bangladesh, India took the wind out of their sails by declaring a unilateral cease-fire.
• Game is not worth the candle (The advantage or enjoyment to be gained is not worth the time spent in gaining it):Journey to the moon is an elaborate and costly affair and some people with a pragmatic approach feel the game is not worth the candle.
• Not fit to hold a candle to (One is inferior):For all his pious platitudes and political stunts, Mr. Nixon is not fit to hold a candle to Lincoln or Roosevelt.
• Hope springs eternal in the human breast:one never loses hope.
• Fools rush in where angels fear to tread :said of reckless persons.
• He who pays the piper calls the tune: One has to act according to the wishes of one’s master
• You cannot make a silk purse out of sow’s ear: said of something impossible.
• A bird in hand is worth two in the bush:right use of the present opportunity.
• One man’s meat is another man’s poison :what is good for one may he harmful for another person.
• Out of the frying pan into the fire: From one trouble to another.
• The last straw breaks the camel’s back:The smallest addition to an already heavy task makes it intolerable.
• Distance lends enchantment to the old: Things look nice and beautiful when they are not within reach.
• Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s: To be wise.
• Look before you leap : Don’t be reckless and impulsive.
• Make hay while the sunshines: To make/ill use of the given opportunity.
• Never look a gift horse in the mouth:There can be no choice about things given in charity.
• Beggars can’t be choosers: No choice in scarcity.
• Nearer the Church, farther from heaven:The more opportunity you have, the less you benefit from it.
• Every cock fights best on his own dunghill: One is very brave and confident in one’s own place.
• A rolling stone gathers no moss. An aimless person cannot succeed Rome was not built in a day: things take time to complete and to mature. One swallow does not make a summer. One person can ‘t do everything
• Apparel proclaims the man: You judge a man’s worth by his clothes.
• To run with the hare, to hunt with the hound: To be insincere to someone.
• Sweet are the uses of adversity:Sufferings are to be welcomed
• Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown: With power and authority come worries and responsibilities.

---

Homonyms

---

Homonyms generally include two categories of word types: homophones and homographs.

• Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings.
• Homophones Homophones are words that have exactly the same sound (pronunciation) but different meanings and (usually) different spelling.

For example, the following two words have the same sound, but different meanings and spelling:

• hour and  our

In the next example, the two words have the same sound and spelling, but different meanings:

• bear (the animal)
• bear (to carry)

Usually homophones are in groups of two (our, hour), but very occasionally they can be in groups of three (to, too, two) or even four. If we take our “bear” example, we can add another word to the group:

• bare (naked)
• bear (the animal)
• bear (to tolerate)

 

This list contains both homophones and homographs

ade	drink type, as in lemonade
aid	to help or assist
aide	assistant
affect	change
effect	result or consequence
air	atmosphere (the stuff we breathe)
err	to make a mistake
aisle	walkway
I’ll	I will
isle	island
allowed	permitted
aloud	out loud
ant	picnic pest
aunt	relative, as in your mom’s sister
arc	curve
ark	Noah’s boat
ate	chewed up and swallowed
eight	number after seven
bare	uncovered
bear	grizzly animal
berry	fruit from a bush
bury	to put underground
base	bottom part
bass	deep or low
be	to exist
bee	buzzing insect
beach	sandy shore
beech	type of tree
beat	to pound
beet	type of edible plant
berth	tie up
birth	to be born
bite	nibble
byte	8 bits (computer data)
blew	past of blow
blue	color of ocean
boar	pig
bore	not interesting boreto drill
borough	area or district
burrow	dig through
burro	small donkey
bough	branch
bow	bend or curtsy
buoy	floater
boy	young man
brake	stop pedal
break	smash
bread	bakery food
bred	form of breed
broach	mention
brooch	pin
brows	eyebrows
browse	look around
buy	purchase
by	beside
by	originating from,
bye	short for goodbye
cell	compartment
sell	vend
cent	penny coin of USA
sent	did send
cereal	breakfast food
serial	sequential
Chile	country in South America
chili	bean stew
chilly	frosty
chord	musical tone
cord	rope
cite	quote
site	location
sight	view
close	opposite of open
clothes	clothing
complement	enhance; go together
compliment	praise
council	committee
counsel	guidance
creak	squeak
creek	stream of water
crews	gangs
cruise	ride on a boat
dear	darling
deer	woodland animal
dew	morning mist
do	operate
due	payable
die	cease to exist
dye	color
doe	female deer
dough	uncooked bread
dual	double
duel	battle
ewe	female sheep
you	second-person personal pronoun
eye	sight organ
I	me
fair	equal
fare	price
fairy	elflike creature with wings
ferry	boat
faze	impact
phase	stage
feat	achievement
feet	plural of foot
fir	type of tree
fur	animal hair
flea	small biting insect
flee	run
flew	did fly
flu	illness
flour	powdery, ground up grain
flower	blooming plant
for	on behalf of
fore	front
four	one more than three
forth	onward
fourth	number four
knew	did know
new	not old
gorilla	big ape
guerrilla	warrior
grease	fat
Greece	country in Europe
groan	moan
grown	form of grow
hair	head covering
hare	rabbit-like animal
hall	passageway
haul	tow
halve	cut in two parts
have	possess
hay	animal food
hey	interjection to get attention
heal	mend
heel	back of foot
hi	hello
high	up far
hoarse	croaky
horse	riding animal
hole	opening
whole	entire
holey	full of holes
holy	divine
wholly	entirely
hour	sixty minutes
our	belonging to us
knead	massage
need	desire
knight	feudal horseman
night	evening
knot	tied rope
not	negative
know	have knowledge
no	opposite of yes
lead	metal
led	was the leader
lessen	make smaller
lesson	class
loan	lend
lone	solitary
made	did make
maid	servant
mail	postage
male	opposite of female
marry	to wed
merry	very happy
meat	animal protein
meet	encounter
none	not any
nun	woman who takes special vows
oar	boat paddle
or	otherwise
ore	mineral
oh	expression of surprise or awe
owe	be obligated
one	single
won	did win
overdo	do too much
overdue	past due date
pail	bucket
pale	not bright
pain	hurt
pane	window glass
peace	calm
piece	segment
peak	highest point
peek	glance
plain	ordinary
plane	flight machine
plane	flat surface
pole	post
poll	survey
poor	not rich
pour	make flow
pray	implore God
prey	quarry
principal	most important
principle	belief
rain	water from sky
rein	bridle
rap	tap
wrap	drape around
real	factual
reel	roll
right	correct; not left
write	scribble
ring	encircle
wring	squeeze
role	function
roll	rotate
rose	flower
rows	lines
sail	move by wind power
sale	bargain price
scene	landscape
seen	viewed
sea	ocean segment
see	observe with eyes
seam	joining edge
seem	appear
sew	connect with thread
so	as a result
sow	plant
soar	ascend
sore	hurt place
sole	single
soul	essence
some	a few
sum	amount
steal	swipe
steel	alloy
tail	animal’s appendage
tale	story
their	belonging to them
there	at that place
they’re	they are
to	toward
too	also
toe	foot appendage
tow	pull along
vary	differ
very	much
wail	howl
whale	huge swimming mammal
waist	area below ribs
waste	squander
wait	kill time
weight	measurable load
war	battle
wore	did wear
warn	caution
worn	used
way	path
weigh	measure mass
we	us
wee	tiny
weak	not strong
week	period of seven days
weather	climate
whether	if
which	that
witch	sorcerer
your	belonging to you
you’re	you are

---

One Word Substitution List

---

One Word Substitution can often express the idea of a phrase or a clause and can help in writing or communicating precisely. List of some common one-word substitutions are given below. These words are very important for MBA, SSC, Bank PO and other similar competitive exams.

 

Abdicate	Renounce a throne, high office or dignity
Abolish	Do away with
Accelerate	To move faster
Accomplice	One associated with another especially in wrong-doing
Acoustics	Science of the production, transmission, reception and effect of sound
Acrobat	One who performs gymnastic feats
Adolescence	The period of life from puberty to maturity
Actuary	One who calculates insurance and annuity premium etc
Adulterate	Make impure by the addition of inferior substance
Aggression	Unprovoked attack of one country by another
Amnesty	General pardon
Abattoir	A building where animals are killed for meal (or slaughterhouse)
Ad hoc	Made for a particular purpose
Aeronautics	The science of the operation and flight of aircraft
Aesthete	A person with a highly developed sense of beauty
Agnostic	One who believes that nothing can be known about God
Agoraphobia	Fear of open spaces
Alibi	It is Latin for elsewhere. It is actually a plea of having been elsewhere at the time of commission of an act. But it is now used in the sense of an excuse. Example: He offered no alibi for his absence from duty.
Alimony	Compensatory allowance given to wife after divorce
Allergic	Allergy means, a heightened sensitivity to a substance as food, medicine etc. Allergic means having an aversion to. He is allergic to hard work.
Altruist	One who is habitually kind to others
Alumnus	A former student of a school or college
Ambivalent	The word means simultaneous attraction towards and repulsion from an object, person or action. The attitude of educated Indians to love-marriages is ambivalent
Anachronism	That which appears to be in the wrong period
Anarchy	Lawlessness and disorder caused by absence of control
Anecdote	A short interesting or amusing story
Anthology	A collection of poems or writings
Aphorism	(or maxim) A wise saying in a few words
Aphrodisiac	A medicine causing sexual excitement
Apiary	A place where bees are kept
Apprentice	A person who works under someone to learn that person’s skill
Arboreal	Those who live in trees
Armistice	(or cease-fire or truce) An agreement to stop fighting
Ascetic	One who avoids physical pleasures and comforts
Astrology	The art of understanding the influence of heavenly bodies
Astronomy	Scientific study of heavenly bodies
Aviary	A place for keeping birds
Backlog	It means an accumulation of arrears. Example: I must clear my heavy backlog of arrears.
Backwater	A Dart of a river out of the main stream, where the water does not move
Barbarian	An uncivilised person
Barbecue	A metal flame on which meat etc. is cooked over an open fire
Barometer	An instrument for measuring the air pressure
Beverage	A liquid for drinking
Bibliography	A list of writings on a subject
Biennial	Happening once every two years
Bigamy	System of two marriages
Biodata	(or resume or curriculum vitae) A short written account of one’s education and past employment
Black Hole	An area in outer space into which everything near it, including light, is pulled-
Bleach	Make white or pale by mean~ of chemicals or sunlight
Blue Blood	The quality of being a noble person by birth
Blueprint	The word originated in the engineering industry where it means the final stage of paper design. So it may mean the final plan or layout. Example: The blueprint of the Five-Year Plan is ready.
Bonsai	The art of growing a plant in a pot that is prevented from reaching its natural size
Bon Vivant	One who likes good wine and food and cheerful companions
Bookworm	(or nerd) One who is too fond of reading and study
Botany	The scientific study of plants
Bottleneck	It is a narrow passage, a place, stage or condition that checks progress. Example: We must rem o”e all bottlenecks in the swift implementation of policies.
Boulevard	A broad street having trees on each side
Bourgeois	Belonging to the middle class
Bric-a-brac	Small objects kept for decoration
Bullion	Bars of gold or silver
Bust	A piece of sculpture showing a person’s head, shoulders, and upper chest
Cabal	A small group of people who make secret plans for political action
Calligraphy	The art of beautiful writing by hand
Canine	Of a dog
Cannibal	One who eats human flesh
Cardiac	Connected with the heart
Catch-22	A situation from which one is prevented from escaping by something that is part of the situation itself
Celestial	Of the sky or heaven
Cerebral	Connected with the brain
Chalet	A wooden house with a steeply sloping roof
Charlatan	One who deceives others by falsely claiming to have a skill
Calmistry	The art of telling one’s character or future by examining one’s hands
Celibacy	One who does not indulge in carnal pleasure
Clean sweep	A complete victory
Clock-and-Dagger	Stories that deal with adventure and exciting mystery
Clot	A half-solid mass or lump formed from a liquid, especially blood
Clubfoot	A badly-shaped foot twisted out of position from birth
Coagulate	Change from a liquid into a solid by chemical action
Cold war	Severe political struggle between countries, without actual fighting
Colloquial	Suitable for ordinary, informal, or familiar conversation
Colonnade	A row of pillars supporting a roof or arches
Coma	A state of long unnatural deep unconsciousness
Combustible	(or Inflammable) That can catch fire and burn easily
Comrade	A close companion who shares difficult work
Congenital	Existing at or from one’s birth
Connotation	The feeling or ideas that are suggested by a word
Consortium	A combination of several companies, banks, etc. for a common purpose
Consul	A person appointed by a govt. to protect and help its citizens and its interests in trade in a foreign city
Contemporary	A person living at the same time as another
Contretemps	An unlucky and unexpected event, socially uncomfortable
Corinthian	Typical of the most richly decorated style of ancient Greek building
Corrigendum	Something (to be) made correct in a printed book
Counterfeit	Made exactly like something real in order to deceive
Countervailing	Acting with equal force but opposite effect
Couture	The business of making and selling fashionable women’s clothes
Cradle	A small bed for a baby
Creativity	The ability to produce new and original ideas
Criminology	The scientific study of crime and criminals
Crossroads	A point at which an important decision must be taken
Cruise	A sea voyage for pleasure
Cuisine	A style of cooking
Daredevil	One who is prepared to take dangerous risks
D-day	A day on which an important operation is to begin
Debacle	A sudden complete failure
Decanter	A container for holding alcoholic drinks, especially wine
Defeatism	The practice of thinking in a way that shows an expectation of being unsuccessful
Deficit	The amount by which something is less than what is needed
Déja vu	The feeling of remembering something that in fact one is experiencing for the first time
Depression	A long period of seriously reduced business activity and high unemployment
Designate	Chosen for an office but not yet officially placed in it
Disarmament	Reduction of weapons by a government
Dissection	Cutting up the body of a plant or animal for studying
Dividend	The money which is divided among shareholders
Dome	A rounded roof on a building
Dormitory	A large room containing a number of beds
Down-and-out	One who is suffering from lack of money, work, etc, and is unable to change the situation
Dragnet	A system of connected actions and methods for catching criminals
Dregs	Sediment in a liquid that sinks to the, bottom and is thrown away
Drudgery	Hard uninteresting work
Dutch	Of the Netherlands (Holland)
Eagle-eyed	Looking with very keen attention and noticing small details
Eaves	The edges of a roof which come out beyond the walls
Eddy	A circular movement of water, wind, dust, etc.
Elastic	Able to spring back into shape after being stretched
Electrocute	To kill by passing electricity through the body
Embargo	An official order forbidding trade with another country
Empirical	Based on practical experience of the world we see and feel
Enigmatic	That which is mysterious and very hard to understand
Entomology	The scientific study of insects
Epic	A long narrative poem
Epicurean	Lover of physical/material
Ergonomics	The study of the conditions in which people work most effectively with machines
Estuary	The wide lower part or mouth of a river
Evaporate	To change into steam and disappear
Evolution	Gradual development from simpler forms
Excise	Tax on goods produced and used inside a country
Expletive	An often meaningless word used for swearing
Expressionism	A style of painting which expresses feelings rather than describing objects and experiences
Extrovert	One who likes to spend time with others
Facet	Any of the many flat sides of a cut jewel
Faeces	The solid waste material passed from the bowels
Fallacy	A false idea or belief
Farce	A light humorous play full of silly things happening
Farrier	One who makes and fits shoes for horses
Febrile	Of or caused by fever
Felony	A serious crime such as murder or armed robbery
Fiance	(feminine fiancée) The person one is going to marry
Filament	A thin thread
Flogging	Severe beating with a whip or stick
Flora	All the plants of a particular place, country, or period
Fluvial	Of, found in, or produced by rivers
Foible	A small rather strange and stupid personal habit
Foolscap	A large size of paper, especially writing paper
Foray	A sudden rush into enemy country
Foreman	A skilled and experienced worker in charge of other workers
Fortnight	Two weeks
Fourth Estate	Newspapers and their writers, considered with regard to their political influence
Freckle	A small flat brown spot on the skin
Freight	Goods carried by ship, train. plane, etc.
Frill	A decorative edge to a piece of material
Frontispiece	A picture or photograph at the beginning of a book
Fumigate	To clear of disease, bacteria etc. by means of chemical smoke
Furrow	A long narrow track cut by a plough
Galaxy	A large group of stars
Gastronomy	The art and science of cooking and eating good food
Gelatine	A clear substance used for making jellies
Geocentric	Having the Earth as the central point
Gigolo	A man who is paid to be a woman’s lover
Glacier	A mass of ice moving very slowly down a mountain valley
Glut	A larger supply than is necessary
Goatee	A little pointed beard on the bottom of the chin
Go-Getter	One who is forceful, determined, and likely to succeed in getting what one wants
Good Samaritan	One who helps others in trouble, without thinking of oneself
Gorge	A deep narrow valley with steep sides
Graffiti	Drawings or writing on a wall
Grange	A large country house with Farm buildings
Green Belt	A stretch of land, around a town or city, where building is not allowed, so that fields, woods, etc. remain
Grunt	Short deep rough sound of a pig
Gubernatorial	Of a governor
Guinea pig	A person who is subject of some kind of test
Halitosis	A condition in which one has bad breath
Handbook	‘A short book giving all the most important information about a subject
Hangar	A big building where aircraft are kept between flights
Harpoon	A spear with a long rope, used for hunting large sea animals
Haven	A place of calm and safety
Headgear	A covering for the head
Headstrong	Determined to do what one wants in spite of all advice
Heat-stroke	Fever and weakness caused by too much heat
Heirloom	A valuable object passed on for generations
Herbivore	A plant-eating animal
Hide	An animal’s skin, when removed to be used for leather
Hinterland	The inner part of a country
Histrionics	Behaviour resembling a theatrical performance
Holocaust	Great destruction and the loss of many lives
Holster	A leather holder for a pistol
Hooligan	A noisy rough person who causes trouble
Hothead	One who does things too quickly, without thinking
Hub	The central part of a wheel
Hump	A lump on the back of a camel
Ideology	A set of ideas on which a political or economic system is based
Idolatry	The worship of idols
Illegible	Difficult or impossible to read
Immortal	That which will never die
Implacable	Impossible to satisfy, change, or make less angry
Improvident	One who does not save for the future
Incarnate	In physical form rather than in the form of a spirit or idea
Incorporeal	Without a body
Inedible	Not suitable for eating
Inflate	To fill until swelled with air or gas
Ingest	To take food into the stomach
Innate	That which one is born with
Inseminate	To put male seed into a female
Intelligentsia	Those who are highly educated and often concern themselves with ideas and new developments
Intestate	Not having made a will
Invective	A forceful attacking speech used for blaming someone
Invoice	A list of goods supplied, stating quantity and price
Irreproachable	So good that no blame at all could be given
Journal	A serious magazine produced by a specialist society
Junta	A council or assembly that deliberates in secret upon the affairs of government.
Juxtapose	To place side by side or close together
Kennel	A small hut for a dog
Kimono	A long loose garment made of silk
Knuckle	The joint between the finger and the hand
Lackey	One who behaves like a servant by always obeying
Lead Time	The time taken in planning and producing a new product
Lecher	One who continually looks for sexual pleasure
Leonine	Of or like a lion
Levee	An embankment beside a river or stream or an arm of the sea, to prevent overflow.
Levy	An official demand and collection, especially of a tax
Libertarian	One who believes that people should have freedom of expression
Lien	A legal claim or hold on property, as security for a debt or charge.
Limerick	A humorous short poem with five lines
Linchpin	An important member which keeps the whole group together
Literati	People with great knowledge of literature
Livery	Uniform of a special type for servants
Locale	A place where something particular happens
Logger V	One whose job is to cut down trees
Loom	A machine on which thread is woven into cloth
Lore	Old beliefs, not written down, about a particular subject
Lowbrow	One who has no interest in literature, art, etc.
Lullaby	A pleasant song used for causing children to sleep
Machete	A knife with a broad heavy blade
Magnum Opus	A great work of art
Malady	That which is wrong with a system
Malaise	A feeling of pain without any particular pain or appearance of disease
Malcontent	One who is dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs.
Male Chauvinist	A man who believes that men are better than women
Malign	To speak evil of, especially to do so falsely and severely.
Mane	The long hair on the back of a horse’s neck
Manual	A book giving information about how to do something
Market Forces	The free operation of business and trade without govt. controls
Mascot	Chosen as a symbol and thought to bring good luck
Massacre	The unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of human beings.
Materialism	Too great interest on in money & material etc, rather than spiritual matters
Mechanics	The science of the action of forces on objects
Megalomania	The belief that one is more important than one really is
Mercantile	Of trade and business
Meteorology	The scientific study of weather conditions
Midriff	The part of the human body between the chest and the waist
Militia	Those trained as soldiers but not belonging to a regular army
Miniature	A very small painting
Mirage	The appearing of objects which are not really there
Misnomer	A name wrongly or mistakenly applied.
Moccasin	A simple shoe made of leather
Modus Operandi	A method of doing something typical of someone
Mogul	A person of very great power. wealth, and importance
Monarchy	Rule by a king or queen
Monomaniac	One who keeps thinking of one particular idea only

---

One Word Substitution List

---

Monomaniac	One who keeps thinking of one particular idea only
Moralistic	Having unchanging narrow ideas about right and wrong
Morbid	Caused by or denoting a diseased or unsound condition of body or mind.
Motto	A few words taken as the guiding principle
Multinational	A company having operations in many different countries
Mundane means	Worldly/earthly
Mycology	The study of fungi (plural of fungus)
Namesake	A person with the same name as yours is your
Nautical	Of sailors, ships, or sailing
Necromancy	The practice which claims to learn about the future by talking with the dead
Nemesis	Just and unavoidable punishment
Newfangled	New (idea. machine etc) but neither necessary nor better
Nihilism	The belief that nothing has meaning or value
Nodding	lower and raise one’s head slightly and briefly, to give someone a signal
Acquaintance	A very slight familiarity
Nosegay	A small bunch of flowers, to be carried or worn on a dress
Notary	A public official who makes written statements official
No-win Situation	That which will end badly whichever choice one makes
Nursery	A place where small children are taken care of
Oar	A long pole used for rowing a boat
Obstetrics	The branch of medicine concerned with childbirth
Obtrude	To be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence.
Obtrusive	Tending to be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence.
Obviate	To clear away or provide for, as an objection or difficulty.
Odoriferous	Having a smell, especially a pleasant one
Off-White	White with some grey or yellow
Oligarchy	A collective government formed by a few persons
One-Upmanship	The art of getting an advantage over others without actually cheating
Ontology	The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of existence
Operational	The study of how best to build and use
Opprobrium	The state of being scornfully reproached or accused of evil.
Orderly	A soldier who attends an officer
Ornithology	The scientific study of birds
Ostentation	A display dictated by vanity and intended to invite applause or flattery.
Ostracism	Exclusion from intercourse or favor, as in society or politics.
Outcast	One who is forced from one’s home or without friends
Overhaul	Thorough examination and repair if necessary
Pacemaker	A small machine that regularises heartbeats
Palaeography	The study of ancient writing
Panacea	A remedy or medicine proposed for or professing to cure all diseases.
Panache	An admirably stylish manner of doing things effortlessly
Panegyric	A formal and elaborate eulogy, written or spoken, of a person or of an act.
Pariah	One who is not accepted by society
Parricide	Act of murdering one’s father
Parting Shot	A last remark made at the moment of leaving
Passive Smoking	The breathing in of smoke from the cigarettes that others are smoking
Patent	The right to make or sell a new invention
Paunch	A man’s fat stomach
Peanuts	Too small a sum of money
Peeping Tom	One who secretly looks at others when they are undressing
Penance	Making oneself willingly suffer for one’s wrongs
Perdition	Everlasting punishment after death
Perjury	A lie told on purpose
Persona on Grata	One who is not acceptable or welcome
Petrology	The scientific study of rocks
Phonetics	The study and science of speech sounds
Phylum	A main division of animals or plants
Pigment	The natural colouring matter of plants and animals
Pillion	A seat for a second person on a motorcycle
Pithead	The entrance to a coalmine
Placate	To bring from a state of angry or hostile feeling to one of patience or friendliness.
Plaintiff	One who brings a charge against someone in a court
Platitude	A written or spoken statement that is flat, dull, or commonplace.
Platonic	A friendly, not sexual, relationship between a man and a woman
Plebeian	Of the lower social classes
Poetaster	A writer of bad poems
Poker Face	A face that shows nothing of what one is thinking or feeling
Porcine	Of or like a pig
Pork	Meat from pigs
Portend	To indicate as being about to happen, especially by previous signs.
Post-Haste	In a great hurry
Pot-Boiler	A book of low quality produced quickly to get money
Powder Keg	Something dangerous that might explode
Précis	A shortened form of a piece of writing
Prescient	Able to imagine or guess what will probably happen
Prevaricate	To use ambiguous or evasive language for the purpose of deceiving or diverting attention.
Prey	An animal that is hunted and eaten by another
Prima Donna	The main woman singer in an opera company
Prodigal	One wasteful or extravagant, especially in the use of money or property.
Profile	A side view of someone’s head
Projection	Something that sticks out from a surface
Propellant	An explosive for firing a bullet or a rocket
Protagonist	means first actor in a play. It means one who takes the leading part in a drama, novel or any other sphere. Clearly the word is not an antonym of antagonist which means one who contends with another.
Proscribe	To reject, as a teaching or a practice, with condemnation or denunciation.
Prosody	The rules by which the patterns of sounds are arranged in poetry
Postscript (or P.S.)	A note added at the end of a letter
Pulmonary	Of or having an effect on the lungs
Punctilious	Strictly observant of the rules or forms prescribed by law or custom.
Punter	One who makes a bet on horserace results
Pus	A thick yellowish liquid produced in an infected wound
Putsch	A sudden secretly planned attempt to remove a govt. by force
Quartet	Four singers or musicians performing together
Quixotic	Trying to do the impossible, often so as to help others, while getting oneself into danger
Raconteur	One who is good at telling stories in an interesting way
Raillery	Friendly joking al someone’s weakness
Ranger	The keeper of a forest
Real Estate	Property in the form of land and houses
Real Politick	Politics based on practical facts rather than on moral aims
Rebuff	A peremptory or unexpected rejection of advances or approaches.
Recant	To withdraw formally one’s belief (in something previously believed or maintained).
Recumbent	Lying down on the back or side
Red-Handed	In the act of doing something wrong
Redundant	means exceeding what is natural, usual or necessary. The idea of too much is inseparable from it. It is not a synonym of inappropriate.
Reflation	A govt. policy of increasing the amount of money
Relic	Something old that reminds us of the past
Renaissance	A renewal of interest in some particular kind of art, literature, etc.
Renal	Of the kidneys
Requisition	An official demand or request
Rescind	To make void, as an act, by the enacting authority or a superior authority.
Resonance	Sound produced in one object by sound waves from another
Retribution	A severe deserved punishment
Revisionism	The questioning of the main beliefs of an already existing political system
Rhyme	To end with the same sound, including a vowel
Right-hand Man	One’s most useful and valuable helper
Ringleader	One who leads others to do wrong or make trouble
Riviera	A warm stretch of coast, popular with holiday makers
Rodent	A small herbivore with strong sharp long front teeth
Rolling Stone	One who.travels around a lot and has no fixed address or responsibilities
Rosary	A string of beads used for counting prayers
Roving eye	Sexual interests that pass quickly from one person to another
Rubber Stamp	One who acts only to make official the decisions already made by another
Ruling	An official decision of a court
Rung	Any of the cross-bars that form the steps of a ladder
Saboteur	One who practices sabotage
Salve	(or Ointment) An oily substance for putting on a cut, wound, etc.
Sapient	Wise and full of deep knowledge
Scaffold	A structure built up from poles and boards for workmen to stand on
Scalp	The skin on the top of the human head
Sceptical	Unwilling to believe a claim or promise.
Scraps	Pieces of food not eaten at a meal, and thrown away
Scuba	An instrument used for breathing while swimming underwater
Seam	A line of stitches ‘joining two pieces of cloth, leather, etc.
Sedentary	Done while sitting down
Seer	One who can see into the future
Seismic	Of or caused by earthquakes
Seller’s Market	Where there are not many goods for sale
Sensationalism	The intentional producing of excitement or shock
Septic	Infected with disease bacteria
Sexagenarian	One who is between 60 and 69 years old
Sexism	The belief that one sex is not as good as the other
Shaman	A priest believed to have magical powers and cure people
Shibboleth	A once-important custom which no longer has much meaning
Shoot	A new growth from a plant
Short-change	To give back less than what actually should be given back
Siamese twins	Those joined together from birth at some part of their bodies
Side Effect	An unwanted effect happening in addition to the intended one
Signatory	Any of those who sign an agreement
Sill	The flat piece at the base of a window
Singsong	A repeated rising and falling of the voice in speaking
Skyscraper	A very tall modern city building
Sleeping Partner	A partner in a business who takes no active part
Slip-up	A slight unintentional mistake.
Small Fry	A young or unimportant person
Smokestack	The tall chimney of a factory or a ship
Snippet	A short piece from something spoken or written
Socialite	A person well known for going to fashionable parties
Sociology	The scientific study of societies and human behaviour in groups
Solidarity	Loyal agreement of interests, aims, or principles among a group
Somnambulism	The habit of walking about while asleep
SOS	An urgent message from someone in trouble
Souvenir	An object kept as a reminder of something
Spatial	Connected with space
Spectacle	A grand public show or scene
Spindle	A machine part round which something turns
Splinter	A small sharp-pointed piece of wood broken off something
Sportsmanship	A spirit of honest fair play
Sprig	A small end of a stem or branch with leaves
Stallion	A fully-grown male horse kept for breeding
Standard-bearer	An important leader in a moral argument or movement
Statesman	A political leader who is respected as being wise, honourable, and fair-minded
Stellar	Of the stars
Sticking Point	Something that prevents an agreement
Stock Broker	One whose job is buying and selling shares and debentures for others
Stoic	One who is indifferent to joys/sorrows
Stooge	One who habitually does what another person wants
Stratagem	A trick to deceive an enemy
Strategist	A person skilled in planning, especially of military movements.
Stride	A long step in walking.
Strobe Light	A light which goes on and off very quickly
Subcutaneous	Beneath the skin
Sub Judice	A legal case being considered in court
Subsidy	Money paid by the govt. to make prices lower
Superannuated	Too old for work
Surety	One who takes responsibility for the behaviour of someone
Surreal	Having a strange dreamlike unreal quality
Swarm	A large group of insects moving in a mass
Sweet Tooth	A liking for sweet and sugary things
Sword of Damocles	Something bad that may happen at any time
Tactile	Of the sense of touch
Take-home Pay	Wages left after all taxes, pension payments, etc. have been paid
Tannery	A Place where animal skin is made into leather
Tarot	A set of 22 cards used for telling the future
Tautology	is redundancy, which consists of needless repetition of meaning in other words. Example: audible to the ear return back, One after another in succession.
Taxonomy	The system of putting plants and animals into various classes
Technocrat	A highly skilled specialist in charge of organisation
Teller	One who is employed to receive and pay out money in a bank
Tenure	The act, right, or period of holding land or a job
Territorial waters	The sea near a country’s coast over which it has legal control
Testamentary	Of or done according to a will
Thatch	Roof covering of straw, reeds, etc.
Thermal	Of heat
Thorax	The part between the neck and the abdomen
Thromhosis	Having a clot in a blood tube or the heart
Topiary	The art of cutting trees into decorative shapes
Touchstone	Something used as a test or standard
Tract	A short piece dealing with a religious or moral subject
Traitor	One who is disloyal to one’s country
Transient	One who or that which is only of temporary existence.
Transmogrify	To change completely as if by magic
Transpire	It does not mean to happen or occur but to become known. Example: It transpired at the meeting that he was going to be our next President.
Treatise	A serious book or article that examines a particular subject.
Tribunal	A court of people officially appointed to deal with special matters.
Troglodyte	One who lives in a cave.
Trousseau	The personal possessions that a woman brings with her when she marries.
Tunnel Vision	A condition in which one can see only straight ahead
Turf	A surface made up of earth and a thick covering of grass
Tutelage	The act of training or the state of being under instruction.
Tyrant	A ruler with complete power, who rules cruelly and unjustly
Tyro	One slightly skilled in or acquainted with any trade or profession.
Underling	A person of low rank in relation to another
Undermanned	Not having enough workers
Unguent	A thick oily substance used on the skin
Unisex	Of one type used by both male and female
Upholstery	A comfortable covering and filling for a seat
Valise	A small bag used while travelling
Vase	A decorative container used to put flowers in
Vendor	A seller of small articles that can be carried about
Vertebrate	A living creature which has a backbone
Vicissitude	A change, especially a complete change, of condition or circumstances, as of fortune.
Vinous	Of wine
Voluntary	Done willingly, without being forced
Wade	To walk through water
Walkout	Leaving a meeting as an expression of disapproval
Wardrobe	A large cupboard in which one hangs up clothes
Wasteland	Empty, unproductive, usually ugly land
Waterloo	A severe defeat after a time of unusual success
Weakling	One who lacks physical strength or strength of character
Wean	To transfer (the young) from dependence on mother’s milk to another form of nourishment.
Westher-beaten	Marked or damaged by the force of wind. sun, rain. etc.
Wheeler-dealer	One who is skilled at making profitable or successful deals
Whirlpool	A place with circular currents of water, which can pull objects down into it
Wholesale	The business of selling goods to shopkeepers
Wit	The ability to say clever and amusing things
Wizard	One who has magic powers
Word Blindness	(or dyslexia) Difficulty in seeing the difference between letter shape
Workaholic	One who likes to work too hard
Working knowledge	Enough practical knowledge to do something
Wreckage	The broken parts of a destroyed thing
Wretch	An unfortunate or unhappy person
Xenophobia	Fear of strange or foreign people, customs, etc.
Yeoman service	Great and loyal service, help, or support
Yuppie	A young person in a professional job with a high-income
Zeitgeist	The intellectual and moral tendencies that characterize any age or epoch.
Zoology	The scientific study of animals

---

Similar Words but Different Meanings

---

A lot of words are similar but with different meanings. It is almost impossible to avoid making mistakes in English, but if you can get your head around these explanations, you might be able to avoid making these mistakes.

 

accept vs except

• Accept is a verb, which means to agree to take something .
• For example: “I always accept good advice.”
• Except is a preposition or conjunction, which means not including.
• For example: “I teach every day except Sunday(s).”

advice vs advise

• Advice is a noun, which means an opinion that someone offers you about what you should do or how you should act in a particular situation. For example: “I need someone to give me some advice.”

• Advise is a verb, which means to give information and suggest types of action. For example: “I advise everybody to be nice to their teacher.”

affect vs effect

• Affect and effect are two words that are commonly confused.
• affect is usually a verb (action) – effect is usually a noun (thing) Hint: If it’s something you’re going to do, use “affect.” If it’s something you’ve already done, use “effect.” To affect something or someone.

alone / lonely

• Alone can be used as an adjective or adverb. Either use means without other people or on your own. For example: “He likes living alone.” “I think we’re alone now.” = There are just the two of us here.
• Lonely is an adjective which means you are unhappy because you are not with other people. For example: “The house feels lonely now that all the children have left home.”

a lot / alot / allot

• A lot, meaning a large amount or number of people or things, can be used to modify a noun. For example: “I need a lot of time to develop this web site.” It can also be used as an adverb, meaning very much or very often. For example: “I look a lot like my sister.” It has become a common term in speech; and is increasingly used in writing.
• Alot does not exist! There is no such word in the English language. If you write it this way – imagine me shouting at you – “No Such Word!”
• Allot is a verb, which means to give (especially a share of something) for a particular purpose: For example: “We were allotted a desk each.”

all ready vs already

• All ready means “completely ready”. For example: “Are you all ready for the test?”
• Already is an adverb that means before the present time or earlier than the time expected. For example: “I asked him to come to the cinema but he’d already seen the film.” or “Are you buying Christmas cards already? It’s only September!”

altogether vs all together

• All together (adv) means “together in a single group.” For example: The waiter asked if we were all together.
• Altogether (adv) means “completely” or “in total “. For example: She wrote less and less often, and eventually she stopped altogether.

any one vs anyone

• Any one means any single person or thing out of a group of people or things. For example: I can recommend any one of the books on this site.
• Anyone means any person. It’s always written as one word. For example: Did anyone see that UFO?

any vs some

• Any and some are both determiners. They are used to talk about indefinite quantities or numbers, when the exact quantity or number is not important.
• As a general rule we use some for positive statements, and any for questions and negative statements. For example: I asked the barman if he could get me some sparkling water. I said, “Excuse me, have you got any sparkling water?” Unfortunately they didn’t have any.
  Note: You will sometimes see some in questions and any in positive statements. When making an offer, or a request, in order to encourage the person we are speaking to, to say “Yes”, you can use some in a question: For example: Would you mind fetching some gummy bears while you’re at the shops? You can also use any in a positive statement if it comes after a word whose meaning is negative or limiting: For example: (a) She gave me some bad advice. (b) Really? She rarely gives any bad advice.

apart vs a part

• Apart (adv) means separated by distance or time. For example: I always feel so lonely when we’re apart.
• A part (noun) means a piece of something that forms the whole of something. For example: They made me feel like I was a part of the family.

been vs gone

• been is the past participle of be and gone is the past participle of go. Been is used to describe completed visits. So if you have been to England twice, you have travelled there and back twice.
• If you have gone to England, you have not yet returned.

bored vs boring

• Bored is an adjective that describes when someone feels tired and unhappy because something is not interesting or because they have nothing to do. For example: She was so bored that she fell asleep.
• Boring is an adjective that means something is not interesting or exciting. For example: The lesson was so boring that she fell asleep.

beside vs besides

• Beside is a preposition of place that means at the side of or next to. For example: The house was beside the Thames.
• Besides is an adverb or preposition. It means in addition to or also. For example: Besides water, we carried some fruit. = “In addition to water, we carried some fruit.”

borrow vs lend

• To lend means to hand out usually for a certain length of time. Banks lend money. Libraries lend books. For example: “My mother lent me some money, and I must pay her back soon.”
• To borrow means to take with permission usually for a certain length of time. You can borrow money from a bank to buy a house or a car. You can borrow books for up to 4 weeks from libraries in England. For example: “I borrowed some money from my mother, and I must pay her back soon.”

bought vs brought

• Bought is the past tense of the verb to buy. For example: “I bought a newspaper at the newsagents.
• Brought is the past tense of the verb to bring. For example: “She brought her homework to the lesson.”

by vs until

• Both until and by indicate “any time before, but not later than.” Until tells us how long a situation continues. If something happens until a particular time, you stop doing it at that time. For example: They lived in a small house until September 2003. (They stopped living there in September.)
• I will be away until Wednesday. (I will be back on Wednesday.) We also use until in negative sentences. For example: Details will not be available until January. (January is the earliest you can expect to receive the details.) If something happens by a particular time, it happens at or before that time. It is often used to indicate a deadline. For example: You have to finish by August 31. (August 31 is the last day you can finish; you may finish before this date.) We also use by when asking questions.

check (v) vs control (v)

• To check means to examine. To make certain that something or someone is correct, safe or suitable by examining it or them quickly. For example: “You should always check your oil, water and tyres before taking your car on a long trip.
• To control means to order, limit, instruct or rule something, or someone’s actions or behaviour. For example: “If you can’t control your dog, put it on a leash!” What you shouldn’t do is use the verb control in association with people and the work they do. For example: “I check my students’ homework, but I can’t control what they do!”

come over (v) vs overcome (n)

• Come over is a phrasal verb, that can mean several things. To move from one place to another, or move towards someone. For example: “Come over here.” To seem to be a particular type of person. For example: “Politicians often come over as arrogant.” To be influenced suddenly and unexpectedly by a strange feeling. For example: “Don’t stand up too quickly or you may come over dizzy.
• Overcome is a verb, which means to defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with something. For example: “Using technology can help many people overcome any disabilities they might have.”

complement (v) vs compliment (n)

• Complement is a verb, which means to make something seem better or more attractive when combined. For example: “The colours blue and green complement each other perfectly.
• Compliment is a noun, which means a remark that expresses approval, admiration or respect. For example: “It was the nicest compliment anyone had ever paid me.”
  Tip!
  Having problems with your spelling? Try these mnemonics:- If it complements something it completes it. (With an e.) I like compliments. (With an i.)

concentrate vs concentrated

• The verb – when you concentrate you direct all your efforts towards a particular activity, subject or problem. For example:You need to concentrate harder when you listen to something in another language.
• The adjective – If something is concentrated it means it has had some liquid removed. For example: I prefer freshly squeezed orange juice to concentrated.

council vs counsel

• Council  is a group noun. It refers to a group of people elected or chosen to make decisions or give advice on a particular subject, to represent a particular group of people, or to run a particular organization. For example: “The local council has decided not to allocate any more funds for the project.
• Counsel can be a verb, which means to give advice, especially on social or personal problems. For example: “She counsels the long-term unemployed on how to get a job.” Counsel can also be a noun, which means advice and can also mean a lawyer. For example: “I should have listened to my father’s counsel, and saved some money instead of spending it all.”

councillor vs counsellor

• Councillor  is a noun which means an elected member of a local government. For example: “He was elected to be a councillor in 1998.”
• Counsellor is a noun, which means someone who is trained to listen to people and give them advice about their problems. For example: “The student union now employs a counsellor to help students with both personal and work-related problems.”

data vs datum

• This isn’t so much a common mistake as a common cause for arguments (as is often the case with words of Latin origin). The dictionaries treat data as a group noun, meaning information, especially facts or numbers, collected for examination and consideration and used to help decision-making, or meaning information in an electronic form that can be stored and processed by a computer. Then they go on to confuse matters by giving the following kind of example : The data was/were reviewed before publishing.
• So, which is it, was or were? Strictly speaking ‘datum’ is the singular form and ‘data’ is the the plural form. If you’re writing for an academic audience, particularly in the sciences, “data” takes a plural verb.

---

Foreign Words and Phrases List

---

Foreign words and phrases are generally not asked directly. But the knowledge of foreign words and phrases will help you in reading comprehension and other types of common questions. So, make yourself familiar with the common foreign words and phrases.

 

Ab initio	from the beginning.
Ab origin	from the origin.
Addenda	list of additions. (addenda to a book)
Advalorem	according to value.
Ad hoc	a body elected or appointed lor a definite work. (ad hoc comm ittee).
Ad infinitum	to infinity.
Alma mater	a school which one has attended.
A la carte	according to the bill of fare. (a la carte dishes are available)
Alamode	according to the custom (fashion). (a la mode silk)
Alter ego	the other self, intimate friend, (Kissinger is the alter ego of Nixon)
Amende honorable	satisfactory apology, reparation.
Amour propre	self love
Ancien regime	the forrner order of things.
A posteriori	empirical
A priori	from cause to effect, presumptive. (every science cannot be taught a priori)
Apropos	in respect of
An couran	fully acquainted with matters.
Au fait	expert
Au revoir	until we meet again (to say au revoir at parting)
Avant propos	preliminary matter, preface
Beau ideal	the ideal of perfection.
Beaumonde	the world of fashion.
Beaux esprits	men of wit.
Bete noire	a special aversion (India has always been bete noire for Pakistan)
Bona fide	good faith (His bona fide in the matter cannot be doubted)
Bizarre	odd, fantastic.
Ban voyage	a good voyage or journey to you.
Casus belli	that which causes or justifies war.
Cause celebre	a celebrated or notorious case in law
Charge d’ affaires	diplomat inferior in tank to an Ambassador.
Chefd’ oeuvre	masterpiece (Mona Lisa is Vinci’s Chef-d’ oeuvre)
Circa	about (‘circa 1930’)
Confoere	colleague
Contretemps	an unexpected or untoward event; a hitch
Corrigenda	a list of errors (in a book)
Coup d’etat	violent change in government.
Coup de grace	a finishing stroke. (The coup de grace of the Russian Revolution was the total annihilation of the Czar family)
Cul-de-sac	a blind alley (The failure of the Policy of non-alignment in 1962 saw our foreign reach a cul-de-sac)
Deback’	complete tout (debacle of opposition in the election)
Defacto	actual or actually (de facto recognition to a state)
Dejure	from the law, by law.
Denovo	anew, again (trial of a case)
Denouement	the end of a plot (in play)
De profundis	out of the depths
Dernier resort	last resort
Detente	easing of strained relations especially between states.
Dramatis personae	characters of the drama or play.
Elite	the best part; the pick. (The elite of town)
Enfant terrible	a terrible child; one who makes disconcerting remarks.
Entrepreneur	person in effective control of a business organization.
En masse	in a body. (They took leave en masse)
En rapport	in harmony
Entourage	friends, group of people accompanying a dignitary.
Errata	list of errors
Esprit de corps	the animating spirit of a collective body, as a regiment.
Etcetera	and the rest.
Eureka	I have found it
Ex-officio	in virtue of his office.
Expose	a statement
Expost facto	acting retrospectively
Fait accompli	a thing already done.
Faus pas	a false step; slip in behaviour.
Hoipolbi	the rabble.
Impasse	a deadlock. (Talks reached an impasse)
Inextenso	at full length
In memoriam	in memory
Intoto	entirely. (The committee’s recommendations were accepted in tote)
Ipso facto	by that very fact.
Laissez faire	non interference
Mala Fide	with bad faith
Mal-a-propos	ill timed.
Modus operandi	manner of working. (of a gang, group etc.)
Mutatis mutandis	with the necessary changes (rules will come into force mutatis mutandis)
Noblesse oblige	rank imposes obligation.
Nota ‘bene	note well
Par excellence	pre-eminently.
Pari passu	side by side.
Per se	by itself.
Piece de resistance	a resistance piece, the main dish of a meal.
Poste restante	to remain in the post office till called for. (said of letters)
Post mortem	(examination) made after death.
Prima facie	at first view or consideration. (prima facie a good case)
Pro bone publico	for the good of the public
Pro forma	for the sake of the form.
Pro rata	according to rate or proportion.
Protégé	one under the protection of another. (S.Vietnam is U.S.’s protege).
Quid pro quo	an equivalent, something in return.
Raisond’etre	the reason for a thing’s existence.
Resume	a summary or abstract (of a discussion Etc.)
Sanctum sanctorum	holy of holies. (temple, church etc.)
Seiratim	in a series
Sine die	without a day being appointed.
Status quo	the existing condition. (status quo on border should be maintained)
Stet	let it stand.
Sub judice	before a court, not yet decided. (The case is sub judice)
Sub rosa	under the rose; confidentially
Sui gereris	in a class by itself
Summon bonum	the chief good.
Terra incognita	an unknown country
Tour deforce	a notable feat or strength of skill.
Ultra vires	beyond one’s authority
Verbatim	word for word
Vice versa	conversely
Videliect	namely
Vis-à-vis	opposite; face to face
Viva voce	an examination conducted orally.
Vox populi, vox die	The voice of the people is The voice of God.
Zeitgeist	spirit of the age.

Sentence Completion and Fillers Test

---

Sentence completion questions test your ability to use your vocabulary and recognise logical consistency among the elements in a sentence. You need to know more than the dictionary definitions of the words involved. You need to know how the words fit together to make logical and stylistic sense.

Sentence completion questions actually measure one part of reading comprehension. If you can recognise how the different parts of a sentence affect one another, you should do well at choosing the answer that best completes the meaning of the sentence or provides a clear, logical statement of fact. The ability to recognise irony and humour will also stand you in good stead, as will the ability to recognise figurative language and to distinguish between formal and informal levels of speech.

Because the sentence completion questions contain many clues that help you to answer them correctly (far more clues than the antonyms provide, for example), and because analysing them helps you warm up for the reading passages later on in the test, on the paper-and-pencil test, answer them first. Then go on to tackle the analogies, the antonyms, and, finally, the time-consuming reading comprehension section.

Sentence completion questions may come from any of a number of different fields-art, literature, history, philosophy, botany, astronomy, geology, and so on. You cannot predict what subject matter the sentences on your test will involve.

 

What makes the hard questions hard?

1. Vocabulary Level: Sentences contain words like intransigence, nonplussed, harbingers. Answer choices include words like penchant, abeyance, and eclectic.
2. Grammatical Complexity. Sentences combine the entire range of grammatical possibilities adverbial clauses, relative clauses, prepositional phrases, gerunds, infinitives, and so on in convoluted ways. The more complex the sentence, the more difficult it is for you to spot the key words that can unlock its meaning.
3. Tone. Sentences reflect the writer’s attitude towards the subject matter. It is simple to comprehend material that is presented neutrally. It is far more difficult to comprehend material that is ironic, condescending, playful, sombre, or otherwise complex in tone.
4. Style. Ideas may be expressed in different manners ornately or sparely, poetically or prosaically, formally or informally, journalistically or academically, originally or imitatively. An author’s style depends on such details as word choice, imagery, repetition, rhythm, sentence structure and length.

Techniques that will help you

Work through the following Rules and learn techniques that will help you with vocabulary, grammatical complexity, tone, and style.

Rule 1: Before You Look at the Choices, Read the Sentence and Think of a Word That Makes Sense

Your problem is to find the word that best completes the sentence in both thought and style. Before you look at the answer choices, see if you can come up with a word that makes logical sense in the context. Then look at all five choices. If the word you thought of is one of your five choices, select that as your answer. If the word you thought of is not one of your five choices, look for a synonym of that word. Select the synonym as your answer.

This Rule is helpful because it enables you to get a sense of the sentence as a whole without being distracted by any misleading answers among the answer choices. You are free to concentrate on spotting key words or phrases in the body of the sentence and to call on your own “writer’s intuition” in arriving at a stylistically apt choice of word.

See how the process works in a typical model question

1. Because experience had convinced her that he was both self-seeking and avaricious, she rejected the likelihood that his donation had been _______.

• (A) redundant
• (B) frivolous
• (C) inexpensive
• (D) ephemeral
• (E) altruistic

This sentence presents a simple case of cause and effect. The key phrase here is self-seeking and avaricious. The woman has found the man to be selfish and greedy. Therefore, she refuses to believe he can do something _______. What words immediately come to mind? Selfless, generous, charitable? The missing word is, of course, altruistic. The woman expects selfishness (self-seeking) and greediness (avaricious), not altruism (magnanimity). The correct answer is Choice E.
Practice of Rule 1 extensively develops your intuitive sense of just the exactly right word. However, do not rely on Rule 1 alone. On the test, always follow up Rule 1 with Rule 2.

Rule 2: Look at All the Possible Answers Before You Make Your Final Choice

Never decide on an answer before you have read all the choices. You are looking for the word that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole. In order to be sure you have not been hasty in making your decision, substitute all the answer choices for the missing word. Do not spend a lot of time doing so, but do try them all. That way you can satisfy yourself that you have come up with the best answer.

See how this Rule helps you deal with another question.

1. The evil of class and race hatred must be eliminated while it is still in an _______ state; otherwise it may grow to dangerous proportions.

• (A) amorphous
• (B) overt
• (C) uncultivated
• (D) embryonic
• (E) independent

On the basis of a loose sense of this sentence’s meaning, you might be tempted to select Choice A. After all, this sentence basically tells you that you should wipe out hatred before it gets too dangerous. Clearly, if hatred is vague or amorphous, it is less formidable than if it is well defined. However, this reading of the sentence is inadequate: it fails to take into account the sentence’s key phrase.
The key phrase here is ‘grow to dangerous proportions’. The writer fears that class and race hatred may grow large enough to endanger society. He wants us to wipe out this hatred before it is fully-grown. Examine each answer choice, eliminating those answers that carry no suggestion that something lacks its full growth. Does overt suggest that something isn’t fully-grown? No, it suggests that something is obvious or evident. Does uncultivated suggest that something isn’t fully grown? No, it suggests that something is unrefined or growing without proper care or training. Does independent suggest that something isn’t fully-grown? No, it suggests that something is free and unconstrained. Only one word suggests a lack of full growth: embryonic (at a rudimentary, early stage of development). The correct answer is Choice D.

Rule 3: In Double-Blank Sentences, Go Through the Answers, Testing the First Word in Each Choice (and Eliminating Those That Don’t Fit)

In a sentence completion question with two blanks, read through the entire sentence to get a sense of it as a whole. Then insert the first word of each answer pair in the sentence’s first blank. Ask yourself whether this particular word makes sense in this blank. If the initial word of an answer pair makes no sense in the sentence, you can eliminate that answer pair.
(Note: Occasionally this Rule will not work. In some questions, for example, the first words of all five answer pairs may be near-synonyms. However, the Rule frequently pays off, as it does in the following example.)
1. Critics of the movie version of The Colour Purple _______ its saccharine, overoptimistic mood at odds with the novel’s more Purple _______ tone.

• (A) applauded…sombr
• (B) condemned…hopeful
• (C) acclaimed…positive
• (D) denounced…sanguine
• (E) decried…acerbic

For a quick, general sense of the opening clause, break it up. What does it say? Critics……….the movie’s sugary sweet mood.
How would critics react to something sugary sweet and over-hopeful? They would disapprove. Your first missing word must be a synonym for disapprove.
Now eliminate the misfits. Choices A and C fail to meet the test: applauded and acclaimed signify approval, not disapproval. Choice B, condemned, Choice D, denounced and Choice E, decried, however, all disapprobation; they require a second look.
To decide among Choices B, D, and E, consider the second blank. The movie’s sugary, overly hopeful mood is at odds with the novel’s tone: the two moods disagree. Therefore, the novel’s tone is not hopeful or sugary sweet. It is instead on the bitter or sour side; in a word, acerbic, the correct answer is clearly Choice E.

Rule 4: Watch for Signal Words That Link One Part of the Sentence to Another

Writers use transitions to link their ideas logically. These transitions or signal words are clues that can help you figure out what the sentence actually means. Sentences often contain several signal words, combining them in complex ways.

1. Cause and Effect Signals

Look for words or phrases explicitly indicating that one thing causes another or logically determines another.

Cause and Effect signal Words

• Accordingly
• In order to
• Because
• So…that
• Consequently
• Therefore
• Given
• Thus
• Hence
• When….then
• If….then

Look for words or phrases explicitly indicating that the omitted portion of the sentence supports or continues a thought developed elsewhere in the sentence. In such cases, a synonym or near-synonym for another word in the sentence may provide the correct answer.

Support Signal Words

• Additionally
• furthermore
• Also
• indeed
• And
• Likewise
• as well
• moreover
• besides
• too

2. Contrast Signals (Explicit)

Look for functional words or phrases (conjunctions, adverbs, etc.) that explicitly indicate a contrast between one idea and another, setting up a reversal of a thought. In such cases, an antonym or near-antonym for another word in the sentence may provide the correct answer.

Explicit Contrast Signal Words

• Albeit
• Nevertheless
• Although
• Nonetheless
• But
• Notwithstanding
• Despite
• On the contrary
• Even though
• On the other hand
• However
• Rather than
• In contrast
• Still
• In spite of
• While
• Instead of
• yet

3. Contrast Signals (Implicit)

Look for content words whose meanings inherently indicate a contrast. These words can turn a situation on its head. They indicate that something unexpected, possibly even unwanted, has occurred.

Implicit Contrast Signal Words

• anomaly
• Anomalous
• anomalously
• illogically
• illogical
• incongruity
• incongruous
• incongruously
• irony
• ironic
• ironically
• paradox
• paradoxical
• paradoxically
• surprise
• surprising
• surprisingly
• unexpected
• unexpectedly

Note the function of such a contrast signal word in the following question.
1. Paradoxically, the more ________ the details this artist chooses, the better able she is to depict her fantastic, otherworldly landscapes.

• (A) ethereal
• (B) realistic
• (C) fanciful
• (D) extravagant
• (E) sublime

The artist creates imaginary landscapes that do not seem to belong to this world. We normally would expect the details comprising these landscapes to be as fantastic and supernatural as the landscapes themselves. But the truth of the matter, however, is paradoxical: it contradicts what we expect. The details she chooses are realistic, and the more realistic they are, the more fantastic the paintings become. The correct answer is Choice B.

Rule 5: Use Your Knowledge of Word Parts and Parts of Speech to figure out the meanings of Unfamiliar Words

If a word used by the author is unfamiliar, or if an answer choice is unknown to you, two approaches are helpful.

1. Break up the word into its component parts – prefixes, suffixes, and roots – to see whether they provide a clue to its meaning. For example, in the preceding list of Implicit Contrast Signal Words, the word incongruous contains three major word parts, in- here means not; con- means together; gru- means to move or conic. Incongruous behaviour, therefore, is behaviour that does not go together or agree with someone’s usual behaviour; it is unexpected.
2. Change the unfamiliar word from one part of speech to another. If the adjective embryonic is unfamiliar to you, cut off its adjective suffix -nic and recognise the familiar word embryo. If the noun precocity is unfamiliar to you cut off its noun suffix -ity and visualise it with different endings. You may think of the adjective precocious (maturing early). If the verb appropriate is unfamiliar to you, by adding a word part or two, you may come up with the common noun appropriation or the still more common noun misappropriation (as in the misappropriation of funds).

Note the application of this Rule in the following typical example.
1. This island is a colony; however, in most matters, it is_______and receives no orders from the mother country.

• (A) dichotomous
• (B) methodical
• (C) heretical
• (D) autonomous
• (E) disinterested

First, eliminate any answer choices that are obviously incorrect. If a colony receives no orders from its mother country, it is essentially self-governing. It is not necessarily methodical or systematic nor is it by definition heretical (unorthodox) or disinterested (impartial). Thus, you may rule out Choices B, C, and E.
The two answer choices remaining may be unfamiliar to you. Analyse them, using what you know of related words. Choice A, dichotomous, is related to the noun dichotomy, a division into two parts, as in the dichotomy between good and evil. Though the island colony may be separated from the mother country by distance that has nothing to do with how the colony governs itself Choice D, autonomous, comes from the prefix auto-(self) and the root nom-(law). An autonomous nation is independent.

Rule 6: Break Up Complex Sentences into Simpler Components

In analysing long, complex sentence completion items, you may find it useful to simplify the sentences by breaking them up. Rephrase dependent clauses and long participial phrases, turning them into simple sentences.
See how this Rule helps you to analyse the following sentence.
1. Museum director Hoving _______ refers to the smuggled Greek urn as the “hot pot;” not because there are doubts about its authenticity or even great reservations as to its price, but because its _______of acquisition is open to question.

• (A) informally…..costliness
• (B) characteristically…..date
• (C) colloquially…..manner
• (D) repeatedly…..swiftness
• (E) cheerfully…..mode

1. What do we know?
2. The urn has been smuggled.
3. Hoving calls it a “hot pot.”
4. It is genuine. (There are no doubts about its authenticity.)
5. It did not cost too much. (There are no great reservations as to its price.)

In calling the smuggled urn a “hot pot, “ Hoving is not necessarily speaking characteristically or redundantly or cheerfully. He is speaking either informally or colloquially. (Hot here is a slang term meaning stolen or illegally obtained.) Its costliness is not being questioned. However, because the urn has been smuggled into the country, there clearly are unresolved questions about how it got here, in other words, about its manner of acquisition. The correct answer is Choice C.

Note that in sentence completion questions a choice may he complicated by an unusual word order, such as:

1. Placing the subject after the verb: To the complaints window strode the angry customer.
2. Placing the subject after an auxiliary of the verb: Only by unending search could some few Havana cigars be found.
3. Inverting the subject and verb to give the sense of “if”: Were defeat to befall him today’s dear friends would be tomorrow’s acquaintances, and next week’s strangers.
4. Placing a negative word or phrase first’ which usually requires at least part of the verb to follow: Never have I encountered so demanding a test!

In all these instances, rephrase the sentence to make it more straightforward. For example:

1. The angry customer strode to the complaints window.
2. Some few Havana cigars could be found only by unending search.
3. If defeat were to befall him, today’s dear friends would be tomorrow’s acquaintances, and next week’s strangers.
4. I have never encountered so demanding a tes

Cloze Test Tips and Tricks

---

A cloze test (also cloze deletion test) is an exercise, test, or assessment consisting of a portion of text with certain words removed (cloze text), where the participant is asked to replace the missing words. Cloze tests require the ability to understand context and vocabulary in order to identify the correct words or type of words that belong in the deleted passages of a text.  Cloze test is common on all Bank and SSC exams. They usually require you to choose the correct choice out of four possibilities.

 

How to Tackle a Cloze Test

Example:

A language teacher may give the following passage to students:
Today, I went to the ________ and bought some milk and eggs. I knew it was going to rain, but I forgot to take my ________, and ended up getting wet on the way ________.

Explanation:

Students would then be required to fill in the blanks with words that would best complete the passage. Context in language and content terms is essential in most, if not all, cloze tests. The first blank is preceded by “the”; therefore, a noun, an adjective or an adverb must follow. However, a conjunction follows the blank; the sentence would not be grammatically correct if anything other than a noun were in the blank. The words “milk and eggs” are important for deciding which noun to put in the blank; “market” is a possible answer; depending on the student, however, the first blank could either be store, supermarket, shop or market while umbrella or raincoat fit the second.

Example:

I saw a man lay his jacket on a puddle for a woman crossing the street. I thought that was very ______.

Explanation:

Given the above passage, students’ answers may then vary depending on their vocabulary skills and their personal opinions. However, the placement of the blank at the end of the sentence restricts the possible words that may complete the sentence; following an adverb and finishing the sentence, the word is most likely an adjective. Romantic, chivalrous or gallant may, for example, occupy the blank, as well as foolish or cheesy.

Tips to Tackle a Cloze Test

• Read the text through trying to understanding the general meaning.
• Look at each missing word gap and try to imagine what the correct word should be.
• Decide which part of speech (adjective, noun, gerund, etc.) needs to be used to fill each gap.
• Read the text again, trying to fill a gap as you come to it by imagining what the correct answer should be.
• Read the text another time, this time choose the correct answer from the five answers given.
• If you are unsure of any given answer, try reading the sentence with each of the possibilities.
• Try to eliminate the obvious false choices.
• Always think about the overall meaning of the text (i.e., whether the text is negative, positive, etc.) to make sure that your answer choice fits the context.
• Trust your intuition. If you feel a word is right instinctively, it probably is correct.

English Analogies Notes

---

Analogies, literally means a comparison or a comparable similarity. A student has to find a pair of words in the same relation or a similar  relation as that of the given pair of words. Analogy is in a sense, a test of vocabulary since you need to know the meaning of the words given, but in a broader sense it is a test of reasoning ability. To know the meaning of the words will not be enough if one is not able to understand clearly what the relation between the pairs of words is. Therefore, there are two things that are important to attempt a question on analogy:

1. Meaning of all given words
2. Relationship between the given pairs of words

 

It is more convenient and time saving to first figure out the relation between the given pair and then compare it with the relations between the pairs in the  options given for choice.
Consider the following example:
Pen : Write : : Book :
Now first determine the relation between the first two words, it is that of purpose, pen is used to write. Then determine the other word which will be in the same relation to the third word. Book is used to read, then
Pen : Write : : Book : read

Different Kinds of Relationships

There are different kinds of relationships that could be drawn from daily usage but some common relationships are given below:

1. CAUSE : EFFECT

• Liquor : Intoxication — Liquor causes intoxication
• Wound : pain — wound causes pain.

In this relation the first word is the cause for the second and the second is the result of the first

2. PURPOSE

• Bottle : Cork — a cork is used to close a bottle
• Dress : cloth — cloth is used to make a dress

In this relation, one word is used for another, there is a purpose between the two

3. OBJECT : ACTION

• Gun : Fire — you fire a gun
• Violin : play — you play a violin

In this, one term is an object and the other   action undertaken with the help of that object.

4. ACTION : OBJECT

• foment : Riot — you foment a riot
• Wear :clothes — you wear clothes

This is opposite to the previous relation, here the first word is the action and the second the object with which that action is done.

5. PART : WHOLE

• Book : Literature — a book is a part of the larger body of literature
• Ship : fleet — ship is a part of the collection called fleet

In this relation, the first word will in the same way be a constituent of a bigger body represented by the second word.

6. SYNONYMS

• Abundant : ample — ample means the same as abundant
• Skilled : adroit — the two words are synonymous, i.e., they mean the same

This relation is when both the words are synonyms

7. ANTONYMS

• Abstinence : indulgence — indulgence means the opposite of Abstinence
• Legitimate : Unlawful — Legitimate means legal which is the opposite of unlawful

In this relation, the two words are opposite to each other in meaning.

8. SECONDARY SYNONYMS

• Callous : Indifference — The synonym of callous will be indifferent, since both words are adjectives but rather the noun form. Indifference has been given in the relation
• Brainwave : Inspired — The synonym of Brainwave is inspiration, but instead the second word in this relation is Inspired – the one who has inspiration.

In this relation, the two words are not directly synonymous but a slight mutation of the part of speech has been made in the second word.

9. WORKER : ARTICLE CREATED

• Carpenter : furniture — carpenter makes wooden furniture
• compose : music — a composer composes or creates music

In this relation, the first word is the doer and the second is the professional work done by the first.

10. SYMBOL : QUALITY

• Olive leaf : Peace — an olive leaf is a symbol of peace.
• Red : passion — the colour red symbolises passion.

In this relation the first word is a symbol, and the second is the meaning represented by the symbol.

11. CLASS : MEMBER

• Mammal : man — man belongs to the class of mammals.
• Doggerel : Poem — Doggerel is a class of poem which is bad in quality.

In this relation the first word is a member belonging to the class denoted by the second word.

12. ACTION : SIGNIFICANCE

• Blush : embarrassment — if one blushes, that signifies that the person is embarrased.
• Spasm : pain — a spasm indicates that the person is in pain

In this relation the first word is an action and the second is what that action signifies.

Although most of the questions asked in a competitive exam can be solved with the help of the given relationships for subtle questions a student should  apply reasoning to figure out the relation between the given words. Following are certain tips that would help a student to attempt analogy questions.

Tip 1

The first and foremost step while attempting an analogy question should be to DEFINE THE RELATIONSHIP. To avoid any errors first define the relationship on paper or in your mind before searching for options. Once you have defined the relationship analyse the given pairs in the light of the relationship.
1. ANXIOUS : REASSURANCE

• Resentful : gratitude
• Perplexed : classification
• Insured : imagination
• Vociferous : suppression

First, the relationship can be defined as ‘need’ i.e, an anxious person needs reassurance and then you can check the given pairs to find out that ‘a perplex person needs classification’. Thus this will be the right analogy
2. SIMMER : BOIL

• Cook : Fry
• Chill : Freeze
• Roast : Stew
• Slice : Cut

Now, establish the relation between the two given words. It is that of degree. Simmer is the lower degree of boil. Just as chill is the lower degree of freeze.

Tip 2

Always be careful about apparent and easy similarity. These are only to deceive the student as you would be attracted by these options. Always confirm all the options and be highly careful while considering an obvious answer.
STUTTER : SPEECH

• Blare : hearing
• Aroma : smelling
• Astigmatism : sight
• Novocaine : Touch

Stutter is a defect of speech, so the relation between the two is that of defect. But Blare and hearing are closely related since blare means a harsh sound. This may attract the student, but this is not a relation of defect. This relation is in the third option, astigmatism is a defect of sight. So always avoid giving into the temptation of obviously correct answers.

Tip 3

Sometimes a word has two meanings, while what may first come to your mind will be the more frequent use of that word, if you cannot find a logical relation between the two words, go beyond the obvious meaning and link the word with the other meaning of the second word.
ANNEX : BUILDING

• Postscript : letter
• Lyric : song
• paragraph : text
• hill : mountain

The common meaning of annex is to add, append or take possession. But with this meaning a logical relationship cannot be built with building. So one must refer to the other meaning of annex, which is a supplementary building. Similarly the relation of supplement also exists between postscript and letter.
MAROON : SAILOR

• Red : Ship
• Crimson : flower
• Stranded : Tourist
• Colour : Dress

Maroon also has two meanings the colour ‘maroon’ and the verb maroon which means being left alone or abandoned. Obviously the second meaning will make a logical relation with sailor, a sailor is marooned just as a tourist is stranded.

Angad ji