Vocabulary

Cacophony

Meaning: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

Synonyms: Dissonance, noise, clamor, uproar.

Antonyms: Harmony, melody, silence, tranquility.

Example: The classroom turned into a cacophony of voices when the teacher stepped out.

Meticulous

Meaning: Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.

Synonyms: Thorough, careful, detailed, fastidious.

Antonyms: Careless, negligent, sloppy, inattentive.

Example: She was meticulous in preparing her research paper, ensuring every reference was accurate.

Ebullient

Meaning: Cheerful and full of energy.

Synonyms: Exuberant, enthusiastic, lively, effervescent.

Antonyms: Depressed, unenthusiastic, dull, lethargic

Example: The ebullient crowd cheered as the winning team entered the stadium.

Obfuscate

Meaning: To deliberately make something unclear or difficult to understand.

Synonyms: Confuse, obscure, complicate, cloud.

Antonyms: Clarify, simplify, illuminate, explain.

Example: The politician tried to obfuscate the facts to avoid answering the tough questions.

Alacrity

Meaning: Eagerness or cheerful readiness to do something.

Synonyms: Willingness, enthusiasm, promptness, eagerness.

Antonyms: Reluctance, hesitation, apathy, sluggishness.

Example: She accepted the invitation to the party with alacrity, excited to meet her friends.

Capitulate

Meaning: To surrender or give in after resistance.

Synonyms: Yield, concede, submit

Antonyms: Resist, oppose, defy

Example: The rebels were forced to capitulate after their supplies ran out.

Ineffable

Meaning: Too great or extreme to be expressed in words.

Synonyms: Indescribable, inexpressible, unutterable

Antonyms: Expressible, describable

Example: The beauty of the sunrise over the mountains was ineffable.

Parsimonius

Meaning: Unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy.

Synonyms: Frugal, miserly, thrifty

Antonyms: Generous, extravagant, lavish

Example: His parsimonious nature prevented him from buying gifts for his friends.

Sagacious

Meaning: Having keen mental discernment and good judgment.

Synonyms: Wise, insightful, astute

Antonyms: Foolish, ignorant, naive

Example: Her sagacious advice helped the company avoid a major financial loss.

Ubiquitous

Meaning: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Synonyms: Omnipresent, pervasive, widespread

Antonyms: Rare, scarce, uncommon

Example: Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern society.

Obsequious

Meaning: Excessively submissive or eager to please.

Synonyms: Servile, sycophantic, fawning

Antonyms: Assertive, domineering, independent

Example: His obsequious behavior toward his boss annoyed his colleagues.

Munificent

Meaning: Very generous.

Synonyms: Bountiful, magnanimous, lavish

Antonyms: Stingy, parsimonious, selfish

Example: The billionaire's munificent donation transformed the small charity into a global organization.

Abberrant

Meaning: Departing from an accepted standard or norm.

Synonyms: Deviant, abnormal, irregular

Antonyms: Normal, conventional, typical

Example: His aberrant behavior during the meeting surprised everyone.

Pulchritude

Meaning: Physical beauty or appeal.

Synonyms: Beauty, loveliness, allure

Antonyms: Ugliness, unattractiveness

Example: The pulchritude of the scenic valley left everyone spellbound.

Quixotic

Meaning: Extremely idealistic and impractical.

Synonyms: Unrealistic, visionary, fanciful

Antonyms: Pragmatic, realistic, practical

Example: His quixotic dream of building a utopia seemed charming but unfeasible.

Recalcitrant

Meaning: Stubbornly uncooperative or resistant to authority.

Synonyms: Defiant, disobedient, rebellious

Antonyms: Compliant, obedient, submissive

Example: The recalcitrant student refused to follow the teacher’s instructions.

Perfunctory

Meaning: Done without interest, effort, or enthusiasm.

Synonyms: Mechanical, cursory, indifferent

Antonyms: Thorough, meticulous, enthusiastic

Example: His perfunctory apology lacked sincerity and did not convince anyone.

Belligerent

Meaning: Hostile and aggressive; ready to fight.

Synonyms: Combative, quarrelsome, aggressive

Antonyms: Peaceful, friendly, cooperative

Example: His belligerent attitude turned the discussion into an argument.

Indomitable

Meaning: Impossible to defeat or discourage.

Synonyms: Unyielding, invincible, strong-willed

Antonyms: Weak, submissive, fragile

Example: Her indomitable spirit helped her overcome every challenge.

Lethargic

Meaning: Lacking energy; sluggish.

Synonyms: Lazy, drowsy, inactive

Antonyms: Energetic, alert, lively

Example: After the meal, everyone felt too lethargic to go back to work.

Cacophony

Meaning: A harsh, jarring mixture of sounds.

Synonyms: Discord, noise, racket

Antonyms: Harmony, melody, silence

Example: The cacophony of car horns made it impossible to concentrate.

Ostentatious

Meaning: Showy or flashy in order to attract attention.

Synonyms: Pretentious, flamboyant, extravagant

Antonyms: Modest, simple, humble

Example: His ostentatious display of wealth annoyed the guests.

Abase

Meaning: To humiliate or lower someone's respect

Example: He refused to abase himself in front of his enemies.

Synonyms:

Humiliate, belittle, degrade, demean, mortify, humble, dishonor

Abash

Meaning: To embarrass

Example: She was abashed by the unexpected praise.

Synonyms:

Embarrass, shame, disconcert, confuse, fluster

Abate

Meaning: To reduce or become less

Example: The storm finally began to abate.

Synonyms:

Decrease, diminish, subside, lessen, reduce, dwindle, wane

Abbreviate

Meaning: To shorten

Example: "Doctor" is often abbreviated as "Dr."

Synonyms:

Shorten, reduce, condense, cut, trim, contract

Abdicate

Meaning: To give up power or responsibility

Example: The king abdicated the throne.

Synonyms:

Resign, renounce, relinquish, quit, give up, vacate, abandon

Aberrant

Meaning: Abnormal or not usual

Example: His aberrant behavior worried the teachers.

Synonyms:

Abnormal, deviant, unusual, irregular, eccentric, odd, anomalous

Aberration

Meaning: A change from what is normal

Example: Her angry outburst was an aberration from her usual calm.

Synonyms

Deviation, anomaly, abnormality, irregularity, divergence

Abet

Meaning: To help someone do something wrong

Example: He was accused of abetting the criminal.

Synonyms:

Assist, aid, support, encourage (in wrongdoing), provoke, instigate

Abeyance

Meaning: Temporary stop or suspension

Example: The project is in abeyance until next year.

Synonyms:

Suspension, pause, delay, dormancy, inactivity, postponement

Abhor

Meaning: To hate deeply

Example: She abhors cruelty to animals.

Synonyms

Hate, detest, loathe, despise, scorn, revile, spurn

Abide

Meaning: To tolerate or accept something

Example: I can’t abide loud music while studying.

Synonyms:

Tolerate, endure, accept, obey, follow, comply, withstand

Abject

Meaning: Extremely bad or hopeless

Example: He lived in abject poverty.

Synonyms

Miserable, wretched, pitiful, degraded, hopeless, downtrodden, shameful

Abjure

Meaning: To formally give up or reject

Example: He abjured his old beliefs after the scandal.

Synonyms:

Renounce, reject, forswear, recant, disclaim, give up, repudiate

Ablution

✅ Meaning: The act of washing, especially for ritual or religious purpose

✍ He performed his morning ablutions before prayer.

🔁 Synonyms: Washing, cleansing, purification, bathing, rinse

Abnegation

✅ Meaning: The act of giving up or denying oneself something; self-sacrifice

✍ Her life was one of abnegation and service to others.

🔁 Synonyms: Self-denial, renunciation, self-sacrifice, austerity, rejection

Abode

✅ Meaning: A place where someone lives

✍ Welcome to my humble abode.

🔁 Synonyms: Home, residence, dwelling, house, lodging, habitat

Abolish

✅ Meaning: To officially end or get rid of something

✍ Slavery was abolished in the 19th century.

🔁 Synonyms: Eliminate, cancel, terminate, eradicate, annul, outlaw, put an end to

Abominable

✅ Meaning: Extremely unpleasant or hateful

✍ The conditions in the prison were abominable.

🔁 Synonyms: Horrible, disgusting, detestable, hateful, loathsome, repulsive

Abominate

✅ Meaning: To hate or loathe intensely

✍ She abominates cruelty to animals.

🔁 Synonyms: Loathe, detest, hate, despise, revile, abhor

Aboriginal

✅ Meaning: Native to a place; original inhabitants

✍ The Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for thousands of years.

🔁 Synonyms: Indigenous, native, original, earliest, primitive, local

Abortive

✅ Meaning: Failing to produce the intended result

✍ The mission was abortive due to bad weather.

🔁 Synonyms: Unsuccessful, failed, fruitless, futile, ineffective, vain

Abrasive

✅ Meaning: Harsh or rough in manner or texture

✍ His abrasive remarks offended many.

🔁 Synonyms: Harsh, rough, coarse, caustic, grating, scathing, irritating

Abridge

✅ Meaning: To shorten a text without losing its meaning

✍ This abridged version is easier to read.

🔁 Synonyms: Shorten, condense, reduce, trim, cut, compress, summarize

Abrogate

✅ Meaning: To officially cancel or put an end to a law or agreement

✍ The government abrogated the outdated treaty.

🔁 Synonyms: Repeal, revoke, annul, abolish, cancel, nullify, invalidate

Abscission

✅ Meaning: The act of cutting off or removal

✍ The surgeon performed the abscission of the tumor.

🔁 Synonyms: Cutting, separation, removal, severance, amputation, detachment

Abscond

✅ Meaning: To run away secretly, often to avoid arrest

✍ He absconded with the stolen money.

🔁 Synonyms: Flee, escape, run away, bolt, disappear, vanish, take off

Absolute

✅ Meaning: Complete; having unlimited power or certainty

✍ The dictator had absolute control over the nation.

🔁 Synonyms: Complete, total, full, unlimited, certain, definite, unconditional

Absolve

✅ Meaning: To forgive or declare someone free of guilt

✍ The priest absolved him of all sins.

🔁 Synonyms: Forgive, pardon, acquit, exonerate, clear, discharge

Abstain

✅ Meaning: To hold back or avoid doing something (often something enjoyable)

✍ He abstained from drinking alcohol during the month.

🔁 Synonyms: Refrain, avoid, withhold, hold back, decline, desist

Abstemious

✅ Meaning: Eating and drinking in moderation

✍ He was abstemious even at the wedding feast.

🔁 Synonyms: Moderate, restrained, temperate, self-disciplined, sober

Abstinence

✅ Meaning: The practice of avoiding indulgence, especially in food or drink

✍ His doctor advised complete abstinence from sugar.

🔁 Synonyms: Restraint, self-denial, sobriety, temperance, avoidance

Abstract

✅ Meaning: Theoretical or not concrete

✍ Her ideas were too abstract for beginners to understand.

🔁 Synonyms: Conceptual, theoretical, intangible, nonliteral, ideal

Abstruse

✅ Meaning: Hard to understand; deep

✍ The professor’s abstruse lecture confused most students.

🔁 Synonyms: Obscure, complex, puzzling, esoteric, profound, cryptic

Abusive

✅ Meaning: Using harsh or harmful language or actions

✍ The child was removed from an abusive household.

🔁 Synonyms: Insulting, offensive, violent, cruel, harsh, rude, degrading

Abut

✅ Meaning: To touch or be next to something

✍ Their backyard abuts the public park.

🔁 Synonyms: Adjoin, border, touch, neighbor, meet, connect

Abysmal

✅ Meaning: Extremely bad or bottomless

✍ The movie was an abysmal failure.

🔁 Synonyms: Terrible, dreadful, appalling, awful, bottomless, hopeless

Abyss

✅ Meaning: A deep or bottomless hole or space

✍ He felt like he was falling into an emotional abyss.

🔁 Synonyms: Chasm, void, gulf, pit, hole, depth, gorge

Academic

✅ Meaning: Related to education or not practical

✍ Her interests are mainly academic, not business-oriented.

🔁 Synonyms: Scholarly, educational, theoretical, intellectual, non-practical

Accede

✅ Meaning: To agree or give consent

✍ He finally acceded to their demands after long talks.

🔁 Synonyms: Agree, accept, approve, consent, yield, comply, concur

Accelerate

✅ Meaning: To move or happen faster

✍ The car accelerated quickly on the highway.

🔁 Synonyms: Speed up, quicken, hasten, fast-track, adv

ance

Accessible

✅ Meaning: Easy to approach or get

✍ The website is accessible to people with disabilities.

🔁 Synonyms: Reachable, available, open, attainable, approachable

Accessory

✅ Meaning: An additional or extra item that is helpful but not necessary

✍ She wore matching accessories with her dress.

🔁 Synonyms: Addition, extra, supplement, attachment, adornment

Acclaim

✅ Meaning: Public praise or strong approval

✍ The author’s new book received critical acclaim.

🔁 Synonyms: Praise, applause, approval, commendation, recognition, honor

Acclimate

✅ Meaning: To get used to a new climate or environment

✍ It took her a few weeks to acclimate to the colder weather.

🔁 Synonyms: Adapt, adjust, conform, accommodate, familiarize

Acclivity

✅ Meaning: A steep upward slope

✍ The car struggled to climb the steep acclivity.

🔁 Synonyms: Slope, incline, rise, ascent, uphill

Accolade

✅ Meaning: An award or strong praise

✍ She received accolades for her humanitarian work.

🔁 Synonyms: Award, honor, praise, recognition, tribute, commendation

Accommadate

✅ Meaning: To help, adjust, or make room

✍ The hotel can accommodate up to 300 guests.

🔁 Synonyms: Help, assist, house, lodge, adjust, adapt, provide for

Accomplice

✅ Meaning: A person who helps another commit a crime

✍ The thief and his accomplice were both arrested.

🔁 Synonyms: Partner-in-crime, associate, collaborator, accessory, co-conspirator

Accord

✅ Meaning: Agreement or harmony

✍ The two countries signed a peace accord.

🔁 Synonyms: Agreement, harmony, pact, treaty, understanding, consensus

accost

✅ Meaning: To approach and speak to someone boldly or aggressively

✍ She was accosted by a stranger asking for money.

🔁 Synonyms: Approach, confront, hail, address, buttonhole

Accoutre

✅ Meaning: To equip or outfit

✍ The soldier was fully accoutred for battle.

🔁 Synonyms: Equip, furnish, outfit, arm, provide

Accretion

✅ Meaning: Growth by gradual addition

✍ The coral reef is formed by the accretion of tiny organisms.

🔁 Synonyms: Accumulation, buildup, growth, increase, enlargement

Accure

✅ Meaning: To accumulate or grow over time (usually money or benefits)

✍ Interest will accrue on your savings account.

🔁 Synonyms: Accumulate, collect, amass, build up, grow

📌 Mnemonic: Sounds like "akdu" – a person becomes arrogant after gaining a lot

Acerbity

✅ Meaning: Bitterness or harshness in tone or temper

✍ His acerbity made the entire meeting uncomfortable.

🔁 Synonyms: Bitterness, sarcasm, sharpness, harshness, severity

📌 Mnemonic: Acer (sir) + bite – when your boss bites back with bitter words

Acetic

✅ Meaning: Related to vinegar or having a vinegary taste

✍ The salad had an acetic flavor because of the dressing.

🔁 Synonyms: Vinegary, acidic, sour

📌 Mnemonic: Derived from acetic acid, commonly used in baking

Acidulous

✅ Meaning: Slightly sour in taste or manner

✍ Her acidulous comments hurt more than expected.

🔁 Synonyms: Tart, sharp, sour, biting, sarcastic

📌 Mnemonic: Related to acid – something bitter or sour in taste or tone

Acknowledge

✅ Meaning: To admit or recognize something

✍ He acknowledged his mistake in front of the team.

🔁 Synonyms: Admit, recognize, accept, confess, concede

📌 Mnemonic: According to knowledge – schools acknowledge bright students

Acme

✅ Meaning: The highest point or peak of something

✍ Winning the award was the acme of her career.

🔁 Synonyms: Peak, summit, pinnacle, zenith, climax

📌 Mnemonic: Like Lakme – promises to bring your beauty to its peak

Acne

✅ Meaning: A skin condition causing pimples

✍ Teenagers often struggle with acne.

🔁 Synonyms: Pimples, blemishes, zits, skin eruption

📌 Mnemonic: Like Lakne, the fake version of Lakme, that causes skin issues

Acoustics

✅ Meaning: The science of sound or how sound behaves in a space

✍ The concert hall has great acoustics.

🔁 Synonyms: Sound quality, audio properties

📌 Mnemonic: Couple + sticks = sound = science of sound

Acquiesce

✅ Meaning: To agree without protest

✍ She acquiesced to the manager’s decision quietly.

🔁 Synonyms: Agree, comply, consent, submit, yield

📌 Mnemonic: QUIE = quiet = agree passively or silently

acquittal

✅ Meaning: Legal judgment of not guilty; freeing from a charge

✍ The court announced the acquittal of the accused.

🔁 Synonyms: Release, exoneration, discharge, clearance

📌 Mnemonic: Accusation quit – when the charges are dropped

Acrid

✅ Meaning: Bitter or unpleasantly sharp in taste or smell

✍ The acrid smoke from the fire burned my eyes.

🔁 Synonyms: Bitter, pungent, sharp, harsh, stinging

📌 Mnemonic: Acrid → remove “r” = acid = sour and bitter

Actuarial

✅ Meaning: Related to calculating risk, especially in insurance

✍ The company used actuarial data to set premium rates.

🔁 Synonyms: Statistical, analytical, mathematical (in insurance context)

📌 Mnemonic: Sounds like factorial → used for calculations

Actuary

✅ Meaning: A person who calculates insurance risks and premiums

✍ The actuary warned the company about rising health costs.

🔁 Synonyms: Risk analyst, insurance statistician, financial forecaster

📌 Mnemonic: One who acts with insurance companies

Actuate

✅ Meaning: To activate or motivate to action

✍ A desire for justice actuated his decision.

🔁 Synonyms: Motivate, trigger, prompt, activate, drive

📌 Mnemonic: A senior actor actuates his juniors by inspiring them

Acuity

✅ Meaning: Sharpness of mind, sight, or hearing

✍ Her visual acuity is exceptional.

🔁 Synonyms: Sharpness, keenness, clarity, alertness, sensitivity

📌 Mnemonic: A cute girl without acuity is just external beauty

Acumen

✅ Meaning: Sharpness in understanding or decision-making

✍ She showed great business acumen.

🔁 Synonyms: Insight, shrewdness, intelligence, astuteness, wisdom

📌 Mnemonic: IQ-men have high acumen

Acute

✅ Meaning: Sharp; intense; quickly perceptive; severe but brief

✍ He was suffering from acute pain.

🔁 Synonyms: Sharp, severe, intense, piercing, penetrating

📌 Mnemonic: Like an acute angle – sharp and pointed

Adage

✅ Meaning: A traditional saying expressing wisdom

✍ “Honesty is the best policy” is a common adage.

🔁 Synonyms: Proverb, saying, maxim, motto, aphorism

📌 Mnemonic: At age (old people) = they say adages

Adamant

✅ Meaning: Firm and unyielding; refusing to change one's mind

✍ She remained adamant about her decision.

🔁 Synonyms: Unshakable, inflexible, firm, stubborn, resolute

📌 Mnemonic: Like a dam – hard and inflexible

Adapt

✅ Meaning: To change or adjust to fit a new situation

✍ He adapted quickly to the new environment.

🔁 Synonyms: Adjust, modify, alter, acclimate, fit

📌 Mnemonic: Add something to opt for a new environment

Addendum

✅ Meaning: Something added at the end (like in a book or speech)

✍ The report had an addendum with updated data.

🔁 Synonyms: Appendix, supplement, postscript, attachment

📌 Mnemonic: Something added at the end

Addiction

✅ Meaning: A strong, habitual dependence on something

✍ He has an addiction to video games.

🔁 Synonyms: Dependence, craving, obsession, compulsion, habit

📌 Mnemonic: Add + action repeatedly = addiction

Addle

✅ Meaning: To confuse or muddle the mind

✍ The complicated instructions addled my brain.

🔁 Synonyms: Confuse, muddle, mix up, disorient, baffle

📌 Mnemonic: A dull person is usually addled or confused

Address

✅ Meaning: To speak to; to deal with; to direct attention to

✍ He addressed the issue during the meeting.

🔁 Synonyms: Speak to, attend to, deal with, tackle, handle

Adept

✅ Meaning: Very skilled or expert at something

✍ She is adept at solving complex math problems.

🔁 Synonyms: Skillful, expert, proficient, talented, masterful

📌 Mnemonic: Like adapt, but someone who quickly adapts becomes adept

Adhere

✅ Meaning: To stick firmly; to follow faithfully

✍ The sticker won’t adhere to a wet surface.

🔁 Synonyms: Stick, cling, attach, comply, follow, obey

📌 Mnemonic: Like adhesive—used to stick materials