One Word Substitution Vocabulary Exercises

Meditation

To examine one's thoughts and feelings.

Anecdote

A short, usually amusing, story about some real person or event.

Prostitute

Woman who offers the use of her body for sexual intercourse to any one who will pay for this.

Biography

Life history of a person written by another.

Polygamy

Custom of having many wives.

Atheist

A person who does not believe in any religion.

Euthanasia

Bringing about gentle and painless death from incurable disease.

Licentious

A man of lax moral.

Pen

A small enclosure for cattle, sheep, poultry etc.

Deploy

To cause troops etc. to spread out in readiness for battle.

Hijacker

One who forcibly seizes control of a bus or an aircraft.

Uxoricide

The act of killing one's wife.

Serenade

Music sung or played at night below a person's window.

Aristocracy

A government by the nobles.

Postscript

Anything written in a letter after it is signed.

Antipathy

Strong and settled dislike between two persons.

Insolvent

A person who has no money to pay off his debts.

Acrobat

An entertainer who performs difficult physical actions.

Bungalow

A small house with all rooms on one floor.

Hymn

A song embodying religious and sacred emotions.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a country's empire and influence.

Monarchy

Government by a single person.

Adultery

Practice of a married woman having extra marital relationship.

Plumber

A workman who fits and repairs pipes.

Belfry

Part of a church in which bells hang.

Logomania

Mania for Talking.

Polyandry

The custom of having more than one husband at the same time.

Chasm

An extremely deep crack or opening in the ground.

Anthropology

The study of ancient societies.

Theomania

The foolish belief that one is God.

Agenda

List of heading of the business to be transacted at a meeting.

Red-tapism

A process involving too much official formality.

Litigant

Person who brings an action at law.

Stub

The short remaining end of a cigarette.

Archives

The place where public, government or historical records are kept.

Sinecure

A post without remuneration.

Migration

Large scale departure of people.

Raffle

Lottery in which an article is assigned by lot to one of those buying tickets.

Deport

To send an unwanted person out of the country.

Exclude

To send an unwanted person out of the country

Abdication

Voluntarily giving up throne by king in favour of his son

Desolate

Child bereaved of one or both the parents

Legacy

Gift left by will

Autocracy

A government run by a dictator

Coward

One who always runs away from danger

Elegy

A poem written on the death of someone loved and lost

Snob

One who despises persons of lower social position

Convalescence

Gradual recovery from illness

Vindictive

One who is determined to exact full vengeance for wrongs done to him

Hedonist

A person who believes that pleasure is the chief good

Alliteration

Commencement of words with the same letter

Connoisseur

One who is well-versed in any subject; a critical judge of any art, particularly fine arts

Stoic

Person who is indifferent to both pleasure and pain

Hippy

A person who is against the standards of ordinary society especially in dressing

Fratricide

Murder of a brother

Kleptomania

Mania for stealing articles

Ennui

Mental weariness for want of occupation

Philanthropist

One who loves all and sundry

Dromomania

Mania for travel

Resident

A person living permanently in a certain place

Vendetta

Paying back injury with injury

Sensitive

Acutely affected by external impressions

Swat

To slap with a flat object

Audience

An assembly of hearers

Colleague

As associate in an office of institution

Inexorable

One who is unrelenting and cannot be moved by entreaties

Altruism

Regard for others as a principle of action

Aesthete

Person who claims to have great love for and understanding of what is beautiful in nature, art etc.

Infectious

A disease which spreads by contact

Fable

An animal story with a moral

Transmute

To change shape, nature or substance of

Pantheist

Person who believes that God is every thing and everything is God

Aeronaut

Person who pilots or travels in a balloon, airship or other aircraft

Repartee

Witty, clever retort

Homonym

Word different in meaning but similar in sound

Bacteria

Simplest and smallest form of plant life, present in air, water and soil; essential to life but may cause disease

Coquette

A girl or woman who flirts, that is, tries to attract people and make advances in love simply to satisfy her vanity

cosmopolitan

A person who regards the whole world as his country.

consanguinity

Relationship by blood or birth.

allegory

A story in which ideas are symbolised as people.

armistice

The cessation of warfare before a treaty is signed.

philanderer

A person who makes love without serious intentions.

conservative

Opposed to great or sudden change.

eternal

Having no beginning or end to its existence.

bonsai

The art of cutting trees and bushes into ornamental shapes.

somnambulism

Walking in sleep.

immortal

One who cannot die.

indictment

A formal written charge against a person for some crime or offence.

jargon

Language difficult to understand because of bad form.

heresy

Belief or opinion contrary to what is generally accepted.

monomaniac

A person obsessed with exclusively one idea or subject.

prodigy

A child of unusual or remarkable talent.

fatal

A disease which ends in death.

assassin

A person who kills somebody especially for political reasons.

chip

A small piece of potato.

truant

A child who stays away from school without any good reason.

platitude

A common place remark.

horizon

Line at which the earth or sea and sky seem to meet.

autocrat

A person who rules without consulting the opinion of others.

genocide

Intentional destruction of racial groups.