Vocabulary

and
Idioms
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 Index

Chapter 1

Word Meanings 1-79

Chapter 2

Idioms 80-128

Chapter 3

Root words, Suffixes & Prefixes 129-132

Revision Tests 133-143

 How to Use this book

In order to understand how to use this book, have a look at the example given below.

Let us memorize the word Acclivity.

ACCLIVITY (n)
Cue : ac – ‘up’ + cliv – ‘slope’
Mean : an upward slope of the ground; sharp upslope of a hill
Ex : The car could not go up the acclivity in high gear.

Most of the words in the book are given with a Cue to help you understand the word better.

For example, here the Cue is ac – ‘up’ + cliv – ‘slope’.

This means that the root ac means up and the root cliv means slope.

So, ACCLIVITY is related to upslope/uphill. This is verified in the meaning part of the word along wiith an
example to make you understand better.

Terms frequently seen in the Cue part:

In the roots : whenever you see this written in the cue part of the word, it means that a new root word
has been introduced here and is explained in Chapter 3 of the book

e.g. AMBLE (v/n)

Cue : in the roots: ambl/ambul – ‘walk’

Here it means that the root ambl/ambul is defined in Chapter 3 of the book.

Associate : Whenever you see this word in the cue part, it means that you are asked to associate/relate
the word to the given condition/words.

e.g. ANODYNE (n)

Cue : associate ‘free from pain’ with this word

Here you are asked to relate the word ANODYNE to free from pain. This helps you to understand the
word better and distinguish it from similar meaning words.

Some words in English have more than one meaning. This is shown in the book by giving all the possible
meanings of a word along with their relevant examples.
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Chapter - 1 Word Meanings

Ex : The implementation of the proposal has turned out to
be an abject failure.
Mean : (2) extremely or excessively humble, e.g. in
A making an apology or request
Ex : He made an abject apology for missing out on the
important meeting last night.

ABATE (v)
ABJURE (v)
Mean : to make less in amount, degree, force
Cue : ab – ‘away’ + jure – ‘to swear’ i.e. to swear to give up
Ex : Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the
something publicly
storm to abate.
Mean : (1) to give up (opinions) publicly (n – abjuration)
Ex : History is replete with instances when people were
ABBREVIATE (v)
forced to abjure their disbelief in God.
Cue : brev/brief – ‘to shorten’
Mean : (2) to give up (rights, allegiance, etc.) on oath;
Mean : shorten
renounce
Ex : (i) We abbreviate United Nations Organization as
Ex : The terrorists declared their intent to abjure violence.
U.N.O.
(ii) The abbreviated version of the treatise will adequately
ABLUTION (n)
serve your purpose.
Cue :ab – ‘away or remove’ + Lut/Luv/Lav –‘wash’
Mean : a washing of the body, esp. as a religious ceremony
ABDICATE (v)
Ex : After performing his ablutions in the river, he went to
Cue : lies in roots: ab - ‘away from or apart’ + dict – ‘to
the temple.
speak, to say’ (announce) announce renunciation (a giving
up formally or voluntarily)
ABNEGATION (n)
Mean : (1) to give up a position of authority
Cue : negate – ‘to deny/blacken’
Ex : Parents cannot abdicate their responsibilities.
Mean : renunciation; self–sacrifice
Mean : (2) to give up a throne
Ex : Their act of abnegation to give up on their love was
Ex : By abdicating his throne, the prince surprised
necessary to preserve the kingdom.
everybody.

ABOMINATE (v)
ABDUCT (v)
Cue : ab – ‘away or remove’ + omen i.e. considering as a
Cue : ab – ‘away’ + duct – ‘lead’ . to lead away i.e. to kidnap
bad omen
Mean : to take away a person unlawfully; kidnaps
Mean : (1) to feel hatred and disgust for; detest; dislike
Ex : Kidnappers abduct people and hold them for ransom.
intensely
Ex : Civilized people abominate acts of violence.
ABERRANT (adj)
Mean : (2) causing great dislike
Cue : in the roots: ab - ‘away’ + err . ‘to wander’ i.e.
Ex : Rape is an abominable crime.
‘deviation’
Mean : (1) differing from what is normal or accepted or
ABORT (v)
considered to be right
Cue : ab – ‘away’ + orient – ‘to arise, appear’ i.e. disappear
Ex : Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to
Mean : (1) to cancel or stop before completion
doubt the validity of the entire experiment.
Ex : Technical problems forced us to abort the mission.
Mean : (2) mental derangement or lapse
Mean : (2) unsuccessful
Ex : Survivors of a major catastrophe are likely to exhibit
Ex : Terrorists made an abortive attempt to seize power.
aberrations of behavior because of the trauma they have
experienced.
ABRASIVE (adj)
Cue : associate substances like sandpaper or emery, used
ABJECT (adj)
to ‘scrape off’ for polishing
Cue : from ject – ‘throw’ i.e. thrown down
Mean : rude manner, causing annoyance or dislike
Mean : (1) hopelessly low, wretched; contemptible

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Ex : Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a
shiny finish, abrasive remarks can wear away a listener’s
patience.
ABROGATE (v)
Cue :ab – ‘away’ + rog – ‘ask, to question a law’ i.e. to
abolish
Mean : to cancel or repeal by authority; abolish
Ex : By abrogating the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act
(FERA), the government has conceded a long standing
demand of the Association of Exporters.
ABSCESS (n)
Cue : ab – ‘away’ + cede – ‘go’ – living tissue in the body
yielding place to pus
Mean : an inflamed swelling in which pus has collected
Ex : A carelessly administered injection may even cause
abscess formation.
ABSCOND (v)
Cue : in the roots . ab – ‘away’ + conc – ‘hide’ i.e. to hide or
conceal
Mean : to go away secretly because of having done
something wrong
Ex : The burglar absconded under the cover of darkness.
ABSOLVE (v)
Cue : ab – ‘from’ + solve – ‘free or to loosen’ i.e. to free from
something .‘pardon’ (an offense)
Mean : (1) to free from a debt, obligation, promise or ruling
Ex : The employer magnanimously absolved the retiring
employee of his debt obligation.
Mean : (2) to acquit as of guilt or wrong–doing; forgive
Ex : The judge absolved the accused of the murder charge.
ABSTINENT (adj)
Cue : from ‘abstin’, you can remember ‘abstain’ i.e. doing
without
Mean : refraining from or doing without certain foods,
drinks or pleasures ; denying one’s appetite completely
Ex : Roman Catholics observe abstinence from specific
foods like meat on days of penitence.
ABYSMAL (adj)
Cue : a – ‘without’ + bys – ‘bottom’ i.e. without bottom.
Abysmal frequently implies being hopelessly beyond
correction or redemption
Mean : very deep, bottomless, immeasurably bad /
Resembling an abyss (An immeasurably deep chasm; Hell)
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Ex : You need to put in lot of hard work. Your performance
so far is abysmal.
ACCESS (n)
Cue :in the roots . ac – ‘to’ + cess – ‘to go or move’
Mean : a way of approaching or reaching; to obtain or
retrieve
Ex : (i) This path is the only access to my farmhouse.
(ii) We asked the examiner in the end whether we could
access the solutions to the test.
ACCLAIM (n)
Cue : ac – ‘to’ + clam/claim – ‘cry out’ i.e. utter aloud; often
with surprise or joy
Mean : (1) to greet with loud applause or approval; applaud
Ex : The spectators acclaimed every victory of their team
and decried every defeat.
Mean : (2) to acknowledge or declare with enthusiastic
approval
Ex : He is the acclaimed authority on superconductors.
ACCLIVITY (n)
Cue : ac – ‘up’ + cliv – ‘slope’
Mean : an upward slope of the ground; sharp upslope of a
hill
Ex : The car could not go up the acclivity in high gear.
ACERBIC (adj)
Cue : in the roots . acer/acri/acid – ‘bitter, sour, sharp’
Mean : (1) sour or bitter in taste
(2) bitterness of speech and temper
Ex : The board meeting was marked with such acerbic
statements that the Chairman got disgusted and went
away.
ACME (n)
Cue : acro – ‘high’
Mean : the highest point of achievement; the highest
point (of something) – peak
Ex : He has reached the acme of the corporate ladder
through dint of hard work.
ACQUIESCE (v)
Cue : ac – ‘to’+quies – ‘quiet’ i.e. to accept quietly
Mean : to agree or consent quietly without protest, but
without enthusiasm; often with in
Ex : Although she appeared to acquiesce to her
employer’s suggestions, I could tell she had reservations
about the changes he wanted to make.

ACQUIT (v)
Cue : in the roots . ac – ‘to’ + quit – ‘free, clear’ i.e. to free
from charge
Mean : (1) to free of charge, to declare innocent
Ex : The mafia leader was acquitted by the court for
want of evidence.
Mean : (2) to act or behave in a certain way
Ex : You must acquit yourself with dignity.
ACRIMONIOUS (adj)
Cue : acri – ‘bitter, sharp’
Mean : bitterness of language or manner; ill feeling
Ex : (i) She replied with acrimony, showing rage.
(ii) They were great friends once; now the relations are
acrimonious.
ACRONYM (n)
Cue : acro – ‘tip, end’ + nym – ‘name’ i.e. name formed from
the tip of words
Mean : an abbreviation consisting of the first letters of each
word in a phrase, pronounced as a word (used as an
abbreviation)
Ex : (i) AIDS is an acronym for 'Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome'.
(ii) NATO is the acronym for ‘North Atlantic Treaty
Organization’.
ACUMEN (n)
Cue : in the roots: acu – ‘needle’ i.e. sharp + men –‘mind’
i.e. sharpness of mind
Mean : sharpness of mind; shrewdness; the ability to judge
well
Ex : Though Dhirubhai Ambani didn’t have high sounding
degrees, no one could ever question his business acumen.
AD HOC (adj)
Cue : ad – ‘to, for’ + hoc – ‘this’ . for this (specific purpose)
Mean : (1) for the specific purpose, case, or situation at
hand and for no other, temporary
Ex : The committee was formed ad hoc to address the issues
of health insurance problems.
Mean : (2) informal, not previously planned
Ex : Problems will be dealt with on an ad hoc basis as they
arise.
ADJUNCT (adj/n)
Cue : ad – ‘to’ + junct – ‘join’ i.e. to add
Mean : (1) a thing added to something else, but secondary
or not essential to it
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Ex : I hoped I would find the computer course a useful
adjunct to my other studies.
Mean : (2) a person connected with another as a helper
or subordinate associate
Ex : I was working under him as an adjunct lecturer.
ADMONISH (n)
Cue : ad – ‘to’ + mon/monit – ‘warning’
Mean : to warn (gently but firmly); to reprove mildly
Ex : The teacher admonished the students for not working
hard with the wordlists.
AD NAUSEAM (adv)
Cue : ad – ‘to’ + nauseam – ‘nausea, sickness’
The literal meaning is ‘to nausea’. In Latin, nausea
refers to seasickness.
Mean : ridiculous excess, to a sickening degree; endlessly
Ex : I am as fond of cricket as he is, but his love for cricket
went on ad nauseam.
(This expression has a stronger sense of unendurable
boredom than ad infinitum).
ADROIT (adj)
Cue : in the roots: a – ‘to’ + droit – ‘right hand’; as your right
hand is more skillful than your left hand, which means that
adroit is being ‘Skillful’
Mean : skillful; clever; expert
Ex : His adroit handling of the awkward situation saved the
day for us.
ADVENT (n)
Cue : in the roots: ad – ‘to’ + ven/vent – ‘come’ i.e. to come
Mean : a coming or arrival of an event, invention or person
Ex : The advent of Internet has revolutionized
communication.
AD VALOREM (adj/adv)
Cue : ad – ‘to’ + valor – ‘value’ i.e. according to the value
Mean : in proportion to the value: a phrase applied to
certain duties and taxes levied on goods, property, etc. as a
percentage of their value
Ex : The goods were taxed ad valorem.
ADVERT (v)
Cue : in the roots: ad – ‘to’ + vert – ‘turn’ i.e. to turn
Mean : to call attention or turn one’s attention (to); refer
or allude
Ex : Let us advert to the earlier issue and address it properly.
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AEROBATIC (n) Mean : (2) otherwise known as

Cue : in the roots: aero – ‘air’ + bat – ‘walk, go’–aerial
stunts
Mean : spectacular feats done with an airplane, as loops or
rolls
Ex : The squadron put on a display of breathtaking
aerobatics.
AESTHETIC (adj)
Cue : associate this word with ‘guided by good taste’ or
‘beauty’
Mean : general appreciation of beauty; artistic
Ex : (i) Aesthetics appeal more to female than to male
students.
(ii) Modern architecture has abandoned aesthetic
considerations in favour of functional efficiency.
AFFLICT (v)
Cue : flict – ‘to strike or knock down’ i.e. trouble, distress
Mean : (1) to cause pain or suffering to; distress very much
Ex : Hunger and disease still afflict India.
Mean : (2) an illness or disease
Ex : He suffered from heart affliction.
Ex : Cassius Clay, alias Muhammad Ali, was a famous boxer.
ALLEGIANCE (n)
Cue : associate ‘Loyalty’ with this word
Mean : (1) loyalty, especially to a country, sovereign or
cause
Ex : As an Indian who'd lived for a long time in Australia, he
felt a certain conflict of allegiance when the two countries
played cricket.
Mean : (2) total devotion or faithfulness
Ex : The Japanese owe allegiance to nothing but an endless
pursuit of excellence.
ALLUDE (v)
Cue : ad – ‘to’ + lud/lus – ‘play’ i.e. make a fanciful reference
to
Mean : to refer indirectly, without being specific (to); to
mention briefly, in passing
Ex : (i) Although she may allude to her past failures, she
never gives any details.
(ii) The allusions to a foreign hand behind every terrorist
attack are merely attempts to fool the public.

AFFRONT (n/v) ALMA MATER (n)

Cue : af – ‘to’ + front i.e. ‘to encounter face to face’ Cue : in the roots: alma – ‘nourishing’ + mater/matri –
Mean : to insult or offend deliberately and openly ‘mother’ i.e. fostering mother
Ex : Affronted by his teacher in front of the entire class, he Mean : the school, college or university that one has
walked out of the class. attended
Ex : During the annual function, I always check to see how
AGNOSTIC (n) my alma mater is doing.
Cue : in the roots: a – ‘not’ + gnostic/ cognoac – ‘to know’
i.e. not to be known ALTAR (n)
Mean : someone who believes that it is impossible to know Cue : in the roots: alt – ‘high’
whether or not God exists Mean : an elevated place or structure before which
Ex : An agnostic believes that only material phenomena religious ceremonies may be enacted or upon which
can be known. sacrifices may be offered
Ex : The place in a Gurudwara, where the ‘Guru Granth
AISLE (n) Sahib’ is kept is an altar.
Cue : Isle – a small island
Mean : a passageway, especially between rows of seats in ALTRUISM (n)
a church, theatre, aircraft, etc Cue : in the roots: alt/alter – ‘other’ + ism – i.e. the principle
Ex : The bride and groom walked down the aisle. of living for others
Mean : unselfish concern for the welfare of others;
ALIAS (n) selflessness
Cue : in the roots: ali/allo/alter – ‘other’ Ex : Complete altruism is truly an unattainable goal for any
Mean : (1) a false, assumed name human being.
Ex : The terrorist used an alias when he registered at the
hotel.

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AMATEUR (adj)
Cue : in the roots: ama/ama – ‘love, fondness for’
Mean : (1) a person who engages in some art, science,
sport, etc. for the pleasure of it rather than for money; a
non-professional
Ex : Earlier, the Olympics were only for amateurs.
Mean : (2) somewhat inexperienced or lacking skill
Ex : Her amateurish attempt at baking resulted in bread
that didn’t rise.
AMBIDEXTROUS (adj)
Cue : ambi/amphi – ‘both’ + dextrous – ‘right handed’ i.e.
able to use both hands with equal ease
Mean : (1) capable of using either hand with equal ease
Ex : She is an ambidextrous writer as she writes as
coherently with the left hand as with the right.
Mean : (2) deceptive or hypocritical
Ex : Don’t go by her innocent looks, she is ambidextrous and
would rob you off your current job.
AMBIENT (adj)
Cue : ambi – ‘around’
Mean : surrounding, in the immediate environment
Ex : (i) The ambient temperature of planet Earth is steadily
rising due to Greenhouse Effect.
(ii) The open space of this restaurant provides a delightfully
peaceful ambience.
AMBLE (v/n)
Cue : in the roots: ambl/ambul – ‘walk’
Mean : to walk slowly or leisurely; stroll
Ex : It‘s so pleasant today; let’s go and amble in the park.
AMELIORATE (v)
Cue : mel - sweet ‘Improve’
Mean : to make better; cause a situation to improve
Ex : The social clauses in the GATT treaty aim at
ameliorating the conditions of the disadvantaged in the
developing world economies.
AMIABLE (adj)
Cue : in the roots: ami – ‘friendly’ + able – ‘forming
adjective’
Mean : having a pleasant and friendly disposition; good-
natured (usually used to describe people)
Ex : That old man seems amiable.
AMNESIA (n)
Cue : a – ‘no’ + mne/mem – ‘remember’ i.e. loss of memory
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Mean : partial or total loss of memory caused as by brain
injury or by shock
Ex : After the haemorrhage, she suffered from amnesia.
AMORTIZE (v)
Mean : (1) to liquidate (a debt, such as a mortgage) by
installment payments or payment into a sinking fund
Ex : The value of the machinery is amortized over five years.
Mean : (2) accounting: to write off expenditure for (office
equipment, for example) by prorating over a certain period
Ex : An accountant amortizes cost of a long-term asset by
deducting a portion of that cost against income in each
period.
ANACHRONISM (n)
Cue : in the roots: an/ana – ‘not/back, against’ + chrono –
‘time’ i.e. against time . something or someone misplaced
in time
Mean : (1) the representation of someone as existing or
something as happening in other than chronological,
proper or historical order
Ex : Monopoly is an anachronism in today’s competitive
environment.
Mean : (2) old-fashioned, belonging to the past
Ex : Typewriter seems an anachronism these days.
ANDROGYNOUS (adj)
Cue : in the roots: andro – ‘male’ + gyne – ‘female’ i.e. both
male and female characteristics
Mean : (1) Biology: having both female and male
characteristics; hermaphroditic
(2) being neither distinguishably masculine nor feminine, as
in dress, appearance or behavior
Ex : He wore a weird, androgynous costume to the fancy-
dress party last evening.
ANNALS (n)
Cue : in the roots: ann/enn – ‘year’
Mean : record of events in a year wise fashion
Ex : (i) The annals of Biomedicine.
(ii) In the annals of Cricket, Kapil’s name will be written in
gold.
ANNIHILATE (v)
Cue : nihil – ‘nothing’
Mean : (1) to destroy completely; put out of existence
Ex : An atomic bomb can annihilate a city.
Mean : (2) to consider or cause to be of no importance or
without effect; to defeat completely; nullify
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Ex : Failing in the finals of competition annihilated his
ambitions.
ANODYNE (n)
Cue : associate ‘free from pain’ with this word
Mean : (1) a medicinal drug which lessens pain
Ex : The doctor prescribed an anodyne for his muscular pain
Mean : (2) something which comforts or distracts a
troubled mind
Ex : He finds that playing piano is an anodyne for all his
everyday problems.
ANOINT (n)
Cue : oint – ‘ointment or oil’
Mean : to rub oil or ointment on; to put oil on someone in
a religious ceremony, especially when consecrating a king
or priest
Ex : Oil was used for the anointment of the king.
ANONYMOUS (adj)
Cue : in the roots: an – ‘without’ + onym/nom – ‘name’ i.e.
without name
Mean : with no name known or acknowledged
Ex : An anonymous caller informed the police about the
murder.
ANTECEDENT (n)
Cue : in the roots: ante – ‘before’ + cede – ‘move, go’ i.e.
going before
Mean : (1) an event or circumstance occurring earlier than
another; preceding
Ex : Phrenology was an antecedent of modern
neuroscience.
Mean : (2) your ancestors, ancestry or past life
Ex : My antecedents were Indian.
ANTHROPOMORPHIC (adj)
Cue : in the roots: anthrop – ‘man, human’ + morph – ‘form,
shape’ i.e. having human form
Mean : attributing human shape or characteristics to a god,
animal or inanimate thing
Ex : With their human characteristics, most of the gods in
Hindu mythology were anthropomorphic.
ANTIPATHY (n)
Cue : in the roots: anti/ant – ‘against, opposite’ + path/pass
– ‘feel, suffer’ i.e. dislike
Note: anti is different from ante, which means ‘in front
of’ (anteroom) or ‘earlier than’ (antenatal)
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Mean : a feeling of strong dislike or hostility; an aversion
Ex : I have some sort of antipathy towards smokers.
A PRIORI (adj/adv)
Cue : a – ‘from’ + priori – ‘former’ i.e. from the former
Mean : from the former, already known. In philosophy and
logic, a priori reasoning works from the general to the
particular: it deduces individual facts from principles that
are already known – literally, ―from the former
Ex : Famous detectives are known for their a priori
reasoning.
APARTHEID (n)
Cue : apart i.e. separate
Mean : a policy or practice of separating or segregating
groups
Ex : Apartheid was the policy of strict racial segregation and
political and economic discrimination against nonwhites in
South Africa.
APOCRYPHAL (adj)
Cue : cryp – ‘hide’ i.e. hiding truth
Mean : not likely to be true although often told and
believed by some people to have happened
Ex : He told an apocryphal story about the actor’s life.
APOGEE (n)
Cue : apo – ‘away from’ + gee – ‘earth’ i.e. away from the
earth
Mean : (1) the point farthest from the earth in the orbit of
the moon or of a man-made satellite
Ex : To set the satellite at the right apogee is the most
important aspect of satellite launching.
Mean : (2) the highest point of power or success
Ex : At the apogee of its history, ancient Athens was an
architectural marvel.
APOSTATE (n)
Cue : apo – ‘away from’ + state – ‘to stand’ i.e. away from
what you stand for
Mean : a person who has given up religion or left a political
party
Ex : When he deserted the gang, his friends treated him as
an apostate.
APOSTLE (n)
Cue : associate this word with ‘Religious preacher’ or
‘messenger’

Mean : (1) one of the disciples (traditionally 12) chosen by
Christ to spread the gospel
Ex : The apostle named Peter was a fisherman.
Mean : (2) a person who leads or advocates a faith or cause
Ex : He was an apostle of conservation.
APPARITION (n)
Cue : a + par seeming to be, but not human
Mean : (1) the spirit of a dead person appearing in a form
which can be seen
Ex : Natives were amazed at the apparition of this white
stranger.
Mean : (2) a sudden or strange sight
Ex : The clown was a strange apparition in baggy trousers
and a mask.
APPEND (v)
Cue : ap – ‘to’ + pend could be related with ‘appendix’ .
an appendix is attached to a book, therefore, associate
‘attach/to add’ with this word
Mean : (1) to add something to the end of a piece of writing
Ex : The author appends a short footnote to the text
explaining the point.
Mean : (2) an attachment
Ex : This section is a later appendage.
Mean : (3) associated with as a consequence
Ex : When he was promoted, he got an increment as an
appendant.
APROPOS (adj/adv)
Cue : ap – ‘to’ + propos – ‘purpose’ i.e. to the purpose
Mean : (1) being at once opportune and to the point;
fitting the situation; appropriate
Ex : Your comment is very apropos.
Mean : (2) with regard to; concerning
Ex : Apropos our date for lunch, I can't go.
AQUAMARINE (n)
Cue : aqua – ‘water’ + marine – ‘of the sea’ of the sea water
i.e. greenish blue colour
Note: the different meanings of aqua in UK and US
UK: specialized: water, when it is used in make-up and
beauty products
US: a greenish-blue colour
Mean : a pale greenish–blue transparent type of beryl used
as a gemstone, or the colour of this stone
Ex : The aquamarine dress reflected the colour of her eyes.
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ARCHAEOLOGY (n)
Cue : In the roots: archa/archaios – ‘ancient, primitive’ +
logy – ‘study’ i.e. the study of ancient things
Mean : the study of the material remains of cultures of the
past
Ex : Thanks to archaeology many ancient civilizations
could be unearthed.
ARCHETYPE (n)
Cue : arch – ‘first’ + type – ‘model’ i.e. original pattern from
which copies are made
Mean : (1) the original pattern, or model, from which all
other things of the same kind are made; prototype
Ex : The Parthenon in ancient Athens was the archetype for
many later buildings.
Mean : (2) a recurring theme or symbol in art of literature
Ex : His statues were archetypal images of women.
ARMADA (n)
Cue : pick up arm and associate it to ‘weapons’ tools,
implements of war
Mean : a fleet of war ships
Ex : During the Second World War, the American armada in
Pearl Harbor was destroyed completely by the Japanese.
ARROGATE (v)
Cue : ar – ‘to’ + rog – ‘ask’ i.e. to claim for oneself
Mean : to claim or seize without right; appropriate (to
oneself) arrogantly
Ex : They arrogate to themselves the power to punish
people.
ARTEFACT/ ARTIFACT (n)
Cue : arte – ‘art’ + fact – ‘things made’ i.e. anything made
by human art
Mean : an object that is made by a person, such as a tool,
weapon, utensil or work of art, especially one that is of
historical interest
Ex : The museum's collection includes artifacts dating
back to prehistoric times.
ARTHROPOD (n)
Cue : arthro – ‘jointed’ + pod/podos/ped – ‘foot’ i.e. those
with jointed feet
Mean : invertebrate animals with jointed legs, a segmented
body and an exoskeleton, including insects, crustaceans,
arachnids
Ex : Centipedes are arthropods.
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ASPERSION (n)
Cue : spers – ‘scatter’ i.e. an attempt to scatter one’s
reputation
Mean : an abusive attack on a person's character or good
name
Ex : How easy it is to cast aspersions on another’s
character!
ASSIDUOUS (adj)
Cue : sid/sed – ‘sit’ . having a long and hard sitting
Mean : very diligent, constantly hard–working, industrious
Ex : We commend him for his assiduity.
ATROPHY (n/v)
Cue : a – ‘without’ + trophy – i.e. un – nourished . wasting
away
Mean : a wasting away, of any part of the body or the
failure of an organ or part to grow or develop, because of
insufficient nutrition
Ex : Drug addiction sooner or later leads to atrophy.
ATTRITION (adj/n)
Cue : Have you ever seen the edge of the well that has been
worn down due to the constant pull of the rope? That’s
attrition
Mean : (1) wearing down to weaken or destroy
Ex : Rocks are worn down by the attrition of waves.
Mean : (2) loss of personnel in an organization in the
normal course of events, as by retirement or resignation
Ex : The attrition rate has increased because of poor wages.
AUDITORY (adj)
Cue : audi/audio – ‘hearing, sound’
Mean : having to do with hearing or the organs of hearing
Ex : He has developed auditory problem due to ear
infection.
AUGUR (v/n)
Cue : When astrologers predict your future; they augur your
future i.e. ‘foretelling’ is related with this word
Mean : (1) to be a sign of what will happen
Ex : Your diligence and honesty augur well for your future.
Mean : (2) the custom in ancient Rome of foretelling the
future by omens
As a noun, augur refers to the Roman official who made
predictions from omens or by extension to any prophet or
soothsayer
Ex : The Roman general depended on augury to show if the
time was right to attack.
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AURORA (n)
Cue : Ancient Roman goddess of the dawn
Mean : (1) the rising light of the morning; the dawn of day;
the redness of the sky just before the sun rises.
Ex : With the aurora, everything comes out of the night’s
darkness and creates a new hope of life.
AUTARCHY (n)
Cue : auto – ‘self’ + archy – ‘to rule’ i.e. self or absolute rule
Mean : (1) absolute rule or sovereignty; autocracy
Ex : Even in the 21st century, people in certain countries
have to suffer atrocities under an autarchy.
Mean : (2) self-sufficiency, especially economic self-
sufficiency as applied to nations
Ex : No country can achieve total autarky.
AVALANCHE (n)
Mean : (1) a mass of loosened snow, earth, rocks, etc.
suddenly and swiftly sliding down a mountain, often
growing as it descends
Ex : Workers scrambled to find the living and the dead, the
victims of a sudden and massive avalanche.
Mean : (2) any large, overwhelming quantity that comes
suddenly
Ex : The program brought an avalanche of mail.
AVANT-GARDE (n)
Cue : French expression – ‘advance guard’
Mean : the leaders in new or unconventional movements,
esp. in the arts
Ex : Only the avant-garde could bring radical changes
in their respective fields.
AVERSE (adj)
Cue : from ‘avert’ . a – ‘ab’ - ‘from, away’ + vertere – ‘to
turn’ i.e. turned away
Mean : (1) opposed, reluctant or disinclined
Ex : The gov. is averse to the idea of releasing criminals for
the release of kidnapped foreigners.
Mean : (2) a strong dislike
Ex : She has an aversion for classical music.
AVIARY (n)
Cue : avi – ‘bird’ + ary – relating to ‘place’ i.e. a place in
which birds are kept.
Remember; it’s different from ‘apiary’ i.e. a beehive
Mean : a large cage or building for keeping birds
Ex : The aviary at Jeejeebhoy Gardens has fascinating
collections.

AVOCATION (n)
Cue : a – ‘away’ + vocation – ‘a specified profession or
trade’ i.e. additional vocation
Mean : an activity taken up in addition to one's regular
work or profession, usually for enjoyment; a hobby
Ex : Even after he owned a book shop, he continued
teaching at his old institute as an avocation.
AWRY (adv)
Cue : associate for this word ‘Askew’
Mean : (1) with a twist to a side; not straight; askew
Ex : The picture was hanging awry.
Mean : (2) amiss, wrong
Ex : Our plans of going on a picnic went awry.
B Ex : He is always beefing about inflation and the cost of
BALLISTICS (n)
Cue : ‘throw a ball’; related to the study of motion of
firearms
Mean : (1) the science dealing with the motion and
impact of projectiles, such as bullets, rockets, bombs and
the effects firing has on fire-arms (usually singular)
Ex : (i) The ballistics will explain the launch of that rocket.
(ii) The ballistics will show whether that gun fired this bullet
or not.
Mean : (2) a weapon that is directed long distances by
remote control
Ex : A ballistic missile is powered and guided for only part
of its flight.
Mean : (3) go ballistic to become so angry as to lose
emotional control
Ex : Your father will go ballistic if you fail this year also.
BARRAGE (n)
Cue : ‘barrier’ forms the associate for this word
Mean : (1) continuous firing of large guns to protect
soldiers advancing on an enemy
Ex : Our guns kept up a continuous barrage on the enemy
lines.
Mean : (2) a heavy, prolonged attack of words, blows, etc
Ex : He faced a barrage of questions over his failure of the
project.
Mean : (3) a man-made barrier across a stream, river, etc.
to store the water or channel it for irrigation, dam
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Ex : The Farrakka Barrage has considerably mitigated
the flood problem in Bengal and Bihar.
BEDLAM (n)
Cue : Originally the name of a mental asylum. Later used
figuratively to mean a madhouse
Mean : (1) a place or activity filled with chaos and
commotion, noisy and unruly activity
Ex : The scene in the children's room, when their parents
returned, was one of complete bedlam and disorder.
Mean : (2) a scene of uproar and confusion
Ex : The parliament plunged into bedlam once again.
BEEF (v)
Cue : is a full-grown ox, cow, bull, or steer esp. one bred and
fattened for meat; generalizing, it signifies ‘muscle’ and
thereupon ‘strength’. ‘Complain’ is also one of its meaning
Mean : (1) to grumble repeatedly; complain
living.
Mean : (2) muscular, brawny
Ex : He wouldn’t like to tackle that beefy wrestler.
Mean : (3) beef up: to strengthen or build up
Ex : My mother’s illness has left her thin and weak, she
needs beefing up with a good tonic.
BEFUDDLE (v)
Cue : be – ‘to make, cause’ + fuddle – ‘to get drunk’ i.e. to
confuse as though with drink
Mean : to make somebody confused or perplexed as
with alcoholic liquor
Ex : Drinking too much wine has befuddled him.
BELCH (v)
Cue : relate with ‘belly’ . belly out i.e. gas from belly out
Mean : (1) to expel (gas) through the mouth from the
stomach, burp
Ex : Aerated drinks can make you belch.
Mean : (2) to throw forth (its contents) violently, often in
spasms
Ex : The volcano belched flame.
BELIE (v)
Cue : ‘lie’ is the associate for this word
Mean : contradict; give a false impression
Ex : (i) He belied his innate crookedness with his genial
exterior and fine behaviour.
(ii) His smile belies his anger.
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BELLICOSE (adj)
Cue : belli – ‘war’ i.e. wishing to fight
Mean : of a quarrelsome or hostile nature, eager to fight or
quarrel
Ex : His bellicose manner led to a fight with his colleague.
BEMUSE (v/adj)
Cue : be – ‘not’ + muse – ‘to think deeply and at length’ i.e.
to make utterly confused
Mean : (1) to cause somebody to be confused or puzzled
Ex : He was bemused by all the attention he was receiving.
Mean : (2) to cause to be engrossed in thought
Ex : The scientific article in the newspaper left him
somewhat bemused.
BENEDICTION (n)
Cue : bene – ‘well, good’ + diction – ‘to speak’ i.e. to speak
well of, bless
Mean : a blessing, an invocation of divine blessing, esp. at
the end of a religious service
Ex : The priest pronounced the benediction.
BENIGN (adj)
Mean : kindly, well-disposed
Ex : A benevolent philanthropist of benign temperament
may become a beneficent patron of the arts by making
donations that will have beneficial effects
BENEVOLENCE (adj)
Cue : bene – ‘well, good’ + vol – ‘will, to wish’
Mean : wanting to do good, generous, charitable nature
Ex : His benevolence turned out to be a deception to cover
his nefarious activities.
BEQUEATH (v)
Cue : associate it with ‘pass down’
Mean : (1) to leave (property) to another by last will and
testament
Ex : Her father bequeathed her family fortune in his will.
Mean : (2) to hand down or pass on to subsequent
generations
Ex : Gandhiji has bequeathed us Indians with the
traditions of nonviolence.
BESEECH (v)
Cue : relate with seek
Mean : to ask (someone) earnestly; entreat; implore
Ex : (i) He came again and again, beseeching money.
(ii) She beseeched me to help her with her project.
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BESIEGE (v)
Cue : be – ‘around’ + siege - ‘a seat’, implying the sense of
an army ‘sitting down’ before a fortress
Mean : (1) to bring about the surrender of a fortified area
or city by surrounding it with an army, lay siege to
Ex : The Greeks set out to besiege Troy.
Mean : (2) to crowd around somebody or hemmed in
Ex : The actor was besieged by his fans.
Mean : (3) to harass a person or organization with insistent
demands or complaints
Ex : The box office was besieged by fans wanting tickets.
BESMIRCH (v)
Cue : be + smear – ‘to sully, defile’
Mean : (1) to make dirty, soil
Ex : The child besmirched his clothes by falling into a ditch.
Mean : (2) to bring dishonor to; sully
Ex : Don’t try to besmirch his fair name.
BESTIAL (adj)
Cue : ‘beast’ + ial – i.e. like a beast
Mean : marked by brutality or depravity
Ex : (i) The soldiers were accused of bestial acts against
unarmed civilians.
(ii) The bestiality of the attack on the woman was
loathsome.
BEWITCH (v)
Cue : associate it with ‘witch’
Mean : (1) to use witchcraft or magic on; cast a spell over.
Ex : She is afraid the ogress will bewitch her.
Mean : (2) to attract and delight irresistibly; enchant;
fascinate
Ex : He found her beauty utterly bewitching.
BIANNUAL (adj)
Cue : bi – ‘two, twice’ + annual – ‘year’
Mean : coming twice a year; semiannual
Ex : Our company publishes a biannual report in June
and December.
BIBLIOPHILE (n)
Cue : bibl – ‘book’ + phil – ‘love’ i.e. one who loves books
Mean : a person who loves or collects books
Ex : Bibliophiles are so engrossed while reading that they
hardly notice anything else.

BIBLIOGRAPHY (n)
Cue : biblio – ‘book’ + graphy – ‘something drawn or
written’ i.e. sources of books for writing
Mean : a list of books on a particular topic or by a single
author
Ex : (i) I am compiling a bibliography on Indian culture and
traditions.
BIBULOUS (adj)
Cue : bibul – ‘to drink’
Mean : (1) addicted to or fond of drinking
Ex : He cannot be a member of this club unless he
shuns his bibulous ways.
Mean : (2) very absorbent, as paper or soil
Ex : This paper would soak all the ink as it is bibulous.
BIGOT (n)
Cue : Originally a derogatory swearing in the name of God.
bi – ‘by’ + got – ‘God’ i.e. by God
Mean : Derogatory term for a person who holds utterly
intolerant opinion for a particular creed, race
Ex : (i) A bigot would never rationalize.
(ii) He is reasonable in most things but is extremely bigoted
when it comes to religion.
(iii) The bigotry of the clergy led to the Holy- Crusades in
Europe.
BIZARRE (adj)
Mean : (1) peculiar, strange, odd; eccentric
Ex : We stared at her bizarre dress made out of dishcloths.
Mean : (2) Unexpected and Unbelievable, Fantastic
Ex : What a bizarre sequence of events!
BLAND (adj)
Mean : (1) without much taste (of food etc.), mild;
uninteresting
Ex : (i) Without seasoning, food tends to be bland.
(ii) Pop music these days is so bland.
Mean : (2) showing no strong feelings or other noticeable
qualities
Ex : He has rather a bland style of writing.
BLASPHEMY (n)
Cue : blas – ‘evil’ + phem – ‘speech / utterance’. Could be
pegged with ‘profane’ i.e. showing lack of respect (usu.) to
God or religion
Mean : profane or contemptuous speech, writing, or
action concerning God or anything held as divine
Ex : (i) Christians regard the irreverent use of God’s
name as blasphemy.
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(ii) In many states, blasphemous statutes have been
repealed.
BLATANT (adj)
Mean : loudly offensive
Ex : The whole episode was a blatant attempt to gain
publicity.
BLITHE (adj)
Cue : blissful
Mean : (1) happy, cheerful or gay
Ex : Her blithe personality makes her the life of a party
Mean : (2) carelessly or casually
Ex : (i) He talked incessantly, blithely unaware of our
boredom.
(ii) He blithely agreed to the contract without realizing
what its consequences would be.
BLITZ (n)
Cue : from German word blitzkrieg meaning ‘lighting war’
Mean : (1) a sudden, intensive attack, especially from the
air
Ex : The Israeli air force’s blitz at Entebbe remains a
landmark rescue operation till date.
Mean : (2) any concentrated effort
Ex : The company launched its new product with a
massive advertising blitz.
BLOND/ BLONDE (n)
Mean : a person of fair complexion and light coloured hair
Ex : Marilyn Monroe was a blonde.
BODE (v)
Mean : to be an omen of
Ex : (i) These changes will bode ill for the company's future.
(ii) This fine weather bodes well for tomorrow’s hockey
match.
BOHEMIAN (adj)
Mean : a person, esp. an artist, poet, etc., who lives in
an unconventional, nonconforming way
Ex : (i) M.F. Hussein is known for his Bohemian ways.
(ii) His Bohemian ways are in total contrast to his
conservative upbringing.
BOISTEROUS (adj)
Mean : loud, rough and violent behavior
Ex : The boisterous behavior of my boss at the party took
me by complete surprise.
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BONHOMIE (n) BREVITY (n)

Cue : bon – ‘good’ + homme – ‘man’ i.e. good nature
Mean : a disposition to be friendly and approachable;
geniality
Ex : The newfound bonhomie between the erstwhile rivals
is being appreciated.
BOOTLEG (v)
Cue : boot + leg - the trick of concealing something in the
leg of a high boot
Mean : to make, carry, or sell alcohol illegally; hence, such
illegal alcohol or other items
Ex : The police seized many cases of bootlegged whisky
from the wine store.
BOURGEOIS (n/adj)
Cue : middle class
Mean : (1) a derogatory term used for the attitudes and
behavior characteristic of the middle class
Ex : They’re such a boring, bourgeois couple, concerned
only with their material wellbeing.
Mean : (2) the middle classes
Ex : According to the Marxist theory, the bourgeois
exploit the working class.
BOWDLERIZE (v)
Mean : to remove passages considered offensive from (a
book, play, etc)
Ex : The author was asked to bowdlerize the novel before
its final printing.
BRAGGADOCIO (n)
Cue : brag . ‘bragging’ i.e. boasting
Mean : empty boasting or bragging, or a person who
engages in such bragging
Ex : Never trust him; his words are nothing but empty
braggadocio.
BRAVURA (adj/n)
Cue : brav / ‘brave’
Mean : a daring or brilliant display
Ex : He thrilled the audience with his bravura performance.
BRAZEN (adj)
Cue : braz – ‘brass’ – ‘brash or brassy’
Mean : (1) showing no shame, bold
Ex : His brazen lie could not stand scrutiny.
Cue : brev . ‘brief’ i.e. ‘short’
Mean : briefness; conciseness of language
Ex : His essays are models of clarity and brevity.
BRIDLE (n/v)
Cue : leather strap used by a rider to control a horse.
Generalizing, anything that controls
Mean : anything that controls or restrains
Ex : (i) His common sense is a bridle to his quick temper
(ii) Responsibility is the best bridle for the impetuousness of
youth.
BRIGAND (n)
Cue : brig – ‘fight’
Mean : a bandit, usually one of a roving band
Ex : The brigands of Chambal ruled the ravines for almost
half a century.
BRINK (n)
Cue : bank or edge
Mean : (1) the upper edge of a steep, high place; the edge
of a stretch of water
Ex : She stood on the brink of the gorge wondering if the
water was cold.
Mean : (2) very near something exciting or dangerous
Ex : (i) The firm was on the verge of bankruptcy but the new
owner took us back from the brink.
(ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major new discovery.
BRISTLE (v)
Cue : prickly hair – ‘prick’
Mean : (1) showing anger; react in an angry or offended
manner
Ex : She bristled at his impertinent remarks about her
mother.
Mean : (2) full of, overflowing
Ex : It was a pleasant day and the central part of the town
was bristling with activity.
BROWBEAT (v)
Cue : brow – ‘eyebrow’ + beat – ‘to beat with stern looks’
Mean : to intimidate with harsh, stern looks and talk
Ex : Usually the rich try to browbeat the poor.
BRUNETTE (n)
Cue : antonym of ‘blonde’
Mean : a woman with dark brown hair
Ex : Is your girlfriend a blonde or a brunette?

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BUCOLIC (adj)
Cue : bu – ‘ox/bovine’ + kol – ‘keeper’ – herdsmen, later
taken to mean rustic
Mean : of or characteristic of the countryside or its people,
rustic
Ex : The painting shows a typically bucolic environ, with
peasants harvesting crops in a field.
BUGABOO (n)
Cue : bug + boo – bugbear, ‘imaginary scare’
Mean : (1) imaginary hobgoblin or terror used to frighten
children into good conduct; bugbear
Ex : (i) It is psychologically impairing for children to be
frightened with bugaboos.
(ii) The bugaboos of boredom, laziness and failure, keep
the workaholic running.
Mean : (2) a source of concern; a recurring or persistent
problem
Ex : The old bugaboo of inflation still bothers them.
BULWARK (n)
Cue : bul – ‘earth’ + werk – ‘work’ – a defensive wall
Mean : (1) a wall or embankment raised as a defensive
fortification; a rampart
Ex : The high wall serves as a bulwark against attack.
Mean : (2) something serving as a defense or safeguard
Ex : My savings are to be a bulwark against unemployment.
BUOY (v)
Mean : (1) to keep afloat or aloft
Ex : (i) The life vest will keep her buoyed up while she is
learning to swim.
(ii) The boat was tested for its buoyancy.
Mean : (2) to hearten or inspire; uplift; happy
Ex : (i) He was buoyed up by the team spirit.
(ii) She was in buoyant spirits and looking forward to the
trip.
Mean : (3) to maintain at a high level; support; resilient
Ex : The property market is buoyant despite the recession.
BURLESQUE (n/adj)
Cue : associate for this word ‘To mock something’
Mean : a type of writing or acting that tries to make
something serious seem ridiculous; parody
Ex : (i) The comedians joined hands to make a burlesque
presentation on the idiosyncrasies of the present day
politicians.
(ii) The antics of the defense attorneys turned the trial
into a burlesque of justice.
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BURNISH (v/n)
Cue : burn / brun – ‘brown, bright, polished’
Mean : to make shiny or smooth by rubbing, to polish
Ex : (i) Burnish the car with wax.
(ii) I like that antique statue with a coppery burnish.
BUTTRESS (n/v)
Cue : associate ‘support’ with this word
Mean : (1) a projecting structure, generally of brick or
stone, built against a wall to support or reinforce it
Ex : The north wall of the church has a beautiful stone
buttress.
Mean : (2) to support or strengthen something
Ex : She needs to buttress her argument with more facts.
BYZANTINE (adj)
Cue: refers to (a style developed in ancient city of
Byzantium and E. Europe., characterized by domes over
square areas, round arches, elaborate mosaics), originally
used of art style; later generalised to anything that is
‘complex’
Mean : difficult to understand and complicated i.e.
characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue
Ex : The country’s tax structure is Byzantine and tedious.
C
CABAL (adv)
Cue : originally, an acronym for five intriguing ministers of
Charles II, namely: Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley
and Lauderdale
Mean : group of conspirators or plotters particularly one
formed for political purposes; group of people joined by a
secret
Ex : Cabals and courtiers let the king down.
CADENCE (n)
Cue : cadare – ‘to fall’ . flow of rhythm in verse or music
Mean : rhythm / inflection / modulation of voice
Ex : The cadence of Jagjit Singh’s voice held the
audience spellbound.
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CANDID (adj) Mean : purification of emotions through life’s tragic

Cue : candere – ‘to shine/white’ experiences or difficulties
Mean : frank, free from prejudice, clear Ex : Every emotional crisis in life is an experience in
Ex : Politicians are expected to be diplomatic, not candid. Catharsis.

CANNIBAL (n) CAVALCADE (n)

Mean : an eater of the flesh of its own species Cue : caval – ‘relating to horse’. a procession on horseback
Ex : Some of the tribes of aborigines were rumored to be (originally a parade of horsemen and horse-driven
cannibals. carriages)
Mean : any procession or occurring of events in succession
CAPE (n) Ex : Escalating violence in the region resulted in a cavalcade
Cue :relate with cap of bomb attacks.
Mean : (i) a hooded cloak, an outer wear
(ii) a piece of land jutting into a body of water (headland) CAVEAT (n)
Ex : Cape Comrin is the southernmost tip of India. Cue : Latin expression - take heed/beware
Mean : filing a petition in court seeking notice/information
CAPTIOUS (adj) on any new development / plea from the opposing party
Cue : capare – ‘to catch/ take hold’ and captio –‘fallacious Ex : The petitioner filed a caveat in the court for getting
argument’ information on the documents or plea filed by the
Mean : hyper critical, only for the sake of fault-finding respondent.
Ex : He preferred to stay back at office till late at night
rather than to go home to his captious wife. CEDE (v)
Cue : cedere – ‘to yield’
CARNIVOROUS (adj) Mean : transfer / yield title
Cue : carn – ‘flesh’ + vorare – ‘devour’ Ex : He has ceded his real estate to the school for the deaf
Mean : flesh eating and dumb.
Ex : Carnivorous animals flourish when herbivores do.
CELERITY (n)
CAROUSEL (n) Cue : celer – ‘swift’
Cue : carro – ‘chariot/ stately carriage’ Mean : swiftness, agility
Mean : a merry-go-round Ex : Jackie Chan’s celerity holds the audience spellbound.
Ex : The late night parties often culminate in carousels.
CENSOR (v)
CARRION (n) Cue : censere . ‘to judge’
Cue: caro – ‘corpse, flesh’ Mean : authorized examination, deletion of objectionable
Mean : dead and old meat unfit for consumption, food for publication, movies, news items, etc.
scavengers Ex : The mail of armed services personnel is routinely
Ex : Buzzards are nature's scavengers; they eat the carrion censored.
left behind by other predators.
CENTRIFUGAL (adj)
CATACLYSM (n) Cue : centri + fugere – ‘flow’
Cue : cata – ‘down’ + clysm – ‘wash’ Mean : force radiating/departing from the centre
Mean : a deluge or upheaval Ex : We use centrifugal pumps to push water up to the
Ex : Cataclysms like the French Revolution change the rooftop storage tanks.
course of history.
CEREBRATION (n)
CATHARSIS (n) Cue : cerebral product
Cue : Greek expression meaning purging or cleaning Mean : brainwave, thought
Ex : Philosophical studies require quite a bit of cerebration.

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CERVINE (adj) CIRCUMAMBULATE (v)

Cue : cerv – ‘deer’ Cue : circum – ‘around’ + ambulate–‘move’
Mean : of or like a deer Mean : to walk round about
Ex : The dancer’s cervine movements hardly betray her Ex : The thief circumambulated through the lanes, waiting
physical handicap. for an opportune moment to break into the house.

CHAFF (n) CLAIRVOYANT (adj)

Mean : husk, anything worthless, trash
Ex : We can’t accept chaff at the price of grain.
CHARADE (n)
Cue : chatter / gossip
Mean : a guessing game / a riddle
Ex : All his emotive talk is a charade to hoodwink the
gullible.
CHATTEL (v)
Cue : originally applied to cattle
Mean : piece of movable personal property
Ex : He lost his estate and chattel at the time of partition.
CHERUBIC (adj)
Cue : cherub – ‘a winged chubby child angel’
Mean : angelic, innocent-looking
Ex : The cherubic child radiated innocence.
Cue : clair – ‘clear’ +voyant – ‘having vision’
Mean : (1) having great insight, keenly perceptive,
discerning, judicious
(2) having foresight / intuition
Ex : Clairvoyance thrives on man’s fear of the future.
CLAUSTROPHOBIA (n)
Cue : claustrum – ‘enclosure’ + phobia
Mean : abnormal fear of being locked in a closed/ secluded
place
Ex : A claustrophobic will always prefer to sleep in the open.
CLEMENCY (n)
Cue : clemens – ‘mercy’
Mean : (i) mild / lenient dispositions
(ii) mildness of weather/climate
Ex : Having failed to get relief from the Supreme Court, the
convict appealed for Presidential clemency.

CHIROGRAPHY (n) COALESCE (v)

Cue : chiro – ‘hand/foot/body parts’ + graphy – ‘writing’ Cue : co – ‘together’ + lesce – ‘to grow’
Mean : handwriting, penmanship Mean : blend, fuse, combine, amalgamate
Ex : Chirography has become a rare art nowadays. Ex : We need to coalesce the best of oriental and western
civilizations.
CHOLERIC (adj)
Cue : chole – ‘bile’ COGITATE (v)
Mean : hot tempered Cue : co + agitate – ‘Put your heads down to thought’
Ex : The marriage failed due to the choleric temperament Mean : to give serious consideration / thought
of both the spouses. Ex : It is high time the government cogitates to introduce
eco-friendly legislation.
CHRONICLE (v/n)
Cue : chron – ‘time’ COGNITION (n)
Mean : to record in chronological order Cue : cogn – ‘to know’
Ex : Huen–Tsang has chronicled the events of his stay in Mean : broad knowledge, understanding, perception
India. Ex : The success of the new economic policy will largely
depend upon cognition of international market forces
CHUTE (n)
Cue : associate it with ‘a fall’ COHERENT (adj)
Mean : a steep slide through which something may be Cue : co + here – ‘to stick’
slid or dropped Mean : lucid, clear, logical
Ex : The filled bags are dropped through the chute down to Ex : The union government is yet to frame a coherent power
the loading platform. policy

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COHORT (n)
Cue : co + hort – ‘inner circle’
Mean : retinue, confidant, armed band
Ex : Hitler and his cohorts seriously believed that they could
conquer the world.
COLISEUM (v)
Cue : variant of ancient colosseum amphitheater of Rome
Mean : an amphitheater or a large theater for public
performances
Ex : The coliseum was jam-packed on the occasion of ‘Jagjit
Singh nite’.
COLLATE (v)
Cue : to bring together
Mean : to compile, examine, compare and consolidate
Ex : The anthropologists have collated data from varied
sources to arrive at their conclusions.
COLLOQUY (n)
Cue : co – ‘together’ + loqui – ‘speak’
Mean : a formal discussion
Ex : His timid query was lost is the colloquy.
COMEUPPANCE (n)
Cue : come + up + ance – ‘come up’ (for judgement)
Mean : deserved punishment /rebuke
Ex : One has to face comeuppance for one’s deeds.
COMMISERATE (v)
Cue : com + misery
Mean : to sympathize, console, condole
Ex : Most commiserate for the poor, few lend a helping
hand.
COMMUNE (n)
Cue : To make Common / Share
Mean : a group of people living together/ a small territorial
division.
Ex : Some of the erstwhile communes in China were
reported to be worse than ghettos.
COMMUTE (v)
Cue : com + mut – ‘to change’
Mean : (1) to exchange for something less severe
(2) to travel (go back and forth to work)
Ex : The President commuted the death sentence to life
imprisonment.
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COMPASSION (n)
Cue : com – ‘together’ + pathos –‘suffering’
Mean : sharing pain and suffering, sympathy, forbearance
Ex : Educating the poor and helping them in other ways is
the best way to show compassion for them.
COMPLAISANT (adj)
Cue :. com – ‘with/together’ + place – ‘to please’
Mean : of pleasing nature; affable; obliging
Ex : Beware of overly complaisant friends.
COMPLIANT (adj)
Cue : com + ply – ‘to bend’ . of bending nature
Mean : yielding, submissive
Ex : He is compliant and ready to do as asked.
COMPENDIUM (n)
Cue : com – ‘together’ + pend – ‘weigh’ (to weigh together)
Mean : concise but comprehensive summary
Ex : The compendium covers all the essentials of the
original treatise.
COMPORT (v)
Cue : com – ‘together’ + port – ‘carry’
Mean : to carry oneself/behave/conduct oneself
Ex : She comports herself in a dignified manner.
COMPOSURE (n)
Cue : com – ‘with/together’ + pos – ‘place/state’
Mean : in a state of tranquility, calmness
Ex : He does not lose his composure easily.
COMPUNCTION (n)
Cue : com + punc / pung – ‘to prick’
Mean : a sense of prick (guilt or remorse) twinge of coercion
Ex : He has no compunctions about using and discarding
others to suit his own convenience.
CONCATENATE (v)
Cue : con – ‘with’ + catena – ‘chain’
Mean : link as in a chain
Ex : The three accidents concatenate as they were caused
by the same truck having a drunken driver.
CONCAVE (adj)
Cue : con + cave – ‘hollow’ . originally the cave was
supposed to be a hollow in the wild or in the hilly terrain)
Mean : hollow, curved like the inside of a bowl
Ex : The lenses are concave, not convex.

CONCLAVE (n)
Cue : con + cla/clo – ‘shut/close’ . Meeting in an enclosure
Mean : a private meeting, a convention
Ex : The Congress Party is holding a conclave in Goa.
CONCOCT (v)
Cue : con + coc – ‘cook’
Mean : to cook up, fabricate, invent
Ex : You have to concoct a new story every time you are late
at office.
CONCORD (n)
Cue : con – ‘with’ + core – ‘heart’
Mean : unity of feeling, harmony, amity
Ex : Neighbors should learn to live in concord.
CONDESCEND (v)
Cue : con + descend .‘to let oneself down’
Mean : stoop to make a concession
Ex : The mill-owner condescended to talk to the union
representatives.
CONDIGN (adj)
Cue : con + dign – ‘worth’ . worthy
Mean : worthy of punishment for wrong doing; deserved
Ex : No crime should escape condign punishment.
CONDUIT (n)
Cue : con + duct – ‘to lead’
Mean : a pipe/channel for leading / carrying; a go-between
Ex : He worked as a conduit for the drug smugglers.
CONFETTI (n)
Cue : con + fac/fig – ‘to make’
Mean : candies or their imitation (or bits of coloured paper)
scattered at carnivals
Ex : The stall had been well decorated with balloons and
confetti.
CONFLAGRATION (n)
Cue : con + flag/flam – ‘to burn’
Mean : a devastating fire / riot / dispute
Ex : The conflagration in the shopping complex destroyed
property worth tens of crores.
CONFLUENCE (n)
Cue : con + flu – ‘to flow’
Mean : a flowing together or coming together of
rivers/people
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Ex : Allahabad is situated at the confluence of the Ganga
and the Yamuna.
CONGENIAL (adj)
Cue : con + gen – ‘of birth or race’
Mean : suited to one’s temperament, disposition;
favorable, amenable
Ex : The U.S. is congenial to enterprise.
CONJECTURE (n)
Cue :con + ject – ‘throw’ . a throwing, a guess
Mean : forming of opinion without proof, an inference
from incomplete data
Ex : To act on conjecture may sometimes put you in a
problem.
CONJURE (v)
Cue : con + jur – ‘to swear’. to swear by a spell of trick,
magic
Mean : to summon a spirit through a spell of magic, to
perform legerdemain, to invent
Ex : You have to conjure up something new to save your
marriage.
CONNOISSEUR (n)
Cue : related with cognition (expert knowledge)
Mean : a discerning judge/expert usu. in fine arts/foods
Ex : The distilleries employ highly-paid connoisseurs to taste
their product before it is sent to the market.
CONSECRATE (v)
Cue : con + secr – ‘sacred’
Mean : to set apart as holy, sacred
Ex : The Konark Temple is consecrated to the Sun god.
CONSPICUOUS (adj)
Cue : con + spec – ‘to see’
Mean : attracting attention; easy to see
Ex : The convener of the show was conspicuous by his
absence.
CONTIGUOUS (adj)
Cue : con + ting – ‘to touch upon’
Mean : adjacent, adjoining, abutting
Ex : Nepal is contiguous to India.
CONTINENCE (n)
Cue : con + tin/tain/ten – ‘to hold’
Mean : self-restraint; sexual chastity
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Ex : The priests and nuns have to vow to a life of continence. COVERT (adj)
Cue : co + vert – ‘to turn/direct’
CONTRAPTION (n) Mean : concealed; secret; hidden
Cue : con – ‘for contrive’+ trap + tion Ex : The intelligence agencies undertake several covert
Mean : a contrived, makeshift appliance operations.
Ex : Surprisingly the contraption worked perfectly.
COWER (v)
CONTRITE (adj) Cue : relate with Cow
Cue : con + trit – ‘wear out/rub’ Mean : to crouch/shrink down due to fear
Mean : penitent, apologetic Ex : The corrupt official cowered on being caught red-
Ex : Corrupt politicians, when brought to book, become handed by the Anti-corruption Bureau.
contrite.
CREDENCE (n)
CONTUMACIOUS (adj) Cue : cred – ‘belief /trust’
Cue : con + tumere – ‘to swell up’ Mean : belief in testimony of another
Mean : obstinate, stubborn, resisting authority Ex : I don’t give any credence to his version of the story.
Ex : The contumacious ways of leaders like Khrushchev and
Brezhnev have much to do with the ultimate disintegration CRESCENDO (n)
of U.S.S.R. Cue : cre – ‘to grow’ + scendo – ‘sound’
Mean : gradual increase in intensity usu. of sound
CONVIVIAL (adj) Ex : There is a crescendo of demand for reservation of seats
Cue : con – ‘together’ + viv – ‘live’. happy to live together for women in parliament.
Mean : companionable, gregarious, socialite
Ex : Many an executive own his promotion to convivial CREVICE (n)
spouses. Cue : cre – ‘to grow’
Mean : a crack, fissure
CONVOKE (v) Ex : The domestic insecticides are believed to linger in the
Cue : con – ‘together’ + voke – ‘call’ nooks and crevices for a long time.
Mean : to call together (for a meeting)
Ex : The general body meeting was convoked by the Board CRYPTIC (adj)
to seek endorsement of its decision to diversify. Cue : cryp – ‘hidden’
Mean : encoded, secret
COPIOUS (adj) Ex : Archaeologists have deciphered the most cryptic and
Cue : co + opus – ‘riches’ ancient languages.
Mean : plentiful, abundant
Ex : The copious supply of goods has helped keep the prices CULMINATE (v)
down. Cue : culmen – ‘Peak/summit’
Mean : to reach the highest point/end up
CORPOREAL (adj) Ex : His effort has finally culminated into success
Cue : corpus – ‘body’
Mean : of bodily or material nature CUMBER (v)
Ex : The spiritual rewards of success far outweigh the Cue : cumb – ‘to hinder / to lie down’
corporeal ones. Mean : to burden in a troublesome way, hamper
Ex : Don't cumber me with such a difficult task.
COUP (n)
Cue : french expression originally meaning a box on the ear CURIO (n)
Mean : a sudden blow or stroke, a revolt Cue : shortened form of curiosity
Ex : Because of repeated military coups democracy could Mean : any unusual or rare article (originally such items
never develop firm roots in Pakistan. from Far East)

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Ex : There are number of curio shops around places of DECIMATE (v)

tourist interest.
CURMUDGEON (n)
Mean : an ill-natured; bad-mannered person
Ex : The wealthy man pretends to be a curmudgeon, but has
been funding many charities secretly.
Cue : deci – ‘one tenth’ + mare – ‘destruction’ . destruction
of one- tenth/selective killing.
Mean : orig., to select by lot and destroy or kill a large part
of
Ex : Wildlife in Africa has been mercilessly decimated
by the poachers.

CUTANEOUS (adj) DEFLAGRATE (v)

Cue : cutis – ‘skin’ Cue : de – intensive prefix ‘completely’ + flag – ‘to burn’
Mean : relating to the skin Mean : to burn rapidly with intense heat
Ex : The diabetics should remain alert to cutaneous Ex : Bush fires deflagrate very fast during hot and dry part
eruptions/injuries. of the year.

DEIGN (n)
Cue : dign – ‘to deem worthy’
Mean : to unwillingly condescend to do something
D below one’s dignity
Ex : At last, the company management deigned to invite the
union leaders for discussion.

DAINTY (adj)
DÉJÀ VU (n)
Cue : dain/dign – ‘worth’
Cue : french expression meaning ‘already seen’
Mean : (1) delicately pretty or lovely
Mean : already seen, unoriginal
Ex : She was a small, dainty child, unlike her elder sister who
Ex : Most of the Hindi movies fill me with déjà vu because
was large and had big feet.
the storyline is repetitive.
Mean : (2) difficult to please, fastidious
Ex : As a child, she used to be a dainty eater and her mother
DELECTABLE (adj)
used to spend long hours patiently trying to feed her.
Cue : delec – ‘delight’
Mean : delightful, delicious
DEADPAN (adj)
Ex : The delectable performance by the child artist
Cue : pan (in slang sense of face) . ‘dead faced’
enthralled the audience.
Mean : an expressionless face
Ex : His deadpan demeanour was an exterior to hide the
DELIRIOUS (adj)
emotional turmoil he was passing through.
Cue : de – ‘off, away’ + lira – ‘line’ i.e. ‘be deranged’,
literally ‘be out of your track’
DECAPITATE (v)
Mean : mentally confused or excited (marked by
Cue : de – ‘off’ + cap – ‘head’
restlessness, confused speech, and hallucinations),
Mean : to cut the head off, behead
especially due to illness
Ex : In ancient times, the most common mode of death
Ex : The patient is delirious with high fever. Call in the
penalty was decapitation.
doctor immediately.

DECIDUOUS (adj)
DELUDE (v)
Cue : de – ‘off, down’ + cid/cad – ‘fall’ . to fall off
Cue : de – ‘down’ + lud – ‘to play’ . to mock / deceive
Mean : (1) falling off or out at a certain season or stage of
Mean : to make someone believe something that is not
growth, as some leaves, antlers, insect wings, or milk teeth
true; to deceive
(2) of trees or shrubs, shedding leaves annually
Ex : Do not delude yourself by thinking that you are going
(3) not permanent, transitory, short lived
to be promoted this year.
Ex : Deciduous trees are more common than evergreen
plants.

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DELUGE (v/n)
Cue : de – ‘away’ + luge/ luv – ‘wash’
Mean : (1) a flood of water; a cloudburst
Ex : When it rains heavily, the little stream can become a
deluge and can destroy many homes.
Mean : (2) an overwhelming, flood like rush of anything
Ex : The Company was deluged with applications for the
job.
DEMAGOGUE (n)
Cue : demos – ‘people’ + agogos – ‘leader’
Mean : (1) orig., a leader of the common people
(2) a person who tries to stir up the people by appeals to
emotion, prejudice, etc. in order to win them over quickly
and so gain power
Ex : A demagogue wins support by appealing to people’s
emotions rather than by rational argument.
DEMUR (v)
Cue : mur – ‘a pause, delay’
Mean : to voice opposition; object
Ex : Nobody dared demur when the boss shot down the
proposal.
DENIGRATE (v)
Cue : de – ‘completely’ + nigr – ‘black’ . to blacken/ defame
completely
Mean : to defame/ deprecate
Ex : It is mean to denigrate a person for the natural flaws in
his physique.
DEPREDATION (n)
Cue : de – ‘thoroughly’ + predate – ‘plunder’
Mean : act of plundering, damage or devastation (often
used in the plural)
Ex : (i) The foreign invaders of Delhi repeatedly engaged
in depredation and orgy.
(ii) Hiroshima and Nagasaki have suffered the depredations
of atom bomb.
DERELICT (adj/n)
Cue : de – ‘thoroughly’ + relinq – ‘abandon / forsake’,
originally, abandoning of vessels at sea
Mean : abandoned, negligent, abandoned property or
forsaken person
Ex : (i) The derelict theatre is too broken down to be
repaired.
(ii) He was placed under suspension for his derelict
behavior.
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DERIDE (v)
Cue : de – ‘down’ + rid/ ris – ‘laugh/ mock’
Mean : to laugh at, mock at, treat scornfully
Ex : The city people often deride the innocence of the rural
people.
DERMATOLOGIST (n)
Cue : dermis – ‘skin’ + log – ‘speech/ study’
Mean : one who studies and treats skin ailments
Ex : For every small skin problem, we need not rush to
the dermatologist.
DESOLATE (adj)
Cue : de – ‘completely’ + sole – ‘lonely’
Mean : (1) lonely, left alone, a barren state
Ex : The kidnappers took the victim to a desolate building.
Mean : (2) to be overwhelmed with grief
Ex : She was desolated by the death of her husband.
DESPISE (v)
Cue : de – ‘down’ + spic/spec – ‘look’ . look down upon
Mean : to feel a strong dislike for someone or something
because you think it is bad or worthless
Ex : Discrimination ought to be despised.
DESPONDENCY (n)
Cue : de – ‘down’ + spond – ‘promise’ . having no promise/
hope
Mean : loss of courage or hope; dejection
Ex : Don’t let failure fill you with despondency.
DESULTORY (adj)
Cue : de – ‘down/ from’ + sal / sult – ‘leap/ jump’
Mean : moving or jumping from one thing to another;
disconnected
Ex : The previous session of Parliament carried on a
dull and desultory conversation.
DÉTENTE (n)
Cue : french expression . de – ‘away’ + tend/ tent/ tens –
‘stretch’ to loosen/ release
Mean : a lessening of tension or hostility, esp. between
nations, as through treaties, trade agreements, etc.
Ex : The detente between India and Pakistan augured well
for the success of SAARC Summit.
DETRACTION (n)
Cue : de – ‘away’ + tract – ‘pull/ drag’ . to take or draw away

Mean : to take away, to make something less valuable
or less deserving of admiration
Ex : (i) No writer of worth can brook the detraction of his
creativity by the critics.
(ii) Her bad moods detract her charm.
DEVIOUS (adj)
Cue : de – ‘off, from’ + via – ‘road’ . out of the way
Mean : (1) not in a straight path; roundabout
Ex : to avoid the city centre, he took a devious route.
Mean : (2) not straightforward or frank; dishonest
Ex : His devious ways brought him into disrepute.
DEVOLVE (n)
Cue : de – ‘from/down’ + volve – ‘roll’
Mean : to roll down, to pass on to others
Ex : Under the system of Panchayati Raj, authority and
responsibility is devolved to the lowest rung of elected
representative.
DEXTEROUS (adj)
Cue : dexter – ‘right hand’
Mean : skilled in using one’s hands, body or mind
Ex : The dexterous plastic surgeon put the mutilated facial
contours of the accident victim into original shape.
DICTUM (n)
Cue : dict – ‘to say, pronounce’
Mean : an authoritative saying, statement or
pronouncement
Ex : Students have to follow the dictums of the authorities.
DIDACTIC (adj)
Cue : dac/dens – ‘teach/learn/wisdom’
Mean : (1) intended to teach, especially in a way that
is too determined or eager, and often fixed and unwilling
to change
(2) intended to teach people a moral
Ex : Teachers must often moderate their didactic approach
to make learning more exciting.
DIFFIDENCE (n)
Cue : dif – ‘away’ + fid – 'trust’ . distrusting oneself
Mean : lack of self-confidence
Ex : Diffidence is sure to mar your chances of selection
in the interview.
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DILETTANTE (n)
Cue : an amateur who is into something for delight /out of
superficial interest
Mean : a dabbler in art, science or literature; not
professional
Ex : A.R. Rehman has proved that he is not a dilettante.
DINGY (adj)
Cue : relate to dung . ‘dark, dull and stale like dung’
Mean : lacking brightness/cheer, dull
Ex : The dingy atmosphere at home was stifling for the
extrovert boy.
DIPSOMANIA (n)
Cue : dipsa – ‘thirst’ + mania – ‘morbid thirst for alcohol’
Mean : an irresistible urge/craving for an intoxicating drink
Ex : Dipsomania ruins your health, wealth and character.
DISCOMFIT (v)
Cue : Probably a corrupted form of discomfort . to confuse,
confound, frighten and drive away
Mean : (1) disconcert (confuse)
(2) frustrate the plans
(3) defeat
Ex : The strategy will discomfit the competitor.
DISCORD (n)
Cue : dis – ‘apart’ + cor – ‘heart’
Mean : disagreement, disharmony, non-conformity
Ex : The discord between the two brothers ultimately led to
their separation.
DISCRETE (adj)
Cue : dis – used as an ‘intensifier’ + cretus /cern – ‘separate’
Mean : separated, distinct, detached
Ex : Brain is divided into two discrete hemispheres.
DISDAIN (n)
Cue : dis + deign/dign – ‘worth’
Mean : treat with contempt, scorn
Ex : Don’t treat your rivals with disdain.
DISGORGE (v)
Cue : dis + gorge – ‘throat / gullet’
Mean : (1) to force out through the throat, vomit
(2) to force to give up
Ex : He disgorged the entire food when the plane took off.
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DISINGENUOUS (adj) DISSEMBLE (v)

Cue : dis + in + gen –‘produce’
Originally, not native, not indigenous; later ‘not with the
virtues of natives’ i.e. deceitful
Mean : crafty, lacking in candor, not straight forward
Ex : Women often encounter disingenuous people in the
film world.
DISORIENT (v)
Cue : dis – ‘away’ + orient – ‘east /earliest’ . to turn away
from the east
Mean : to cause to lose one’s perception, bearings
Ex : The accident victim did not suffer serious injury, but
looked dazed and disoriented.
DISPARAGE (v)
Cue : dis + parage – ‘rank/parity’
Mean : to lower in esteem by insinuation / belittle
Ex : It is not uncommon to see people disparaging rivals.
DISPEL (v)
Cue : dis – ‘apart’ + pel – ‘drive / push’. drive/push apart
Mean : cause to vanish, drive away
Ex : Education dispels ignorance.
Cue : dis + semble
Mean : to conceal the true nature /character; to present
a false appearance
Ex : In the face of sustained interrogation, the prisoner
could not dissemble and broke down.
DISSONANCE (n)
Cue : dis – ‘apart’ + sonus – ‘sound’
Mean : lack of harmony or agreement
Ex : The dissonance of views between the two brothers led
to the split up of the company.
DISTEND (v)
Cue : dis – ‘out/apart’ + tend – ‘stretch’ . to stretch out
Mean : to expand, swell out
Ex : The excision of appendicitis involves surgical removal
of the distended end of large intestine.
DIVERT (v)
Cue : di + vert/vers – ‘turn’
Mean : distract from a course, direction
Ex : Due to foggy conditions in winter, the air traffic
often gets diverted.

DISPENSATION (n) DOCILE (adj)

Cue : dis - used as an ‘intensifier’ + pend – ‘weight / pay’. Cue : doc – ‘to teach’
grant weight / permission Mean : readily taught, easy to manage, obedient,
Mean : a system or arrangement submissive
Ex : Feeling suffocated under the new dispensation of the Ex : She is well-mannered and docile by nature.
company, some of the older and loyal employees felt
obliged to quit. DOGGED (adj)
Cue : relate with ‘like a dog’ (not giving in readily, like a dog)
DISPERSION (n) Mean : determined, stubborn, persistent, tenacious,
Cue : dis – ‘apart’ + sper – ‘scatter’ diligent
Mean : scattering, diffusion Ex : He is working doggedly for his CAT examination.
Ex : Standard deviation is a measure of dispersion of data
from the centre. DOLOROUS (adj)
Cue : dolor – ‘grief, suffering, sorrow’
DISRUPT (v) Mean : very sad, mournful, gloomy
Cue : rupt – ‘break/split’ . to cause to split or divide Ex : He put an end to his own dolorous existence by
Mean : to disturb orderly course and cause turmoil committing suicide.
Ex : Some of the back benchers were hell-bent to disrupt
the meeting. DOMINEER (v)
Cue : domin – ‘lord’
DISSECT (v) Mean : to lord it over
Cue : dis – ‘apart’ + sect – ‘cut’ Ex : The domineering attitude of the union leader was
Mean : to cut apart resented by the workmen.
Ex : Frogs are used for dissection by medical students.

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DORMANT (adj)
Cue : dorm – ‘to sleep’
Mean : quiet, still, inactive, at rest
Ex : Mt. Etna has been lying dormant for a long time now,
not spewing any lava.
DOTE (v)
Mean : (1) to be excessively (even foolishly) in love
(2) to be childish/ weak-minded out of age
Ex : People tend to dote on their grandchildren.
DURESS (n)
Cue : dure – ‘hard/ severe’
Mean : coercion, intimidation, constraint
Ex : Signatures obtained under duress are rendered null and
void in a court of law.
DYSPEPSIA (n)
Cue : dys – ‘impairment’ + pepsis – ‘digestion’
Mean : impaired digestion
Dyslexia: (dys + lexis) . impaired reading
Dysphagia: (dys + phag – to eat) . impaired swallowing
Dysphasia: impaired speaking/ understanding of words due
to lesion in brain
Dysphonia: (dys + phon/sound) . impaired speech due to
hoarseness
Dysphoria: a generalized feeling of ill-being; esp., an
abnormal feeling of anxiety, discontent, physical
discomfort
Dyspnea: dys (impaired) + pneuma (air/ breath) . shortness
of breath
Dysthymia: dys + thym (spirit) . feeling of depression/
despondency
Dystrophy: faulty nutrition and hence impaired growth
E
ECCENTRIC (adj)
Cue : ec – ‘out of’ + centre
Mean : off centre, deviating from the norm, as in conduct;
out of the ordinary; odd
Ex : He’s quite an eccentric with his collection of cats.
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ECLECTIC (adj)
Cue : ec – ‘out of’ + lectic – ‘choose’; originally a group of
ancient philosophers who selected doctrines from every
system
Mean : selecting from various sources, made up of material
from various sources; wide-ranging
Ex : (i) He has an eclectic taste in art, ranging from Picasso
to M. F. Hussein.
(ii) The eclectic collection of furniture in her new house was
not matching.
ECOLOGY (n)
Cue : eco – ‘environment or habitat’ + logy – ‘study’
Mean : the scientific study of the relationships of living
things to one another and to their environment
Ex : The forest fire has been an ecological disaster for the
animal and bird life.
EDUCE (n)
Cue : duce – ‘to lead or bring to’
Mean : to elicit or draw out (usu. from data), extract
Ex : The policemen are trained to educe truth out of
criminals.
EFFACE (v)
Cue : ef ‘out of’ + face – ‘underline’
Mean : to destroy the surface of, to erase
Ex : Hitler’s attempts at effacement of the Jews finally
proved futile.
EFFEMINATE (adj)
Cue : ef – ‘out of’ + fem – ‘female’ i.e. make a woman of
Remember it doesn’t mean the same as feminine
Mean : having the qualities generally attributed to
women, as weakness, timidity, delicacy, etc.; unmanly; not
virile i.e. of a man or boy, like a woman
Ex : He has quite an effeminate voice for someone so large
and brawny.
EFFETE (adj)
Cue : ef – ‘out’ + fete – ‘fetus’ – that has brought forth
offspring, exhausted
Though derived from Latin effetus, applied to women only,
its proper meaning today is ‘exhausted’
Mean : weak or worn out, exhausted
Ex : After years of luxurious life, he has now become effete
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EFFLUENT (n) ELUCIDATE (v)

Cue : ef – ‘out’ + flu – ‘flow’ i.e. to flow out Cue : luc – ‘light / clear’
Mean : something that flows out, especially liquid waste or Mean : to throw light upon, to make clear
sewage Ex : The teacher elucidated the theory in such a way that
Ex : The factory effluents have contaminated our rivers. the concept became clear.

EFFRONTERY (n) EMACIATE (v)

Cue : ef – ‘from’ + front – ‘frons’ – actually implies forehead Cue : e – ‘out’ + macies – ‘lean’ i.e. made very thin and weak
i.e. putting forth the forehead, which is being bold, Mean : thin and wasted especially from hunger or illness
shameless Ex : A long serious illness has left her emaciated. But she
Mean : unashamed boldness; impudence has started putting on weight now.
Ex : The effrontery of the junior staff was intolerable.
EMBARGO (v)
EFFUSIVE (adj) Cue : bar – ‘restriction’
Cue : ef – ‘out’ + fus – fus is not related to fusion or joining, Mean : an official or government order that forbids trade,
instead it implies fundere – ‘pour’ i.e. pour forth, spread movement of ships, etc i.e. a ban on commerce or other
abroad activity
Mean : expressing excessive emotion in an unrestrained Ex : The embargo on oil supplies put several countries in a
manner; too demonstrative fix.
Ex : I was embarrassed by their effusive thanks for my small
gift. EMOLLIENT (n)
Cue : mollis – ‘soften’
EGREGIOUS (adj) Mean : (1) making soft and supple
Cue : e – ‘out’ + greg – ‘flock / herd’ . out of the herd (2) having soothing qualities
Mean : outstanding for undesirable qualities; remarkably Ex : Apply an emollient to the sores.
bad; flagrant
Ex : His egregious behaviour brought him into disrepute. EMPATHY (n)
Cue : em – ‘in’ + pathos – ‘feeling’ i.e. identification
ELEVATE (v) with other’s feeling
Cue : e – ‘out’ + lev – ‘to make light, lift’ i.e. to raise Mean : the ability to imagine how another person is feeling
Mean : to lift, raise and so understand his or her emotions
Ex : He was elevated to the rank of Major General. Ex : To be able to empathize with the client results into
quality service.
ELLIPSIS (n)
Cue : ellipse (a regular, oval-shaped figure) ENAMOUR (v)
Mean : the leaving out of a word or words from a sentence, Cue : amour – ‘love’
usually represented by three dots in succession (…) Mean : to inflame with love / charm
Ex : We use ellipses all the time even if symbolically, such as Ex : The amorous person felt enamoured with every pretty
using ‘if possible’ for ‘if it is possible’. girl.

ELOQUENT (adj) ENCIPHER (v)

Cue : e – ‘out’ + loqui – ‘to speak’ i.e. to speak out, utter Cue : cipher – ‘a number, a code’
Mean : (1) of speech, writing: fluent and persuasive i.e. Mean : to translate a message into code
ability to speak well Ex : The sensitive information is enciphered before
Ex : The defense lawyer made an eloquent plea for his transmission.
client’s acquittal.
Mean : (2) visibly or vividly expressive ENCUMBER (v)
Ex : The pictures were an eloquent reminder of the power Cue : en – ‘in’ + cumb – ‘obstruction, barrier’ i.e. to hold
of the tsunami disaster. back motion or action

Page 24 Vocabulary and Idioms


Mean : (1) to hold back the motion or action of, as with a
burden; hinder
(2) to load or weigh down, as with claims, debts, etc
Ex : The company is encumbered with heavy liabilities,
which is the reason for its poor performance.
ENCYCLOPEDIA (n)
Cue : en - ‘in’ + cyclos – ‘circle’ + pedia –
Mean : a book or set of books giving info, generally in
articles alphabetically arranged
Ex : Her encyclopedic knowledge makes her excellent at
quizzes.
ENDEMIC (adj)
Cue : en – ‘in’ + dem – ‘people’ i.e. native, indigenous
Mean : (1) native to a particular country or region: said of
plants, animals and sometimes customs
(2) constantly present in a particular region: said of a
disease that is generally under control
Ex : (i) The endemic disease has put the local authorities on
high alert.
(ii) The problem of pollution is endemic in an industrial city.
ENERVATE (v)
Cue : e – ‘out’ + nerve – ‘nerveless, weak’
Don’t misunderstand it to mean either ‘to energise,
invigorate’ or ‘to irritate’
Mean : to deprive of nerve, vitality or strength
Ex : I was enervated by long illness.
ENIGMA (n)
Cue : to speak in riddles
Mean : anything that is difficult to understand; mystery
Ex : I’ve known her since childhood, but she remains an
enigma to me.
ENNUI (n)
Cue : rhyme it with ‘annoy’ i.e. weariness due to prolonged
use
Mean : weariness and dissatisfaction resulting from
inactivity or lack of interest; boredom
Ex : The ennui of a long cruise is relieved by shipboard
activities.
ENTENTE (n)
Cue : en – ‘in, at’ + tent/tend – ‘to stretch’ . to stretch out
for, aim at
Mean : an understanding or agreement, as between
nations; a mutual agreement
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Ex : The recent entente between India and Pakistan still
holds strong
ENTOMOLOGY (n)
Cue : ntomo – ‘insects’ + logy – ‘study’
Mean : study of insects
Ex : Entomology is part of graduate course in biology.
ENUMERATE (v)
Cue : numeral / counting
Mean : to name one by one, list; to count
Ex : The teacher enumerated the benefits of consistent
study.
ENUNICIATE (v)
Cue : rhyme enuncia with ‘pronounce’ and ‘announce’
Mean : (1) to pronounce words or parts of words clearly
Ex : In elocution classes, we are taught to enunciate
with each syllable of the word carefully.
Mean : (2) to state and explain a plan or principle clearly or
formally
Ex : The government could not enunciate its economic
policy.
EPICURE (n)
Cue : From Epicurus - Gr. philosopher: founder of the
Epicurean school, which held that the goal of man should
be a life characterized by serenity of mind and the
enjoyment of moderate pleasure
Mean : a person who takes a special interest in and gets
great pleasure from good food and drink
Ex : He’s a real epicure who knows all the best restaurants
in town.
EQUANIMITY (n)
Cue : equi – ‘even’ + anim – ‘mind / spirit’ i.e. evenness of
mind and temper
Mean : the quality of remaining calm and undisturbed;
evenness of mind or temper; composure
Ex : The Finance Minister’s equanimity in the face of
opposition tirade was creditable.
ERGONOMICS (n)
Cue : ergo – ‘work’ + nomos – ‘systematized knowledge’
Mean : the scientific study of people and their working
conditions, especially done in order to improve
effectiveness
Ex : Ergonomically designed chair has relieved me of my
backache.
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ERRANT (adj)
Cue : err – ‘wander / go astray’
Mean : going astray esp. doing wrong
Ex : The errant bank official should be brought to book.
ERUDITE (adj)
Cue : e – ‘not’ + rudis – ‘rude’ i.e. one who is refined, not
rude
Mean : having deep and extensive knowledge, scholarly,
educated
Ex : The erudite discourses of J. Krishnamurthy are not
easily comprehensible.
ESOTERIC (adj)
Cue : eso – ‘inner, within’ . refers to anything that is inner
and occult. Esoteric originally referred to the secret (vs
public) teachings of Greek philosophers. Esoteric today
refers to anything that is inner.
Mean : that is complex and difficult to grasp except by the
fewer, more perceptive or aware
Ex : The esoteric concept of existentialism is not
understood by ordinary beings.
ETHNOLOGY (n)
Cue : ethno – ‘race / nation’ + logy – ‘study’
Mean : the branch of anthropology that studies
comparatively the cultures of contemporary or recent,
societies or language groups
Ex : Archaeology and ethnology have lots in common.
ETYMOLOGY (n)
Cue : etymos – ‘true, real’ + logy – ‘a word, study’ i.e. the
true sense of a word
Mean : the study of the origin and history of words, or a
study of this type relating to one particular word
Ex : Etymology is related to lexicology.
EULOGY (n)
Cue : eu – ‘good, well’ + logy – ‘speaking’ i.e. to speak well
of
Mean : a speech or piece of writing praising a person
or thing, especially someone who has recently died or
stopped working
Ex : (i) Shakespeare’s eulogy for his beloved is expressed in
his sonnets.
(ii) No one had imagined that the tone of his speech
would be eulogistic.
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EUPHEMISM (n)
Cue : eu – ‘good’ + phem – ‘to say, speak’ i.e. to use words
of good omen
Mean : a mild inoffensive word or phrase used instead of
one thought to be harsh or embarrassing
Ex : (i) ‘Remains’ is a euphemism for ‘corpse’.
(ii) It is a euphemism to say to an employee ‘I am letting you
go’ rather than to say ‘you are fired’.
EVANESCENT (adj)
Cue : vanes – ‘vanish’ + escent – starting to be, being or
becoming’ i.e. vanishing, tending to fade from sight
Mean : lasting for only a short time, then disappearing
quickly and being forgotten
Ex : Material pleasures are evanescent.
EVANGELIST (n)
Cue : angel – ‘Christian mythological character’
Mean : a person who tries to persuade people to become
Christians, often by traveling around and organizing
religious meetings
Ex : Some Christian evangelists have rendered yeoman
service to the tribals.
EVOCATIVE (adj)
Cue : e – ‘out’ + voc/vok – ‘to call, summon’
Mean : that which calls out or brings up emotions and/or
memories
Ex : For me, this sound is evocative of the sea.
EXACERBATE (v)
Cue : ex – ‘thoroughly’ + acer – ‘sharp / bitter’
Mean : (1) to make more intense or sharp; aggravate
(disease, pain, annoyance, etc)
(2) to exasperate; annoy; irritate
Ex : The police action might exacerbate the already tense
situation.
EXCISION (v)
Cue : ex – ‘out’ + cis – ‘cut’ i.e. cut out, removed
Mean : to remove, especially by cutting
Ex : (i) The dry branches of the plant need excision.
(ii) During a three-hour operation, the tumor was excised
from the patient's brain.
EXCORIATE (v)
Cue : ex – ‘out of /off’ + corium – ‘skin’ i.e. strip the skin
from Figurative sense would be to ‘denounce, censure’

Mean : criticize severely, express a very bad opinion of a
book, play
Ex : This play does not excoriate hypocrisy, it flirts with
sophistry to test our sympathies toward unexpected virtue.
EXTRAVAGANT (adj)
Cue : extra – ‘beyond’ + vagant – ‘wander, roam’ i.e.
wander outside or beyond bounds
Mean : going beyond reasonable limits; excessive or
unrestrained
Ex : His extravagant ways have put the entire family into
financial difficulties.
F growing seasons
FACET (n)
Cue : face – ‘aspect’
Mean : surface or anatomy of an object or various aspects
Ex : (i) His multi-faceted personality has put everyone in
doubt.
(ii) The facet of a diamond establishes its value in the
market.
FACILE (adj)
Cue : from Latin, facilis – `easy to do'
Mean : done or achieved with little effort or difficulty,
resourceful or expressing yourself readily
Ex : (i) The crisis had put everyone in trouble, when the
manager came up with a facile solution for a complex
problem.
(ii) The politician dazzled everyone with his facile tongue.
FACETIOUS (adj)
Cue : from facétie – jest
Mean : playful or humorous esp. at an inappropriate time
Ex : Though everyone loved his sense of humor, it was
not appreciated when he interrupted the serious
discussions with his facetious remarks.
FACTIOUS (adj)
Cue : relate it with faction
Mean : arrived at without due care or effort, causing
dissension; quarrelsome
Ex : His factious comments at the press conference
worsened the situation.
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FALLACY (n)
Cue : from Latin fallcia – deceit
Mean : a false notion, a statement or an argument based
on a false or invalid inference
Ex : (i) It is a fallacy to say that women are dependent on
men.
(ii) To say that wealth is everything in life is fallacious.
FALLIBLE (adj)
Cue : from Latin, fallere - to deceive, (fall + able)
Mean : capable of making an error
Ex : (i) Every human is fallible.
(ii) Human fallibility has caused many disasters.
FALLOW (n)
Mean : cultivated land that is not seeded for one or more
Ex : Leaving the agricultural land fallow for a season
restores its fertility and replenishes the lost nutrients.
FASCISM (n)
Mean : a political theory advocating an authoritarian
hierarchical government (as opposed to democracy or
liberalism)
Ex : Fascism originated in Italy around 1922, under the rule
of Benito Mussolini.
FASTIDIOUS (adj)
Cue : fastus – ‘disdain’ + tedious – ‘tiresome’
Mean : possessing or displaying careful, meticulous
attention to detail, difficult to please
Ex : He writes extremely esoteric music, of which the
sound is fastidiously calculated and yet agreeably
spontaneous and imaginative.
FECUND (adj)
Mean : capable of producing offspring or vegetation,
fruitful or marked by intellectual productivity
Ex : (i) The breeder was very pleased with fecundity of the
new she- horse he had bought.
(ii) Children have a fecund imagination which needs proper
guidance and direction.
FERVENT (adj)
Cue : ferv – ‘to boil’
Mean : having or showing great emotion or zeal or
extremely hot, glowing
Ex : Raja Ram Mohan Roy had a fervent desire to
change the outlook of society
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FIDELITY (n)
Cue : from Latin, fid lis, faithful
Mean : (1) faithfulness to obligations, duties, or
observances
(2) exact correspondence with a given quality, condition, or
event
(3) the degree to which an electronic system accurately
reproduces the sound or image of its input signal
Ex : (i) The fidelity to one’s spouse is a priori in
successful matrimony.
(ii) Each company aims at satisfying its consumers with the
fidelity of its products.
(iii) The high fidelity sound produced by the DJ put everyone
in a dancing mood.
FLABBERGASTED (v)
Cue : flabby – ‘not firm’ + aghast
Mean : to cause to be overcome with astonishment,
astound
Ex : The world was flabbergasted at the September
eleventh attack on WTC.
FLAGRANT (adj)
Cue : flagare (to burn)
Mean : conspicuously bad, offensive, or reprehensible; or
flaming, blazing
Ex : A flagrant violation of the suspect’s civil rights helped
him to gain the jury’s sympathy.
FLAIL (n)
Cue : from flagellum - whip
Mean : (1) a manual threshing device with a free-swinging
stick
(2) to beat or strike with or as if with a flail
(3) to wave or swing vigorously
Ex : (i) The trader flailed his horses with the reins.
(ii) The boxers were flailing at each other in the ring.
FLAK (n)
Cue : from German, from fl(ieger)a(bwehr)k(anone) -
aircraft-defense gun
Mean : (1) antiaircraft artillery
(2) excessive or abusive criticism or dissension
Ex : (i) As the bomber neared the target, it had to face heavy
flak.
(ii) She came in for some heavy flak from her parents for not
doing well in her exams.
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FLEDGLING (n)
Mean : a young bird that has recently acquired its flight
feathers or a young or inexperienced person
Ex : (i) The fledgling chic was tethering on the end of the
branch.
(ii) A fledgling business, like a fledgling plant, needs utmost
care.
FLUX (n)
Cue : from flu (flow)
Mean : (1) Continuous change
(2) A discharge of large quantities of fluid
Ex : (i) Our plans are in a state of flux right now.
(ii) The flux from oceanic oil carriers has endangered many
species.
FOIL (v)
Cue : from Latin folium – ‘leaf’, folia – ‘leaves’
Mean : (1) To prevent from being successful; thwart
(2) A thin, flexible leaf or sheet of metal
(3) The reflective metal coating on the back of a glass mirror
Ex : (i) The prisoner’s attempt to escape was foiled when
police received a tip off.
(ii) Silver foil on a looking glass enhances the quality.
FOMENT (v)
Cue : fomentum ‘warm application, poultice’
Mean : (1) To promote the growth of; incite.
(2) to treat with moist heat (as for easing pain)
Ex : (i) Politicians often foment trouble for their own vested
interests.
(ii) We use hot and cold fomentation to relieve pains.
FORE (adj)
Cue : before
Mean : Located at or toward the front; (or) earlier in
order of occurrence; former (or) a prefix
Ex : Various ecological issues have come to the fore
since the discovery of hole in the ozone layer.
FORSAKE (v)
Cue : for + sake (purpose)
Mean : (1) To leave someone especially when he needs you
(2) To leave altogether; abandon
Ex : (i) People who pretend to be your friend forsake you as
soon you face troubles in your life.
(ii) Gautam Budh decided to forsake his kingdom for the
search of truth and wisdom.

FORTE (n)
Cue : fortis, sturdy, strong - The strong part of a sword
blade, between the middle and the hilt
Mean : Something in which a person excels
Ex : I think cooking is not my forte.
FORTITUDE (n)
Cue : from fortis – ‘strong, brave’
Mean : strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or
adversity with courage
Ex : He showed remarkable fortitude even in the face of
severe adversity.
FORTUITOUS (adj)
Cue : relate with the word ‘by chance’
Mean : Happening by accident or chance
Ex : The collapse of its rivals brought fortuitous gains
to the company.
FRACAS (n)
Cue : from fracassare, to make uproar
Mean : A noisy, disorderly fight or quarrel; a brawl
Ex : He was badly injured in Saturday night fracas outside a
disco.
FRUGAL (n)
Cue : related to fruit, sense evolved as ―profitable to
―economical
Mean : Costing little; inexpensive (or) avoiding waste
Ex : A frugal meal of soup and bread was all he could afford.
FULSOME (adj)
Cue : full + some
Mean : Originally offensively flattering or insincere – now
also abundant
Ex : The lady was embarrassed by the fulsome attention she
received from the stranger.
G Mean : to provide with something ornamental (or) to bring
GAINSAY (v)
Mean : (1) to oppose, especially by contradiction
(2) to declare false, deny
Ex : Parents often need to gainsay the desires of teenagers
so as to inculcate responsible behavior in them.
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GALVANIZE (v)
Cue : French galvaniser, after Luigi Galvani (he was the first
to discover that nerve cell and muscle produce electricity)
Mean : (1) to stimulate to action
Ex : Western charities were galvanized into action by TV
pictures of earthquake-hit regions.
Mean : (2) to cover with zinc
(3) to stimulate (muscles) by administering a shock
Ex : After being hit by the whip, the horse galvanized to a
gallop.
GAMBOL (n)
Cue : from gambate – ‘to leap around’
Mean : to leap about playfully; frolic
Ex : Lambs were gamboling about in the spring sunshine.
GARGANTUAN (adj)
Cue : After the amiable giant king in a 16th century satirical
novel Gargantua
Mean : of immense size, volume, or capacity, gigantic
Ex : An elephant has a gargantuan appetite.
GARGOYLE (n)
Cue : somewhat related to gargle + yle
Mean : (1) a grotesque ornamental figure or projection
with a long neck / spout for throwing rainwater clear of a
building
(2) a person of bizarre or grotesque appearance
Ex : Gargoyles can be often found on the rooftops of old
church buildings.
GARNER (n)
Cue : variant of granary
Mean : (1) to gather and store in or as if in a granary
Ex : Squirrels garner nuts and various tit bits for winters.
(2) to amass, acquire
Ex : NASA garnered sufficient information about ‘planet’
Pluto.
GARNISH (n)
Cue : garnir – ‘to provide/protect’
garnishment proceedings
Ex : Garnish the dish with condiments.
GARRULOUS (adj)
Cue : from garrire – ‘to chatter’
Mean : (1) full of trivial conversation
(2) Wordy and rambling
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Ex : Garrulous children often attract attention and win over
hearts easily.
GASTRONOME (n)
Cue : gastro – ‘stomach’
Mean : a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment
(especially good food and drink)
Ex : (i) Being a gastronome he insisted on a five course meal
daily.
(ii) The dish was a gastronomic delight.
GAUCHE (adj)
Cue : from Fr. Gauche = ‘awkward, tactless’
Mean : Lacking social polish; tactless
Ex : ‘The excellent manners followed by the rich always
make me feel gauche
GENE (n)
Cue : from Greek genos ‘birth, race’
Mean : (1) a segment of DNA that is involved in
producing a polypeptide chain; it is considered a unit of
heredity
(2) also a suffix, variant of ‘-gen, -genous, -geny, -gony’:
bearing, producing, giving birth, producer
Ex : Mental retardation is believed to be caused by a
defective gene.
GENESIS (n)
Cue : related to genos – ‘race, birth, descent’
Mean : (1) the coming into being of something; the origin
(2) even used as a suffix which means ‘origin; production’
Ex : Research on genesis of cancer has raised more
questions than answers.
GENIAL (adj)
Cue : from Greek geneion – ‘chin’
Mean : (1) of or relating to the chin or median part of the
lower jaw
Ex : In the accident he suffered a fracture in the genial
region.
Mean : (2) having a pleasant or friendly disposition or
manner
Ex : His genial and pleasant manner made him popular
among his employees.
Mean : (3) conducive to life, growth, or comfort
Ex : The genial climate of Shimla worked wonders with his
health.
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GENITOR (n)
Cue : from generator
Mean : (1) a natural father or mother
(2) one who produces or creates
Ex : Genitors take care of their progeny till they are grown
up enough to sustain themselves.
GENUFLECT (v)
Cue : genu – ‘knee’ + Flectere – ‘bend’
Mean : to bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor or
ground, as in worship
Ex : People often genuflect in front of an altar while praying
in a church.
GEOLOGY (n)
Cue : geo – ‘earth’ + logy – ‘speech/study’
Mean : the science dealing with the physical nature and
history of the earth
Ex : The science of Geology has taken rapid strides over the
past few decades.
GERMANE (adj)
Cue : Of the same seed or embryo, of the same blood
Mean : having close kinship and appropriateness
Ex : The manager asked questions that were germane and
central to the labor problem issue.
GERRYMANDER (v)
Cue : Early 19th century. Blend of Elbridge Gerry +
Salamander, from the shape of an electoral district he
created to favor his own party
Mean : to divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so
as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections
Ex : The boundary changes were denounced as blatant
gerrymandering by the opposition party.
GILD (v)
Cue : from old English gylden – ‘gold’ – covered with gold
Mean : (1) decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid
gold
(2) a formal association of people with similar interests
(also guild)
(3) to give an often deceptively attractive or improved
appearance to
Ex : The famous gilded temple of Amritsar attracts a huge
number of tourists each day.

GIRTH (n)
Cue : variant of girdle = belt on the horse
Mean : (1) the distance around something; the
circumference
Ex : The tree’s girth is more than a meter.
Mean : (2) strap encircling an animal's body in order to
secure a load or saddle on its back, a cinch
(3) the distance around a person's body
Ex : If the girth is not secured properly, the rider is in the risk
of slipping while riding the horse.
GLEAN (v)
Cue : from glennare – ‘make a collection’
Mean : (1) to gather grain left behind by reapers
Ex : The gleaners provide an enriched fodder for the cattle.
Mean : (2) to collect bit by bit
Ex : The project reports have been prepared on hard core
facts gleaned from various anonymous sources.
GLIB (adj)
Cue : Short form from old German, gliberrig – ‘slippery’
Mean : (1) performed with a natural, offhand ease
(2) showing little thought, preparation, or concern
Ex : The politician’s glib answers on latest scandals could
not convince his party members.
GLUT (v)
Cue : from gloter – ‘to swallow, gulp down’
Mean : (1) to eat or indulge in something excessively
Ex : The vultures glutted themselves when the predator had
its fill on the prey.
Mean : (2) an oversupply
Ex : Today brand names for various household utilities are
in a glut in the market.
GORGE (n)
Cue : gurges – ‘gullet, throat, jaws’
Mean : (1) a deep narrow passage with steep rocky sides, a
ravine
(2) a narrow entrance into the outwork of a fortification
(3) the throat, the gullet
(4) instance of gluttonous eating
(5) the contents of the stomach; something swallowed
(6) a mass obstructing a narrow passage
Ex : (i) The gory sight made my gorge rise.
(ii) A shipping lane got blocked by an ice gorge.
(iii) The children who came to the party gorged themselves
with candy.
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GORY (adj)
Cue : from gore – ‘blood’
Mean : (1) covered or stained with gore; bloody
(2) full of or characterized by bloodshed and violence
Ex : The gory details of the operation left the listeners weak
at their knees.
GOSSAMER (n)
Mean : (1) characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy
(2) so thin as to transmit light
Ex : The dew drops have outlined the fine gossamer of the
spider’s web.
Mean : (3) a gauze fabric with an extremely fine texture
(4) filaments from a cobweb
Ex : The bride wore a veil of fine gossamer.
GOURMET (n)
Cue : Originally a variant of glutton, later taken to mean a
person of refined tastes
Mean : (1) a person devoted to refined sensuous
enjoyment (especially good food and drink)
Ex : He is a gourmet when it comes to wine.
Mean : (2) a connoisseur of fine food and drink
Ex : The restaurant is known for its gourmet food.
GRANDILOQUENT (adj)
Cue : grandis – ‘great’ + loqu – ‘to speak’
Mean : pompous or bombastic speech or expression
Ex : Though her speech was full of grandiloquent language
yet it contained no new ideas to impress the board
members.
GRATIS (adj)
Cue : Contraction of gratiis – ‘for thanks’
Mean : without charge
Ex : Disabled children were taken to the amusement park
ex gratis.
GREGARIOUS (adj)
Cue : from gregare – ‘herd’
Mean : (1) Seeking and enjoying the company of others,
sociable
(2) tending to form a group with others of the same kind
Ex : Man is a gregarious animal.
GRIT (n)
Cue : from greot – ‘sand, dust, earth, gravel’
Mean : (1) minute rough granules, as of sand or stone
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(2) a coarse hard sandstone used for making grindstones Ex : Gyroscope exerts very little force on its surface ensuring
and millstones; very little friction.
(3) indomitable spirit, pluck;
(4) to clamp (the teeth) together;
(5) to make a grinding noise;
(6) to cover with grit
Ex : (i) Roads covered with snowfall and sludge need to be H
covered with grit to avoid slipping of tyres.
(ii) It requires real grit to admit wrongdoing in public.

HABEAS CORPUS (n)

GROTESQUE (adj)
Cue : from Grotto ― ‘caves’
Mean : (1) characterized by ludicrous or incongruous
distortion, as of appearance or manner
(2) outlandish or bizarre, as in character or appearance
(3) a work of art executed in this style
Ex : The hall of mirrors showed a grotesque reflection in
each mirror.
GUILLOTINE (n)
Cue : On the name of its inventor J Guillotine
Mean : (1) a device, invented in France, consisting of a
sharp blade in a tall frame which was used in the past for
killing criminals by cutting off their heads
(2) a limit on the amount of discussion allowed about a
particular law in Parliament
Ex : (i) King Louis XVI was executed with a guillotine during
the French revolution.
(ii) The bill was finally discussed under guillotine due
to its controversial nature.
GUNG-HO (adj)
Cue : gng – ‘work’ + he – ‘together’
Mean : extremely enthusiastic and dedicated
Ex : Mrs. Parsons had organized the village fête with her
customary gung-ho zeal.
GUST (n)
Cue : Originally in English as a nautical term
Mean : (1) a sudden strong wind
(2) used figuratively for something happening suddenly
Ex : A sudden gust of wind blew my umbrella inside out.
GYROSCOPE (n)
Cue : gyro – ‘a spinning device’ + scope
Mean : a device containing a wheel which spins freely
within a frame, used on aircraft and ships to help keep them
horizontal
Cue : habeas – ‘to have, to hold’ + corpus – ‘person’ . ‘body’
Mean : to present in person (in a court of law)
Ex : Not finding a clue to the whereabouts of his son, who
had earlier been taken away by the police, the father filed
a habeas corpus petition.
HABILIMENT (n)
Cue : habile – ‘to make suitable’
Mean : attire, dress, apparel
Ex : A nun’s habiliment is typical.
HACKNEYED (adj)
Mean : worn out by overuse
Ex : The film flopped as its plot was hackneyed.
HAEMATOLOGY (n)
Cue : haema – ‘blood’ + logy – ‘study’
Mean : study of blood
Ex : Haematology has come to the centre stage due to the
spread of AIDS.
HALCYON (adj)
Cue : hal – ‘sea’ + alkyon – ‘kingfisher’ . A legendary bird,
identified with the kingfisher, supposed to have a peaceful,
calming influence on the sea.
Mean : usually used in the phrase halcyon days . a period in
the past which was completely happy and free of trouble
Ex : I remember my school life as those wonderful halcyon
days when there were hardly any worries in my life.
HALLOW (v)
Cue : halli – ‘holy’
Mean : to make holy or sacred
Ex : The hallowed appearance of the saint among them
rejuvenated the gathering.
HALLUCINATION (n)
Mean : an illusive perception of seeing or hearing things,
indicating disorder of the nervous system

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Ex : Drugs generate hallucinations. HEDONISM (v)

Cue : hedon – ‘pleasure’
HAPLESS (adj) Mean : the belief that pleasure is the most important thing
Cue : hap – ‘suitable/luck’ + less in life; a lifestyle devoted to enjoyment
Mean : luckless, unfortunate Ex : Our politicians believe more in hedonism than in public
Ex : The car ran over the hapless beggar lying beside the good.
road.
HEGEMONY (n)
HARANGUE (v) Cue : hegemon – ‘leader’
Cue : related to ‘harass’ . a scolding speech that would Mean : leadership or dominance, esp. that of one state or
harass you nation over others
Mean : a long, blustering, noisy or scolding speech; tirade Ex : American hegemony has resulted into a unipolar world.
Ex : The father harangued the teenager for being late at
night. HELIOS (n)
Cue : heli – ‘sun/spiral’
HARBINGER (n) Mean : (Greek) mythical sun-god who drove his chariot
Cue : heri – ‘army’ + berga – ‘shelter’ daily across the sky
{Originally a person sent ahead (of a fighting force) to Ex : Do the Greeks still worship Helios?
arrange for lodgings}
Mean : a sign of something to come, heralding the events HERESY (n)
to come Cue : from Greek, heiresis – ‘opinion’
Ex : Newton is widely perceived to be the harbinger of Mean : an opinion contrary to accepted beliefs, non-
modern science. conforming
Ex : Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake for heresy.
HAUGHTY (adj)
Cue : haute – “high in one’s own estimation” HETERODOX (adj)
Mean : proud, arrogant Cue : hetero – ‘different’ + dox – ‘belief’
Ex : A haughty attitude creates enemies. Mean : departing from or opposed to the usual beliefs or
established doctrines, esp. in religion; inclining toward
HAUNT (n/v) heresy; unorthodox
Cue : ‘habitat’; your favourite hang out, where you visit Ex : A myth-breaking opinion has always been considered
frequently heterodox.
Mean : to frequent, to recur, to linger in the mind, to be
visited by ghosts HIBERNATION (n)
Ex : (i) This restaurant is my favourite haunt. Cue : hibernal – ‘of or pertaining to winter; wintry’
(ii) Memories of the hospital haunt me. Mean : to pass the winter in a state of sleep/torpid state
(iii) This house is haunted. Ex : Lizards go into hibernation in winter.

HAVEN (n) HIEROCRACY (n)

Cue : related to ‘have’ – a place of safety Cue : hier – ‘sacred’ + cracy – ‘governance’
Mean : (1) a port; harbor Mean : government by priests
(2) any sheltered, safe place; refuge Ex : Vatican is a hierocracy.
Ex : (i) Mauritius is a tax haven; Goa is a tourist haven.
(ii) The Don’s house provided a safe haven to the fugitive. HILARIOUS (adj)
Cue : hilaris – ‘cheerful’
HEADSTRONG (adj) Mean : very funny, jolly, mirthful
Mean : stubborn, self-willed, unyielding Ex : The film is a hilarious comedy.
Ex : The headstrong girl who was in love, refused to marry
the man of her parent’s choice.

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HINDSIGHT (n) Ex : Talent has to be honed with diligence and hard work to
Cue : hind – ‘back’ + sight achieve success.
Mean : ability to see, after the event, what should have
been done HOODLUM (n)
Ex : With hindsight, we see the mistakes we have made. Cue : relate with lumpen – ‘contemptible rowdy’
Mean : a rowdy, street bully, petty criminal; thug or
HISTRIONIC (adj/n) gangster
Cue : histrio – ‘actor’ i.e. pertaining to an actor Ex : The police rounded up the hoodlums.
Mean : (1) to do with acting or the theatre
Ex : The histrionic talents of this schoolboy have surpassed HOOPLA (n)
those of a professional actor. Cue : hoop – ‘a circular band, ring or arch’
Mean : (2) behaving or done in a too theatrical way, esp. in Mean : (1) referring to funfair game in which rings are
showing feelings that are insincere or pretended i.e. thrown over prizes
exaggerated emotional displays, indulged in purely for (2) showy publicity, great excitement designed to bewilder
effect Ex : The film-maker created a lot of hoopla; but the movie
Ex : In a display of histrionics, she sobbed at her ex – flopped at the box-office.
husband’s funeral.
HORLOGE (n)
HOARY (adj) Cue : horo – ‘time/hour’ + loge – ‘logic’
Mean : (1) very old and familiar and therefore, not Mean : a time-piece, clock
interesting or amusing Ex : I bought a new horloge for my House.
(2) (of a person) very old and white or grey-haired
Ex : Nobody laughed at his hoary old jokes. HORRENDOUS (adj)
Cue : relate with ‘horror’
HOLISTIC (adj) Mean : horrible, dreadful, frightening
Cue : relate with ‘hol/whole’ Ex : The horrendous triple murder shocked everybody.
Mean : considering things as a whole/in totality
Ex : Treatment of diseases like cancer needs holistic HORTATORY (adj)
approach. Cue : hortare – ‘cheer/energy’
Mean : serving to encourage or urge to good deeds;
HOMEOSTATIS (n) exhorting, giving advice
Cue : homos – ‘same’ + statis – ‘state’ Ex : The speeches of mass leaders are invariably hortatory.
Mean : tendency of a system to maintain relative stability
Ex : There is a close relationship between the body’s HOSPICE (n)
immune system and homeostasis. Cue : related to ‘hospitality’
Mean : lodging for travelers, spec. a nursing home for the
HOMILY (n) terminally ill
Cue : homilia – ‘sermon’ Ex : Too ill to stay at home, the AIDS patient spent his last
Mean : a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse, usu. on days at the hospice.
how one should behave
Ex : The principal’s constant homilies about the need to HUE (n)
maintain discipline in the school did not have any effect on Cue : hue – ‘form, appearance’
the group. Mean : (1) orig., general appearance; aspect
(2) variety of colour
HONE (v) Ex : (i) He is a man of somber hue.
Cue : hon – ‘stone’ (ii) The diamond in her ring reflected all the hues of the
Mean : sharpen, as on a stone; make something suitable rainbow.
for its purpose

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HUMBUG (n)
Cue : humus – ‘earth/soil’ + bug, which implies nonsense
Mean : (1) talk or behaviour intended to deceive, nonsense
(2) a person who is not what he claims to be; impostor
Ex : Don’t believe his stories; they are all humbug.
HUNCH (n)
Cue : relate hun with ‘hint’
Mean : (1) a strong intuitive feeling
(2) a bent or crooked posture
Ex : (i) I have a hunch that we shall win the match.
(ii) The old age has caused a hunch in his posture.
HUSBANDRY (n)
Mean : (1) to manage or use thriftily in order to save your
resources
(2) farming
Ex : (i) He saved a lot for his old age by way of husbandry.
(ii) Animal husbandry is a side-business for farmers.
HYBRID (n)
Cue : relate with ‘breed’
Mean : a mixture of two different things, usu. of a better
quality than the individual things
Ex : The hybrid variety of wheat heralded the Green
Revolution.
HYPERVENTILATE (v)
Cue : hyper – ‘excessive’ + vent – ‘to move’
Mean : to breathe abnormally fast
Ex : Asthma often causes hyperventilation in patients.
HYPOCHONDRIA (n)
Cue : hypo – ‘beneath/less than’ + chondros – ‘cartilage’ i.e.
illness without a specific cause
Mean : an unreasonable anxiety about health; imaginary
illnesses
Ex : She suffers from hypochondria and thinks that each
sneeze is the onset of a fatal disease.
I IMBUE (v)
ICONOCLAST (n)
Cue : icon – ‘image’
Mean : a person opposing conventional beliefs
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Ex : Human civilization owes a lot to iconoclasts and
original thinkers.
IDIOSYNCRASY (n)
Cue : idio – ‘one’s own, peculiar’ + syn – ‘together’ + crasy
– ‘eccentricity’ i.e. temperament, mixture of personal
characteristics
Mean : peculiarity of temperament or mental constitution,
oddity
Ex : The idiosyncrasies of the aged are very difficult to put
up with.
IDYLLIC (adj)
Cue : relate with ‘ideal environment’
Mean : relating to a pleasant (almost ideal) phase of one's
life, usu. in a peaceful, non-urban environment
Ex : The hill station will be an idyllic setting for me,
providing a big relief from the stressful environment I am
working in.
IGNEOUS (n)
Cue : ignis – ‘agni’ (fire) + ous – ‘having property of’
Mean : produced by fire, volcano
Ex : Igneous rocks have been made out of volcanic lava.
IGNOMINIOUS (n)
Cue : ig – ‘not’ + nom – ‘name’ i.e. loss of a (good) name
Mean : shameful, dishonorable, disgraceful
Ex : Indian Cricket team suffered an ignominious defeat at
the hands of cricketing minnows, Bangladesh.
ILLICIT (adj)
Cue : il – ‘prefix in’ (not) before L + licit – ‘law’
Mean : unlawful, unauthorized, forbidden
Ex : Illicit liquor is the creation of prohibition.
ILLUSTRIOUS (adj)
Cue : lustr . ‘luster’ (to light up, bright)
Mean : distinguished, renowned, eminent
Ex : An illustrious personality like Gandhiji is a beacon of
light for generations to come.
Mean : (1) to fill with color; dye; tinge
(2) to permeate or inspire (with principles, ideas, emotions,
etc.) i.e. you imbue something or someone with a quality
Ex : The experience imbued him with a confidence that
was invaluable.
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IMMACULATE (adj)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + maculate – ‘spot’
Mean : spotless, free from error, pure, clean
Ex : He is always immaculately dressed.
IMMURE (v)
Cue : im – ‘in’ + muris – ‘wall’ i.e. to enclose within four
walls
Mean : to imprison, confine within four walls
Ex : Great thinkers immure themselves to gain privacy
and concentration.
IMMUTABLE (adj)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + mut – ‘change’
Mean : unchangeable, determinate, constant
Ex : Nothing is immutable in life.
IMPALE (v)
Cue : im – ‘in’ + pale – ‘pole’ i.e. to pierce or fix with a
pointed object
Mean : to torture or kill by fixing on a sharp stake (pole),
pierce
Ex : He was impaled by the spear hurled at him.
IMPALPABLE (adj)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + palp – ‘touch / feel’
Mean : which cannot be felt, touched or understood
Ex : The dust particles in the air are almost invisible and
impalpable.
IMPECUNIOUS (adj)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + pecunia – ‘money, property’ . without
money
Mean : having little or no money, poor
Ex : The rich can afford to be charitable as they are not
impecunious.
IMPEL (v)
Cue : im – ‘into’ + pel – ‘to push into motion’
Mean : urge or drive by force
Ex : He was impelled by events to take a stand.
IMPERIOUS (adj)
Cue : relate imper with ‘imperial’ but in a negative tone
Mean : arrogant or overbearing; domineering or dictatorial
Ex : Imperious government officials close their eyes to the
plight of the public.
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IMPERTINENT (adj)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + pertinent – ‘pertain’ i.e. unconnected,
unrelated
Mean : (1) not pertinent; having no connection with a given
matter; irrelevant
(2) not showing proper respect or manners; not respectful
Ex : The pupil was punished for his impertinent questions to
the teacher.
IMPERVIOUS (adj)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + pervious – ‘letting things through’ .
incapable of passing through
Mean : (1) incapable of being penetrated e.g. by moisture
(2) not affected by: with to
Ex : His addictions have made him impervious to sound
advice.
IMPETUOUS (adj)
Cue im – ‘in’ + pet – ‘to seek, to rush at, fall’
Mean : marked with impulsive vehemence; quick to act
without thinking
Ex : A share broker can’t afford to be impetuous.
IMPLACABLE (adj)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + plac – ‘please’ i.e. hard to please
Mean : not able to be appeased, reconciled or changed
Ex : He is implacable; you just can’t do anything to gratify
him.
IMPLICATE (v)
Cue : im – ‘in’ + plic – ‘involve, entangle’
Mean : to show to be involved, usu. in an unlawful act
Ex : The top brass of the bank have been implicated in the
scam.
IMPLORE (v)
Cue : im – ‘upon’ + plore – ‘to cry out / weep’ i.e. invoke
with weeping
Mean : to seek earnestly, appeal, beg
Ex : The accused implored the judge to have mercy.
IMPORTUNE (v)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + port – ‘harbour’ i.e. having no harbour
Mean : to make repeated and forceful requests for
something, usu. In an annoying and inconvenient way
Ex : The moment you step into the market, you are
importuned for.

IMPOTENT (adj)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + potent – ‘power’ i.e. having no power to
accomplish anything
Mean : weak, powerless, lacking physical strength
Ex : He found himself impotent to resist the urge for drugs.
IMPROMPTU (adj)
Cue : im – ‘in’ + prompt – ‘readiness’ i.e. in readiness
Mean : not planned ahead of time; offhand; on the
spur of the moment
Ex : He had to put up an impromptu show when his name
was suddenly announced.
IMPUDENT (adj)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + pudence – ‘modesty / shame’
Mean : shamelessly brazen, arrogant, rude
Ex : The impudent ways of the neo-rich often bring
them into disrepute.
IMPUGN (v)
Cue : im – ‘upon’ + pugn – ‘to fight’ i.e. to assault, to attack
Mean : to attack by argument or criticism; oppose or
challenge as false or questionable
Ex : The defense lawyer impugned the witness’s testimony,
which set back the prosecution’s case.
IMPUNITY (n)
Cue : im – ‘not’ + pun – ‘punishment’ i.e. unpunished
Mean : freedom from punishment; freedom from danger
and regret
Ex : We flout the traffic rules with impunity.
INANIMATE (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + anim – ‘life / mind / spirit’
Mean : lifeless, spiritless, dead matter
Ex : The inanimate objects too have an aura of their own.
INCARNATION (n)
Cue : in + carn – ‘flesh’ i.e. physical form: appearance in
human form
Mean : a person who embodies in the flesh a deity, spirit,
or quality.
Ex : Hinduism and Buddhism believe in incarnation and
rebirth.
INCENDIARY (n)
Cue : in + cend/cin – ‘fire’
Mean : capable of causing fire; hence, tending to cause
trouble or rouse passions
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Ex : The communal strife appears to be the handiwork
of an incendiary.
INCESSANT (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + cess – ‘to stop’
Mean : never ceasing, continual
Ex : There has been an incessant demand by some
politicians for a uniform civil code.
INCIPIENT (adj)
Cue :cip/cept – ‘begin, to take’
Mean : just beginning to appear; in an initial stage
Ex : The incipient democracy in Pakistan was soon
overwhelmed by an overbearing military junta.
INCISIVE (adj)
Cue : in + cis – ‘to cut’
Mean : cutting into; going directly to the main point of the
matter; clear, penetrating
Ex : An incisive analysis of performance needs feedback
also.
INCITE (v)
Cue : in + cite – ‘arouse / urge’
Mean : to urge to action, stir up, egg on
Ex : Slick ads incite materialism.
INCLEMENT (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + clement – ‘mild, placid’
Mean : (1) (of weather or climate) physically severe, not
favorable
(2) used of persons or behavior; showing no clemency or
mercy
Ex : The inclement weather put paid to all his plans.
INCOGNITO (adj)
Cue :in – ‘not’ + gno/cogn – ‘to know’
Mean : true identity unrevealed or disguised
Ex : The minister took a round of the office premises
incognito.
INCOMMUNICADO (adj/adv)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + comm/commun – ‘together’
Mean : in solitary confinement, cut-off from
communication
Ex : The prisoners were held incommunicado in solitary
confinement.
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INCONDITE (adj) INDICT (v)

Cue : in – ‘not’ + con – ‘with, together’
Mean : not well put together
Ex : His presentation was incondite.
INCONTROVERTIBLE (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + contro – ‘against’ + vert – ‘turn’ . which
cannot be turned against
Mean : indisputable, unquestionable, undeniable
Ex : The incontrovertible evidence nailed his guilt.
INCORPOREAL (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + corp – ‘body’
Mean : having no material body or form
Ex : The sages of ancient India are said to have had
incorporeal powers.
INCUBATE (v)
Cue : in – ‘on’ + cub/cumb – cubare – ‘to lie down’
Mean : keep eggs warm till they are hatched (2) plan an
idea over a period of time
Ex : The plans for opening an old age home has been
incubating in his mind for several months but now he has
finally decided to go ahead.
INCULPATE (v)
Cue : in + culp – ‘blame’
Mean : put to blame
Ex : The witness was inculpated for perjury.
INCUMBENT (adj/n)
Cue : in – ‘on’ + cumb – ‘to lie down / recline’
Mean : (1) lying, resting or pressing with its weight on
something else
(2) currently in office
Ex : The onus lies on the incumbent to disprove the charge.
INCUR (v)
Cue : in – ‘into/upon’ + cur – ‘to run’ i.e. run into or against
Mean : to suffer or become liable for; to bring upon yourself
Ex : The drunkard had to incur the wrath of his wife.
INDENTURE (n)
Cue : in + dent – ‘tooth’
Mean : a binding contract, a deed under seal, esp. of an
apprentice or a servant
Ex : The new recruit had to sign an indenture to serve his
employers for at least two years after completion of his
apprenticeship.
Cue : in – ‘in’ + dict/dit – ‘to say’
Mean : to accuse of, or to charge with, a crime
Ex : The minister was indicted by the Supreme Court for
severe dereliction of duty.
INDIGNATION (n)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + dign – ‘worth’ i.e. regard as unworthy, be
angry or displeased at
Mean : anger at something considered to be unjust or
wrong
Ex : Fear the indignation of the righteous.
INDITE (v)
Cue : in – ‘in’ + dit/dict – ‘to say’
Mean : to put into words, compose, set down in writing –
say a speech or a poem
Ex : He indited many letters to her in order to revive the
relationship.
INDOLENT (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + dol – ‘grieving, suffer pain’ . freedom from
pain, insensibility
Mean : habitually lazy, disinclination to exert
Ex : In summers, we tend to become indolent.
INDUBITABLE (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + dub – ‘doubt’
Mean : certain; doubtless; unquestionable
Ex : The limitations of allopathic medication are
indubitable.
INDUCTIVE (adj)
Cue : duct – ‘to lead’ . leading from specific to general
Mean : pertaining to induction i.e. proceeding from
specific to general; also introductory
Ex : The inductive reasoning has led to many inventions.
INEFFABLE (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + fab – ‘effabilis’ . (to speak) . not utter able
Mean : too overwhelming to be expressed in words
Ex : The ineffable grief of the victim’s parents was heart-
rending.
INEPT (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + ept – apt – ‘fit, suitable’
Mean : clumsy, incompetent, lacking skill
Ex : The inept handling of the case led to failure of the
project.

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INEXORABLE (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + exor – ‘to move by entreaty’
Mean : that cannot be moved or influenced by
persuasion or entreaty; unrelenting; stubborn
Ex : The inexorable suffering toughened him up.
INFERNAL (adj)
Cue : inferior . ‘of the lower regions’
Mean : (1) like, or related to, hell; devilish
(2) extremely unpleasant, terrible
Ex : The child labour is often made to work in infernal
conditions.
INFIDEL (n)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + fid – ‘faith’
Mean : a non-believer
Ex : Certain groups recommend strong action against
infidels.
INFINITESIMAL (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + fin – ‘end’ + simal – ‘small’
Mean : infinitely small
Ex : The number of people offering to donate their organs
after death is infinitesimal.
INFLECT (v)
Cue : in + flect – ‘bend’
Mean : (1) to alter (the voice) in tone or pitch; modulate
(2) to turn from a course or a specified alignment; bend
Ex : People inflect their voices according to their audience.
INFRACTION (n)
Cue : fract/fringe – ‘to break’
Mean : breach, violation of law or custom
Ex : The infraction of defense treaty between the two
countries was a forgone conclusion.
INFUSION (n)
Cue : in + fus – ‘to pour’
Mean : pouring in, stimulation
Ex : The infusion of criminals in politics is a bad omen
indeed.
INGENUOUS (adj)
Cue : in + genus – ‘creation’ i.e. that which is inborn .
freeborn, noble
Mean : straight forward, free from deception, often
naïve/unsophisticated, innocent
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Ex : An ingenuous villager will not find life to be easy in a
metropolis.
INGRATE (adj)
Cue : in + grat – ‘to please / favour’
Mean : ungrateful
Ex : The ingrate makes us cherish the faithful.
INIQUITOUS (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + iqui – ‘equal / just’
Mean : very unjust or wicked, unrighteous; a sin or immoral
act
Ex : The dictator is invariably an iniquitous ruler.
INNATE (adj)
Cue : in + nat – ‘natural / inborn’
Mean : inborn, natural, inherent
Ex : The strong physique of the Africans is innate.
INNOCUOUS (adj)
Cue : in – ‘without’ + noc – ‘harm’
Mean : (1) that does not injure or harm; harmless
(2) not controversial, offensive or stimulating; dull and
uninspiring
Ex : The innocuous looking medicine caused a strong
reaction.
INQUEST (n)
Cue : que/qui – ‘to seek’
Mean : an official esp. judicial inquiry, court of legal
proceedings
Ex : Criminals have to face court inquest.
INSALUBRIOUS (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + salus – ‘health’
Mean : unwholesome, not healthful
Ex : Fast food is often junk food, which is insalubrious.
INSIDIOUS (adj)
Cue : sid – ‘to plan / plot / lie in wait’
Mean : deceptive, treacherous, devious; apparently
harmless, but deadly
Ex : An insidious trap set up by the enemy caused the
explosion.
INSIPID (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + sip – ‘tasty, having a taste’
Mean : dull, tasteless, flat, lacking flavour
Ex : His performance on the stage was insipid and boring.
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INSOMNIA (n) Mean : period between two reigns, governments, when the
Cue : in – ‘not’ + somn – ‘sleep’ country has no sovereign
Mean : sleeplessness, inability to sleep Ex : Prolonged interregnum has occasionally been the cause
Ex : Since he suffers from insomnia he takes sleeping pills. of civil wars in the past.

INSURGENCE (n) INTESTATE (adj)

Cue : surge – ‘rising’ . one who rises in revolt
Mean : a rising in revolt, uprising
Ex : The insurgence in north-east is yet to be tamed
completely.
INTER (v)
Cue : in + terra – ‘earth’
Mean : to bury, entomb, inhume
Ex : The body was interred in the burial ground.
INTERCEDE (v)
Cue : inter – ‘between’ + cede – ‘to yield/give’
Mean : to act as peacemaker between two parties, to
arbitrate
Ex : The U.N. had to intercede in Bosnia.
INTERDICT (v)
Cue : inter – ‘between’ + dict – ‘to say’ i.e. to speak between
Mean : prohibit, forbid
Ex : Nations must interdict violent and terrorist acts.
INTERLOCUTION (n)
Cue : inter – ‘between’ + locu/loqu – ‘to speak’
Mean : taking part in a dialogue, conference
Ex : Any talk show involving representatives of rival parties
requires an interlocutor who moderates.
INTERNECINE (adj)
Cue : inter – ‘mutual’ + necare – ‘kill / destroy’
Mean : deadly to both sides, mutually destructive
Ex : The internecine conflicts among various tribes /
communities in Afghanistan have hindered the
development of the country.
INTERPOLATE (v)
Cue : inter – ‘between’ + polate – ‘polish / alter’
Mean : to insert, interject
Ex : While editing a poetic anthology, interpolation often
becomes necessary.
INTERREGNUM (n)
Cue : inter – ‘between’ + regn/rex – ‘reign, to rule’
Cue : test – ‘witness’. Also relate with estate (property)
Mean : dying without making a will
Ex : An intestate death often leads to family feuds.
INTIMIDATE (v)
Cue : tim – ‘fear / frighten’
Mean : frighten, inspire with fear
Ex : The US is trying to intimidate the fledgling democracy.
INTREPID (adj)
Cue : in – ‘not’ + trep/trem – ‘shake’ . that can’t be shaken
Mean : daring, brave, fearless
Ex : The intrepid Air Force fliers are the backbone of our
armed forces.
INTROMIT (v)
Cue : intro – ‘on the inside, within’ + mit/mission – ‘cause
to enter’
Mean : to let in, introduce, send in
Ex : The judge did not permit the defense lawyer to intromit
the witness again.
INVEIGH (v)
Cue : in + vehere – ‘bring in/to carry’
Mean : to make a violent verbal attack; talk or write bitterly
(against)
Ex : The self-serving politicians often inveigh against
corrupting western influences.
INVESTITURE (n)
Cue : in + vest – ‘to dress, clothe’ . to clothe in the official
robes of an office
Mean : a formal investing as with an office or authority,
often with appropriate symbols or robes
Ex : The investiture ceremony was attended by a
number of dignitaries.
INVETERATE (adj)
Cue : vetus – ‘old’
Mean : deep-rooted, long standing, habitual, by age or
persistence
Ex : He has an inveterate fear of the unknown.

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INVIDIOUS (adj) Ex : A bohemian’s life-style is itinerant.

Cue : vid – ‘to see’ or related it with envious
Mean : likely to provoke ill-will, envy or hatred
Ex : An invidious approach can put you to peril.

IPSO FACTO (adv) J

Mean : by the very fact
Ex : His hurried arrival ipso facto reveals his anxiety.
JACTATION (n)
IRASCIBLE (adj)
Cue : jactare/ jectare – ‘toss about/ throwing’
Cue : ira/ire – ‘anger’
Mean : boasting, bragging; also relates to toss about
Mean : easily angered, irritable
Ex : His jactation is laughed about at his back.
Ex : The irascible scholar is kind at heart.

JADED (adj)
IRIDESCENT (adj)
Mean : tired; worn-out; dulled or satiated, as from
Cue : iris – ‘rainbow’ + escent – ‘reflecting light’
overindulgence
Mean : showing colors like those of rainbow, changing
Ex : The jaded socialist was suffering from ennui.
color with position
Ex : The iridescent hues of the dancer’s dress were
JANITOR (n)
shimmering in the interplay of lights.
Cue : janus – ‘gate/arched passageway’ + tor – ‘suffix –
agent’
IRREVOCABLE (adj)
Mean : caretaker of a building, attendant, gatekeeper
Cue : voc – ‘to call’ . that can’t be called back
Ex : The janitor of the building is absent today.
Mean : that can’t be revoked/recalled/repeated/brought
back
JAUNTY (adj)
Ex : The words that leave your mouth are irrevocable.
Cue : gentis – ‘gentle’
Mean : having an easy, sprightly manner
IRRUPT (v)
Ex : A jaunty salesman is most likely to notch up good sales.
Cue : rupt – ‘break’
Mean : to break in, to burst suddenly
JETTISON (v)
Ex : Election time is also the time for the irruption of
Cue : jactare/ jectare – ‘toss about/ throw’
opposition rallies.
Mean : to toss/ throw cargo overboard; to lighten and save
a ship
ISLET (n)
Ex : (i) The ship had to jettison lot of cargo to stabilize itself
Cue : is – related with ‘isolated’ + let – ‘small’
during the heavy sea–storm.
Mean : very small island, isle
(ii) As the share index began to nose–dive, I jettisoned my
Ex : The Indonesian archipelago consists of several
entire shareholding.
islands and islets.

JIGSAW (n)
ISOTOPE (n)
Cue : jig + saw – ‘a vertical reciprocating saw’
Cue : iso – ‘uniform / similar’ + topos – ‘land/place’
Mean : jigsaw puzzle . a puzzle involving pieces cut out in
Mean : two or more element atoms similar in properties but
irregular pattern required to be put together to solve the
different in atomic mass
puzzle
Ex : Study of isotopes of uranium and plutonium led to
Ex : Let us all make an effort to solve this jigsaw puzzle.
the development of the nuclear bomb.
JOCOSE (adj)
ITINERANT (adj)
Cue : relate with Joke
Cue : itin – ‘travel’
Mean : full of jokes, wit, jocular, humorous
Mean : traveling from place to place, wandering

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Ex : His jocose manner managed to lighten the atmosphere
a little at such a solemn occasion.
JUDICIOUS (adj)
Cue : relate with judge
Mean : possessing sound judgement
Ex : Judicious use of time and energy is the key to success.
JUGGERNAUT (n)
Cue : Corrupted form of Jagannath – ‘ruling deity of Puri’.
The massive Jagannath rath yatra (Chariot drive) so excited
the devotees that they threw themselves under the huge
wheels and got crushed
Mean : huge force destroying everything in its path, a
massive object
Ex : The juggernaut of German warship Bismarck caused
terror among the allied naval forces.
JUGULAR (adj)
Cue : junctus – ‘to join’
Mean : of neck (that joins the head to the trunk)
Ex : The carnivores invariably go for the jugular parts of
their prey (for an easy kill).
JUNKET (n)
Cue : relate with a picnic basket
Mean : a pleasure trip / a picnic/ an excursion made
at public expense
Ex : The foreign junkets of VIP families are an unnecessary
strain on public exchequer.
JURISPRUDENCE (n)
Cue : juris – ‘law’ + prudence – ‘knowledge, a foreseeing’
i.e. knowledge of law Also Jur – ‘to swear’
Mean : the science of law and its administration; the
system of laws
Ex : The Chief Justice of India has expressed concern over
the quality of jurisprudence especially in the lower courts.
K Ex : If a ruler goes by his kinks, he may play havoc
KALEIDOSCOPE (n)
Cue : kalos – ‘beautiful’ + eidos – ‘form’ + scope – ‘to see’
i.e. observer of beautiful forms
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Mean : (1) an optical toy showing variety of forms through
reflection in mirrors of loose bits of coloured glass
(2) constant changes
Ex : Life is a Kaleidoscope.
KEEL (n/v)
Mean : (1) the timber or steel structure along the base of a
ship, on which the ship’s framework is built, to prevent
buckling/sagging
(2) to turn over so that the keel comes up (to keel over),
capsize
(3) poised/ balanced (an even keel)
Ex : The union Budget is on an even keel.
KERNEL (n)
Cue : relate with ‘corn’ i.e. core or central part of anything
Mean : (1) the softer, usually edible part inside the shell of
a nut or fruit stone; the whole seed of a cereal
(2) the essential or most important part of
Ex : The kernel of the Presidential message was that peace
should not be a source of advantage or disadvantage for
anyone.
KINDRED (adj)
Cue : of your kind – ‘type’
Mean : (1) related, congruous, akin
(2) who has the same opinions, feelings and interest as you
Ex : (i) Sharing a kindred temperament is rare among
husbands and wives.
(ii) I have found a kindred spirit who likes wrestling as much
as I do.
KINESICS (n)
Cue : kines – ‘movement’ + ics – ‘study’
Mean : study of body movements/ facial expressions as
accompaniments to speech (body language)
Ex : His kinesics ooze out confidence.
KINK (n)
Cue : relate with ‘kick’– a bend (say, at knee)
Mean : (1) a short twist/ bend
(2) a mental twist/quirk
with the governance.
KITSCH (n)
Cue : from German - Kitschen – ‘to smear’
Mean : work in any of the arts that is pretentious, inferior
or in bad taste

Ex : The kitsch provided by film magazines is despicable.
KLEPTOMANIA (n)
Cue : kleiptein – ‘thief/ theft’
Mean : person who has a compulsive desire to steal (not
driven by need)
Ex : People suffering from kleptomania need counseling as
well as psychiatric treatment.
KNACK (n)
Cue : relate with knock – ‘a sharp blow’
Mean : a special skill/ talent/ way of doing things
Ex : The knack of hitting the headlines often turns one
into a celebrity.
KNAVE (n)
Mean : a deceitful fellow, a servant boy
Ex : Money power turns a knave into a knight.
KNOTTY (adj)
Cue : full of knots
Mean : intricate, difficult, hard to solve / explain
Ex : Corruption is proving to be a knotty problem in India.
KOWTOW (v)
Cue : from Chinese Ko – ‘bump’ + tou – ‘head’
Mean : (1) kneeling and touching the ground with forehead
to show great deference/ servile respect
(2) doing other’s bidding
Ex : You don’t have to kowtow to every whim and fancy of
your boss.
KUDOS (n)
Cue : kud – ‘glory/ fame’
Mean : credit or praise for an achievement; glory; fame
Ex : Kudos to the boy who won the marathon.
L LANGUID (n)
LACHRYMOSE (adj)
Cue : lacri – ‘tear’ – a person inclined to shed tears
Mean : a mournful character
Ex : He is a morose and lachrymose character.
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LACKADAISICAL (adj)
Cue : lack + dais – ‘day’ – lack-a-day (spirit)
Mean : lacking life, spirit or zest
Ex : These lackadaisical efforts will take you nowhere.
LACKLUSTRE (adj)
Cue : lack + lus/ lucere – ‘light/ shine’
Mean : lacking gloss/ radiance; dull, dreary
Ex : The lackluster performance of the previous government
led to its defeat at the Hustings.
LACONIC (adj)
Cue : Supposedly a resident of Laconia town, residents of
which were known to be very brief and terse
Mean : very brief and to the point
Ex : A laconic reply is least expected of a salesman.
LACUNA (n)
Cue : lacus – ‘a pit/ lake’ – a missing portion/ a depression
Mean : a cavity, gap, shortcoming
Ex : There are several lacunae in the Indian Banking
systems.
LAISSEZ FAIRE (n)
Cue : from French – let do
Mean : a general principle of government non–interference
in the economy
Ex : Laissez faire is meant for mature economies
handled by educated masses.
LAITY (n)
Cue : lay + ity – ‘laymen’
Mean : ordinary men, common masses
Ex : The laity is, in fact, the backbone of an economy.
LAMPOON (n)
Cue : relate with a lumpen act
Mean : a personal satire, caricature, mocking
Ex : The cartoonist turns lampooning into an art.
Cue : relate with lax
Mean : lacking in vigor and vitality
Ex : A languid workforce is the biggest liability of the public
sector.
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LAPSE (n/v) LEGEND (n)

Mean : (1) error of omission Cue : legere – ‘to read’
Ex : (i) The British followed the doctrine of lapse to annex Mean : (1) a story, folklore, fable
princely states. (2) explanatory list of symbols on a map
(ii) This is a serious lapse on your part. Ex : The story of King Arthur is an example of a legend.
Mean : (2) a passage of time
Ex : The validity period of the contract has lapsed. LEGERDEMAIN (n)
Cue : from French – leger – ‘light’ + de – ‘of’ + main – ‘hand’.
LARCENY (n) light of hand
Cue : larcin – ‘theft’ Mean : sleight of hand, tricks of a magician
Mean : theft, embezzlement, pilferage esp. of property Ex : The magician used great legerdemain in performing his
Ex : The larceny of the public property could not have taken tricks before the attentive audience.
place without the connivance of revenue officials.
LENITIVE (adj)
LARGESSE (n) Cue : levitus – ‘to soften’
Cue : large – ‘abundance’ Mean : alleviating pain or acrimony.
Mean : a gift generously given, bountiful reward Ex : His father’s sound advice acted as a lenitive for the
Ex : The mysterious beneficiary of the largesse arouses agitated son.
suspicion.
LEUKEMIA (n)
LATITUDE (n) Cue : leuk – ‘leukocytes’ + emia – ‘condition or disease of
Cue : latus – ‘side / wide’ the blood’
Mean : (1) freedom from narrow limitations; Mean : blood cancer
broadmindedness Ex : Leukemia is a dreadful disease.
(2) North / South distance from equator (in degrees)
Ex : Too much latitude may spoil the children and turn them LEVEE (n)
into squanderers. Cue : levare – ‘to raise’
Mean : embankment to prevent overflow of rivers
LAUREATE (adj) Ex : The floods have seriously breached the levee system.
Mean : crowned with laurels
Ex : Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was a multilateral LEVITATION (n)
genius. Cue : levis – ‘lightness’
Mean : (1) rising due to lightness
LEASE (v) (2) an illusory raising of body without any physical support
Cue : from Original French laissier – ‘to release’ Ex : Some yogis are said to attain powers of levitation after
Mean : to grant property for a term, on a charter, hire, rent years of penance.
Ex : Hong Kong was on a 100–year lease from China to
Britain. LEXICON (n)
Mean : the vocabulary book, world book
LECTERN (n) Ex : The lexicon is a great help in language improvement.
Cue : legere – ‘to read’
Mean : podium for standing reader LIBERTARIAN (n)
Ex : The audience was all ears towards the lectern. Cue : liber – ‘free’
Mean : an advocate of the doctrine of free will
LEEWAY (n) Ex : The libertarians have been ruthlessly crushed in China.
Mean : room for freedom of action
Ex : For a successful married life, each partner should allow LICENTIOUS (adj)
leeway to the other. Cue : license
Mean : (1) disregarding accepted norms

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(2) morally unrestrained, lewd, lascivious Ex : There is invariably a litany of invocations at all
Ex : His licentious way of life proved to be his nemesis; he religious congregations.
contracted HIV infection.
LITERATI (n)
LIEN (n) Cue : relate with literate
Cue : ligare – ‘to bind / tie’ Mean : men and women of letters, scholarly people,
Mean : a right to possess a property unless the owner pays intelligentsia
back a debt Ex : The exhibition attracted the literati of the town.
Ex : The bank took a lien on house property as security
against the housing loan. LOATHE (v)
Mean : to dislike intensely
LIEU (n) Ex : Loathe sin, not the sinner.
Mean : in place of
Ex : He gave up his car in lieu of the loan amount. LOCUS STANDI (n)
Cue : locus – ‘place / position’ + standi – ‘standing / status’
LIGNEOUS (adj) Mean : the right to stand / interfere
Cue : lign – ‘wood’ Ex : Being an outsider, you don’t have a locus standi in our
Mean : made, consisting of, or resembling wood; woody. family dispute.
Ex : It looks ligneous, but is hard as stone.
LOGISTICS (n)
LINCHPIN (n) Cue : loger – ‘to place’ + ics – ‘arrangement’
Cue : lei – ‘to bend’ + pin – ‘a bent pin’ Mean : related with arrangements for movement of
Mean : (1) a locking pin inserted crosswise, as through the men and materials
end of an axle to keep the wheel from coming off Ex : Army maneuvers need support from logistics.
(2) someone holding a group together
Ex : The grand old man is the linchpin that has kept the LOQUACIOUS (adj)
family together. Cue : loqui – ‘to speak’
Mean : excessively talkative
LINEAMENT (n) Ex : You don’t have to be loquacious to be a successful
Cue : line – ‘an outline of facial contours’ salesman.
Mean : features, distinguishing mark, contour
Ex : The lineament of Brahms Symphony is its universal LUCRE (n)
appeal. Cue : relate with Booty, gain, reward
Mean : flush with money
LINGUA FRANCA (n) Ex : The lucre of the neo-rich spoils their children.
Cue : lingua - ‘tongue / language’ Franca – ‘of France,
meaning of Europe’ LUDICROUS (adj)
Mean : common language for communication Cue : ludere – ‘to play’
Ex : English has become the lingua franca of the world. Mean : provoking or deserving derision; amusingly absurd
Ex : It's ludicrous of you to think someone here will do your
LISSOME (adj) homework for you.
Cue : variant of lithesome
Mean : nimble, flexible, supple, agile LUMEN (n)
Ex : P.T. Usha was a lissome athlete. Cue : lum – ‘light’
Mean : a unit of light
LITANY (n) Ex : The brightness of a bulb can be measured in lumens.
Cue : litanos – ‘pleading’
Mean : a prayer consisting of repetitive recitations said LUSCIOUS (adj)
alternately by a leader and a group Cue : relate with delicious

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Mean : highly gratifying to taste or smell, sensuous MAGNANIMOUS (adv)

Ex : People added luscious details to the sordid rape case. Cue : agnus – ‘great’ + animus – ‘soul’
Mean : (1) courageously noble in mind and heart
(2) Generous in forgiving; eschewing resentment or
revenge; unselfish
Ex : He accepted defeat magnanimously by saying ‘The best
M man won’.

MAGNATE (n)
Cue : magnus – ‘great’
MACADAM (adj)
Mean : a powerful or influential person, especially in
Cue : Named after Scot. civil engineer John L. McAdam who
business or industry
gave us the modern concept of road- building
Ex : In view of the high social status enjoyed by them,
Mean : a paved surface having compressed layers of broken
business magnates have a greater responsibility toward
rocks held together with tar
society.
Ex : The macadam surface has made traveling by road very
smooth and fast.
MAGNILOQUENT (adj)
Cue : magnus – ‘great’ + loquent – ‘speak’
MACHIAVELLIAN (adj)
Mean : lofty and extravagant in speech; grandiloquent
Cue : From the name of its originator Niccolo Machivellan
Ex : Politicians usually engage in magniloquent speech.
Mean : Suggestive of or characterized by expediency,
deceit, and cunning
MAGNUM OPUS (n)
Ex : Machiavellian thinking is most important for political
Cue : magnus – ‘great’ + opus – ‘work’
gains today.
Mean : (1) a great work, especially a literary or artistic
masterpiece
MACHISMO (n)
(2) the greatest single work of an artist, writer, or composer
Cue : macho – ‘extreme masculine sense’
Ex : ‘Paradise Lost’ is John Milton’s magnum opus.
Mean : (1) a strong or exaggerated sense of masculinity
stressing attributes such as physical courage, virility,
MALARIA (n)
domination of women, and aggressiveness
Cue : mal – ‘bad’ + aria – ‘air’ – from the earlier belief that
(2) an exaggerated sense of strength or toughness
malaria is caused by bad air
Ex : Machismo is no longer considered an asset in
Mean : a disease caused by parasitic protozoans,
today’s generation.
transferred to humans through anopheles mosquitoes
Ex : The spread of malaria is on the wane in economically
MACROCOSM (n)
developed economies, due to improved sanitation.
Cue : macro – ‘large/great’ + cosmos
Mean : (1) the whole universe
MALLEABLE (adj)
(2) a large/overall picture/structure
Cue : mallet + able . ‘capable of being shaped by
Ex : In a way, family is a miniature parallel of the
hammering’
macrocosm of society.
Mean : flexible, adaptable, impressionable
Ex : Gold is highly malleable.
MADONNA (n)
Cue : from Italian, ma – ‘my’ + donna – ‘lady’
MAMMON (n)
Mean : (1) an image or figure of the Virgin Mary
Cue : personification of ‘riches’ as a deity
(2) used as a form of polite address for a married woman in
Mean : the pursuit of riches and the belief that this is the
an Italian-speaking area
most important thing in life
Ex : The Sforza castle in Milan depicts a 6 ft tall
Ex : Worship of mammon is the creed of the day.
sculpture by Michelangelo of Madonna and child.

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MANACLE (n/v)
Cue : manus – ‘hand’
Mean : (1) a device for confining the hands, usually
consisting of a set of two metal rings that are fastened
about the wrists and joined by a metal chain
(2) Something that confines or restrains
Ex : The perpetrators of heinous crimes are often
manacled to prevent their escape.
MANDATE (n/v)
Cue : manus – ‘hand’
Mean : (1) an authoritative command or instruction
(handed down)
(2) power or authority given to the government by its
people (handed over)
Ex : The new government has been mandated to rule for
five years.
MANDARIN (n)
Cue : from mantrin (councilor) in Sanskrit
Mean : a high government official or bureaucrat
Ex : It often seems that true power lies with the Civil
Service mandarins, rather than with MPs and cabinet
ministers.
MANEUVER (n/v)
Cue : manus – ‘hand’ + oper – ‘work’
Mean : a skillful move
Ex : The army engages in a number of maneuvers to ensure
its war- preparedness.
MANIFESTATION (n)
Cue : manus – ‘hand’ + fest – ‘strike’ . ‘literally struck with
a hand’
Mean : an indication of the existence, reality, or presence
of something
Ex : His insomnia is a manifestation of his deep depression.
MANOR (n)
Mean : (1) a landed estate belonging to a lord
(2) the main house on an estate
Ex : The Lord’s manor was auctioned to recover unpaid
debts.
MARINATE (v)
Cue : marine – ‘of the sea’
Mean : to soak food in a liquid before boiling
Ex : Marinated food gets cooked quicker.
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MARSHAL (v)
Cue : marah – ‘horse/mare’ + scalh – ‘servant’
Mean : (1) a military officer of the highest rank in some
countries
(2) to arrange, place, or set in methodical order
Ex : I tried to marshal all facts in preparation for my exam
MARTIAL (adj)
Cue : from Mars – Roman god of war. Also relate with
martial arts
Mean : characteristic of or relating to war
Ex : The martial law remained in force for well over six
months after the military coup.
MARTINET (n)
Cue : After French General Jean Martinet
Mean : (1) a rigid military disciplinarian
(2) one who demands absolute adherence to forms and
rules
Ex : Army generals are usually martinets.
MASCOT (n)
Cue : mascus . ‘ghost, later taken to mean a talisman’
Mean : a person, animal, or object believed to bring good
luck
Ex : The giant panda is the mascot of their team.
MASOCHISM (n)
Cue : After Sacher Masoch who described this psychiatric
condition
Mean : the deriving of pleasure from being physically or
emotionally abused, especially out of injury inflicted upon
self
Ex : According to Freud, childhood neglect leads to
masochism.
MATRON (n)
Cue : from matri – ‘mother’
Mean : (1) a married woman or a widow, especially a
mother of dignity, mature age, and established social
position
(2) a woman who acts as a supervisor or monitor in a
public institution, such as a school, hospital, or prison
Ex : The matron of a hostel or hospital has to be tactful but
strict.
MAUDLIN (adj)
Cue : After Mary Magdalene, portrayed in art as a weeping
penitent
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Mean : effusively or tearfully sentimental
Ex : She showed maudlin expressions of sympathy.
MAVERICK (n)
Cue : After Samuel Maverick who refused to brand his cattle
as per common practice
Mean : a non-conformist, unorthodox person
Ex : Bobby Fisher, a maverick, never played an
international tournament after winning the world chess
championship.
MAWKISH (adj)
Cue : like a mawk (moth) – ‘gnawing vermin’
Mean : sickening, insipid, sickeningly sentimental
Ex : Your mawkish demeanor puts me off.
MAXIM (n)
Cue : maximus . ‘the greatest proposition’
Mean : a truth stated pithily, saying
Ex : The Bible and the Bhagvada Gita are replete with
spiritual maxims.
MAYHEM (n)
Cue : akin to maim
Mean : (1) inflicting injury with intent to mutilate
(2) a violent destruction or confusion
Ex : There was mayhem at the site of the accident.
MEANDER (v)
Cue : After the river ‘Meanderes’, noted for its winding
course
Mean : to wander aimlessly in movement or in speech
Ex : Narmada meanders through the Vindhayas.
MEDIEVAL (adj)
Cue : medi – ‘middle’ + eval – ‘time/age’
Mean : of the middle ages
Ex : Medieval Europe was notorious for its barbarism.
MEDLEY (n)
Cue : medlee – ‘to mix’
Mean : a mixture of heterogeneous elements. An
assortment of music
Ex : The medley of events at the athletic meet could not
attract spectators in great numbers.
MEGALOMANIAC (n)
Cue : mega – ‘large, great (also the number one million)’ +
mania – ‘obsession’
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Mean : a person suffering from a condition of obsessive
delusions of grandeur; a passion for doing big
Ex : The breed of megalomaniacs is on the increase.
MELANCHOLY (n)
Cue : melano – ‘black, gloomy’ + choly – ‘bile’
Mean : a gloomy, sorrowful state of mind
Ex : Ecstasy and melancholy are part of life.
MELLIFLUOUS (adj)
Cue : mel – ‘honey’ + flu – ‘flow’ . ‘flowing / sweetened with
honey’
Mean : sweetly flowing; very smooth
Ex : The mellifluous tunes of Beetles made them living
legends of pop music.
MENDACITY (n)
Cue : mend – ‘a flaw’
Mean : untruthfulness, falsity
Ex : He is a compulsive liar. His mendacity is well known.
MENDICANT (adj)
Cue : Formerly of a religious sect that depended on charity
Mean : a beggar
Ex : To Churchill, Gandhiji was all but a mendicant in a loin
cloth.
MERCANTILE (adj)
Cue : from mercans – ‘buyer’ or merx – ‘goods’
Mean : Related to merchants, commercial activity
Ex : A mercantile attitude towards friends and
acquaintances is most deplorable
MERCURIAL (adj)
Cue : Mercurius – Roman god of commerce, eloquence and
travel. Also changeable, active ‘like mercury’
Mean : (1) lively or quick
(2) flexible, fickle
Ex : (i) The mercurial chief executive has been largely
instrumental in the company’s success.
(ii) Mercurial government policy creates instability.
MERETRICIOUS (adj)
Cue : merere – ‘to earn’ + trix – ‘show’ . a show for money
Mean : alluring by vulgar attractions
Ex : Harlots often indulge in meretricious acts to attract
customers.
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MESMERIZE (v) Mean : to soften ruffled feelings

Cue : Hypnotism as induced by Dr. Franz Mesmer Ex : Her pleasant talk mollified the boss.
through magnetism, compelling attraction
Mean : (1) to Hypnotize MORATORIUM (n)
(2) to fascinate, captivate Cue : or/mort – ‘death’
Ex : Her charm has a mesmerizing quality. Mean : temporary cessation of activity
Ex : In a democracy the government simply cannot put
METAMORPHOSE (v) moratorium on strikes.
Cue : meta – ‘after/beyond’ + morph – ‘transformation’
Mean : complete change of form, structure or substance MORDANT (adj)
Ex : The pupa metamorphoses into butterflies. Cue : mordre – ‘to bite’
Mean : (1) caustic or biting
MICROCOSM (n) (2) any corrosive substance
Cue : micro – ‘small’ + cosmos Ex : Celebrities fear the mordant coverage of their private
Mean : (1) a world in miniature (a miniature that has all the life by the press.
features of the larger whole)
(2) theory treating human beings at the center of universe MOTE (n)
Ex : The family is a microcosm of society. Mean : a speck or particle as of dust
Ex : The tiniest mote in the eye is very painful.
MINCE (v) MUGGY (adj)
Cue : min – ‘Small’ Cue : mug – ‘mist’
Mean : (1) to cut into small pieces Mean : foggy, damp, oppressive atmosphere
(2) to soften or moderate Ex : The muggy climate of Mumbai in May is sometimes
(3) to act with affected elegance intolerable.
Ex : He does not mince words and comes to the point
straightaway MUNDANE (adj)
Mean : of or pertaining to earthly matters
MIRAGE (n) Ex : We get so engrossed in mundane affairs that we hardly
Cue : from mir(ror) – ‘reflection’ have time for spiritual pursuits.
Mean : (1) an optical illusion where distant objects appear
inverted; an unreal reflection MUSE (v)
(2) something illusory Cue : from musus – ‘mouth’
Ex : Elimination of poverty, hundred per cent literacy Mean : to study in silence, to meditate
etc. have become a mirage in our country. Ex : William Wordsworth mused over the beauty of
daffodils well after he had visited the blessed vale.
MNEMONIC (adj)
Cue : from Mnemosyne (Greek goddess of memory) MUTABLE (adj)
Mean : Meant to aid one’s memory Cue : mut – ‘change’
Ex : Numbers, words, things etc. can be remembered Mean : variable, subject to change
through mnemonic tricks. Ex : The mutable government policies keep the investors at
bay.
MODUS–OPERANDI (n)
Cue : from Latin expression mode + opus
Mean : the manner of operating/functioning
Ex : The modus–operandi of the crime was a clear pointer
to the hand of mafia.

MOLLIFY (v)
Cue : moll – ‘to crush / soften’ + fy / fac – ‘make’

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N Cue : the hub of a wheel
NADIR (n)
Cue : from Arabic nazir (opposite) – ‘opposite of zenith’
Mean : an extreme state of adversity, the lowest point of
anything
Ex : Their fortunes have touched the nadir.
NAG (v)
Cue : from gnaw – ‘to bite’
Mean : to annoy by continual scolding, faultfinding,
complaining, urging, etc
Ex : The half-remembered quotation nagged at my mind.
NARCISSISM (n)
Cue : from narcissus - A young man who pined away in love
for his own image in a pool of water and was transformed
into the flower that bears his name
Mean : excessive love or admiration of oneself
Ex : His narcissism allows him to live in a world of make-
believe.
NASCENT (adj)
Cue : from nasci – ‘to be born’
Mean : beginning to form, start, grow, or develop: said of
ideas, cultures, etc
Ex : At the time of the Indo-China war, India was still a
nascent republic.
NATAL (adj)
Cue : from nasci – ‘to be born’
Mean : of, relating to, or accompanying birth
Ex : Natal injuries ought to be taken pretty seriously.
NATTY (adj)
Cue : Obsolete form of neaty (neat) – ‘elegant’
Mean : trim and smart in appearance or dress
Ex : He was dressed in a natty suit.
NAUSEA (n)
Cue : from naus – ‘a ship’ – originally sea-sickness
Mean : a feeling of sickness at the stomach, with an
impulse to vomit
Ex : Roller coasters may generate nausea.
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NAVE (n)
Mean : In the middle
Ex : He loves to be in the nave of matters.
NECROMANCY (n)
Cue : necro – ‘death’ + mancy – ‘divination’
Mean : witch craft; communication with the dead
Ex : Some people still believe in acts of witchcraft like
necromancy.
NEMESIS (n)
Cue : The goddess of divine retribution
Mean : (1) a source of harm and ruin
(2) an opponent that cannot be beaten or overcome.
Ex : Uncritical trust is my nemesis
NEOLOGISM (n)
Cue : neo – ‘new’ + logy – ‘speech/study’ + ism
Mean : the creation or use of new words or senses of
existing words
Ex : Motel is a neologism, derived from the words ‘motor’
and ‘hotel’.
NEOPHYTE (n)
Cue : neo – ‘new’ + phyt – ‘produce’
Mean : one just beginning a new kind of life, work, etc
Ex : He is a neophyte; he needs a little time to pick up the
nuances of salesmanship.
NEOTERIC (adj)
Cue : neo – ‘new’
Mean : of recent origin; modern
Ex : The content of the book is based on a rather
neoteric philosophical thought.
NESCIENT (n)
Cue : ne – ‘nil/not’ + science – ‘knowledge’
Mean : Lacking in knowledge or awareness; ignorant
Ex : His nescient ways led to a big loss for his firm.
NESTLE (vi)
Cue : from nest
Mean : to settle down comfortably and snugly
Ex : The little boy nestled against his mother and slept
peacefully.

NETTLE (n)
Cue : from ned – ‘to twist together’– a family of weeds
with stinging hairs
Mean : to irritate or annoy
Ex : The bitter remark of his boss kept nettling him for days.
NIHILISM (n)
Cue : nihil – ‘nothing’
Mean : (1) an extreme form of skepticism that denies all
existence
(2) a doctrine holding that all values are baseless and that
nothing can be known or communicated
Ex : Nihilism has no place in modern progressive thinking.
NIT-PICKING (adj)
Cue : nit – ‘louse egg or young louse’ + picking – ‘doing petty
things’
Mean : to be concerned with or finding fault with
insignificant details
Ex : Her constant nit picking drove me mad.
NOCTURNAL (adj)
Cue : noctis – ‘night’
Mean : of, relating to, or occurring in the night
Ex : Nocturnal animals are active at night.
NOISOME (adj)
Cue : from annoy + some – ‘tending to be’
Mean : offensive to the point of arousing disgust,
harmful or dangerous
Ex : The noisome odor is almost unbearable.
NOM DE PLUME (n)
Cue : nom – ‘name’ + de – ‘of’ + plume – ‘pen’
Mean : a fictitious name esp. used by a writer
Ex : She is better known under her nom de plume of Daniel
Stern.
NONAGENARIAN (adj)
Cue : nonageni – ‘ninety each’
Mean : a person 90 years old or between 90 and 100 years
old
Ex : Most occupants of the old age nursing home are
nonagenarian.
NONCHALANT (adj)
Cue : non – ‘not’ + chaloir – ‘to care for’
Mean : seeming to be coolly unconcerned or indifferent
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Ex : A nonchalant person is not likely to become warm or
heated about anything.
NONPLUS (n)
Cue : non – ‘not’ + plus – ‘more’
Mean : (1) to put at a loss as to what to think, say, or do,
bewilder
(2) a state of perplexity, confusion, or bewilderment
Ex : Diana’s candid interview nonplussed many
NON SEQUITUR (n)
Cue : non – ‘not’ + sequi – ‘follow’
Mean : (1) a reply that has no relevance to what preceded
it
(2) (logic) a conclusion that does not follow from the
premises
Ex : His reply to the reporter’s query was non sequitur.
NOSTALGIA (n)
Cue : nostos – ‘a return home’
Mean : (1) a bittersweet longing for things, persons, or
situations of the past
(2) the condition of being homesick
Ex : I felt very nostalgic when I visited my school after fifteen
years.
NOUVEAU RICHE (n)
Cue : nouveau – ‘newly’ + riche – ‘rich’
Mean : one who has recently become rich, especially
one who flaunts newly acquired wealth
Ex : The sons of nouveau riches often indulge in vulgar
display of their new-found riches.
NOVICE (n)
Cue : novus – ‘new’
Mean : a person new to a field or activity, a beginner
Ex : One should be considerate towards the novices and
afford them a chance to learn.
NOXIOUS (adj)
Cue : from noxa – ‘harm’
Mean : harmful to the health, harmful to the mind or
morals
Ex : Noxious chemical wastes are often discharged into the
water bodies, putting public health to risk.
NUGATORY (adj)
Cue : from nugari – ‘to trifle’
Mean : of little or no importance, trifling
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Ex : The students treated the talk of the principal regarding Mean : to make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to
need for discipline just nugatory. perceive or understand, to cloud over
Ex : A great effort was made to obfuscate the truth.
NULLIFY (v)
Cue : null – ‘none’ + facere – ‘to make, do’ OBITER DICTUM
Mean : (1) to make null, invalidate Cue : saying by the way
(2) to counteract the force or effectiveness of Mean : (1) an opinion voiced by a judge that has only
Ex : An act loses its legal force once it is nullified. incidental bearing on the case in question and is therefore
not binding
NUMISMATIST (adj) (2) an incidental remark or observation; a passing comment
Cue : nomisma – ‘a coin’ Ex : The remark that the convicted was sorry for his
Mean : a person who studies or collects coins and often misdeeds was just an obiter dictum and therefore not fit for
medals consideration.
Ex : The numismatist’s collection is unique because the
historical details of the coins have been meticulously OBITUARY (n)
maintained. Cue : obitus – ‘death’
Mean : a published notice of a death, sometimes with
NUMSKULL (n) a brief biography of the deceased
Cue : numb – ‘weakened’ + skull Ex : It was only when I read his obituary in the newspaper
Mean : a stupid person that I came to know about our former principal’s death.
Ex : What a numskull! Can he do anything right?
OBJURGATE (v)
NUPTIAL (adj) Cue : ob + jugare – ‘to scold’
Cue : nubere – ‘to marry’ Mean : to scold or rebuke sharply
Mean : of or relating to marriage or the wedding ceremony Ex : She objurgated him for his insensitive remarks.
Ex : The nuptials were performed in a hurry as the groom’s
party was getting late for the return flight. OBLITERATE (v)
Cue : from litter – ‘to erase/efface/blot out’
NURTURE (n) Mean : (1) to do away with completely so as to leave no
Cue : from nurse or nourish trace
Mean : the act of bringing up, raising, or promoting the (2) to wipe out, rub off, or erase (writing or other markings)
development Ex : The burn scars were obliterated after the plastic
Ex : They nurtured their fledgling business with utmost care surgery
and devotion.

OBLOQUY (n)
Cue : ob – ‘towards’ + loqui – ‘to speak’
Mean : (1) abusively detractive language or utterance
O (2) the condition of disgrace suffered as a result of
abuse or vilification; ill repute
Ex : Don’t indulge in obloquy; come up with your specific
complaint.
OBDURATE (adj)
Cue : dur – ‘hard’
OBNOXIOUS (adj)
Mean : hardened against feeling, hardhearted
Cue : ob – ‘towards’ + noxa – ‘harm’
Ex : An obdurate miser.
Mean : (1) very annoying or objectionable; offensive or
odious
OBFUSCATE (v) (2) deserving of or liable to censure
Cue : ob – ‘to’ + fuscare – ‘darken’

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Ex : I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or
obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution.
OBSCURE (adj)
Cue : ob – ‘towards’ + scure – ‘to cover, conceal, hide,
darken’
Mean : (1) deficient in light; dark
(2) far from centers of human population
out of sight; hidden. (An obscure village)
(3) not readily noticed or seen; inconspicuous (an obscure
retreat)
(4) of undistinguished or humble reputation (an obscure
family)
(5) not clearly understood or expressed; ambiguous or
vague
Ex : He likes to remain obscure and hard to get.
OBSECRATE (v)
Cue : ob – ‘towards’ + sacrare – ‘to declare as sacred’
Mean : to beg for something or ask on religious grounds
Ex : The beggars indulge in obsecration to get more alms in
the name of God.
OBSEQUIOUS (adj)
Cue : ob – ‘towards’ + sequent – ‘follow’
Mean : (1) full of or exhibiting servile compliance
(2) attempting to win favor from influential people by
flattery
Ex : The obsequious shop assistants don’t let go off a
prospective customer easily.
OBSTREPEROUS (adj)
Cue : ob – ‘towards’ +strepere – ‘to make a loud noise’
Mean : (1) noisily and stubbornly defiant
(2) aggressively boisterous
Ex : The boys kept up an obstreperous clamor
OBTRUDE (v)
Cue : ob + trud – ‘to thrust’
Mean : (1) to impose (oneself or one's ideas) on others with
undue insistence or without invitation
(2) to thrust out; push forward
Ex : The poachers tried to obtrude themselves in the
Panchayat of the tribals, but did not succeed.
OBTUSE (adj)
Cue : from obtund – ‘blunt’
Mean : (1) lacking quickness of perception or intellect (an
obtuse remark)
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(2) not distinctly felt (an obtuse pain)
(3) having an obtuse angle (an obtuse triangle)
Ex : The littérateur just ignored the obtuse remarks of the
detractor.
OBVIATE (v)
Cue : from obviare – ob – ‘to prevent’ + via – way
Mean : to anticipate and dispose off effectively; render
unnecessary
Ex : While swimming, wearing a lifejacket obviates my
fear of drowning.
OCCLUDE (v)
Cue : claud/clued – ‘to close/shut’
Mean : to cause to become closed, obstruct; to prevent the
passage of
Ex : The occluded artery seriously hampered the smooth
flow of blood.
ODIOUS (adj)
Cue : from odium – ‘hatred’
Mean : arousing or meriting strong dislike, aversion, or
intense displeasure
Ex : The odious remarks were full of contempt.
ODORIFEROUS (adj)
Cue : odor – ‘smell’ + ferous – ‘bearing’
Mean : having or giving off an odor, especially a fragrant
one
Ex : The odoriferous morning confirmed the advent of
an early spring.
ODYSSEY (n)
Cue : After Homer’s epic poem of Odysseus’s long and
arduous journey from troy
Mean : an extended adventurous voyage or trip in the
face of hardships. An intellectual or spiritual quest
Ex : The space odyssey of Kalpana Chawla resulted into her
death.
OLFACTORY (adj)
Cue : ol – ‘smell’ + facare – ‘make’
Mean : of, relating to, or contributing to the sense of smell
Ex : His olfactory nerves are very strong; he can smell food
from afar.
OLIGARCHY (n)
Cue : ligo – ‘small, scant, few’ + archy – ‘government’
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Mean : government by a few, especially by a small fraction
of persons or families
Ex : There are very few countries in this world today
under an oligarchic rule.
OMBUDSMAN (n)
Cue : ombud – ‘an official or representative’ (acting on both
sides –‘ambi’)
Mean : a man who investigates complaints and mediates
fair settlements, especially between aggrieved parties such
as consumers or students and an institution or organization
Ex : My mother always acts as an ombudsman between me
and my father.
OMINOUS (adj)
Cue : omni – ‘omen’
Mean : menacing; threatening or being an omen, especially
an evil one
Ex : The farmer looked wistfully at the ominous black clouds
that threatened a deluge.
OMNIPOTENT (adj)
Cue : omni – ‘all’ + potent – ‘powerful’
Mean : having unlimited or universal power, authority, or
force; all- powerful
Ex : God is omnipotent.
ONEROUS (adj)
Cue : oner – ‘burden’
Mean : troublesome or oppressive, burdensome
Ex : Preparing income tax returns is an onerous task.
ONSLAUGHT (n)
Cue : from slagen – ‘to strike’
Mean : a violent attack; an overwhelming outpouring
Ex : The onslaught by the enemy began at dawn.
OPALESCENT (adj)
Cue : escent – ‘giving off or reflecting light’
Mean : exhibiting a milky radiance like that of an opal
Ex : The clouds had a milky opalescent luster.
OPPROBRIUM (n)
Cue : ob – ‘against’ + probum – ‘reproach’
Mean : disgrace arising from exceedingly shameful conduct
Ex : He was quite opprobrious in his speech against the
educational system.
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OPUS (n)
Cue : ops – ‘to work’
Mean : a creative work, especially a musical composition
numbered to designate the order of a composer's works
Ex : The opus consisted of four parts.
ORACLE (n)
Cue : From orare – ‘to plead/speak’
Mean : (1) a shrine consecrated to the worship and
consultation of a prophetic deity, as that of Apollo at Delphi
(2) a person, such as a priestess, through whom a deity is
held to respond when consulted
(3) an authoritative or wise statement or prediction
(4) a command or revelation from God
Ex : The scriptures are called ‘living oracles’ because of
their visionary script.
ORDINANCE (n)
Cue : from ordain
Mean : an authoritative command or order. A custom or
practice established by long usage
Ex : Because of the urgency of the matter, the government
had to issue an ordinance.
ORIENT (n)
Cue : oriri, to arise, or to set in motion
Mean : (1) the countries of Asia, especially of eastern Asia
(2) the luster characteristic of a pearl of high quality
(3) to make familiar with or adjusted to facts, principles, or
a situation
(4) to become adjusted or aligned
Ex : The new students of our college were called in for an
orientation session.
ORNATE (adj)
Mean : (1) elaborately, heavily, and often excessively
ornamented
(2) flashy, showy, or florid in style or manner
Ex : An ornate speech is also sometimes referred to as a
‘flowery speech’.
OSTENTATION (n)
Cue : from os + tendere – ‘to stretch/show off’
Mean : (1) pretentious display meant to impress others;
boastful showiness
(2) lack of elegance as a consequence of being pompous
and puffed up with vanity
Ex : The stage had been set up with much ostentation and
had ended up looking gauche.
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OSTRACIZE (v) Mean : a word/phrase which is spelt the same

Cue : To exile by votes written on tiles or bones – ‘osteo’
Mean : to exclude from a group, to banish by ostracism
Ex : Ever since I spoke up against the manager, my
colleagues have ostracized me.
OVERWEENING (adj)
Cue : over – ‘excess’ + ween – ‘imagine’
Mean : excessively arrogant or proud
Ex : Alexander had an overweening ambition to rule the
whole world.
OVIPAROUS (adj)
Cue : ovi – ‘egg or ovum’ + parous – ‘bringing forth’
Mean : producing eggs that hatch outside the body
Ex : Hen is an oviparous bird.
OXYTONE (adj)
Cue : oxus – ‘sharp’ + tone – ‘sound’
Mean : relating to or being a word that has a heavy stress
of accent on its last syllable
Ex : The words which are in oxytones, show peak delay to
the post-accentual syllable.
P
PACHYDERM (n)
Cue : pachys – ‘thick’ + derma – ‘skin’
Mean : an animal with a thick skin
Ex : Elephant is a pachyderm.
PALATABLE (adj)
Cue : palate – ‘Roof of mouth/sense of taste’ + able
Mean : fit to be eaten or drunk
Ex : Smith’s bunkum is not palatable.
PALEONTOLOGY (n)
Cue : pale – ‘old’ + onto – ‘being’ + logy
Mean : the branch of geology which deals with life forms of
the past
Ex : Paleontology has revealed a lot about evolution of life
on earth.
PALINDROME (n)
Cue : palin – ‘to turn again’
backwards and forwards
Ex : ‘Poor Dan is in a droop’ is a palindrome.
PALL (v)
Mean : a cover for a coffin or tomb, a gloomy atmosphere
Ex : The calamity cast a pall over the festivities.
PALPABLE (adj)
Cue : pal to touch or feel
Mean : that which can be felt or seen
Ex : The anxiety of the investors is palpable.
PANDEMIC (adj)
Cue : pan – ‘all’ + dem – ‘people’
Mean : A wide ranging epidemic, affecting the majority of
people
Ex : It is an illusion that AIDS has not reached pandemic
proportions in our country.
PANDORA’S BOX (n)
Cue : after Pandora – a woman in Greek Mythology who
was sent a box by Zeus and despite the latter’s warning,
opened the box and released all the evils into the world
Mean : a source of many problems or great suffering
Ex : Telling my weaknesses to my colleagues was like
opening Pandora’s Box as it aggravated my troubles.
PANTHEISM (n)
Cue : pan + theos – ‘God’ + ism – ‘theory’
Mean : belief in God being present throughout nature or
identical to nature
Ex : Pantheism is under attack in this materialistic world.
PARABLE (n)
Cue : pare – ‘compare’ + able
Mean : story from which a moral lesson can be drawn
Ex : Panchatantra parables are the best of the ancient ones.
PARADIGM (n)
Cue : para + deigma – ‘model/standard’
Mean : a model of conduct
Ex : Tatas and Birlas are the paradigms of successful
business groups.
PARAMOUNT (adj)
Cue : mount – ‘up the hill to the top’
Mean : more important than anything else

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Ex : Good character and ethics are paramount in whatever
one does.
PARANOIA (n)
Cue : para + nous – ‘mind’
Mean : an extreme feeling that other people are going to
harm you or have a bad opinion about you
Ex : Someone has been following me. I swear it’s not just
paranoia.
PARIAH (n)
Cue : from Tamil ‘paraiyar’- a drummer, a person of low
caste
Mean : a person not accepted by a social group
Ex : Galileo was declared a pariah due to his beliefs.
PARLANCE (n)
Cue : parley – ‘conference or discussion’
Mean : a style of speaking used by a particular group of
people
Ex : Teenage parlance often shocks parents.
PAROCHIAL(adj)
Mean : showing interest only in a narrow range of matters,
restricted to a small, area or scope
Ex : Globalisation has failed to change the parochial
outlook of most national leaders.
PARSIMONY (n)
Cue : parcere – ‘to save’ + monia – ‘action/condition’
Mean : a tendency to be over careful in spending;
unreasonable frugality
Ex : The tycoon is rather infamous for his parsimony.
PASTORAL (adj)
Cue : pastor – ‘shepherd’
Mean : (1) of shepherds or their work
(2) portraying rural life i.e. peaceful, simple and natural
(3) of or pertaining to a pastor
Ex : Pastoral pursuits provide tremendous relief from the
hustle and bustle of city life.
PATENT (adj)
Mean : (1) open to examination by public
(2) obvious, plain, evident, protected by a right
Ex : The submissions of the defense attorney were
nothing but patent lies.
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PATHOLOGY (n)
Cue : pathos – ‘suffering’ + logy – ‘study’
Mean : the branch of medicine dealing with the nature of
diseases
Ex : A doctor sifts the psychological elements from the
pathological symptoms.
PATRIACH (n)
Cue : patri – ‘father’ + archein – ‘to rule’
Mean : the father or ruler of a family or tribe
Ex : Sam Walton was the patriarch of a vast empire.
PECCADILLO (n)
Cue : pecado – ‘sin’
Mean : a small sin or a fault
Ex : A perfectionist goes into frenzy over peccadilloes.
PECULATION (n)
Cue : pecunia – ‘money’
Mean : to steal or misuse money entrusted to one’s care
Ex : The cashier was accused of peculation.
PEDAGOGGUE (adj)
Cue : pedo – ‘child’ + agein (lead) – ‘a child’s tutor’
Mean : A dogmatic or pedantic teacher
Ex : The pedagogues just put their pupils off and, in a way,
add to the number of drop-outs.
PEJORATIVE (adj)
Cue : pejor – ‘worse’
Mean : to lower in esteem or credit
Ex : The pejorative opposition remarks against the Minister
forced the Prime Minister to intervene.
PELLET (n)
Cue : pila – ‘a ball’
Mean : (1) a small lead ball used in shot–guns
(2) a little ball or a rounded mass of any substance
(3) mass regurgitated by some predators
Ex : Pellets of gunfire were scattered everywhere at the
scene of the battle.
PELLUCID (adj)
Cue : lucere – ‘shine’
Mean : (1) transparent or translucent
(2) easy to understand
Ex : A pellucid explanation of the complex mathematical
problem.
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PENANCE (n) Ex : It was shocking to know that his perjury led to his
Cue : penitence – ‘regret/repentance’ freedom.
Mean : punishment accepted to make amends for some
sins committed earlier PERNICIOUS (n)
Ex : He agreed to do penance for his sins. Cue : nic – ‘harm’
Mean : having a harmful effect
PENSIVE (adj) Ex : Alcohol and tobacco have a pernicious effect.
Cue : pend/pens – ‘to think/weigh’
Mean : engaged in deep thought PERPETUAL (adj)
Ex : He sat pensively throughout the meeting. Cue : per – ‘throughout’ + pet – ‘toward’
Mean : never ending or changing.
PENULTIMATE (n) Ex : They have perpetual financial worries.
Cue : paene – ‘almost’ + ultimus – ‘last’
Mean : next to the last PERQUISITES (n)
Ex : The penultimate chapter reveals the murderer. Cue : per + acquisition – Derived from acquisition
Mean : special privilege enjoyed as a result of one’s position
PERAMBULATE (v) Ex : Perquisites attract people to government jobs.
Cue : amble – ‘walk’
Mean : formal walk or travel on foot from place to place PERSECUTE (v)
Ex : Cattle are perambulating in the field. Cue : per + sequence – ‘harass persistently’
Mean : treat in a cruel or unfair way over a long period
PERCOLATE (v) Ex : Galileo was persecuted for his beliefs.
Cue : per + colander – ‘strainer’
Mean : to filter through a porous surface or substance PERSIPICACIOUS (adj)
Ex : The attitude of the boss percolates down to the staff. Cue : per + spic – ‘seeing clearly’
Mean : quickly gaining an insight into and
PERFIDIOUS (adj) understanding things quickly
Cue : per – ‘against’ + fid – ‘faith/trust’ Ex : Russell was a perspicacious thinker.
Mean : deceitful, disloyal
Ex : The perfidious servant drugged his master and made PERTURB (v)
off with the valuables. Mean : make anxious or unsettled
Ex : He gets perturbed over minor troubles.
PERFUNCTORY (adj)
Cue : per – ‘against’ + funct – ‘function’ PERVERT (n)
Mean : Carried out with a minimum of effort or thought. Cue : vert – ‘to turn’
Ex : He lost out on his wife because of perfunctory Mean : a person inclined to do immoral acts
medical examinations and treatment. Ex : He was a pervert and always did what was least
expected.
PERIGEE (n)
Cue : peri – ‘around’ + ge – ‘earth’ PETRIFY (v)
Mean : point in the orbit of a satellite at which it is nearest Cue : peter – ‘rock or stone’
to the earth.. Mean : to turn to stone, to horrify or scare
Ex : The moon seems slightly larger in January of each year Ex : I was petrified at the sight of the accident.
during its perigee.
PETULANT (adj)
PERJURY (n) Mean : childishly sulk or bad tempered. Getting annoyed
Cue : from per – ‘against’ + jure – ‘swear/oath’ over trifles
Mean : deliberately telling a lie in court when under oath Ex : He was petulant as he was not invited for the party.

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PHILOLOGY (n)
Cue : phil – ‘love’ + ology (study) – ‘love of learning’
Mean : study of language
Ex : Many philologists aspire to evolve a new universal
language.
PIETY (n)
Cue : from pious
Mean : being deeply religious
Ex : Mother Teresa was full of piety for all human beings.
PILLAGE (n)
Mean : to rob or steal with violence (esp. in war time), to
take as wartime booty
Ex : The pillage has ruined the Czech countryside.
PIQUANT (adj)
Cue : from pique – ‘to feel hurt’
Mean : having a pleasantly sharp or spicy taste
Ex : They have dragged me into a piquant situation.
PITHY (adj)
Cue : pith – ‘the soft inner part – the core’
Mean : concise and expressing a point clearly
Ex : Bacon’s essays are the best examples of pithy writing.
Q
QUACK (n)
Cue : Characteristic cry of a duck. Quack lacks medical
acumen
Mean : a person who dishonestly pretends to have medical
skills or knowledge
Ex : Don’t visit him for consultation, he’s a quack.
QUAGMIRE (n)
Mean : (1) an area of soft wet ground which you sink into if
you try and walk on it
(2) difficult and dangerous situation
Ex : Since the re-elections, the country has sunk deeper
into a quagmire of violence and lawlessness.
QUANDARY (n)
Cue : relate it to wondering – ‘confused over what decision
to take’
Mean : a state of uncertainty or perplexity
Ex : I have two job offers, and I'm in a real quandary over
which one to accept.

PRISTINE (adj) QUARANTINE (n)

Cue : pri – ‘first’ + state
Mean : in its original condition, clean and fresh as if new
Ex : Archaeologists want to restore important historical
monuments to their pristine glory.
PROGNOSTICATE (v)
Cue : pro + gno – ‘to know beforehand’
Mean : to make a forecast about
Ex : Many economists had prognosticated the depression in
Indian economy.
PYRRHIC (adj)
Cue : An ancient Greek king who achieved victory at too
great cost
Mean : a victory in which there is more of a loss than gain
Ex : The Kargil war was a pyrrhic victory for India as we lost
many of our soldiers.
Cue : ‘from quaranta – ‘forty’. So called, from the Venetian
custom of keeping ships from plague-stricken countries
waiting off its port for 40 days. The extended sense of ‘any
period of isolation’
Mean : a period of time during which a person or animal
that might have a disease is kept away from other people
or animals so that the disease does not spread
Ex : The horse had to spend several months in quarantine
when it reached Britain.
QUEASY (adj)
Mean : likely to vomit
Ex : As soon as I sat in the airplane, I had a queasy feeling.
QUELL (v)
Cue : : relate it with ‘to kill’
Mean : (1) to put down forcibly; suppress
(2) to pacify; quiet
Ex : The police quelled the riot.

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QUIBBLE (n) Ex : Television has become a part of our quotidian

Cue : relate it to ‘cribber’ existence.
Mean : (1) to evade the truth or importance of an issue by
raising trivial objections
(2) to find fault or criticize for petty reasons
Ex : I advised them not to quibble over pennies.
R
QUIESCENCE (n)
Cue : from quiet
Mean : state of being quiet, inactive
RAGE (n)
Ex : The volcano erupted after years of quiescence.
Cue : rabia – ‘rage, madness’
Mean : (1) a furious, uncontrolled anger, esp., a brief spell
QUINQUENNIAL (adj)
of raving fury
Cue : quin – ‘five’ + enni – ‘year’
(2) a great force, violence, or intensity, as of the wind
Mean : happening once every five years; a period of five
(3) strong emotion, enthusiasm, or desire
years
Ex : I was frightened because I had never seen him in such
Ex : Elections to the Parliament ought to be quinquennial.
a rage before.

QUINTESSENCE (n)
RAIL (v)
Cue : quint + essence: This word for the ‘ultimate’, ‘the
Cue : from railler – ‘to tease, joke’
purest form’, has its origin in ancient philosophy. The
Mean : to express objections or criticisms in bitter, harsh or
ancient Greeks believed that there were five elements, four
abusive language; to complain angrily
you could see or feel – earth, air, fire, and water. And the
Ex : He railed at the injustices of the system.
fifth which was more mystical was a spiritual element that
was present in the spiritual bodies and latent in all things.
RAMBLE (n)
The Romans translated their word for this element: it was
Cue : relate it to roam, which means to walk around
the fifth (quint) element which was the essence of all things
aimlessly
that made up our universe
Mean : (1) to walk aimlessly
Mean : the pure, highly concentrated essence of a thing;
(2) to talk incoherently
the purest or most typical instance
Ex : It was difficult to sit through his long rambling speech.
Ex : An American football game is considered the
quintessence of machismo.
RAMPANT (adj)
Cue : ramp – ‘raised’
QUIVER (n)
Mean : (1) spreading unchecked, widespread
Mean : (1) to shake slightly, often because of strong
(2) of an animal: standing on its back legs with its front legs
emotion
raised
(2) a long thin container for carrying arrows
Ex : Rampant inflation means that the increase in our
Ex : His lower lip quivered and tears welled up in his eyes.
wages soon becomes worth nothing.
QUIXOTIC (adj)
RAMSHACKLE (adj)
Cue : from Don Quixote, a romantic, impractical hero of
Cue : ram – ‘strike’ + shackle – ‘shake’
Cervantes' satirical novel
Mean : poorly maintained or constructed and seeming
Mean : having or showing ideas that are imaginative but
likely to fall apart or collapse
not practical or likely to succeed
Ex : There's a ramshackle old shed at the end of the road.
Ex : His ideas are quixotic and not worth a dime.

RANCID (adj)
QUOTIDIAN (adj)
Cue : rancere – ‘be spoiled or rotten’
Cue : dian – ‘day’
Mean : (1) having a disagreeable odor or taste of
Mean : ordinary, everyday
decomposing oils or fats

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(2) repugnant, nasty REMINISCENCE (n)

Ex : Her rancid remarks greatly upset her mother. Cue : rem – ‘to remember/re (again)’+ minisci – ‘to think of-
generate in the mind’
RAPACIOUS (adj) Mean : the act or process of recollecting past experiences
Cue : from rapere – ‘to seize’ or events
Mean : (1) taking by force, plundering Ex : The novel contains endless reminiscences about the
(2) greedy grasping, especially for money, and sometimes author’s youth.
willing to use unscrupulous means to obtain what is desired
Ex : She has a rapacious appetite for fame and money. REMIT (v)
Cue : re – ‘back’ + mittre – ‘to send’
RAPPORT (n) Mean : (1) to reduce the period of time someone must
Mean : a good understanding of someone and an ability spend in prison;
to communicate well with them (2) to send money to someone
Ex : She has an excellent rapport with her staff. (3) to refer the matter to someone in authority to deal with
Ex : (i) His prison sentence was remitted to two years.
RATIFY (v) (ii) I request you to kindly remit Rs. 1000 to the savings
Cue : from rati – ‘fixed, valid’ + fy – ‘to make’ i.e. to approve account.
or confirm
Mean : to make an agreement official, to approve and give REMONSTRATE (v)
formal sanction to Cue : re + monster – ‘to show, to state’ something with
Ex : All parties present at the convention ratified the peace authority
treaty. Mean : to complain/protest
Ex : He went to the boss to remonstrate against the new
RAVENOUS (adj) rules.
Cue : from raven – ‘to consume greedily; devour’
Mean : extremely hungry, voracious, greedy REMUNERATION (n)
Ex : Growing boys have ravenous appetites. Cue : muner – ‘to give/bestow’ + munus – ‘to gift’
Mean : fee/compensation/payment
RAZE (v) Ex : They demanded adequate remuneration for their work.
Cue : relate with razor – ‘scrape’
Mean : to completely destroy, to tear down RENAISSANCE (n)
Ex : The village was razed to the ground after earthquake. Cue : re – ‘again’ + nascent – ‘early stages’
Mean : rebirth, revival
REITERATE (v) Ex : Theatre in India is enjoying a long-awaited renaissance.
Cue : re – ‘again’ + iterate – ‘to repeat’
Mean : to say, state, or perform something again or several RENDEZVOUS (n)
times Cue : rendre – ‘present’ + vous – ‘you’
Ex : The government reiterate its refusal to compromise Mean : meeting place, appointment
with terrorists. Ex : This restaurant is a popular rendezvous for artists.

RELINQUISH (v) RENEGADE (n)

Cue : linquere – ‘to leave’ Cue : negare – ‘to deny, blacken’
Mean : to give up claim, forego Mean : one who rejects a religion, cause, allegiance, or
Ex : On receipt of her transfer order, she relinquished the group for another; a deserter, an outlaw
charge the same day. Ex : A group of renegades captured the prince and held him
to ransom.

RENOUNCE (v)
Cue : nunce – ‘to state’

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Mean : to give up, especially by a formal announcement RESCIND (v)

Ex : He renounced his claim to the family house. Cue : re – ‘back’ + scindere – ‘to cut, split’
Mean : to cancel
REPEAL (v) Ex : The government eventually rescinded the directive.
Cue : re – ‘back’ + apeler – ‘to call’
Mean : to revoke or call back RESILIENT (adj)
Ex : Considering the public furor it had generated, the Cue : sal/sil – ‘leap/jump’ – to spring back
government repealed the law. Mean : able to quickly return to previous condition (say,
after a shock)
REPLETE (adj) Ex : She’s a resilient girl, she won’t be unhappy for long.
Cue : plete – ‘filled up’
Mean : filled to capacity, abundantly supplied RESOLVE (n)
Ex : This car has an engine replete with the latest Cue : solve – ‘to loosen’
technology. Mean : determination
Ex : With a strong resolve, one can achieve anything.
REPOSITORY (n)
Cue : posit – ‘to place’ RESONANT (adj)
Mean : a place where things can be stored; a person with Cue : from son (sound) – ‘filled with sound’
great store of specific knowledge Mean : echoing, resounding
Ex : She is a repository of knowledge about our family Ex : His voice resonated in the empty church.
history.
RESPLENDENT (adj)
REPREHENSIBLE (adj) Cue :– spledent – ‘Splendid’
Cue : re + prehend – ‘seize’ Mean : shining brightly, splendid
Mean : deserving rebuke or censure, unacceptable Ex : I saw her at the other end of the room, looking
Ex : His act of crime was reprehensible. resplendent in a red cocktail dress.

REPRIMAND (v) RESTRAINT (n)

Mean : to express strong disapproval
Ex : His boss reprimanded him for being late.
REPROBATE (n)
Cue : re – ‘reverse’ + probate – ‘worthy/proper’
Mean : a person of bad character and habits
Ex : Every time I see you, you’re drunk, you old reprobate.
REPUGNANT (adj)
Cue : re – ‘back’ + pugnare – ‘to fight’
Mean : something unpleasant or causing a feeling of
disgust
Ex : The idea of cheating in an exam is repugnant to me.
REQUIEM (v)
Cue : We usually remain quiet for a few minutes at
someone’s death
Mean : a mass to honour and pray for the dead; a piece of
music written for the dead
Ex : The requiem for the deceased was a very solemn affair.
Cue : strain – ‘draw back tightly’
Mean : confine, check, control
Ex : Try and observe some restraint when you go on your
next shopping spree.
RESUSCITATE (v)
Cue : from re – ‘again’ + sus + citare – ‘to raise, revive’
Mean : to bring something or someone back to life or
consciousness
Ex : Her heart had stopped, but the doctors successfully
resuscitated her.
RETORT (n)
Cue : re – ‘back’ + torquere – ‘to twist’
Mean : a quick, sharp reply
Ex : Her retort was simple but chilling.
RETRACTION (n)
Cue : contract – to agree on an offer. re –‘back’+ tract –
‘take back the offer’
Mean : to take back an offer or an earlier statement

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Ex : The newspaper printed a retraction for their previous RIFT (n)

error.
RETROGRADE (v)
Cue : retro – ‘backwards’ + grade – ‘step’
Mean : returning to older and worse conditions, methods,
ideas, etc
Ex : He said it would be a retrograde step to remove the
single parent benefit.
RETROSPECT (v)
Cue : retro – ‘back’ + spect – ‘to look at’
Mean : thinking about the past, to look back
Ex : In retrospect, I think my marriage was doomed
from the beginning.
Cue : drift is to move away; similarly rift is a break/crack -
moving away of two things or persons
Mean : (1) a large crack in the ground or in a rock
(2) a break in friendly relations
Ex : The property dispute caused a rift between the brothers
and they even stopped speaking to each other.
ROTE (n)
Cue : Corrupted form of ‘routine’. The phrase by rote means
to memorize by heart
Mean : a memorizing process using repetition, often
without full attention or comprehension; memorize without
thought for meaning
Ex : The students were asked to learn the lesson by rote.

REVERT (v) RUMINATE (v)

Cue : re – ‘back’ + vert – ‘direction’
Mean : to return to a former condition, practice, subject, or
belief
Ex : To understand this point better, please revert to the
earlier chapter.
Cue : ruminare – ‘to chew the cud, turn over in the mind’
Mean : to think carefully and for a long period about
something
Ex : She ruminated for weeks about whether to tell him the
truth or not.

REVITALIZE (v) RUSTIC (adj)

Cue : re – ‘back’ + vital – ‘life’
Mean : to give new life, energy, activity or success to
something
Ex : Foreign investments have revitalized the Indian
economy.
Mean : (1) simple; typical of the countryside
(2) boorish or uncouth
Ex : The property has a certain rustic charm.

REVOKE (v)
Cue : re – ‘back’+ vicare – ‘to call’ S
Mean : to call back
Ex : The authorities have revoked their original decision to
allow development of this rural area.
SACRILEGE (n)
Cue : sacr – ‘sacred’ + legere – ‘collect’
REVULSION (n)
Mean : desecration, profanation, misuse, or theft of
Mean : a strong, often sudden, feeling that something is
something sacred
extremely unpleasant
Ex : The extremists often indulge in acts of sacrilege to
Ex : I turned away in revulsion when they showed a close-
inflame communal passions.
up of the operation.

SACROSANCT (adj)
RHETORIC (n)
Cue : sacr- ‘sacred’ + sanctus, ‘make holy’
Cue : rhea – ‘to flow’ – smooth flow of words
Mean : regarded as sacred and inviolable (or) thought to be
Mean : art of speaking forcefully and eloquently;
too important or too special to be changed (humorous)
persuasive speech or writing
Ex : I'm willing to help on any weekday, but I'm afraid my
Ex : I was swayed by her rhetoric into donating all my
weekends are sacrosanct.
savings to the charity.

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SADISM (n)
Cue : Coined after Count D.A.F. de Sade, notorious for
his perversions
Mean : hurting others for sexual pleasure (or) being cruel
for fun (or) cruelty
Ex : Marquis de Sade’s compulsive abuse of others gave rise
to the term sadism.
SAGACIOUS (adj)
Cue : from Latin sagac – ‘of quick perception’
Mean : having or showing keen discernment, sound
judgment, and farsightedness; an animal exceptionally
intelligent seeming to reason and deliberate
Ex : (i) He planned for his final exams with great
sagaciousness.
(ii) A dog is a sagacious animal often showing utmost
loyalty and intelligence.
SALUBRIOUS (adj)
Cue : from Latin salus – ‘health’
Mean : (1) conducive or favorable to health or well-being
(2) a place that is pleasant, clean, and healthy to live in
Ex : He doesn't live in a very salubrious part of the town.
SANCTUARY (n)
Cue : from French sanctus – ‘holy’
Mean : (1) a refuge: a safe place, especially for people
being persecuted
(2) place where wildlife is protected
(3) holy place
(4) most sacred part of holy building: the most sacred part
of a consecrated building, e.g. the area around the altar in
a Christian church
Ex : (i) The chapel became a sanctuary for the refugees.
(ii) Corbett Park is a well-known wildlife sanctuary in India.
SANGUINE (adj)
Cue : sanguis – ‘blood’
Mean : (1) of a healthy, reddish color; ruddy
(2) cheerfully confident; optimistic
Ex : (i) Her sanguine complexion spoke volumes about her
happy state.
(ii) They are less sanguine about the prospects for peace.
SAP (n)
Cue : a variant of sap- milk, nectar, juice
Mean : (1) the liquid that carries food to all parts of a plant
(2) to weaken someone or take away strength or an
important quality from someone
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(3) a stupid person who can easily be tricked or persuaded
to do something
(4) something extremely emotional in an embarrassing way
Ex : (i) Maple syrup is obtained from the sap of the sugar
maple tree.
(ii) Constant criticism saps you of your confidence.
(iii) He's a sap and can be easily taken for a ride.
(iv) It's a sappy film - take some tissues when you see it.
SARCASM (n)
Cue : from sarcasmos – ‘a sneer, jest, taunt, mockery’
Mean : the use of remarks which clearly mean the opposite
of what they say, and which are made in order to hurt
someone's feelings or to criticize something in an amusing
way
Ex : ‘You have been working hard’, he said with sarcasm, as
he looked at the empty pages.
SATIATE (adj/v)
Cue : from Latin, satis – ‘to fill’
Mean : (1) to satisfy (an appetite or desire) fully
(2) to satisfy to excess
Ex : He drank greedily until his thirst was satiated.
SAVANT (n)
Cue : from Latin sapere – ‘be wise’
Mean : a learned person; a scholar
Ex : Blind Tom had a physical and mental handicap; and yet
was a well-known savant and pianist.
SAVOUR (n)
Cue : from Old French savour – ‘taste’
Mean : (1) to enjoy food or an experience slowly, in
order to appreciate it as much as possible
(2) pleasure and interest
Ex : It was the first chocolate he'd tasted for over a year, so
he savoured every mouthful.
SCAMPER (v)
Cue : to run away as if from a camp
Mean : to run or go quickly and light out
Ex : The children scampered off into the garden.
SCATHING (adj)
Cue : ‘scald’ – to burn with liquid
Mean : (1) to harm or injure, especially by scorching
(2) to criticize or denounce severely; excoriate
Ex : She spoke scathingly of the poor standard of work done
by her predecessor.
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SCEPTIC/SKEPTIC (n)
Mean : one who instinctively or habitually doubts,
questions, or disagrees with assertions or generally
accepted conclusions
Ex : People say consuming turmeric can cure colds, but I'm
a bit of a sceptic.
SCHISM (n)
Cue : schiz/ cis – ‘to split’
Mean : a division into two groups caused by a
disagreement about ideas, especially in a religious
organization
Ex : Property is the root cause of schism between the two
brothers.
SEAR (v)
Cue : associate it with scath / hot
Mean : (1) to burn the surface of something with sudden
very strong heat
(2) to fry a piece of meat quickly at a high temperature, in
order to
prevent liquid and flavor escaping from it
(3) to have a strong unpleasant effect on someone's
feelings or memories
(4) catch for gunlock
Ex : The heat from the explosion seared their hands and
faces.
SECESSION (n)
Cue : cede/ cess – ‘yield, let go’
Mean : a formal withdrawal from an organization, state, or
alliance
Ex : The group’s secession from the main political party was
caused due to leadership conflicts.
SECTARIAN (adj)
Cue : sect – ‘cut’
Mean : (1) of, relating to, or characteristic of a sect
(2) adhering or confined to the dogmatic limits of a
sect or denomination; partisan
(3) narrow-minded; parochial
Ex : The sectarian violence can be curbed through
involvement of intelligentsia from all communities.
SEDATE (adj)
Cue : sedare – ‘to quieten’ – sedere – ‘to sit’
Mean : (1) tending to avoid excitement or great activity and
to be calm and relaxed
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(2) to cause a person or animal to be very calm or go to
sleep by giving a drug
Ex : The fight against a chemical storage site has
transformed a normally sedate village into a battleground.
SEDITION (n)
Cue : se(d) – ‘apart’ + ition – ‘going’
Mean : language or behaviour that is intended to persuade
other people to oppose their government
Ex : She was arrested for remarks that the government
considered to be akin to sedition.
SEDULOUS (adj)
Cue : se – ‘without’ + dolus – ‘deception’
Mean : working with great zeal , persistence, care,
concentration, and commitment
Ex : Kiran Bedi’s sedulous pursuit for moral values and
principles marked her success in life.
SENESCENT (adj)
Cue : sen – ‘old’ + escent
Mean : growing old; aging
Ex : Senescent times make people forgetful of small things.
SENTIENT (adj)
Cue : prefix senti is related to emotional being
Mean : experiencing sensation or feeling
Ex : Sentient people are against animal abuse.
SENSUAL (adj)
Cue : relate it with ‘senses’
Mean : (1) suggesting a great deal of physical, especially,
sexual pleasure
(2) relating to the body or the senses as opposed to the
mind or the intellect
Ex : His sensual appetite was a sure recipe for disaster.
SEMINAL (adj)
Cue : semen – ‘seed’ + al
Mean : (1) of, relating to, containing, or conveying seed
(2) of, relating to, or having the power to originate; creative
(3) containing important new ideas and being very
influential on later work
Ex : (i) Seminal fluid found on the murder scene helped the
police catch the killer.
(ii) The open door policy in India played a seminal role
in its economic development.

SERENDIPITY (n)
Cue : from a tale called ‘The three princes of Serendip’
Mean : (1) the accidental discovery of something pleasant,
valuable, or useful
(2) gift for making such a discovery
Ex : Life is a journey full of serendipitous surprises.
SERRATED (adj)
Cue : from Latin origin, serrere – ‘a saw’
Mean : having or forming a row of small sharp projections
resembling the teeth of a saw
Ex : One needs a knife with serrated ends to cut bread
evenly.
SERVILE (adj)
Cue : associate it with the word ‘serve’
Mean : one who is too willing to serve others and to do
menial works
Ex : As an employee one must obey the boss but must not
be servile.
SIDLE (v)
Cue : relate with ‘side’
Mean : (1) to cause to move sideways
(2) to walk towards or away from someone, trying not to
be noticed
Ex : When we saw our teacher in the cinema, we sidled past
her, pretending that we had not seen her.
SILHOUETTE (n)
Cue : An eponym based on the name of a French Finance
Minister, characterized by his ineptness both in the ministry
and in amateur portrait making
Mean : (1) a drawing consisting of the outline of
something, especially a human profile, filled in with a solid
color
(2) an outline that appears dark against a light background
Ex : (i) Ancient Greek vases in the Black Figure style show
figures in black silhouette against a background of red clay
(ii) Batman’s silhouette always formed an imposing
backdrop behind the villain.
SINECURE (n)
Cue : from Latin sine – ‘without’ + cure – ‘care’
Mean : a position or office that requires little or no work
but provides a salary
Ex : Being a relative of the boss, he has a sinecure job at a
high post.
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SINISTER (adj)
Cue : left-handed—supposedly a bad omen, opposite of
‘dexter’
Mean : (1) suggesting or threatening evil
(2) presaging trouble; ominous
(3) attended by or causing inauspicious circumstance
Ex : The smile of a villain is sinister.
SLOTH (n)
Cue : slow + th – ‘suffix forming nouns’
Mean : (1) a slow-moving mammal that uses its long claws
to hang upside down from tree branches
(2) aversion to work or exertion; laziness; indolence
Ex : (i) Sloths are found in Central America.
(ii) The government’s sloth to tackle corruption in India has
posed serious problems for all.
SLUGGARD (n)
Cue : associate it with slug – ‘snail like slow-moving
creature, with no shell’, Slug also relates to a ‘hard hit’
Mean : somebody who avoids work or physical exertion
Ex : Being a sluggard at work will not help you.
SNIPPET (n)
Cue : associate it with ‘snip’ to cut something with short
strokes’
Mean : a small and often interesting piece of news,
information or conversation
Ex : Snippets of information gathered by the paparazzi
often lead to scandalous events
SOBRIETY (n)
Cue : associate it with ‘sober’
Mean : (1) abstinence from or moderation in the use of
alcohol or drugs
(2) the quality of being serious and thoughtful
Ex : (i) On-road sobriety tests taken by traffic police can
avoid many accidents.
(ii) Presence of the Principal instilled a little sobriety in
the auditorium.
SOJOURN (n)
Cue : relate journ for ‘journey’
Mean : a short period when a person stays in a particular
place
Ex : His sojourn to Japan has changed his attitude and done
to him a word of good.
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SOLARIUM (n)
Cue : solar means ‘related to sun’
Mean : room built for the purpose of enjoying sunlight,
usually with large windows or glass walls, especially a room
in a hospital or other health-care establishments
Ex : Solariums are a regular feature in hospitals and are
more often used by the senior citizens.
SOLICIT (v)
Cue : associate this word with pleading
Mean : (1) to ask someone for money, information or help
(2) to seek to obtain by persuasion, entreaty, or formal
application
Ex : Though illegal, yet soliciting money for favors by public
officials is on a high in India.
SOLILOQUY (n)
Cue : sole – ‘lone’ + loq – ‘speech’
Mean : (1) a dramatic or literary form of discourse in which
a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her
thoughts without addressing a listener
(2) the act of talking to oneself
Ex : Soliloquy in drama plays an important role in capturing
the attention of the audience.
SOMBER (adj)
Cue : from umbra – ‘shade’
Mean : (1) serious, sad (without humour or amusement)
(2) dark and plain
Ex : (i) The somber atmosphere of the house made me fill
up with dread.
(ii) He wore a somber black suit for the funeral.
SOMNAMBULISM (n)
Cue : somn — ‘sleep’ + ambul – ‘walk’
Mean : sleep walking disorder in a person
Ex : Somnambulism generally happens due to anxiety and
tensions taken by an individual, and can be treated with
proper therapy.
SONIC (adj)
Cue : sonus ‘sound’
Mean : (1) of or relating to audible sound
(2) relating to speed of sound
(3) extremely exciting and fast-paced
Ex : (i) Sonic waves and their usage have revolutionized the
human society.
(ii) The sonic lifestyle of Backstreet Boys took its toll on their
health.
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SOPHIST (n)
Cue : sophos – ‘skilled in a craft, clever, wise’. Originally
teachers of philosophy
Mean : (1) one skilled in elaborate and devious
argumentation
(2) a scholar or thinker
Ex : (i) No sophist would do a thing for charity.
(ii) Sophists like to mingle with their own kind.
SOPHOMORE (n)
Cue : sophos – ‘skilled’ in a craft, clever, wise + moros ‘dull’
Mean : (1) a second-year student in a college or university
(2) Intellectually immature
Ex : Sophomores are at the most crucial stage of their teens
and need a lot of care and attention.
SOPORIFIC (adj)
Cue : sopor – ‘sleep’ + fic/fac – ‘make’
Mean : sleep inducing
Ex : The soporific characteristic of some off-the-shelf cough
syrups, is well known
SPARTAN (adj)
Cue : of or relating to people of Sparta (Spartan
characteristics)
Mean : (1) rigorously self-disciplined or self-restrained
(2) simple, frugal, or austere
(3) marked by brevity of speech; laconic
(4) courageous in the face of pain, danger, or adversity
Ex : (i) Being a diabetic, he is used to Spartan diet.
(ii) She prefers to lead a Spartan life, with no luxuries and
only basics.
SPECIOUS (adj)
Cue : spec – ‘to look’
Mean : (1) appearing to be true but really false
(2) superficially attractive but actually of no real interest or
value
Ex : His specious arguments failed to win the day for him.
SPUR (n/v)
Cue : from Old English spura – ‘to kick’
Mean : (1) to encourage an activity or development or
make it happen faster
(2) a sharp, metal, wheel-shaped object which is fixed to the
heel of boots worn by people riding horses
(3) a high piece of land which sticks out from a mountain or
a group of mountains

Ex : (i) Rising profits have the effect of spurring the
company to faster growth.
(ii) Usage of spurs is most prevalent in Texas.
(iii) Spurs are generally popular with tourists for their
serene and secluded environment.
SQUALID (adj)
Cue : from Latin squalus – ‘filthy’
Mean : (1) dirty and wretched, as from poverty or lack of
care
(2) lacking in honesty, dignity, and moral value
Ex : (i) The interior of the city was a squalid slum area.
(ii) The usual squalid tales of betrayal and drug-abuse are
featured in the gossip columns of the newspapers.
STAID (adj)
Cue : stay-ed
Mean : serious, boring and slightly old-fashioned; of
sedate character; a color-less kind of correctness
Ex : In an attempt to change the staid outlook of the
magazine, new sections for young readers have been
added.
STASIS (n)
Cue : from Greek stasis, standstill, used as a suffix too
Mean : (i) a motionless state, or a state of no change
(ii) a condition in which body fluids such as blood or the
contents of the bowel are prevented from flowing normally
through their channels
Ex : After being married for nearly 30 years, she was fed up
with the stasis in her life.
STEADFAST (adj)
Cue : stead – ‘steady’ + fast
Mean : (i) firmly fixed or constant
(ii) firm and unwavering in purpose, loyalty, or resolve
Ex : The labor union remained steadfast in its protest even
though many of its members had to face severe
consequences.
STEALTHY (adj)
Cue : associate it with steal
Mean : trying to avoid being noticed
Ex : Many countries acquire nuclear weapons by stealth.
STENTORIAN (adj)
Mean : extremely loud
Ex : Suddenly a stentorian voice boomed across the room
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STOIC (adj)
Cue : Pertaining to the school of philosophy that men
should be free of passions
Mean : someone who does not complain or show emotions
Ex : She listened stoically as the guilty verdict was read out.
STRATIFICATION (n)
Cue : associate it with strata – ‘layers’
Mean : to arrange the different parts of something in
separate layers or groups
Ex : In order to remove stratification in the social scenario,
various programs were started after Independence.
STUPEFY (v)
Cue : ‘stupe’ – senseless
Mean : to dull the senses or faculties of, to amaze; astonish,
stun
Ex : Stupified by the shocking news, she just lay in her bed
staring blankly at the ceiling.
SUBJUGATE (v)
Cue : sub – ‘under’ + jug – ‘yoke’
Mean : to bring a people or a nation, under the control of
another, e.g. by military conquest
Ex : They resisted the subjugation by enemy kingdom and
fought for their freedom.
SUBLIME (adj/n)
Cue : from Latin sublimus – ‘elevation’
Mean : (1) so awe-inspiringly beautiful as to seem almost
heavenly
(2) of the highest moral or spiritual value
Ex : The book contains sublime passages and the best
poems.
SUBPOENA (n/v)
Cue : sub – ‘under’ + poena – ‘penalty’
Mean : a written legal order summoning a witness or
requiring evidence to be submitted to a court or similar
deliberative body
Ex : Subpoena was issued to several government employees
for accepting bribes and corruption.
SUBSTANTIATE (v)
Cue : sub + stand – ‘giving substance/ standing’
Mean : (1) to confirm that something is true or valid
(2) to give something an actual physical existence
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Ex : During the trials of the Jessica Lal case, the lawyers
could not find enough witnesses to substantiate the
allegations against the accused.
SUBSUME (v)
Cue : sub + sume – ‘take’
Mean : to include or incorporate something into a larger
order, category, or classification
Ex : Many soldiers of different nationalities have been
subsumed to form the peace keeping force of the UN.
SUBTERFUGE (n)
Cue : sub + fugere – ‘to flee’
Mean : a plan, action, or device designed to hide a real
objective, or the process thereof
Ex : Information gained by subterfuge could not serve as
substantive evidence in the court of law.
SUBTERRANEAN (adj)
Cue : sub – ‘under’ + terra – ‘ground, earth’
Mean : (1) existing or situated below ground level
(2) existing or carried on in secret
Ex : Subterranean bunks were very popular during the two
world wars as they provided both safety and guard.
SUBVERT (v)
Cue : sub + vert – ‘to turn’
Mean : to undermine or corrupt / destroy
Ex : The extremists in J & K have repeatedly tried to subvert
the peace process between India and Pakistan.
SUCCULENT (adj)
Cue : succus – ‘juice’
Mean : soft and juicy; having fleshy tissues; full of vigor
Ex : The larva feeds on succulent leaves and branches of the
plants on which it is born.
SUCCUMB (v)
Cue : suc + cumb – ‘to weigh down/ to lie’
Mean : to yield
Ex : The accident victim succumbed to his injuries while on
his way to the hospital.
SULLAGE (n)
Cue : sol / sul – ‘mud’
Mean : waste matter floating on molten metal; waste
matter
Ex : The purification process involves complete removal of
sullage.
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SUPERABLE (adj)
Cue : super – ‘above/ beyond’ + able
Mean : capable of being overcome
Ex : The problem is difficult but not insuperable.
SURMISE (v)
Cue : sur – ‘super / above’ + mis – ‘send’
Mean : to infer or conclude without adequate evidence/
information
Ex : His evidence is based on surmise and not bare facts.
SURREPTITIOUS (adj)
Cue : sur – ‘sub’ + rep / rap – ‘snatch’
Mean : obtained in a clandestine manner
Ex : The pick - pocket surreptitiously moved behind the
victim and ran away after snatching the purse.
SWIPE (n/v)
Cue : variant of sweep
Mean : (1) a strong, sweeping blow
(2) taking a dig at somebody
Ex : The batsman made a wild swipe with the bat but
missed the line of the ball and was clean bowled.
SYNCHRONOUS (adj)
Cue : syn – ‘together’ + chron – ‘time’
Mean : occurring at the same time
Ex : The synchronous movement of gears provides
movement to vehicles/ machines.
T
TABLEAU (n)
Cue : tablet – ‘variant of table’ – a picture on a table?
Mean : (1) a representation of a scene; a vivid or
graphic representation
Ex : (i) The museum has a realistic tableau ‘Dinosaurs in the
Jurassic Park’.
(ii) The movie was a tableau of a soldier's life.
Mean : (2) a pause on stage when everyone stands like a
statue
Ex : The curtain rose to reveal a dramatic tableau which
suddenly came to life.
TACIT (adj)

Cue : tacit – ‘to be silent’
Mean : understood or assumed without being directly
expressed
Ex : The management has given its tacit approval to the
plan.
TACTILE (adj)
Cue : tact/tang – ‘touch’
Mean : pertaining to the sense of touch
Ex : (i) Blind people use their tactile sense to read Braille.
(ii) His paintings have a tactile quality..
TALISMAN (n)
Cue : ‘good luck charm’
Mean : (1) charm to bring good luck and avert misfortune
Ex : For his final match at the National level, he carried
Tendulkar's autograph, which he regarded as a talisman.
Mean : (2) thing capable of working wonders
Ex : The British Empire ultimately yielded to Gandhi’s
talismanic weapon of non-violence.
TANGENTIAL (adj)
Cue : tang – ‘touch’
Mean : (1) (a) merely touching or slightly connected.
(b) only superficially relevant; divergent
Ex : The arguments put forth against the project were
rather tangential; they were not even linked with the basic
idea.
Mean : (2) go off (or fly) on a tangent: to break off suddenly
from a line of action or train of thought and pursue another
course
Ex : We were discussing politics when she flew off at a
tangent and started talking about yesterday’s party.
TANTALIZE/TANTALISE (v)
Cue : ‘Tantalus’, according to Greek Mythology, was a king,
son of Zeus, doomed in the lower world to stand in water
that always recedes when he tries to drink it and under
branches of fruit that always remain just out of reach
Mean : to tease or torment by the sight, smell, promise,
etc, of something desirable but unobtainable
Ex : The smell of the meat being fried in the kitchen
tantalized the dog, making it to wander near the kitchen.
TAXIDERMY (n)
Cue : taxi – ‘arrangement’ + derm – ‘skin’ i.e. arrangement
of skin of dead animals
Mean : stuffing and mounting the skins of dead animals for
exhibition in a lifelike state
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Ex : Taxidermy enables us to see lifelike animals in
museums.
TEETER (v)
Cue : could be rhymed with ‘totter’ i.e. to shake
Mean : (1) to walk or move unsteadily or unsurely; totter
Ex : Those little girls were teetering in their mothers’ shoes.
Mean : (2) to hesitate or be indecisive
Ex : The management teeters between giving in to labour
union demands and calling for a new set of labour.
TELEOLOGY (n)
Cue : teleo – ‘end, last’ + logy – ‘study’ i.e. study of final
causes
Mean : (1) the study of design or purpose in natural
phenomena
(2) the fact or quality of being directed toward a definite
end or of having an ultimate purpose, esp. as attributed to
natural processes
Ex : Teleology is a belief that natural phenomena are
determined not only by mechanical causes but by an overall
design or purpose in nature.
TEMPERATE (adj)
Cue : temper – ‘to mix, proportion, moderate properly’
Mean : (1) moderate, self-restrained
Ex : He practices self-control and keeps away from alcohol
and such temperate habits have kept him healthy.
Mean : (2) characterized by moderate temperatures,
weather, or climate; neither hot nor cold
Ex : The region around the Mediterranean sea is a
temperate zone.
TEMPO (n)
Cue : tempo – ‘time’
Mean : (1) the speed or rhythm at which music is performed
Ex : Their dance steps are not matching the tempo of this
melody.
Mean : (2) the rate or motion of activity
Ex : One from the rural background would find the tempo
of city life too fast.
TENABLE (adj)
Cue : ten/tin/tain – ‘hold’
Mean : (of an opinion or position) able to be defended
successfully or held for a particular period of time
Ex : The belief that malaria is caused by bad air is not
tenable in the light of the recent discoveries.
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TENACIOUS (adj) TERRESTRIAL (adj)

Cue : ten/tin/tain – ‘hold’
Mean : (1) holding or tending to hold persistently to
something, such as a point of view
Ex : There has been tenacious local opposition against
the organization of the Miss World contest in the city.
Mean : (2) holding together firmly, cohesive
Ex : The lion seized its prey in a tenacious grip.
Mean : (3) of memory, retentive
Ex : This child is a genius; he never forgets anything as he
has a tenacious memory.
TENSILE (adj)
Cue : tens/tend/tent – ‘stretch/strain’
Mean : capable of being stretched and maintaining tension
Ex : Escalators and lifts rely on the high tensile strength of
the wires.
TENUOUS (adj)
Cue : associate it with ‘thin’
Mean : (1) (of something non-physical) having little
meaning or strength
(2) very thin
Ex : The connection between the novel ‘Devdas’ and the
movie is quite tenuous and it cannot be said that the movie
is based on the novel.
TERGIVERSATION (n)
Cue : vers/ vert – ‘turn’. An evasive person: trying to avoid
giving a direct answer to a straight question
Mean : (1) to change opinion or attitude repeatedly:
equivocation
(2) desertion of a cause, position, party or faith
Ex : The tergiversation of his speech left his listeners
confused about where he really stood on the issue.
TERMAGANT (n/adj)
Cue : Termagan was an imaginary Muslim deity
represented in medieval morality plays as extremely
violent and turbulent person, in long, flowing eastern robes,
a dress that led to his acceptance as a woman and that is
why the name came to be applied to a shrewish,
quarrelsome, violently abusive and tyrannizing woman
Mean : a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman; a shrew
Ex : In this movie, she plays the role of a termagant old
woman who picks up a fight at the smallest pretext, though
the role is most unlike her kind and gentle nature in real life.
Cue : terra – ‘earth/land’
Mean : (1) of the earth or land
Ex : Aquatic regions have been explored lesser than the
terrestrial ones.
Mean : (2) worldly, earthly, mundane
Ex : If they are concerned more with terrestrial than with
spiritual matters, Church leaders would bring religion into
disrepute.
TESTAMENT (n)
Cue : test – ‘witness/see’
Mean : a written statement of beliefs or convictions;
tangible proof
Ex : Nehru’s writings are a testament of his love for India
and its people.
THEANTHROPISM (n)
Cue : the – ‘God’ + anthro – ‘human being’ + ism – ‘signifies
an activity, ideology or belief’
Mean : (1) the representation of objects (especially a god)
as having human form or traits
(2) (theology) the doctrine that Jesus was a union of the
human and the divine
Ex : Most humans have strong belief in theanthropism.
THERAPEUTIC (adj)
Cue : therap – ‘heal, cure; treatment’ + ic – ‘act’
Mean : the treatment or curing of physical and mental
disorders, diseases
Ex : Talking to a sympathetic friend can be therapeutic
if you’re depressed.
THERMODYNAMICS (n)
Cue : therm – ‘heat’ + dynamics – ‘force producing motion’
Mean : the science of the relations between heat and other
forms of energy
Ex : The principles of thermodynamics are being used to
design more efficient engines.
THESPIAN (n)
Cue : Characteristic of the great 6th century Greek poet
Thespis
Mean : Connected with acting and theater. Also, a famous
actor or actress with a lot of experience
Ex : Amitabh Bachchan would always be one of the
greatest thespians of the Indian cinema.

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THROTTLE (n/v)
Cue : from throat
Mean : (1) to choke a person by squeezing the throat; to
strangle
Ex : The attacker tried to throttle her.
Mean : (2) to suppress
Ex : The teacher’s harsh criticism has throttled the pupils’
creativity.
TIMOROUS (adj)
Cue : associate with ‘timid’
Mean : full of or subject to fear, timid
Ex : The child’s timorous shouts at the fierce dog had no
effect.
TITULAR (adj)
Cue : formed from ‘title’
Mean : in name only, without real power
Ex : The president is the titular head of the nation but the
real power lies with the prime minister.
TOPOGRAPHY (n)
Cue : lies in its roots: topos – ‘place’ + graphy – ‘to write,
record or describe’ - ―description of he place
Mean : physical features of a region
Ex : (i) I have a fair idea of the topography of a region.
(ii) A topographical map shows hills, rivers and built-up
areas.
TORMENT (v/n)
Cue : tor/tort – ‘twisting to cause suffering’
Mean : (1) to inflict or cause physical or mental pain,
anguish
Ex : The family said they had endured years of torment and
abuse at the hands of the neighbours.
Mean : (2) to tease, annoy
Ex : The dog finally bit its tormentor.
TORTUOUS (adj)
Cue : lies : tort – ‘twist’
Mean : (1) winding or twisting with many bends
Ex : It’s a tortuous road through the hills.
Mean : (2) not straightforward; devious; tricky
Ex : The minister’s tortuous arguments did nothing to
convince us.
TOXICOLOGY (n)
Cue : tox/toxic – ‘poison’ + logy – ‘study/science’
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Mean : the science dealing with poisons and their effects
and with antidotes for poisons
Ex : Toxicology is the scientific study of poisons.
TRACTABLE (adj)
Cue : tract – ‘draw, pull’ + able
Mean : (1) easily managed, taught or controlled; docile;
compliant
(2) easily worked; malleable
Ex : (i) Young minds are often tractable.
(ii) The river water dispute turned out to be rather less
tractable than I had expected.
TRANQUILLITY (n)
Mean : calmness, peace
Ex : I like my native village most of all because of its
immense tranquillity and unhurriedness, far removed from
the hectic and troubled pace of life in the city.
TRANSCEND (v)
Cue : trans – ‘beyond’ + scend – ‘to climb’
Mean : (1) to go beyond the range or limit of human
experience, belief
Ex : The story of this film would transcend your belief.
Mean : (2) Excellent, Superior, Supreme
Ex : The transcendent genius of Newton revolutionized
scientific thinking.
Mean : (3) to surpass or exceed; to rise above
Ex : The annual profit of the company this year transcends
all the previous ones.
TRANSIENT (adj)
Cue : trans – ‘through’
Mean : (1) passing away with time; not permanent;
temporary
(2) temporary visitor, worker etc
Ex : The city has a large transient population of daily-wage
workers who come to work in the city from the adjoining
areas.
TRANSLUCENT (adj)
Cue : trans – ‘through’ + lucere – ‘to shine’ i.e. to shine
through
Mean : allowing some light through so that objects can be
seen through it but not very clearly; semitransparent
Ex : Translucent glass panes are not see through; at the
same time light comes through them.
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TREACHERY (n) TURMOIL (n)

Cue : rhyme treach with ‘cheat’ Cue : relate turm with ‘turb’ i.e. disturb
Mean : an act of betrayal or one of treason Mean : (1) state of confusion, uncertainty
Ex : Pakistan’s treachery against India in 1999 was the (2) to agitate, trouble
biggest lesson Indians could have learnt. Ex : The country is in a state of turmoil.

TREMULOUS (adj) TYRO (n)

Cue : in the root: trem/trep – ‘tremble/shake’ Mean : a beginner, novice
Mean : (1) trembling, wavering, Shaking Ex : Despite his being a tyro, he surprised his boss by giving
(2) timid or fearful; timorous a wonderful project report.
Ex : He is too tremulous to give a speech in the public.

TRIFLE (n)
Mean : something of little value or importance; trivial
thing, idea, etc.; paltry matter U
Ex : Why are you arguing over such a trifling matter?

TRUCULENT (adj)
UBIQUITOUS (adj)
Mean : defiant and aggressive
Cue : ubi – ‘where’ + qui – ‘every’ i.e. turning up everywhere
Ex : The MP is known to be rather aggressive, but his
Mean : existing or being everywhere at the same time
truculence during the session was unusually severe.
Ex : The Irish are not alone in finding their language under
pressure from the ubiquitous spread of English.
TUMID (adj)
Cue : tumere – ‘swelling’
UMBRAGE (n)
Mean : (1) swollen; bulging
Cue : umbra – ‘shade, shadow’
(2) inflated or pompous
Mean : the feeling of being overshadowed; as by standing
Ex : You must consult a doctor about the tumid outgrowth
in one's light or way; hence, suspicion of injury or wrong (to
on your head.
take umbrage)
Ex : The minister took umbrage to the article that had
TURBID (adj)
criticized him severely.
Cue : the root: turb – ‘disturb/ to stir up’
Mean : (1) having sediment or foreign particles stirred
UNANIMOUS (adj)
up or suspended; muddy and cloudy (of liquids)
Cue : uni – ‘one’ + animus – ‘mind’ i.e. of one mind.
Ex : Turbid waters of the stream are home to many fish.
Mean : in complete agreement, united in opinion
Mean : (2) thick, dense or dark, as clouds or smoke
Ex : (i) The decision was unanimous with no dissent.
Ex : The turbid smoke from the factories is polluting the air
(ii) If we can’t reach unanimity, we’ll take a vote.
of this city.
Mean : (3) confused; disordered
UNCANNY (adj)
Ex : That mentally sick man had turbid thoughts.
Cue : un – ‘not’ + canny – ‘know how to’ associated with the
supernatural
TURGID (adj)
Mean : seemingly supernatural or mysterious; strange
Cue : relate it with ‘Tumid’
Ex : His predictions turned out to be uncannily accurate.
Mean : (1) swollen; distended
Ex : The wound on his leg was red and turgid, making him
UNCONSCIONABLE (adj)
unable to walk.
Cue : un – ‘not’ + conscion – ‘conscience’ + able - showing
Mean : (2) overly pompous in style or language; bombastic
no regard for conscience
Ex : The book is overly turgid and hence not eminently
Mean : (1) not guided or restrained by conscience;
readable.
unscrupulous

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Ex : The unconscionable retailer does not hesitate to
fleece whenever he can.
Mean : (2) unreasonable in degree or amount
Ex : The moneylender has been charging unconscionable
rate of interest.
UNCOUTH (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + couth – ‘refined; polished; civilized’
Mean : not having good manners, awkward or impolite in
speech and behavior
Ex : His uncouth mannerism has earned him notoriety
at the university campus.
UNCTUOUS (adj)
Mean : praise, interest, friendliness, etc., in a way that is
false and unpleasant; too suave or oily in speech or manner
Ex : Most of the people at the funeral were overflowing
with unctuous sympathy for the young widow.
UNEQUIVOCAL (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + equivocal – that can have ‘more than one
interpretation’
Mean : completely clear, allowing no possibility of doubt
Ex : All political parties have expressed their unequivocal
support for the economic reforms.
UNFETTERED (v)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + fetter – ‘anything that holds in check;
restraint’
Mean : free from restraint of any kind; liberate
Ex : Being an unfettered man, he has the guts to oppose
injustice and oppression anywhere.
UNGAINLY (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + gainly – ‘shapely and graceful; comely’
Mean : not graceful, awkward in movement; clumsy
Ex : Please improve upon your awkward and ungainly gait
or else you will never make a good dancer.
UNGUENT (n)
Mean : a healing or a soothing ointment for sores, burns or
the like
Ex : She applied an unguent to the wound.
UNIMPEACHABLE (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + impeach – ‘to challenge or discredit’
Mean : that cannot be doubted, questioned or
discredited i.e. unquestionably honest, trustworthy
Ex : Mother Teresa was a woman of unimpeachable
integrity and character.
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UNISON (n)
Cue : uni – ‘one’ + son – ‘sound’ i.e. having one sound,
‘harmonious agreement’
Mean : (1) singing or playing all together at the same pitch
Ex : Choirs sing in unison
Mean : (2) uttering the same words, or producing the same
sound, at the same time
Ex : The rescuers cannot hear us; let’s shout in unison.
Mean : (3) complete agreement; concord; harmony
Ex : All the oil companies increased their prices in unison.
UNKEMPT (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + kempt / kembed - ‘well- combed, neat’
Mean : untidy; neglected
Ex : The overgrown grass in the garden looks very unkempt.
UNOBTRUSIVE (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + obtrusive – ‘obtruding itself’ esp. calling
attention to itself in a displeasing way
Mean : not undesirably noticeable or blatant; not drawing
attention
Ex : He led a quiet, unobtrusive life of self-denial.
UNRAVEL (v)
Cue : un + ravel – ‘orig. to make complicated or tangled’
Mean : to solve or work something out
Ex : The psychiatrist unraveled the reasons for her strange
behavior.
UNREQUITED (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + requite – ‘to make return or repayment’
Mean : of feelings, not returned or reciprocated
Ex : (i) He had helped her on several occasions before, but
his favors and love had always gone unrequited.
UNRUFFLED (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + ruffle – ‘to disturb the smoothness of’
Mean : not agitated; calm; regular and smooth
Ex : Despite the fear of losing his job, he appeared quite
unruffled.
UNSAVOURY (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + savoury – ‘pleasing to the taste or smell;
morally acceptable; respectable’
Mean : distasteful or offensive
Ex : (i) The smell of these stale vegetables is unsavoury.
(ii) The minister is involved in an unsavoury scandal with a
younger woman.
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UNSCATHED (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + scathe – ‘to hurt, injure’
Mean : without suffering any injury
Ex : Despite the head-on collision, he came out unscathed
because he had been wearing the seatbelt.
UNSCRUPULOUS (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + scrupulous – ‘moral, honest’
Mean : without moral principles; dishonest
Ex : One should not earn money through unscrupulous
means.
UNSOLICITED (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + solicit – ‘to ask or seek earnestly or
pleadingly’
Mean : not asked for; given voluntarily
Ex : Her unsolicited advice to the director of the play
irritated him.
UNTENABLE (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + ten – ‘to hold, keep, stretch’
Mean : (1) incapable of being maintained
(2) (of a position esp. in an argument) impossible to defend
or show to be reasonable
Ex : The troops had to withdraw from their untenable
positions in enemy territory.
UNTOWARD (adj)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + toward
Mean : (1) inappropriate, improper
Ex : Her untoward remarks at the conference table made
her lose the job.
Mean : (2) unfortunate; adverse, inauspicious
Ex : The untoward incident proved portentous to her.
UNWIELDY (adj)
Mean : not easily handled; too large or cumbersome
Ex : Of all the items, this piano is so unwieldy that it is just
impossible to get it down the stairs.
UNWITTINGLY (adv)
Cue : un – ‘not’ + wit – ‘to know’
Mean : not knowing or intentional
Ex : Unwittingly, he revealed details of the new project
to the competitors.
UNYIELDING
Cue : un – ‘not’ + yield
Mean : not giving way; firm
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Ex : The company was unyielding to the demands of the
labour union.
UPBRAID (v)
Cue : braid –‘to twist/pull’
Mean : to forcefully criticize others for having done
something wrong
Ex : The teacher upbraided the student for being late.
UPSHOT (n)
Cue : up + shot i.e. ‘the final shot’
Mean : the outcome or final result
Ex : The upshot of the discussions is that the company
would launch its new product in the next month, instead of
launching it now.
UPSURGE (n/v)
Cue : up + surge – ‘to rise’ i.e. to surge up
Mean : a sudden increase or rise
Ex : There has been an upsurge of liquor consumption
among the youth in our country.
URBANE (adj)
Cue : urban – ‘city’; i.e. one having the manners of
townspeople
Mean : sophisticated or refined
Ex : The urbane rich are often ignorant of the ground
realities facing the common folk.
USURP (v)
Cue : from usu (use) + rapare (seize) i.e. to take into use by
force
Mean : to seize and hold another's place, authority, or
possession by force and without legal authority
Ex : The Land Mafia is usurping the lands in our cities.
USURY (n)
Cue : associate it with ‘interest’
Mean : lending of money at excessively high rate of interest
Ex : Even in the present times, the poor peasants in rural
India often become the victims of usury of the rich money
lenders, who lend the money at exorbitant rates of interest.
UTILITARIAN (adj)
Cue : utilit – ‘utility’ + arian – ‘one advocating’
Mean : stressing usefulness over beauty or other
considerations; practical
Ex : (i) These plastic chairs are too utilitarian for my taste.
(ii) The utilitarian are scornful of the profligacy of the rich.
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UTOPIA (n) VATIC (adj)

Cue : u – ‘not’ + top – ‘place’ i.e. any perfect place Cue : from Latin – vates – ‘prophet’
Mean : an imagined perfect place or state Mean : resembling or characteristic of a prophet or
Ex : The idealism of the new Prime Minister is utopian. prophecy
Ex : Nostradamus wrote vatic book with ready and
UXORIAL (adj) infallible predictions.
Cue : in the root: uxor – ‘wife’
Mean : pertaining to one’s wife VAUNT (v)
Ex : She was typecast in uxorial roles Cue : related to ‘vain’
Mean : to show off, brag about something
Ex : The much vaunted show did not go according to
our expectations.

V VEHEMENT (adj)
Cue : vehere – ‘to move/carry’
Mean : showing or caused by strong feelings, usually
negative; forceful
VACILLATE (n)
Ex : They were vehement in their protestations.
Cue : vacillare – ‘to sway to and fro’
Mean : to sway to and fro; to be continually changing from
VENAL (adj)
one opinion or feeling to another
Cue : venalis – ‘for sale’
Ex : I vacillated between teaching and journalism
Mean : open to do dishonest things / capable of being
obtained for a price
VACUOUS (adj) Ex : His venal ways led to his conviction and imprisonment
Cue : vac – ‘empty’ for five years.
Mean : empty of matter, showing lack of interest,
intelligence or thought
VENERABLE (adj)
Ex : His vacuous comments do not affect me.
Cue : venerari – ‘to worship’
Mean : worthy of respect or reverence by reason of age or
VAGRANT (n) dignity, character, or position
Cue : from Latin vagari – ‘to wander’ Ex : The venerable scholar was the chief guest of the
Mean : a person who wanders from place to place function.
Ex : His parents could not coax him out of his vagrant ways.
VENIAL (adj)
VAINGLORY (n) Cue : from Latin venia – ‘forgiveness / grace / love’
Cue : vain – ‘worthless’ + glory – ‘honour’ Mean : easily excused or forgiven
Mean : extreme self-pride and boastfulness Ex : His was a venial offence and so he was let off with a
Ex : The politician’s vainglorious speech was meant to severe reprimand.
outshine his opponent’s.
VERACITY (adj)
VALOROUS (adj) Cue : ver/veri – ‘true’
Cue : val/vail/valu – ‘value, strength’ Mean : truthfulness, honest, accuracy
Mean : bravery or courage Ex : The veracity of his statement remains to be established.
Ex : The valorous young man refused to give in to injustice.
VERBOSE (adj)
VAPID (adj) Cue : verb – ‘word’
Cue : from Latin vapidus – ‘stale wine’ Mean : using or containing too many words
Mean : without strength, lacking interest Ex : The judge was patient enough to listen to the
Ex : The vapid tone of the lecturer made the class feel verbose argumentation of the attorney.
sleepy.

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VERTIGO (n)
Cue : from vert/vers - ‘to turn’
Mean : the sensation of dizziness; a confused, disoriented
state of mind
Ex : After the roller-coaster ride, I was in vertigo for a few
moments.
VERNACULAR (n)
Cue : from verna – ‘native’
Mean : the everyday language spoken by a people as
distinguished from the literary language; a variety of
such everyday language specific to a social group or region
Ex : The vernaculars of Punjab vary from region to region.
VEX (v)
Cue : from vexare – ‘to agitate’
Mean : to annoy or irritate
Ex : Don’t vex me with so many silly questions.
VIABLE (adj)
Cue : from viv/vit – ‘alive, life’
Mean : (1) capable of living, developing, or germinating
under favorable conditions
(2) capable of success or continuing effectiveness
Ex : A human fetus is considered viable when it weighs 500
grams or more.
VICARIOUS (adj)
Cue : from vic/vicis – ‘change, substitute’
Mean : experienced through someone else’s feelings or
actions
Ex : The husband’s vicarious enjoyment of his wife’s success
was refreshing.
VICISSITUDE (n)
Cue : vic/vicis – ‘change, substitute’
Mean : (1) a condition of constant change or alternation,
as a natural process
(2) unpredictable changes or variations that keep occurring
in life, fortune, etc.; shifting circumstances; ups and downs
Ex : The vicissitudes of life have taken a toll on her looks.
VILIFY (v)
Cue : from vil – ‘base, mean’
Mean : to make malicious and abusive statements about
somebody
Ex : The judge cautioned the prosecution against attempts
to vilify the defendants without evidence.
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VINDICATE (v)
Cue : vindicare – ‘to claim, set free’
Mean : (1) to clear of blame or suspicion
(2) to prove the truth of something under dispute; to justify
Ex : Falsely implicated in a case, his position was
ultimately vindicated.
VIRILE (adj)
Cue : from vir – ‘man’
Mean : showing qualities of a grown up man; having manly
strength or vigor; forceful
Ex : He was as athletic and virile as his father.
VIRTUOSO (n)
Mean : a person with masterly ability, technique, personal
style, skill or technique in the arts
Ex : Beethoven was considered a virtuoso in music.
VIRULENT (adj)
Cue : from virus – ‘poison’
Mean : (1) extremely poisonous or injurious; deadly
Ex : The virulence of the 1918 flu epidemic caused many
deaths.
Mean : (2) figuratively: bitterly antagonistic or spiteful; full
of hate and enmity
Ex : Infuriated by his criticism in the media, the minister
made a virulent attack on the press.
VISCERAL (adj)
Cue : viscera – ‘internal organs’(the large organs inside the
body, including the heart, stomach, lungs and intestines)
Mean : proceeding from instinctive and emotional
reactions rather than from reasoned thinking
Ex : Her approach is visceral rather than intellectual.
VITRIOLIC (adj)
Cue : vitriol is an old-fashioned word for ‘sulphuric acid’
Mean : bitterly abusive feeling or expression
Ex : His constant vitriolic criticism has earned him a bad
name.
VITUPERATE (v)
Cue : vitium – ‘vice, fault’ + perare – ‘to prepare’
Mean : to make harsh criticism, to be abusive
Ex : Use of vituperative language should be avoided in
front of children.
VIVACIOUS (adj)
Cue : from Viv/vita/vivi – ‘alive, live’
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Mean : full of life and animation, lively

Ex : Her vivaciousness makes her the life and soul of every
party.
W
VIVIPAROUS (adj)
Cue : from vivi – ‘alive’ WAIF (n)
Mean : giving birth to living offspring that develops Cue : from veif – ‘anything flapping about’(wave)
within the mother's body Mean : (1) a person who has no home or friends such
Ex : Most mammals, including human beings, are as an orphaned or forsaken child
viviparous. (2) something found and unclaimed, as an object cast up by
the sea, or a stray animal
VOCIFEROUS (adj) Ex : The poor little waif was desperately seeking shelter
Cue : voc/vok/vow – ‘voice’ + -ous – ‘full of’ from the rain.
Mean : loud, noisy or vehement in making one’s feelings
known WAIVE (v)
Ex : His vociferous complaints were not paid heed to. Cue : from veifa – ‘to fluctuate / abandon’
Mean : (1) to give up a claim or a right voluntarily
VOLITION (n) (2) to refrain from enforcing a rule or penalty
Cue : vol – ‘will, wish’ Ex : If you apologize, I’ll waive off your penalty.
Mean : power to make a decision
Ex : He left the job of his own volition. WANTON (adj)
Cue : wan – ‘lacking’ + togen – ‘discipline’
VOLUPTUOUS (adj) Mean : (1) sexually promiscuous
Cue : volupt – ‘pleasure’ (2) without regard for propriety
Mean : suggestive of unrestrained pleasure to the senses Ex : That wanton woman has a string of lovers.
Ex : The voluptuous sculptural beauties in the Ajanta
caves are renowned works of art. WARD (n/v)
Cue : wer – ‘to turn’ / warth – ‘to guard’
VORACIOUS (adj) Mean : (1) a division
Cue : vor – ‘eat’ (2) a person under guard
Mean : (1) greedy in eating; devouring or eager to devour (3) a defense
large quantities of food Ex : (i) The sick industrialist has been admitted to a private
Ex : My younger sister has a voracious appetite. ward in the hospital.
Mean : (2) very greedy or eager in some desire or pursuit; (ii) Schools expect parents to bear complete responsibility
insatiable of their wards before and after school - hours.
Ex : He is a voracious reader, and keeps his nose always in
a book. WELTER (n)
Cue : wella – ‘to roll / boil up’
VOYEUR (n) Mean : (1) to roll about or wallow as in mud
Mean : a person who habitually and furtively gets sexual (2) to be deeply involved
satisfaction from ogling etc (3) to be soaked in blood
Ex : The new resident of the building was shunned by (4) a surging, rolling, or heaving motion made by the sea or
neighbors for being a voyeur. waves
(5) a state of turmoil, commotion
Ex : He was so weltered in work that he didn’t feel the
tremors of the earthquake.

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WHET (v)
Mean : (1) sharpen by rubbing
(2) stimulate (interest or desire)
X
Ex : (i) He decided to whet the knife before slaughtering the
goat.
(ii) My appetite was whetted by the aromatic fragrance of XENOPHOBIA (n)
the cake. Cue : xeno – ‘alien /stranger’ + phobia – ‘fear’
Mean : fear of strangers or anything foreign or strange
WHIT (n) Ex : All fears of the washing up of Indian industry against
Cue : used in negative constructions competition of MNC’s have just proved to be xenophobia.
Mean : The least bit, smallest particle
Ex : He has changed not a whit. XEROGRAPHY (n)
Cue : xero – ‘dry’ + graphy
WILY (adj) Mean : a dry copying process involving static electricity
Cue : wile – ‘a sly trick’ Ex : Xerography is used in most photocopying machines.
Mean : full of evil
Ex : He’s a wily little boy who always gets his own way. XYLOGRAPHY (n)
Cue : xylo – ‘wood’ + graph
WONT (n /v /adj) Mean : art of engraving on wood
Cue : wunian – ‘to be accustomed’ Ex : Xylography as an art is not being pursued by many.
Mean : custom, habit
Ex : As was his wont, he rose up early. YAMMER (v)
Cue : geomor – ‘sad’
WRAITH (n) Mean : to whine, whimper or complain
Cue : warth – ‘guardian angel’ Ex : Don’t yammer; tell me how the job can be done.
Mean : apparition of a person appearing just before his
death YANK (v)
Ex : The wraith-like woman was obviously very ill. Mean : to pull suddenly
Ex : The electrician yanked the nail out.
WREST (v)
Cue : wer – ‘to turn, bend, twist’ YEOMAN (n /adj)
Mean : to seize after grappling for; to pull away Cue : corrupted form of youngman
Ex : The armed forces have repeatedly wrested power in Mean : (1) a farmer who cultivates his own land
countries like Pakistan. (2) valiant manner or service
Ex : Leaders of the freedom struggle have rendered
WRIT (n) yeoman’s service to the cause of the nation.
Cue : From write
Mean : (1) something written YOKE (n /v)
(2) a legal order permitting or prohibiting some action Cue : from Sanskrit ‘yuga’ for two
Ex : A writ is filed in a court of law. Mean : (1) harness for joining together a pair of oxen
(2) oppressive domination
Ex : (i) The farmer yoked the cattle together for ploughing
the fields.
(ii) Gandhi played a stellar role in getting India freed from
the British yoke.

YONDER (adj)
Mean : farther, more distant

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Ex : Look no yonder; join in if you really want to achieve

success.

ZANY (n/adj)
Mean : (1) a clown or a buffoon
(2) strange, surprising or uncontrolled in an amusing way
Ex : She thought she looked pretty at the party but I found
her dress rather zany with those multicoloured frills looking
like a clown’s dress.

ZEALOT (n)
Cue : from zeal – ‘intense enthusiasm’
Mean : one who is driven by zeal, often to an extreme or
excessive degree
Ex : A non-catholic zealot tried to assassinate the Pope.

ZENITH (n)
Mean : the point in the sky directly above the head of an
observer, acme or peak
Ex : He has reached the zenith of his career at a rather early
age.

ZEPHYR (n)
Cue : zephyrus – ‘Greek god of wind’
Mean : a soft gentle breeze
Ex : While lying under a tree in a garden, we enjoyed
the late evening zephyr.

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Chapter 2 - IDIOMS
IDIOM MEANING
A Cut Above Better or of higher quality.
A Doddle If a task or activity is a doddle, it is very easy to do or perform.
A Hot Potato A problem or situation that is difficult to deal with.
A Kickback This expression refers to money paid illegally for favourable treatment.
A Little Bird Told Me Learned from a mysterious or secret source.
A Little Knowledge Is a
Incomplete knowledge can embarrass or harm someone or something.
Dangerous Thing
A Lot On Your Plate To be extremely busy or have several problems to handle.
A Notch Above A little better in every way.
A Penny For Your
A way of asking what someone is thinking.
Thoughts
A Picture Is Worth a
A picture can give just as much information as a large amount of descriptive text.
Thousand Words
A Plum In Your Mouth Someone who speaks with an upper-class accent is said to have a plum in their mouth.
A Plum Job A desirable position which is well-paid and considered relatively easy.
A Rip-Off To say that something is a rip-off means that it costs much more than it should.
A Roaring Trade If you do a roaring trade, your business is very successful.
A Rolling Stone Gathers
If a person keeps moving from place to place, he gains nothing.
No Moss
A Rude Awakening If you get a rude awakening, you are forced to accept the unpleasant truth or reality.
A World of Difference Vast difference.
About Turn/About Face This term refers to a complete change of opinion or policy.
Above and Beyond the To show a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required or expected in
Call of Duty their job.
Above Board If a situation or business that is open, honest and legal.
Accidentally On Purpose If you do something intentionally, but pretend it was an accident.
Ace a Test To obtain a very high score or an excellent result.
Achilles Heel A vulnerable area or a weak spot that could cause one's downfall or failure.
Acid Test A test that will prove how effective or useful something is.
Acquired Taste Another way of saying ‘This stuff is not good but you'll get used to it’.
Act of God An unforeseen and uncontrollable natural event, such as a hurricane, fire, or flood.
Actions Speak Louder
People's intentions can be judged better by what they do than what they say.
Than Words
Add Fuel To the Fire To make a problem worse.
Add Fuel To the Flames Making a difficult situation even worse.
Add Insult To Injury To make a bad situation worse.
Afraid of One's Own
To be very nervous or easily frightened.
Shadow

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If something is done after the fact, it done too late, after something has actually
After the Fact
happened, especially a crime or an accident.
Against One's Better
If you do something contrary to what you feels to be wise or sensible.
Judgement
Against the Clock If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it.
Ahead of the Game Being early; Having an advantage over a situation.
Ahead of the Pack To be better or more successful than rivals.
Aid and Abet Someone To help someone.
Air One's Grievances To complain.
All at Sea About
Confused.
Something
All Brawn and No Brain Someone who is physically very strong but not very intelligent.
All Downhill To achieve something easily, knowing that the difficulties have been faced beforehand.
All Ears Listening very attentively.
All Fingers and Thumbs Awkward and clumsy and do things incorrectly.
All Hands On Deck When there is a need for all hands on deck, Everyone in the team must help.
All Hell Broke Loose A sudden angry, noisy reaction to something.
All His Geese Are Swans Someone who constantly exaggerates the importance of somebody or something.
All In a Day's Work Part of what is expected.
All In Your Head If something is all in your head, it is not real. It is in your imagination.
All Mouth and No
Someone who talks a lot about doing something but never actually does it.
Trousers
All Or Nothing A choice of doing something or not doing it.
All Sizzle and No Steak When someone fails to live up to expectations, or it isn't as good as the ones before it.
All Skin and Bone If someone is all skin and bone, they are very thin or too thin.
All That Jazz All that stuff; Other similar things; Everything of that kind.
All the Rage Very popular or trendy.
All Things Being Equal Probable situation if, in all other ways, the conditions remain unchanged or equal.
All Things To All People You please or satisfy everyone.
All Your Eggs In One
You depend on one plan or one source of income.
Basket
An Accomplished Fact Something that has been done, before those affected by it can intervene or change it.
An Arm and a Leg Very expensive or costly.
Answer For Something To accept responsibility for ones actions.
Answer the Call of Nature
To go to the toilet.
/ Nature's Call
Ants In One's Pants Very restless or agitated.
Any Port In a Storm When you are in difficulty, anything is better than getting screwed.
Anyone's Call When the result of a contest or election is difficult to predict.
Apple of Someone's Eye Someone's favorite person or thing.
Apple Pie Order If something is in apple pie order, it is well organized or in perfect order.

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Apples and Oranges A pair of words representing two entities that are not similar.
Apron Strings If a person remains dependent at an age when he/she should be independent.
Argue the Toss To dispute a decision or choice which has already been made.
Arm of the Law The extent to which the authority or power of the law extends.
Armchair Critic Giving advice based on theory rather than practice.
Someone who reads books or watches TV programmes about other places and
Armchair Traveller
countries, but doesn't actually travel anywhere.
Armed To the Teeth Heavily armed with deadly weapons.
Around the Clock Continuously for twenty four hours a day.
As a Duck Takes To Water Easily and naturally.
As a Last Resort As the last choice.
As a Matter of Fact Actually.
As Blind as a Bat Someone whose vision is very poor, or who is unable to see anything.
As Broad as It's Long This expression means that there is no real difference which alternative is chosen.
As Busy as a Bee Very busy.
As Clear as Crystal Very clear; Transparent.
As Clear as Mud Not understandable.
As Close / as Dumb as an
Someone who will never reveal something told in confidence or betray a secret.
Oyster
As Comfortable as an Old
Very comfortable.
Shoe
As Cool as a Cucumber Relaxed and non-emotional.
As Crooked as a Dog's
Very dishonest.
Hind Leg
As Different as Chalk and
Completely different from each other.
Cheese
As Dull as Dishwater Very uninteresting.
As Fit as a Fiddle Excellent state of health or physical condition.
As Free as a Bird To be completely free to do as one pleases.
As Fresh as a Daisy Someone who is (as) fresh as a daisy is lively and attractive, in a clean and fresh way.
As Full as a Tick Having eaten or drunk too much.
As Good as Gold A child who is as good as gold is obedient and well-behaved.
As Happy as a Flea In a
If someone is (as) happy as a flea in a doghouse, they are very happy and contented.
Doghouse
As Happy as Larry If you are (as) happy as Larry, you are very happy indeed.
As Hard as Nails Unsentimental and showing no sympathy.
As Keen as Mustard Very eager, enthusiastic or motivated.
As Mad as a Hatter Very strange or insane.
As Mad as Hell Very angry.
As Nice as Pie Surprisingly kind and friendly.
As Nutty as a Fruitcake Silly; Crazy.

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As Plain as Day Clear and understandable.

As Proud as a Peacock Extremely proud.
As Quick as a Dog Can
To do something surprisingly fast.
Lick a Dish
As Scarce as Hens' Teeth Something extremely rare, to the point of non-existence.
As Slippery as an Eel Someone who is difficult to catch and manage to avoid answering questions.
As Sly as a Fox Being cunning and clever at getting what they want, especially by tricking people.
As Stubborn as a Mule Stubborn and unwilling to listen.
As the Crow Files This expression refers to distance measured in a straight line.
As Thick as Thieves Very close friends who are very loyal to each other.
As Tough as Old Boots Very strong (not easily made weaker); Difficult to cut or eat.
As White as a Ghost A person who looks very pale and frightened.
As White as a Sheet Very pale.
Ask For the Moon To ask for too much.
Asking For Trouble Behaving stupidly to have some problems.
Asleep at the Wheel Not sufficiently attentive, especially at a critical moment when vigilance is required.
Assault and Battery A violent attack.
At a Loss If a person is at a loss, they don't know what to say or do in a particular situation.
At a Loss For Words Unable to speak.
At a Low Ebb A person or organization that is not as strong or successful as usual.
At All Costs If you are determined to obtain something at all costs.
At Close Range Very near; In close proximity.
At Cross Purposes A misunderstanding as to what each one is talking about.
At First Glance When first examined.
At First Hand If you experience something yourself directly, without any intermediary.
At Home With Someone/
Comfortable with someone or something.
Something
At Loggerheads To strongly disagree.
At Odds To disagree.
At One's Wit's End At the limits of one's mental resources.
At Someone's Beck and
If a person is always ready to do things or obeying orders to please others.
Call
At Stake Someone who has a lot to win or lose based on the outcome of an event.
At the Bottom of the
At the lowest level of pay and status.
Ladder
At the Drop of a Hat Without any hesitation; Instantly.
At the Mercy of Someone Under the control of someone.
At the Outside At the most; Maximum (of an Estimate).
At This Stage of the Game Current point reached in a process, activity or developing situation.
At Top of One's Lungs To shout as loudly as you possibly can.

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Automatic Pilot To do something without thinking about it.

Avowed Intent When someone makes a public declaration of their objective or goal.
Away With the Fairies Someone who is in a dreamy state that they are not totally in touch with reality.
Babe In the Woods A naive or innocent person.
Back Into Shape To become fit and healthy again.
Back On Your Feet To be healthy again after a period of illness.
Back Someone Or
To support someone or something.
Something Up
Back the Wrong Horse Supporting the wrong person.
Back To Square One Having to start again.
Back To the Drawing
When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.
Board
Back To the Salt Mines Returning to work, usually with some reluctance.
Back Of The Envelope
Quick approximate calculation done informally, as on the back of an envelope.
Calculation
Backseat Driver A passenger in a car who gives unwanted advice to the driver.
Bad Blood Between
Unpleasant feelings.
People
Bad Egg An untrustworthy person; A repellent person.
Bail Someone Or
To rescue someone from trouble or difficulty.
Something Out
Balancing Act Satisfying two or more people or groups with different needs, and keep them happy.
Ball and Chain A burden or problem that ties you down and prevents you from doing what you want.
Ball Is In Your Court It’s your turn to speak or act next.
Ballpark Figure Approximate number or a rough estimate of the cost of something.
Bandit Territory A geographical area where law enforcement is practically impossible.
Bane of One's Life The cause of your problems or your unhappiness.
Bang One's Head Against
To waste time in trying to do the impossible.
a Brick Wall
Baptism of Fire A first experience of something.
Bare One's Soul To reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them.
Barefaced Liar Someone who lies easily, with a total lack of shame.
Barking Up the Wrong
Looking in the wrong place; Accusing the wrong person.
Tree
Basket Case Someone whose agitated mental state leaves them helpless to cope with things.
Bated Breath If you are both anxious and excited about an imminent event.
Bats In the Belfry If you say that somebody is eccentric or crazy.
Batten Down the Hatches You prepare yourself for trouble or a forthcoming difficult period.
When two arguing groups have discovered exactly what they disagree about, and are
Battle Lines Are Drawn
ready to fight each other.
Battle of Wills A conflict, argument or struggle where both sides are determined to win.
Battle Something Out To argue something to a conclusion.

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Be a Thorn In Someone's
To be a constant bother or annoyance to someone.
Side
Be Curtains For Someone
To be the death, end, or ruin of someone.
Or Something
Be Full of Beans A person who is full of beans is lively, healthy and active.
Be Glad To See the Back
Be happy when a person leaves.
Of
Be My Guest This expression is used to give someone permission to do something.
Be of Age To be old enough to marry or to sign legal agreements.
Be Poles Apart To be very different.
Be That as It May What the speaker says may be true but it will not change the situation.
Be the Teacher's Pet To be the teacher's favorite student.
Be Up In Arms To be very angry about something and protest very strongly.
Be All and End All What matters most or what is most essential.
Bear Fruit If something bears fruit, it produces positive or successful results.
Bear In Mind If a person asks you to remember something because it is important.
Bear One's Cross To carry or bear one's burden.
Bear With a Sore Head Very irritable and bad tempered.
Beard the Lion In His Den To face an adversary on the adversary's home ground.
Beat a Hasty Retreat Someone who runs away hurriedly to avoid a dangerous or difficult situation.
Beat Around the Bush To speak evasively or misleadingly, or to stall or waste time.
Beat One's Brain Out To try very hard to understand something or solve a problem.
Beat Someone To the
To react quickly and do something before others.
Draw
Beat the Band Very much; Very fast.
Beat/Flog a Dead Horse Wasting time and effort trying to do or achieve something that is impossible.
Beat/Knock the Living
Hit something/someone them very hard and repeatedly.
Daylights
Bee In One's Bonnet An idea which constantly occupies their thoughts.
Beef Something Up Making something stronger or more substantial.
Been There, Done That One has been in the situation or experienced that which another is talking about.
Before the Ink Is Dry If people reach an agreement, and then change their minds immediately afterwards.
Before You Know It If something takes place so suddenly that you don't have time to become aware of it.
Before Your Very Eyes Right in front of Someone (used for emphasis).
Beggars Can't Be
You should not reject an offer if it is the only possibility you have. You have no choice.
Choosers
Begin To See Daylight To begin to see the end of a long task.
Behind Bars Someone who is behind bars is in prison.
Behind Closed Doors If something done privately, with no observers or intruders.
Behind the Times A person with old fashioned ideas.
Believe It Or Not To choose to believe something or not.

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Below the Belt An action or remark described as below the belt is considered to be unfair or cruel.
Bend Over Backwards Try very hard to do something, especially to please somebody.
Bend the Rules To rules in order to help somebody.
Bend the Truth If you say something that is not entirely true.
Benefit of the Doubt You choose to believe that the person is innocent, honest or telling the truth.
Bent Out of Shape Angry; Insulted.
Beside the Point If something does not relate to the topic or is irrelevant.
Beside Yourself If you lose your self-control because of the intensity of the emotion you are feeling.
Best Bet The action most likely to succeed is called one's best bet.
Best Foot Forward To do something as well as you can; to create a positive impression.
Best of Both Worlds If a person has the benefits and advantages of two different things.
Best of One's Ability When someone does something as well as they possibly can.
Best Part of Something Almost all of something.
Best Thing Since Sliced
A good invention or innovation; A good idea or plan.
Bread
Bet Your Bottom Dollar If you are absolutely certain of something.
Better Late Than Never It is better to do it late than not do it at all.
Better Safe Than Sorry It's better to be too cautious than to be careless and have regrets later.
This expression is used to emphasize that although something is good, bad, etc.,
Better Still/Worse Still
something else makes it even better, worse, etc.
Between the Devil and
If you are in a situation where there are two equally unpleasant alternatives.
the Deep Blue Sea
Beyond Any Reasonable
This means that something is certain.
Doubt
Beyond Measure More than can be measured.
Beyond One's Depth Beyond one's understanding or capabilities.
Beyond One's Wildest
If something is better than you imagined or hoped for.
Dreams
Beyond Recall Something which is impossible to retrieve, cancel or reverse.
Beyond Redemption If something is in such a poor state that there is no hope of improvement or recovery.
Beyond the Shadow of a
This expression is used to indicate absolute certainty about something.
Doubt
Bide Your Time If you bide your time, you wait for a good opportunity to do something.
Big Cheese A person who has a lot of power and influence in an organization.
Big Fish In a Small Pond A highly-ranked person in a small group or organization.
Big Picture When you refer to the overall situation.
Binge Drinking This term refers to heavy drinking where large quantities of alcohol are consumed.
Birds of a Feather To say that two people are very similar in many ways.
Bird's-Eye View A view seen from high above.
Birthday Suit This humorous expression means that you are wearing nothing.

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Bite off More Than One

To take (on) more than one can deal with.
Can Chew
Bite One's Nails To be nervous or anxious.
Bite One's Tongue If you bite your tongue, you try not to say what you really think or feel.
Bite Someone's Head Off If you bite someone's head off, you criticize them strongly (and perhaps unfairly).
Bite the Bullet If you bite the bullet, you accept something unpleasant because you cannot avoid it.
Bite the Dust The expression 'bite' or 'hit the dust' is a humorous way of referring to death.
Bite the Hand That Feeds
If you are unfriendly or do harm to someone who is kind to you.
You
Bitten By the Bug If you develop a sudden interest or enthusiasm for something.
Bitter Pill To Swallow Something very difficult or unpleasant to accept.
Black Market Illegal buying and selling of goods or currencies.
Black Out When you lose consciousness.
Black Sheep Someone who has done something bad that brings shame to his or her family.
Black Tie Event A formal event at which men are required to wear a black bow tie or tuxedo.
Blessing In Disguise Something that is unpleasant at first but later turns out to have advantages.
Blind Alley A situation or method that is not effective or will not produce results.
Blind as a Bat Someone whose vision is very poor, or who is unable to see anything.
Blind Leading the Blind A person with very little ability trying to help or guide a person with no ability.
Blind Someone With If someone tries to confuse you with their knowledge by using difficult or technical
Science words.
Blink of An Eye If something happens nearly instantaneously, with hardly enough time to notice it.
Blockbuster Something that is outstanding, impressive or successful, such as a film or a book.
Blood Out of a Stone This expression refers to something that is very difficult to obtain.
Blood, Sweat and Tears A project that requires a lot of effort and hard work.
Blot One's Copy Book Someone who does something to spoil their good record or reputation.
Blow a Fuse If you suddenly lose your temper and become very angry.
Blow a Gasket When a furious person blows a gasket, they explode with anger.
Blow Away the Cobwebs If something makes you feel more lively and refreshes your ideas.
Blow Hot and Cold If you constantly change your opinion about it.
Blow One's Cork To become very angry; To lose one's patience.
Blow One's Own Horn To boast or praise oneself.
Blow One's Stack/Top To become very angry.
Blow Out of Proportion If you exaggerate the importance of something, you blow it out of proportion.
Blow the Whistle If you report someone’s wrongdoing to someone (like Police).
Blow Up In Your Face When working on a plan or project, if it suddenly goes wrong or fails.
Blow By Blow Account A detailed description.
Blue Around the Gills If a person looks unwell or sick.
Blue Chip Company A company considered reliable in terms of both dividend income and capital value.

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Blue In the Face If you try unsuccessfully to do something for a very long time.
Blue-Eyed Boy A blue-eyed boy is someone's favourite.
Bold as Brass Someone who is as bold as brass behaves without shame or embarrassment.
Bolt From the Blue To refer to something that happens totally unexpectedly.
Bone of Contention A bone of contention is a matter or subject about which there is dispute.
Bone To Pick With
If you are annoyed with someone and want to talk to him/her about it.
Someone
Bored To Tears If you find something so dull and uninteresting that it makes you sad enough to cry.
Born Out of Wedlock Born to an unmarried mother.
Born With a Silver Spoon
A person born into a very rich family.
In One's Mouth
Botch Up If you spoil something, by doing a job badly or incorrectly, you make a botch of it.
Bottle Something Up To hold one's feelings within.
Bottom Fell Out When something causes a plan, project or venture to collapse or fail.
Bottom Line The most essential point or the conclusion reached.
Bounce off the Walls Someone who is very excited about something, or full of nervous energy.
Bow and Scrape Someone is being excessively polite or servile.
The departure of highly qualified people (scientists, engineers, etc.) to other countries,
Brain Drain
where they have better opportunities and usually better pay.
Brain Like a Sieve Someone who has a very bad memory and forgets things easily.
Break Every Rule In the
If you behave in a completely unacceptable way, you break every rule in the book.
Book
Break Fresh Ground You innovate by introducing or developing a new method or system.
Break Out In Cold Sweat If you break out in a cold sweat, you begin to perspire a lot, usually from anxiety.
Break the Ice To initiate a social interaction or conversation.
Break the Mould To do something differently.
Break the News To
To tell someone some important news, usually bad news.
Someone
Break Your Back If you work extremely hard, or put a lot of effort into achieving something.
Breaking and Entering The crime of entering a building (home) illegally by breaking open a window, door, etc.
Breathe Down Someone's
If someone is watching you too closely and making you feel uncomfortable.
Neck
Breathe One's Last To die.
Bricks and Mortar An established trading company (Office/Shop).
Bright-Eyed and Bushy-
A person who is very enthusiastic and full of energy.
Tailed
Bring Nothing To the
If you have nothing of interest to offer the other side.
Table
Bring Someone To Heel If you force someone to behave in a disciplined manner.
Bring Something About To make something happen.
Bring Something To a
To cause something to come to the point when a decision has to be made.
Head

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Bring the House Down If you give a very successful performance.

Bring Up the Rear The last person in a group of people who are walking or running.
Brush With the Law You encounter or experience it briefly.
Buckle Down If you buckle down, you apply yourself with determination and focus.
Build Bridges If a person helps opposing groups to cooperate and understand each other better.
Build Castles In the Air To daydream; To make plans that can never come true.
Build Up To Something To lead up to something.
Bulldoze Somebody A person who is forced to do it, especially by being bullied or intimidated.
Bundle of Nerves Someone very nervous, tense or worried.
Burden of Proof The necessity imposed by the law to prove that what one says is true.
Burn One's Bridges
To make decisions that cannot be changed in the future.
Behind One
Burn the Candle at Both To exhaust yourself by doing too much, especially going to bed late and getting up
Ends early.
Burn the Midnight Oil To work late into the night, alluding to the time before electric lighting.
Burn With a Low Blue
To be very angry.
Flame
Burning Question What everyone is asking, and what we all want to know about.
Burst at the Seams To explode with pride or laughter.
Bury Head In Sand To refuse face the unpleasant reality by pretending that the situation doesn't exist.
Bury the Hatchet To forgive and move on.
Business Before Pleasure It is preferable to finish one's work before relaxing and enjoying.
Business Is Business In commercial matters, personal feelings should not be allowed to have any influence.
A holiday in which you spend most of your time doing the same or something very
Busman's Holiday
similar to your normal work.
Butter Somebody Up When you flatter someone for your own benefit.
Butterflies In Your
If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are feeling very nervous.
Stomach
Buy a Lemon If buy something, that constantly gives problems or stops running after a short time.
Buy a Pig In a Poke To purchase or accept something without having seen or examined it.
Buy Someone off To bribe someone.
Buy Something For a
To buy something cheaply.
Song
By a Hairs Breadth Just barely; By a very small distance.
By a Mile By a great distance.
By All Appearances Apparently.
By Degrees If something happens gradually.
By Hook Or By Crook If someone is willing to resort to any means necessary in achieving something.
By the Dozens Many; By some large; Indefinite number.
By the Handful In measurements equal to a handful.
By the Look of Things This expression is used to express an opinion based on what you actually see.

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By the Seat of One's

By sheer luck and very little skill.
Pants
By the Skin of Your Teeth To just about manage to do something, coming extremely close to failure.
Calculated Risk A calculated risk is a risk taken with full knowledge of the dangers involved.
A person who speaks openly and truthfully about something, especially difficult
Call a Spade a Spade
matters.
Call It a Day It is time to stop doing something, usually because of tiredness.
Call It Quits When people temporarily stop doing something or put an end to an activity.
If you call someone's bluff, you challenge them to do what they threaten to do (while
Call Someone's Bluff
believing that they will not dare to do it).
Call the Shots/ the Tune The person who makes all the important decisions and is in control of the situation.
Can of Worms To describe a situation that it is complicated, unpleasant and difficult to deal with.
Can Shake a Stick at A lot; Too many to count.
This expression means that it is useless to try to win a battle against a politician,
Can't Fight the City Hall
establishment or bureaucracy in general.
Can't Hold a Candle To If one person is much less competent or cannot perform as well as the other.
Can't Make Head Or Tail
If you can't understand at all.
Of
Can't See the Wood For If someone is so concentrated on the details that they can't see the situation as a
the Trees whole.
Can't Stand the Pace If you are unable to do things well when there is a lot of pressure.
Carrot and Stick Using Reward and punishment to make someone work harder.
Carry the Can Taking responsibility or accepting blame, even if it is not your fault.
Carry Through On
To complete a task.
Something
Carry Weight If a person or organization carries weight, they are influential or important.
Carve Out a Niche Concentrating on a particular segment of the market.
Case In Point To illustrate, support or prove a point which is currently under discussion.
Cash Cow A product or service which is a regular source of income for a company.
If you sell something, especially shares, either because you need the money or because
Cash In Your Chips
you think the value is going to fall.
Cash and Carry A method of buying and selling goods for cash.
Cast a Wide Net When trying to find something, you use a wide range of sources.
Cast Pearls Before Swine To waste something good on someone who doesn't care about it.
Cast the First Stone To make the first criticism.
Cast Iron Stomach Someone who has no complications or ill effects with eating or drinking anything.
Cat and Dog Life A life in which partners are constantly or frequently quarrelling.
Cat Nap If you have a short sleep during the day, you have a cat nap.
A frustrating situation where you cannot do one thing without doing a second, and you
Catch 22
cannot do the second before doing the first.
Catch One's Breath To resume one's normal breathing after exertion.
Catch Somebody's Eye If someone catches you eye, you find them attractive.

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Catch Someone In the Act

To catch a person doing something illegal or private.
of Doing Something
Catch Someone Napping To find someone unprepared.
Catch Someone Red
To catch a person in the act of doing something wrong.
Handed
Caught Between Two
When someone finds it difficult to choose between two alternatives.
Stools
Caught In the Act Seen doing something illegal or private.
Caught In the Crossfire Suffering the effects of an argument or dispute between two people or groups.
Caught Unawares If someone is caught unawares, they are surprised and unprepared for what happens.
Caught With Pants Down If you are caught doing something bad or forbidden.
Cause a Stir If something creates an atmosphere of excitement or great interest.
Caveat Emptor Let the buyer beware; The buyer is purchasing the articles at his/her own risk.
Chalk and Cheese Two people who are like chalk and cheese are completely different from each other.
Chance In a Million A very small chance (or no chance at all) that something will happen.
Change Horses In
Changing your plan, or choose a new leader, in the middle of an important activity.
Midstream
Change of Heart Change in attitude or feelings, especially towards greater friendliness or cooperation.
Chase Rainbows Someone who is trying to get something they will never obtain.
Chase You Own Tail To spend a lot of time and energy doing a lot of things but achieving very little.
Cherry Pick When you cherry pick, you choose something with great care and select only the best.
Chicken Feed Nearly nothing; Very little money.
Chickens Come Home To Bad or embarrassing things done in the past by someone are now causing problems for
Roost that person.
Chilled To the Bone Very cold.
Chink In Someone's
A weakness that other people can take advantage of.
Armour
Chip off the Old Block A person who resembles one of their parents in appearance, character or behaviour.
Chips Are Down A difficult or dangerous situation.
Claw One's Way Back To regain your former position through determination, energy and hard work.
Clean as a Whistle Something as clean as a whistle is extremely clean.
Clean Bill of Health A report or certificate declaring that their health is satisfactory.
Clean Slate A fresh start; Another chance after wiping out old offenses or debts.
Clear the Air To somehow resolve a difficult situation between people.
Clear the Way When you allow something to happen by removing what was preventing it.
Climb On the Bandwagon To join others in supporting someone or something.
Clinch a Deal To reach agreement on a proposal or offer.
Clip Someone's Wings If you do something to restrict people's freedom.
Clock In/Out To record the time you arrive or leave your job.
Close as an Oyster Someone who will never reveal something told in confidence or betray a secret.
Close Call If something happens, or is avoided or missed, with very little margin.

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Close Shave This term describes a situation where an accident or a disaster nearly happened.
Close the Books On
To put an end to a matter that concerns someone or something.
Someone Or Something
Close To Home If a remark or comment affects you so directly, that you feel uncomfortable.
Cloud Cuckoo Land An imaginary unrealistic place where everything is perfect and anything can happen.
Cloud On the Horizon A problem or difficulty that is predictable, or seems likely to arise in the future.
Coast Is Clear To say that there is no danger in sight or that nobody can see you.
Cog In the Machine If you say that someone is necessary, but plays a small part in an organization or plan.
Collect One's Thoughts When you try to think calmly and clearly in order to prepare yourself.
Come a Long Way To make a lot of progress and improvement.
Come Apart at the Seams When someone is extremely upset or under severe mental stress.
Come Clean To come clean about something means to tell the truth.
Come Down To Earth To become realistic.
Come In All Shapes and Something that can be found in many different forms, types or varieties, comes in all
Sizes shapes and sizes.
Come In Handy To say that something may be useful some time or other.
Come Into Something To inherit something.
Come of Age To reach an age when one is old enough to own property and sign legal agreements.
Come Out of One's Shell To come out of one's shell means to be less shy or more talkative and outgoing.
Come To a Head To come to a crucial point.
Come To Grief Meet with disaster or failure.
Come To One's Senses To begin thinking sensibly.
Come To Terms With
To come to an agreement with someone or something.
Someone Or Something
Come To the Fore To become prominent.
Come To Your Senses If you start to think clearly and behave sensibly.
Come Up In the World To improve one's status or situation in life.
Come Within An Inch of
Almost to do something.
Doing Something
Conspicuous By One's
To have one's absence (from an event) noticed.
Absence
Control the Purse Strings To be in charge of the money in a business.
Cook Somebody's Goose To cook somebody's goose means to spoil that person's chances of success.
Cook Something Up To plot something.
Cook the Accounts To cheat in bookkeeping.
Cook the Books Changes the facts or figures in the financial accounts, often in order to steal money.
Cool One's Heels If you are left to cool your heels, someone keeps you waiting.
Corner the Market If a company dominates an area of business, and leaves no room for competition.
Corridors of Power The higher levels of government (administration) where important decisions are made.
Cost a Pretty Penny If something costs a pretty penny, it costs a lot of money.

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Cost An Arm and a Leg If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive.
Cost the Earth If something costs the earth, it is very expensive indeed.
Couch Potato When you criticize someone for spending a lot of time sitting and watching television.
Cough Up To confess or disclose something reluctantly or unwillingly.
Couldn't Care Less Unable to care at all.
Count One's Chickens
To plan how to utilize good results of something before those results have occurred.
Before They Hatch
Cover a Lot of Ground To deal with much information and many facts.
Cover Your Tracks To conceal or destroy evidence of what you have been doing or where you have been.
Crack Down On To enforce the law by taking severe measures to restrict undesirable or criminal
Something actions.
Crack the Whip To use your authority to make someone work harder.
Crank Into Gear To become effective.
Crash Course Intensive training course in order to obtain quick results.
Create a Stink About
To make a major issue out of something.
Something
Crocodile Tears To shed crocodile tears means to shed false tears or show insincere grief.
Cross Someone's Path If you meet somebody, usually unexpectedly or by chance, you cross their path.
Cross the Line If you go beyond the authorized limits and do something which is not acceptable.
Crux of the Matter The most vital element of a discussion or argument is called the crux of the matter.
Cry Over Spilt Milk When you complain about a loss from the past.
Cry Wolf To cry wolf is to call for help when you are not really in danger.
Curiosity Killed the Cat Being Inquisitive can lead you into an unpleasant situation.
When you indicate that you are going to say what is essential rather than go into the
Cut a Long Story Short
details.
Cut and Dried Ready-made; Predetermined.
Cut Corners To reduce efforts or expenditures.
Cut One's Losses Withdrawing from something that is already failing, to reduce the loss.
Cut Someone Down To
To make a person humble.
Size
Cut the Ground From To make someone or someone's ideas seem less good, especially by doing something
Under Someone's Feet before them or better than them.
Cut the Mustard To succeed; To come up to expectations; Adequate enough to compete or participate.
Cut And Dried Fixed; Determined beforehand.
Cutting Edge The newest, most advanced stage in the development of something.
Dance To Someone's
If you do whatever a certain person tells you to do.
Tune
Dark Horse A little known person who becomes prominent.
Daylight Robbery Blatant and unfair overcharging.
Dead Duck A project or scheme which has been abandoned or is certain to fail.
Dead Wood People or things which are no longer considered useful or necessary.

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Deep Pockets A person or organization who has deep pockets has a lot of money.
Deliver the Goods If a person delivers the goods, they do what is expected of them.
Desert a Sinking Ship To leave a place, a person, or a situation when things become difficult.
Devil May Care Attitude A very casual attitude.
Dice Are Loaded Everything seems to work to your disadvantage, and you are not likely to succeed.
Dicey Situation Any situation that is potentially risky or dangerous is called a dicey situation.
Die a Natural Death To fade away or die down.
Die Is Cast An irrevocable decision has been made that will determine the future.
Dig In One's Heels Refuse to do something, especially if someone is trying to convince you to do so.
Dig One's Own Grave A person who digs their own grave does something which causes their own downfall.
Dime a Dozen Abundant; Cheap and common.
Dirt Cheap Extremely cheap.
Disappear Into Thin Air If someone or something disappears into thin air, they vanish in a mysterious way.
Disaster Written All Over If something is thought to be heading for a complete failure.
Do a Double Take Someone who does a double take looks again in surprise at something unexpected.
Do a Good Turn If you do someone a good turn, you act in a helpful way.
Do More Harm Than
If the effect of an action is more damaging than helpful, it does more harm than good.
Good
Do Nothing By Halves A person doing everything completely and thoroughly.
Do Someone's Dirty Work To do the unpleasant or difficult work that another person does not want to do.
Do Something Hands
To do something easily and without opposition.
Down
Do Something In Vain To do something for no purpose.
Do the Spadework The preparatory work or the preliminary research.
Do the Trick To do exactly what needs to be done.
Dog In the Manger Someone who stops others from enjoying something he/she doesn't want.
Dog With Two Tails If someone is like a dog with two tails, they are extremely happy.
Dog's Life A situation or job which is unpleasant or unsatisfactory.
Donkey Work This expression is used to describe the unpleasant, repetitive or boring parts of a job.
Don't Rock the Boat To do nothing that might cause trouble or upset a stable situation.
Double Cross Someone To betray someone by doing the opposite of what was promised.
Down In the Dumps Someone who is depressed or feeling gloomy.
Down In the Mouth Someone who is depressed or feeling gloomy.
Down the Drain To say that money, time or energy has been wasted or lost.
Down To Earth A realistic and practical person who has sensible reactions and expectations.
Down To the Last Detail Considering all of the details.
If something such as project or a match goes down to the wire, the situation can
Down To the Wire
change up until the last possible moment.
Drag One's Feet If you drag your feet, you delay a decision or participate without any real enthusiasm.

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Drastic Times Call For

When you are extremely desperate you need to take drastic actions.
Drastic Measures
Draw a Blank If you look for or try to remember something, and draw a blank, you fail to find it.
Draw a Line To separate two things.
Draw Something Up To put something into writing.
Draw the Line at
To set a limit at something.
Something
Dressed To the Nines Dressed very well.
Drive a Hard Bargain To work hard to negotiate prices in one's own favour.
Drive Up the Wall If somebody does something that greatly annoys or irritates others.
Drop a Bombshell If you make an unexpected announcement which will greatly change a situation.
Drop In the Ocean A very small quantity compared to the amount needed or expected.
Drop Like a Hot Potato If you immediately stop associating with someone.
Mentioning the names of famous people you know or have met in order to impress
Drop Names
others.
Drop of a Hat If you do something at the drop of a hat, you do it immediately and without hesitation.
Drop Someone a Line If you drop someone a line, you write a letter to them.
Duck and Cover To dodge something.
Dust Has Settled The situation has become calmer after a series of unpleasant or chaotic events.
Dwell On Something If someone dwells on something, they think or talk about it all the time.
Eagle Eyes Someone who has eagle eyes see or notices things more easily than others.
If you earmark something, you assign it to a particular person or reserve it for a specific
Earmark Something
use.
Earn While You Learn This expression refers to the possibility of earning a salary while in training.
Eat Humble Pie If you eat humble pie, you are forced to admit that you were wrong and apologize.
Eat One's Words To have to take back one's statements.
Eat Out of Someone's If you eat out of somebody's hand, you are eager to please and will accept to do
Hand anything that person asks.
Eat Someone Alive If you criticize someone severely because you are angry with them, you eat them alive.
Eat/Dip Into One's If you eat or dip into your savings, you spend part of the money you have put aside for
Savings future use.
Economical With the To say that a person is economical with the truth means that, without actually lying,
Truth they omit important facts or give incomplete information.
Someone who is on the edge of their seat is very interested in something and finds it
Edge of One's Seat
both extremely exciting and nerve-wracking.
Either Feast Or Famine Either too much or not enough.
Eleventh Hour If something happens when it is almost too late, or at the last possible moment.
Eleventh Hour Decision A decision made at the last possible moment.
End of the Road The end; The end of the whole process; Death.
End Up By Doing
To conclude something by doing something.
Something
Enough Said To completely understand the situation and you do not need any further details.

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Err On the Side of When uncertain about what to do, if you err on the side of caution you do more than
Caution what is adequate rather than take any risks.
A situation or person who stays on an even keel manages to remain calm, stable and
Even Keel
untroubled in all circumstances.
When a person decides get their revenge on someone who has cheated or done them
Even the Score
harm.
Every Dog Has Its Day Everyone can be successful at something at some time in their life.
Every Tom, Dick and
Everyone; Every other.
Harry
Eyes In Back of Head If someone is very observant and notice everything happening around them.
Eyes Like a Hawk If you've got eyes like a hawk, you have good eyesight and notice every detail.
Face the Music To accept the unpleasant consequences of your actions.
Face Value To assume that it is genuinely what it appears to be.
Fact of the Matter Is This expression is used to emphasize the reality of a situation, or what is really true.
Facts Speak For When the facts of a situation are so clear that no further explanation or extra details
Themselves are necessary.
Fair and Square To be done in an honest and open manner, the rules being respected.
Fair Weather Friend Someone who is your friend only when things are pleasant or going well for you.
Fait Accompli Something already done and cannot be changed.
To say that someone has fallen from grace means that they have lost their good
Fall From Grace
reputation.
Fall Into One's Lap If something good falls into your lap, it happens to you without any effort on your part.
When different elements fall into place, they fit well together or become organized so
Fall Into Place
that progress can be achieved in a satisfactory manner.
Fall On Deaf Ears If something you say falls on deaf ears, it is either ignored or attracts no attention.
Fall Over Backwards To
To do everything possible to please someone.
Do Something
If something proves inadequate or insufficient, or does not reach the required
Fall Short Of
standard, it falls short of what is expected.
If one thing is a far cry from something else, they are very different from each other,
Far Cry From Something
especially in quality or size.
Fast and Furious If an activity is fast and furious, it is done quickly and with a lot of energy.
If you decide to fast track something, such as a task or project, you give it high priority
Fast Track Something
so that the objective is reached as quickly as possible.
Fat Chance Very little likelihood.
Feast Your Eyes On If you feast your eyes on something, you are delighted and gratified by what you see.
To describe someone's achievement as a feather in their cap means that it is
Feather In One's Cap
something they can be proud of.
Feel a Bit Under the
Feeling slightly ill.
Weather
Feel at Home To feel as if one belongs.
Feel On Top of World If you feel on top of the world, you feel wonderful or ecstatic about something.
Feel the Pinch When someone feels the pinch, they begin to suffer from a lack of money.

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If someone who is admired is found to have a weakness, fault or defect of character,

Feet of Clay
they are said to have feet of clay.
Items, places or events which are few and far between are rarely found or do not
Few and Far Between
happen very often.
Field Day A field day refers to a day or period of great excitement and activity.
Fight a Losing Battle Trying to do something even when there is little chance of succeeding.
Fight Tooth and Nail If you fight tooth and nail for something, you fight with energy and determination.
Fighting Chance A good possibility of success.
Figment of Imagination An event or incident that is not considered to be real but only imaginary.
No favouritism or preferential treatment. People will be served strictly in the order
First Come First Served
they arrive.
Find One's Own Level To find the position or rank to which one is best suited.
Find One's Tongue To be able to talk.
To go over something with a fine tooth comb means to examine it closely and
Fine Tooth Comb
thoroughly so as not to miss any details.
Finger On the Pulse If you are constantly aware of the most recent events or developments.
First Out of the Gate If you are the first to make a start at something that others have also accepted to do.
Fish For a Compliment To try to get someone to pay you a compliment.
Fish In Troubled Waters If you try to gain advantages for yourself from a disturbed state of affairs.
Fishing Expedition If someone is trying to obtain information in any way possible.
Fit Like a Glove If something fits like a glove, it fits you perfectly.
Fit the Bill If someone or something fits the bill, they are exactly right for a particular situation.
Fit To Be Tied Very angry and excited.
Flash In the Pan Someone or something that draws a lot of attention for a very brief time.
Flea In One's Ear If you are sent away with a flea in your ear, you are angrily reprimanded or humiliated.
To refer to an idea or plan as a flight of fancy means that it is very imaginative but not
Flight of Fancy
at all practical or sensible.
A business or venture is considered untrustworthy because they operate briefly and
Fly by night
disappear overnight.
Fly In the Face of
To disregard, defy, or show disrespect for someone or something.
Someone Or Something
Fly In the Ointment Something that prevents a situation from being completely satisfactory.
Fly off the Handle A person who flies off the handle becomes suddenly very angry.
Foam at the Mouth Someone who foams at the mouth is extremely angry about something.
Follow In Someone's If you follow in someone's footsteps, for example a parent, you lead a similar life or do
Footsteps the same job.
Follow One's Nose If you follow your nose, you go straight ahead.
Follow Suit If you follow suit, you do the same as another person has just done.
Follow Through On
To complete a task.
Something
If something give you food for thought, it makes you think seriously about a particular
Food For Thought
subject.
Fool's Errand If you try to do something which is useless, unnecessary or has no chance of success.

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If someone is in a state of contentment that will not last because their happiness is
Fool's Paradise
based
Fools Rush In Where People with little experience or knowledge often get involved in difficult or delicate
Angels Fear To Tread situations that wiser people would avoid.
If you put your foot in your mouth, you do or say something that offends, upsets or
Foot In One's Mouth
embarrasses someone else.
Footloose and Fancy-Free Without responsibilities or commitments.
For Crying Out Loud! I am amazed!
For Good Measure As extra; A little more to make sure there is enough.
If you think something is for the birds, you consider it to be uninteresting, useless or
For the Birds
not to be taken seriously.
If you force someone's hand, you make them do something unwillingly or sooner than
Force Someone's Hand
planned.
Form and Substance Meaningful content.
Fraught With Danger An activity or situation that is fraught with danger is full of risks or serious difficulties.
Free For All A disorganized fight or brawl.
If you know important or influential people in business or government, you have
Friends In High Places
friends in high places.
Frightened To Death Severely frightened.
If a person goes from rags to riches, they start off being very poor and become very
From Rags To Riches
rich and successful.
From the Cradle To the
From birth to death.
Grave
From the Ground Up From the beginning.
Full of Hot Air Someone who is full of nonsense and talks a lot without saying anything worthwhile.
Gain Ground To make progress; To advance.
When an agreement is neither written nor signed, because the two parties trust each
Gentleman's Agreement
other completely.
Get a Free Hand To be granted complete control over something.
Get a Grip On Yourself When you try to control your feelings so as to be able to deal with a situation.
Get a Head Start To start earlier than someone else.
Get a Load off One's
To communicate / speak one's mind.
Mind
Get a Raw Deal If you say that someone got a raw deal, you think they were treated unfairly or badly.
Get a Word In Edgewise To manage to say something when other people are talking and ignoring you.
Get a hold of Something To obtain something
Get Away With Murder Someone who can do something unacceptable without being punished or criticized.
Get Butterflies In One's
To get a nervous feeling in one's stomach.
Stomach
Get Cold Feet To be fearful about doing something.
Get Cracking To get moving; To get busy.
Get Down To Brass Tacks When people start to discuss the essential aspects of a problem or situation.
Get Down To the Facts To begin to talk about things that matter.

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Get In Someone's Hair To bother or irritate someone.

Get Into Full Swing To move into the peak of activity.
If you do something wrong and manage to get off the hook, you avoid punishment or
Get off the Hook
blame.
Get off To a Flying Start To have a very successful beginning to something.
Get On Someone's
To irritate someone.
Nerves
When you start behaving in a haughty manner, as though you should be treated with
Get On Your High Horse
more respect.
Get One's Feet Wet It will be a new experience for me, but I can't wait to get my feet wet!
Get One's Foot In the
To achieve a favorable position for further action.
Door
Get One's Hands Dirty To become involved with something illegal.
Get One's Hooks Into
To grasp someone or something.
Someone Or Something
Get One's Wires Crossed To get confused
Get Out of a Jam To get free from a problem or a bad situation.
Get Someone's Ear To get someone to listen
Get Something off the
If you get something off the ground, you put it into operation after having organized it.
Ground
Get Something Out of This expression means that you get rid of a strong emotion or desire by expressing it
Your System openly or trying to fulfill it.
Get the Advantage Over
To achieve a position superior
Someone
Get the Axe If someone gets the axe, they lose their job.
Get the Benefit of the To receive a judgment in your favor when the evidence is neither for you nor against
Doubt you.
Get the Better Of If someone or something gets the better of you, it defeats you.
Get the Boot To be sent away.
Get the Edge On
To achieve a position superior
Someone
Get the Hang Of When you get the hang of an activity, you now know how to do it correctly.
Get the Inside Track To get the advantage because of special connections.
Get the Jitters To become very nervous or anxious and begin to shake.
Get the Jump On
To do something before someone.
Someone
Get the Last Laugh To turn the tables.
Get the Last Word To get to make the final point (in an argument).
When you understand what someone is trying to tell you, even if it is expressed in
Get the Message
actions or gestures rather than words.
Get the Nod To get chosen.
Get the Picture A person who gets the picture understands what is being explained or described.
Get the Upper Hand On
To get into a position superior to someone
Someone

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Get To the Bottom Of When you solve a problem by finding out the true cause of it.
Get Under Someone's
To bother or irritate someone.
Skin
Get Under Way To start.
Get Wind of Something To hear about something.
Get Wise To Something If you get wise to something, you learn something that you were not aware of before.
Get Your Act Together To organize ones affairs more effectively in order to be more successful.
If you get your hands dirty in your job, you become involved in all aspects of it,
Get Your Hands Dirty
including work that is physical, unpleasant or less interesting.
Get Your Priorities
If you put things in the right order of importance, you get your priorities right.
Right/Straight
If you are allowed to do something after a check-up to make sure that everything is all
Get/Give the All Clear
right, you get the all clear.
Get/Give the Low Down To get or give complete information or facts about something.
Ghost of a Chance Even the slightest chance.
Give a Hard Time If you give someone a hard time, you annoy them or make things difficult for them.
If you tell someone exactly what you think, in a very angry manner, you give them a
Give a Piece of Your Mind
piece of your mind.
When you present strong competition in circumstances where the other person
Give a Run For Money
expects to win easily.
Give a Tongue Lashing When you scold someone severely, you give them a tongue-lashing.
If you give someone the benefit of doubt, you choose to believe that they are
Give Benefit of Doubt
innocent, honest or telling the truth because there is no evidence to the contrary.
Give Credit Where Credit
To give credit to someone who deserves it.
Is Due
Give One a Run For One's
To give one what one deserves, expects, or wants.
Money
Give One What's Coming
To give one what one deserves, either a punishment or a reward.
To One
Give Out With Something To utter or say something.
Give Rise To Something To cause something.
Give Someone a Break To give someone a chance.
Give Someone a Hand To help someone
Give Someone a Hard
To give someone unnecessary difficulty.
Time
Give Someone Or
To keep a reasonable distance
Something a Wide Berth.
Give Someone the Air To ignore someone.
Give Someone the Slip To manage to hide or get away from the person who is following you.
Give Someone the Works To give someone the full amount or the full treatment.
Give the Benefit of the
Believe someone's statement, without proof.
Doubt
Give the Cold Shoulder To give someone the cold shoulder means to deliberately ignore them.
Give the Game Away If you give the game away, you reveal a secret or a plan, often unintentionally.

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If you give someone or something a quick visual examination, to see what they are like
Give the Once-Over
or to check if everything is all right.
Give Vent To Something To express anger.
Give Voice To Something To express a feeling or an opinion in words.
Give Your Right Arm To want something a lot and would do almost anything to obtain it.
This term refers to a discriminatory barrier perceived by women and minorities that
Glass Ceiling
prevents them from rising to positions of power or responsibility.
Gloves Are Off This expression is used when there are signs that a fight is about to start.
Glowing Terms If you speak about something in glowing terms, you talk about it in a very positive way.
If you go against the tide (or the stream), you refuse to conform to current trends, or
Go Against the Tide
the opinions or behaviour of other people.
Go All Out If you make a great effort, using all possible strength and resources
If you join a group of people you find interesting, without wanting to take an active
Go Along For the Ride
part in their action, you go along for the ride.
Go Along With Someone To agree with someone.
Go Around In Circles Repeating the same actions, often resulting in confusion.
Go at It Hammer and
To fight against someone or something energetically and with great determination.
Tongs
Go at It Tooth and Nail To fight against someone or something energetically and with great determination.
Go Bananas To go crazy or become silly.
This expression refers to an event that is so important or unusual that it will be
Go Down In History
recorded in history.
Go Down Well If an idea or proposal goes down well, it is well accepted.
Go Downhill When something goes downhill, it deteriorates or gets worse little by little.
Go For a Song If something goes for a song, it is sold at an unexpectedly low price.
If two or more things go hand in hand, they are associated or often happen at the
Go Hand In Hand
same time.
Go Haywire If something goes haywire, it becomes disorganized or goes out of control.
Go It Alone To do something by oneself.
Go Like Clockwork To progress with regularity
To say that a person has gone nuts means that they have become completely foolish,
Go Nuts
eccentric or mad.
Go off On a Tangent If someone changes the subject completely in the middle of a speech or conversation.
If someone goes off the rails, they go out of control and begin to behave in a manner
Go off the Rails
that is unacceptable to society.
If something such as an event or performance goes off with a bang, it is very
Go off With a Bang
successful.
Go Out of Your Way If you take particular care or make a special effort when doing something.
If a quality, principle or opportunity goes out the window, it disappears, is lost or
Go Out the Window
abandoned.
If you go overboard, you are over-enthusiastic about something and do too much or
Go Overboard
behave in an excessive way.
Go Places To have a good future.

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Go the Distance To do the whole amount.

Go the Extra Mile If you go the extra mile, you do more than what is expected of you.
Go the Limit To do as much as possible.
Go the Whole Hog When you go the whole hog, you do something thoroughly or completely.
If someone goes through the motions, they do something because they have to, but
Go Through the Motions
without enthusiasm.
Go Through the Roof If someone goes through the roof, they become very angry.
Go To Davy Jones's
To go to the bottom of the sea.
Locker
If something is going to hell in a handcart, it is in a bad state and continues to
Go To Hell In a Handcart
deteriorate.
Go To Pieces When you are so upset or distressed that you cannot lead a normal life.
Go To the Dogs Something which is becoming less successful or efficient than before.
Go Too Far To do more than is acceptable.
If a plan or project goes up in smoke, it is spoiled, fails, or ends before producing a
Go Up In Smoke
result.
If you go with the flow, you follow the general tendency and go along with whatever
Go With the Flow
happens.
A golden handshake is a generous sum of money given to a person when they leave a
Golden Handshake
company or retire (sometimes given to encourage early retirement).
The most important rule or principle to be remembered when doing something is
Golden Rule
called the golden rule.
Gone With the Wind If something has gone with the wind, it has disappeared forever.
Good Enough For
Adequate for someone or something.
Someone Or Something
If you are in a desperate situation and you grasp at straws, you try any method, even if
Grasp at Straws
it has little chance of success, in an attempt to find a solution.
Gray Area A subject, topic etc. that is clearly not defined.
Grease Someone's Palm To bribe someone.
Green With Envy Envious; Jealous.
Grin and Bear It To accept a situation without complaining.
Grind To a Halt To slow to a stop.
Grit Your Teeth When you are determined to do something in spite of the difficulties involved.
People who are used as guinea pigs are people on whom new methods, treatment or
Guinea Pig
ideas are tested.
If you hammer home a point or an argument, you repeat it often to make sure that it is
Hammer Home
fully understood.
Hammer Something Out To work hard at writing something.
Two or more people who are in collusion, or work in close association, are said to be
Hand In Glove
hand in glove.
If you hand it to someone, you admit, perhaps unwillingly, that they deserve credit or
Hand It To Someone
praise for their achievements.
Hand On a Platter If someone get something easily, without having to make an effort to obtain it.
Hand Something Down To announce or deliver a verdict or indictment.

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Is something is as much use as a handbrake on a canoe, it is completely useless or

Handbrake On a Canoe
serves no purpose.
Handle Someone With
To be very careful with a touchy person.
Kid Gloves
If you treat some people very carefully or tactfully, either because they are very
Handle With Kid Gloves
important or because they are easily upset.
Something or an agreement or a rule is preventing the person from doing what he/she
Hands Tied
would like to do.
Hang By a Thread / Hair To be in an uncertain position.
Hang In the Balance To be in an undecided state.
When a sports player hangs up their boots, they stop playing and retire. (This
Hang Up One's Boots
expression is often used to refer to retirement in general.)
Hard and Fast Something which is hard and fast is inflexible or cannot be altered.
Hard as Nails A person who is (as) hard as nails is unsentimental and shows no sympathy.
Hard Nut To Crack A difficult person or thing to deal with.
Hard of Hearing If someone is hard of hearing, they can't hear very well.
Hardly Have Time To
To be very busy.
Breathe
Haul Over the Coals To reprimand or scold very harshly.
Have a Blowout [for one's car tire] to burst
Have a Change of Heart To change one's attitude or decision.
Have a Finger In Every Pie If someone has a finger in every pie, they are involved in many activities.
Have a Fit To be very angry.
Have a Heart To be compassionate.
Have a Low Boiling Point To anger easily.
Have a Penchant For
To have a taste, desire, or inclination for something.
Doing Something
Have a Price On One's
To be wanted by the authorities.
Head
Have a Way With
To handle or deal well with someone or to be smart.
Someone Or Something
Have An Ace Up One's
To have a secret or concealed means of accomplishing something.
Sleeve
If you have an axe to grind, you have personal reasons for becoming involved in
Have An Axe To Grind
something or adopting a particular attitude.
Have An Eye For
To have a taste or an inclination for something or someone.
Someone Or Something
Have Come a Long Way To have accomplished much
Have Egg On One's Face To be embarrassed because of an error that is obvious to everyone.
Have Mixed Feelings
To be uncertain about someone or something.
About Someone Or
Have Money To Burn To have lots of money.
Have One Foot In the
To be near death, either because of old age or because of illness.
Grave

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Have One's Back To the

To be in a defensive position.
Wall
Have One's Cake and Eat
To enjoy both having something and using it up; To have it both ways.
It Too
Have One's Ear To the
To listen carefully.
Ground
Have One's Head In the
To be unaware of what is going on.
Clouds
Have One's Heart In the
To have good intentions, even if there are bad results.
Right Place
Have One's Work Cut Out
To have a large and difficult task prepared for one.
For One
Have Other Fish To Fry To have other things to do.
Have Someone In One's
To have control over someone.
Pocket
Have Someone Or
Something In One's To have control of or responsibility
Hands
Have Someone Or
Something On One's To be burdened with someone or something.
Hands
Have the Gift of Gab To have a great facility with language.
Have the Midas Touch To have the ability to be successful, especially the ability to make money easily.
Have the Right Of Way To possess the legal right to occupy a particular space on a public roadway.
Have the Shoe On the
To experience the opposite situation.
Other Foot
Have Too Many Irons In
To be doing too many things at once.
the Fire
Have What It Takes To have the courage or stamina to do something.
To say that someone wants to have their cake and eat it means that they want the
Have Your Cake and Eat It
advantages of two alternative situations when only one is possible.
Head Over Heels In Debt Deeply in debt.
When a person falls passionately in love with another, they are said to be head over
Head Over Heels In Love
heels in love.
To say that you could hear a pin drop means that it is so silent you could hear the
Hear a Pin Drop
slightest noise.
Hear Through the If you hear of something through the grapevine, you learn about it informally, for
Grapevine example through friends or colleagues.
Heavens Open When the heavens open, it suddenly starts to rain heavily.
To reduce one's loss on a bet or on an investment by counterbalancing the loss in
Hedge One's Bets
some way.
Hell Bent On Something If you are recklessly determined to do it, even if it is dangerous or stupid.
Here, There, and
Everywhere.
Everywhere
If a person or organization has a hidden agenda, they have hidden interests or ulterior
Hidden Agenda
motives.

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If you are left high and dry, you find yourself in a difficult situation without help or
High and Dry
resources.
Someone who is high and mighty behaves in a haughty manner as though they were
High and Mighty
superior to others.
High Man On the Totem
The person in charge of an organization.
Pole
Himalayan Blunder If you stupidly make a serious mistake or error, you commit a Himalayan blunder.
Hinge On Something To depend on something.
Hit Below the Belt To do something unfair or unsporting to someone.
When the driver of a vehicle hits another vehicle without stopping to provide help,
Hit and Run Accident identification or insurance, and fails to report the accident to the police, the collision is
called a hit and run accident.
When someone hits the airwaves, they go on radio and/or TV to be interviewed or to
Hit the Airwaves
promote something.
Hit the Ceiling To become very angry.
Hit the Dust The expression hit the dust is a humorous way of referring to death.
Hit the Hay Or Sack When you hit the hay (or hit the sack), you go to bed.
When you are absolutely right about something or have guessed the exact nature of a
Hit the Nail On the Head
problem or situation.
Hit the Road When you hit the road, you begin a journey.
If you hit pay dirt, you are lucky and suddenly find yourself in a successful money-
Hit/Strike Pay Dirt
making situation.
An accident where the driver strikes a person or another vehicle and speeds away
Hit And Run
without admitting to the deed or stopping to help.
Hobson's Choice The choice between taking what is offered and getting nothing at all.
A person who holds all the aces is in a very strong position because they have more
Hold All the Aces
advantages than anyone else.
Hold Someone Or
To detain
Something Up
Hold Something Against
To blame something on someone.
Someone
When you hold the fort, you look after a place or a business in the absence of the
Hold the Fort
person who is normally in charge.
Hold With Something To accept or agree with something
If someone is holding their breath, they are waiting anxiously or excitedly for
Hold Your Breath
something to happen or be announced.
Hold Your Horses! Wait a minute and be reasonable.
Hold Your Tongue If you hold your tongue, you stay silent and say nothing.
Holier Than Thou People who consider themselves to be more virtuous or morally superior to others.
This expression means that even criminals have a sense of loyalty and they respect a
Honour Among Thieves
certain code of behaviour.
Hope Against Hope If you hope against hope, you continue to hope even when the situation looks bad.
If you are on the horns of a dilemma, you are faced with a choice between two equally
Horns of a Dilemma
unpleasant options.
Someone who has horse sense is a practical thinker who has the ability to make
Horse Sense
sensible decisions.

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Hot On the Trail If you are hot on the trail of someone or something, you are very close to finding them.
Hot Under the Collar Very angry.
Hotfoot It Out of
To run away from a place.
Somewhere
If something is referred to as icing on the cake, it is an extra benefit that makes a good
Icing On the Cake
situation even better.
The expression 'if push comes to shove' refers to what you will do if the situation
If Push Comes To Shove
becomes critical and you have to take action.
You can say 'if the cap fits, wear it' to let someone know that the critical remark they
If the Cap Fits Wear It
have just heard applies to them.
This means that if you don't know about a problem or unpleasant fact, you won't
Ignorance Is Bliss
worry about it.
Ill at Ease Uneasy; Anxious.
In a Nutshell In a few words; Briefly.
In a Quandary Uncertain; Confused.
In a World of One's Own Aloof; Detached.
In Black and White To say that something is in black and white means that there is written proof of it.
In Cahoots With
In conspiracy with someone.
Someone
In Cold Blood Without feeling; With cruel intent.
In Concert With Someone In cooperation with someone.
In Deep Water In a dangerous or vulnerable situation.
In Dire Straits If a person or organization is in dire straits, they are in a very difficult situation.
If you do something in fits and starts, you do it in an irregular manner, often stopping
In Fits and Starts
and starting again.
In League With Someone In cooperation with someone.
In One's Element In a natural or comfortable situation or environment.
In One's Own Best
To one's advantage.
Interests
In Rags In worn out and torn clothing.
In Seventh Heaven In a very happy state.
In Someone Else's Shoes Seeing or experiencing something from someone else's point of view.
In Someone's Good/Bad
If you are in somebody's good or bad books, you have their approval or disapproval.
Books
In the Black Not in debt; In a financially profitable condition.
In the Blood Built into one's personality or character.
In the Clear Innocent; Not guilty.
To say that a person, a business or the economy in general is in the doldrums means
In the Doldrums
that the situation is gloomy and that nothing new is happening.
In the Driver's Seat In control
In the Eye of the Storm A person or organization involved in a difficult situation which affects a lot of people.
In the Flesh Really present in person.

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In the Heat of the

Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.
Moment
Something that happens in the interim takes place during a period of time between
In the Interim
two events.
In the Limelight In the center of attention.
In the Middle of Nowhere In a very remote place.
In the Nick of Time Something that happens at the last minute.
In the Running In competition; Competing
If two or more parties are in the same boat, they are in the same unpleasant or
In the Same Boat
difficult situation.
In the Soup In a bad situation.
In the Twinkling of An Eye Very fast; Instantaneously.
In the Worst Way Very much.
In Two Minds If you are in two minds about something, you have difficulty deciding what to do.
It Takes Two To Tango Actions or communications need more than one person
It's a Small World This expression of surprise on to meeting familiar people in unexpected places.
It's No Use Crying Over It is useless to complain or have regrets about something that is done and cannot be
Spilt Milk changed.
Jump On the Bandwagon Join a popular trend or activity.
Jump Out of Skin If you jump out of your skin, you are extremely surprised or shocked.
Jump the Gun Do something too soon or take premature action based on incomplete information.
Just What the Doctor
Exactly what is required, especially for health or comfort.
Ordered
A kangaroo court is an illegal tribunal set up by a group of people who have taken the
Kangaroo Court
law into their own hands and conduct trials which deny fundamental justice.
If you keep a level head, you remain calm and sensible no matter how difficult or
Keep a Level Head
distressful the situation may be.
If you keep the lid on something, you hide it or control it to prevent people from
Keep a Lid On
finding out about it.
Keep a Low Profile A person who tries not to attract public attention.
Keep a Stiff Upper Lip To be cool and unmoved by unsettling events.
Keep a Straight Face To make one's face stay free from laughter.
Keep at Arm's Length If you keep someone at arm's length, you do not allow yourself to become too friendly.
Keep Late Hours To stay up or stay out until very late.
Keep On An Even Keel To remain cool and calm.
Keep On One's Toes To stay alert and watchful.
Keep One's Chin Up To keep one's spirits high.
Keep One's Cool To remain calm, even when provoked.
Keep One's Eye On the
To remain alert to the events occurring around one.
Ball
Keep One's Feet On the
To remain firmly established.
Ground

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Keep One's Fingers

To wish for luck for someone or something.
Crossed
Keep One's Hands off
To refrain from touching or handling something or someone.
Someone Or Something
Keep One's Nose Out of
To refrain from interfering in someone else's business.
Someone's Business
Keep One's Nose To the
To keep busy continuously over a period of time.
Grindstone
Keep One's Temper Not to get angry; To hold back an expression
To postpone making a decision so that you can choose among several possible courses
Keep Options Open
of action.
Keep Someone In Line To
To make certain that someone behaves properly.
Make Certain
Keep Someone On
To keep someone anxious or in suspense.
Tenterhooks
Keep Something at Bay Keep something away.
Keep the Ball Rolling To cause something that is in progress to continue.
Keep the Home Fires
To keep things going at one's home or other central location.
Burning
Keep Your Ear To the
To be aware of all that is happening and being said.
Ground
Keep Your Shirt On! Be patient!
Kick the Bucket To kick the bucket is a lighthearted way of talking about death.
Kill the Fatted Calf To prepare an elaborate banquet.
Kill Two Birds With One
This idiom means, to accomplish two different things at the same time.
Stone
Knock Someone Dead To put on a stunning performance or display for someone.
Knock Someone Out To overwhelm someone.
Know Which Way the
To know how a situation is developing in order to be prepared for any changes.
Wind Is Blowing
Land Up Somehow Or
To finish somehow or somewhere.
Somewhere
Landslide Victory Overwhelming majority is called a landslide victory.
Laugh All the Way To the A person who makes a lot of money easily, especially through someone else's
Bank stupidity, is said to laugh all the way to the bank.
Laugh Out of the Other
To change sharply from happiness to sadness.
Side of One's Mouth
If someone does things their own way and ignores what is generally considered as
Law Unto Themselves
acceptable.
Lay Down the Law To state firmly what the rules are.
Lead Someone By the
To force someone to go somewhere (with you).
Nose
Lead Someone Down the
To deceive someone.
Garden Path
Leaps and Bounds Rapid or spectacular progress or growth.

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To learn through one’s own experience, good and bad, rather than from the advice or
Learn the Hard Way
guidance of others.
Learn the Ropes To learn how to do something.
Leave a Bad Taste In
To leave a bad feeling or memory with someone.
Someone's Mouth
Leave a Lot To Be Desired To be lacking something important.
Leave High and Dry In a difficult situation without help or resources.
Leave No Stone Unturned If you try everything possible in order to achieve or to find something.
Leave Somebody Holding If someone is left holding the baby, they are made responsible for a problem that
the Baby. others don't want to deal with.
Leave Someone For Dead To abandon someone as being dead.
Leave Someone High and
To leave someone unsupported.
Dry
Leave Someone Holding
To leave someone to take all the blame.
the Bag
Leave the Door Open To allow the possibility of further action.
Leave Well Alone Not to interfere with or change something that is acceptable or adequate.
Left Hand Doesn't Know
What the Right Hand Is In a group or organization if one person doesn't know what another person is doing.
Doing
Left Hanging In the Air A problem where no decision has been taken/ or no solution has been devised.
Lend An Ear If you lend an ear to someone, you listen carefully and sympathetically.
Lesser of Two Evils Less unpleasant of two poor options.
Let Bygones Be Bygones If you let bygones be bygones, you decide to forget about past disagreements.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Do not disturb a situation, let it be as it is.
Let Someone Down To disappoint someone.
Let Something Ride To allow something to continue or remain as it is.
Let the Cat Out of the Bag To share information that was previously concealed.
Let Your Hair Down To relax and enjoy oneself.
Lick One's Wounds Trying to recover confidence or spirits after a defeat, failure or disappointment.
Lick Somebody's Boots Trying to please a person, often in order to obtain something.
Lie Through One's Teeth To lie boldly.
Light at End of Tunnel Signs of hope for the future after a long period of difficulty.
Light Years Ahead Far more advanced in terms of development or progress.
Lightning Never Strikes It is extremely unlikely that the same misfortune will occur again in the same set of
Twice In the Same Place circumstances.
Like a Fish Out of Water Appearing to be completely out of place.
Like a Three Ring Circus Chaotic; Exciting and busy.
Like Crazy Furiously or very fast.
Like Water off a Duck's
Criticism or comments which have no effect on someone is referred.
Back
Line of Least Resistance The course of action that will cause least trouble or effort.

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Lion's Share of Something The larger share of something.

Listen To Reason To yield to a reasonable argument.
Live Beyond One's Means To spend more money than one can afford.
Live By One's Wits To survive by being clever.
Live From Hand To
To live in poor circumstances.
Mouth
Live In An Ivory Tower To be aloof from the realities of living.
Live Out of Suitcase Someone who travels a lot.
Live Up To Reputation If someone or something lives up to its reputation, it is as good,
Live Within One's Means To spend no more money than one has.
Lock Horns With
To get into an argument with someone.
Someone
Lock, Stock, and Barrel Everything.
Look Before You Leap To think carefully before you act.
Look Like Something the
To look very shabby, worn, exhausted, or abused.
Cat Dragged In
Look On Bright Side Looking at a situation in an optimistic way.
Lose One's Marbles To go crazy; To go out of one's mind.
Lose the Plot Being unable to understand what is happening; To get things in a mess.
Low Profile A person who keeps a low profile tries not to attract public attention.
Low Hanging Fruit A goal that can be accomplished with a minimum of effort.
Lull Before the Storm A period of unnatural calm before a difficult time or violent activity.
Made For Each Other To be very well suited romantically.
Make a Beeline For
To head straight toward someone or something.
Someone Or Something
Make a Clean Breast of
To confess something.
Something
Make a Comeback To succeed in returning to their former (successful) career.
Make a Dent In
To begin to consume or accomplish something.
Something
Make a Fool Out of
To make someone to look foolish or stupid.
Someone
Make a Long Story Short Come to the point, leave out details.
Make a Monkey Out Of If you humiliate someone by making them appear ridiculous or foolish.
Make a Mountain Out of
To make a major issue out of a minor one.
a Molehill
Make a Nuisance of
To be a constant bother.
Oneself
Make a Point of Doing
To make an effort to do something.
Something
Make a Run For It To run fast to get away.
Make An ass of Yourself If you behave so stupidly that you appear ridiculous, you make an ass of yourself.

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Make as If To Do
To act as if one were about to do something.
Something
Make Blood Boil If something makes your blood boil, it makes you really angry.
Make Hay While the Sun
To take advantage of a good situation which may not last.
Shines
Make Light Work Of If a person makes light work of something, they do it very easily or with little effort.
Make Mincemeat Of To completely and utterly defeat or destroy.
Make Mouth Water Food can make your mouth water when it looks and smells extremely good.
Make No Bones About Not hesitant to say what you think in a frank and open way.
Make One's Mind Up To decide.
Make Oneself at Home To make oneself comfortable as if one were in one's own home.
Circumstances or events that will make or break someone or something will cause
Make Or Break
either total success or total ruin.
Make Short Work of
To finish with someone or something quickly.
Someone Or Something
Make Someone Eat Crow To cause someone to retract a statement or admit an error.
Make Someone the
To make someone take the blame.
Scapegoat For Something
Make Someone's Position
To clarify where someone stands on an issue.
Clear
Make the Grade To be satisfactory.
Make Up For Lost Time If you increase your efforts or work harder to meet a deadline.
Make Yourself Scarce To leave a place in order to avoid an embarrassing situation.
Measure Up To
To be as good as one expects.
Someone's Expectations
Meet One's Waterloo To meet one's final and insurmountable challenge.
Meet Someone Halfway To offer to compromise with someone.
Method To His Madness To do things in a strange and unorthodox way, but manage to get results.
Milk of Human Kindness Natural kindness.
Millstone Around Neck A problem or responsibility that becomes a burden and a source of worry.
Mind One's P's and Q's To mind one's manners.
Miss the Boat To miss out (on something).
Mixed Bag A varied collection of people or things.
Moment of Truth The point at which someone has to face the reality of a situation.
Money Burns a Hole In
Eagerness to spend money quickly or extravagantly.
Your Pocket
Money Doesn't Grow On
Money is not easily obtained.
Trees
More Heat Than Light A discussion which causes anger or intense reaction but doesn't clarify anything.
More Or Less To some extent; Approximately.
More Than Meets Eye Something is more complicated or more interesting than it first appears.
Move Heaven and Earth To make a major effort to do something.

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Move the Goalposts During a course of action if someone changes the rules or conditions.
Move Up In the World A person who becomes successful in his/her career.
Movers and Shakers People in power who take an active part in making things happen.
Much Ado About Nothing Making a lot of fuss about something which is not important.
Muddy the Waters To make something less clear by giving confusing information.
Mull Something Over To think about something.
Murphy's Law A sentiment of bad luck that if anything can go wrong, it will.
Music To One's Ears The information that you receive makes you happy.
My Way Or the Highway Telling someone to accept what you propose or leave the project.
Nail In Someone's Or
Something that will harm or destroy someone or something.
Something's
Nail Something Down To get a firm and final decision.
Needle In Haystack Very difficult or impossible to find.
Nerves of Steel Someone who has nerves of steel is not afraid in difficult or dangerous situations.
Nest Egg To have a reserve of money which you put aside for future needs.
Never Say Die To persevere in their efforts and not give up.
Nickel and Dime
To charge someone many small amounts of money.
Someone
Night On the Town A night of celebrating.
Nine Times Out of Ten When something happens nine times out of ten, it is what usually happens.
Nip Something In the Bud To put an end to something at an early stage.
No Two Ways About It No choice about it.
Not a Spark of Decency No manners.
Not Able To Call One's
Too busy; So busy as not to be in charge.
Time One's Own
Not Born Yesterday Experienced.
Not By a Long Shot Not by a great amount.
Not Half Bad Okay; Pretty good.
Not Have a Leg To Stand
To have no support.
On
Not In the Same League Not anywhere nearly as good as someone or something.
Not Know Someone From
Not to know someone at all.
Adam
Not Let Grass Grow
To not delay in getting something done.
Under Your Feet
Not One's Cup of Tea Not the kind of thing that one is interested in.
Not Playing With a Full
Someone who lacks intelligence.
Deck
Not Someone's Cup of
Not something one prefers.
Tea
Not Take No For An
Not to accept someone's refusal.
Answer

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Nothing Succeeds Like

This expression means that success often leads to further successes.
Success
Nothing To Write Home
Nothing exciting or interesting.
About
Null and Void Something which is null and void has no legal force or is invalid.
Nuts and Bolts of
The basic facts of something.
Something
Of One's Own Accord /
By one's own choice.
Free Will
Off One's Rocker Crazy; Demented; Out of one's mind, In a confused or befuddled state of mind.
Off the Air Not broadcasting.
Off the Mark If something is off the mark, it is incorrect or inaccurate.
Off the Record If you say something off the record, you do not want anyone to repeat it publicly.
This expression means that people are often reluctant to change the way they do
Old Habits Die Hard
something, especially if they have been doing it for a long time.
Old Head On Young
A child or young person who thinks and expresses themselves like an older.
Shoulders
Oldest Trick In the Book A well-known and much used trick, which is still effective today.
On a Fool's Errand Involved in a useless journey or task.
On a Sticky Wicket In a situation that is difficult to deal with.
On Again, off Again Uncertain; Indecisive.
On Cloud Nine In a very happy state.
On Second Thought Having given something more thought.
On Someone's Head On someone's own self.
On the Air Broadcasting.
On the Back Burner To delay or postpone something.
On the Face of It Superficially.
On the Fence About
Undecided.
Something
On the Horns of a
Having to decide between two things, people, etc.
Dilemma
On the Hot Seat In a difficult position; Subject to much criticism.
On the One Hand From one point of view.
On the Tip of One's
About to be said; Almost remembered.
Tongue
On the Warpath Angry and upset (at someone).
On the Wrong Track Going the wrong way.
On Thin Ice In a risky situation.
On Top of Something In addition to something.
On/In the Cards Something which is on the cards it very likely to happen.
Once Bitten Twice Shy An unpleasant experience that makes you more cautious in the future.
Once In a Blue Moon Happens very rarely.

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One Jump Ahead of

One move ahead of someone or something.
Someone Or Something
One Step Ahead To achieve something faster than others; To have an advantage.
One's Heart Goes Out To
One feels compassion for someone.
Someone
One's Nose Is In the Air One is acting aloof.
Open a Can of Worms To uncover a set of problems
Open the Floodgates Release something that had previously been held under control.
Open And Shut Case Something that is simple and straightforward without complications.
Order of the Day Something necessary or usual.
Other Side of the Coin A different or contradictory aspect of a situation.
Out of Circulation No longer available for use of lending.
Out of Earshot Too far away to hear or to be heard.
Out of Hand Not controlled; Out of control.
Out of One's Mind Silly and senseless; Crazy; Irrational.
Out of Place Improper and impertinent.
Out of the Blue If something happens very unexpectedly.
Out of the Frying Pan Into
From a bad situation to a worse situation.
the Fire
Out of This World Wonderful; Extraordinary.
Out of Town Temporarily not in one's own town.
Out On a Limb In a dangerous position.
Over and Above
More than something.
Something
Over the Top Having gained more than one's goal.
Pack of Lies A large number of untruthful statements is referred to as a pack of lies.
Pain In the Neck A bother; An annoyance.
Paint the Town Red To have a wild celebration during a night on the town.
Paper Tiger Anyone/ Anything that is less powerful or threatening than they appear to be.
Pass the Buck Not taking responsibility for a problem.
Past Someone's Or
Beyond the most useful or productive period.
Something's Prime
Path of Least Resistance To do the easiest thing.
Pay Dividends If something you do pays dividends, it brings advantages or rewards at a later date.
Pay One's Dues To have earned one's right to something through hard work or suffering.
Pay Someone off To pay someone a bribe.
Pen Mightier Than Sword Words and communication have greater effect than war and fighting.
Penny For Your Thoughts To ask someone what they are thinking about.
Penny Wise and Pound
To lose a lot of money to save a little money.
Foolish
Pick Holes In Something To criticize something severely, find all flaws and fallacies.

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Pick On Someone Your

To abuse someone who is big enough to fight back.
Own Size
Pick Something Up To receive radio signals.
Pick Up the Pieces To do what you can to get the situation back to normal again.
Pick Up the Tab To pay the cost of something.
Picture Paints a Thousand
A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.
Words
Piece of Cake A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple.
Pile Something Up To crash or wreck something.
If a person, usually someone in difficulty, goes from pillar to post, they move
Pillar To Post
constantly from place to place.
Pin Something On
To place the blame on someone.
Someone
Pipe Dream A wish or an idea that is impossible.
Pit Someone Or
Something Against To set someone or something in opposition to someone or something.
Someone Or Something
Plastic Smile A forced smile.
Play Along With Someone
To agree to cooperate or conspire with someone's plan.
Or Something
Play By the Rules If you play by the rules, you behave in a fair and honest way with people.
Play Cat and Mouse Treating someone cruelly and kindly, so that they do not know what to expect.
Play Into Someone's
To assist one in one's scheming without realizing it.
Hands
Play It Safe To be or act safe; To do something safely.
Play Second Fiddle To accept to be second in importance, or having a lower position.
Play the Devil's Advocate To put forward arguments (you don't believe in) just for the sake of the argument.
Play To the Gallery Gaining popularity by behaving in a way that will appeal to the majority.
Plow Into Someone Or
To crash into someone or something.
Something
Pluck Out of the Air To say a name, date, number, etc. spontaneously, without thinking about it.
Point the Finger at
To blame someone.
Someone
Pot Calling the Kettle
When a person with a fault criticizes someone else for having the same fault.
Black
Pound Something Out To type something on a typewriter or computer.
Pound the Pavement To walks the streets or from company to company, usually in search of employment.
Pour Cold Water On To discourage other by showing little enthusiasm or expression your misgivings.
Pour Money Down the
To waste money.
Drain
Pour Oil On Troubled
To calm things down.
Waters
Powers That Be The people who are in authority.
Prick Up One's Ears To pay attention to what is being said.

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Promise Someone the

To make extravagant promises to someone.
Moon
Proud as a Peacock A person who is as proud as a peacock is extremely proud.
Pull a Fast One To succeed in an act of deception.
Pull Oneself Together To become emotionally stabilized.
Pull Out All the Stops To do everything you can to make something successful.
Pull Someone's Leg To kid, fool, or trick someone.
Pull Something off To manage to make something happen.
Pull the Rug Out From
To make someone ineffective.
Under Someone
Pull the Wool Over
To deceive someone.
Someone's Eyes
Punch Above Your
To perform at a level that is beyond your ability.
Weight
Push Someone To the
To force someone into a position where there is only one choice to make.
Wall
Push the Panic Button To panic; To become anxious.
Put a Finger On If you are able to identify or understand something such as the cause of a problem or
Something the solution to it, you put your finger on it.
Put a Spanner In the
To cause problems and prevent something from happening as planned.
Works
Put Best Foot Forward If someone puts their best foot forward, they do something as fast as they can.
Put Foot In One's Mouth To say something that offends, upsets or embarrasses someone.
Put Head On the Block To take great risks for someone or something.
Put Ideas Into Someone's
To suggest something usually bad to someone.
Head
Put On a Brave Face To try to appear happy or satisfied when faced with misfortune or danger.
Put On Your Thinking Cap To find an idea or solve a problem by thinking about it.
Put One's Best Foot
To act or appear at one's best.
Forward
Put One's Cards On the
To reveal everything.
Table
Put One's Finger On
To identify something as very important.
Something
Put One's Foot Down
To become adamant about something.
About Something
Put One's Foot In One's
To say something that you regret.
Mouth
Put One's House In Order To put one's business or personal affairs into good order.
Put Someone Away To have someone put into a mental institution.
Put Someone off To upset or distress someone.
Put Someone On the Spot To ask someone embarrassing questions.
Put Someone To Sleep To bore someone.
Put Someone To the Test To test someone.

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Put Something Down In

To draw up a written contract.
Black and White
Put Something On Paper To write something down.
Put Something To Rest To put an end to a rumor.
Put the Cart Before the
To have things in the wrong order.
Horse
Put the Heat On
To put pressure on someone
Someone
Put the Records Straight Provide facts or an explanation to correct a mistake or misunderstanding.
Put Words Into
To speak for another person without permission.
Someone's Mouth
Put/Lay One's Cards On
To speak honestly and openly about your feelings and intentions.
the Table
Quick and Dirty Done fast and carelessly.
Race Against Time Rushing to beat a deadline.
Rack One's Brains Trying very hard to think of something or to remember something.
Rain Cats and Dogs To rain very hard.
Raise Eyebrows When Someone shows surprise or disapproval by the expression on their face.
Raise One's Sights To set higher goals for oneself.
Rake Over the ashes When people discuss an unpleasant event which took place in the past.
Rank and File The members of a group, not the leaders.
Rap On the Knuckles Punished as a reminder not to do something again.
Raring To Go Eager and enthusiastic about the idea of doing something.
Rat Race A fierce struggle for success.
To express sympathy with someone who has to do something unpleasant or difficult,
Rather You Than Me
and you would not like to be in their situation.
Raw Deal To be treated unfairly or badly.
Reach For the Moon To be extremely ambitious.
Reach For the Sky To aspire to something.
Read Between the Lines To infer something from something.
Rear Its Ugly Head To appear or become obvious after lying hidden.
Recipe For Disaster A mixture of people and events that could only possibly result in trouble.
Red Herring A suggestion introduced to draw attention away from the real facts of a situation.
Red In the Face Embarrassed.
Red Tape Over strict attention to the wording and details of rules and regulations.
Refresh Someone's
To remind someone of facts they seem to have forgotten.
Memory
Regain One's Composure To become calm and composed.
Resign Oneself To
To accept something reluctantly.
Something
Rest Is History There is need to finish a story because everyone knows what happened next.
Rest On One's Laurels To enjoy one's success and not try to achieve more.

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Right Up Your Alley The sort of thing you like or have knowledge about.
Ring Out the Old Year and
To announce and celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next.
Ring In the New
Rip Into Someone Or
To attack someone or something, physically or verbally.
Something
Ripe Old Age A very old age.
Rise To the Occasion To do something successfully in difficult circumstances.
Rob Peter To Pay Paul To take from one in order to give to another.
Roll One's Sleeves Up To
To get ready to do some work.
Get Ready To Do
Roll Out the Red Carpet
To provide special treatment for someone.
For Someone
Roll Something Back To reduce a price to a previous moment.
Rolling In Money Someone who is very wealthy or has access to great amounts of money.
Rooted To the Spot A reaction so strong that you are unable to move.
Rotten Apple A dishonest or immoral influence on the others in the group.
Rotten To the Core Completely no good and worthless.
Rough Diamond A person who is good natured but lacks polished manners and/or education.
Rub Salt In the Wound Deliberately to make someone's unhappiness, shame, or misfortune worse.
Rub Shoulders With Opportunity to meet and talk to that person, especially someone distinguished.
Rub Someone 's Fur the
To irritate someone.
Wrong Way
Ruffle Someone's
To upset or annoy someone.
Feathers
Rule of Thumb A rough or an inexact guide.
Rule the Roost To be the most important and powerful person in a group or community.
Run An Errand To take a short trip to do a specific thing.
Run Around Like a
Chicken With Its Head Run around frantically and aimlessly.
Cut Off
Run Into a Stone Wall To come to a barrier against further progress.
Run Like Clockwork To run very well.
Run Of The Mill Something that is just ordinary or average.
This refers to a physical or moral characteristic that is common to many members of a
Runs In the Family
family.
Saddle Someone With
To give someone something undesirable, annoying, or difficult to deal with.
Something
Saddled With Debt If you are saddled with debt, the amount of money that you owe is a financial burden.
Sail Close To the Wind Tu do something dangerous or act just within the limits of what is legal or acceptable.
To describe someone as the salt of the earth means that they are kind, honest and
Salt of the Earth
reliable.
Scales Fall From Your
When the scales fall from your eyes, you finally understand the truth about something.
Eyes

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Scare Out of One's Wits To be very frightened or worried.

Scare the Daylights Out
If something scares the (living) daylights out of you, it terrifies you.
Of
Scared Stiff Someone who is scared stiff is so frightened that they are unable to move.
Scrape the Bottom of the Using the worst or the least satisfactory ideas, things or people because you have no
Barrel choice.
Scratch the Surface To deal with only a small part of problem.
Scream Blue Murder To complain very loudly as if something very serious has happened.
Second a Motion To formally agree with a proposal.
Second Nature To
Easy and natural for someone.
Someone
Second To None Better than everything.
See Eye To Eye With
Someone About To view something in the same way.
Something
See Someone Home To accompany someone home.
See Something Through To follow through on something until it is completed.
See the Last of Someone
To see someone or something for the last time.
Or Something
See the Light at the End To foresee an end to something, such as a problem or a task after a long period of
of the Tunnel time.
See the Light of Day To come to the end of a very busy time.
See Which Way the Wind
To determine what is the most expedient thing to do.
Is Blowing
Sell Down the River If you sell someone down the river, you betray a person who trusts you.
Sell Like Hot Cakes Things that sell like hot cakes sell quickly or in large quantities.
Send a Shiver Down Your
Feeling anxious or nervous.
Spine
Separate Sheep From
To examine a group of people and decide which are suitable and which are not.
Goats
Serve Notice To announce (something).
Set In Stone When something is set in stone, it is permanent and cannot be changed in any way.
Set Something Up To put something together.
Set the Records Straight If you set the records straight, you provide facts or an explanation.
Set You Back The sum of money something sets you back is the amount it costs you.
Settle a Score To settle a score is to retaliate against someone or take revenge.
Settle On Something To decide on something.
Sew Something Up To complete something.
Shake Like a Leaf If you shake like a leaf, you tremble with fear or nervousness.
Shake Someone off To get rid of someone.
Shake Someone Up To shock or upset someone.
If something, such as a trend or fashion, is the shape of things to come, it is a sign of
Shape of Things To Come
what is likely to be used or enjoyed by many people in the future.

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Shed Crocodile Tears To shed false tears.

Shed Some Light On
To reveal something about something.
Something
Ships That Pass In the
People who meet each other briefly by chance and who are unlikely to meet again.
Night
Someone is experiencing what they used to make others experience, normally
Shoe Is On the Other Foot
negative things.
Shoot One's Mouth off To boast or talk too much.
Shoot Yourself In the
To do or say something which is against one’s own interests.
Foot
Shot In the Arm A boost.
Show One's True Colours When a person reveals their real nature, with their qualities and/or weaknesses.
Shut the Stable Door
When the Horse Has To prevent something bad from happening when it is already too late.
Bolted
Sick and Tired of
Disgusted and annoyed with someone or something.
Someone Or Something
Sign On the Dotted Line To place one's signature on a contract or other important paper.
Significant Other A spouse, partner or lover, with whom you have a long term relationship.
Silver Lining A silver lining refers to the good or pleasant side effects of an unpleasant situation.
Sing a Different Tune To change opinion about something.
Sink One's Differences To forget disagreements.
Sink Your Teeth Into If you sink your teeth into something, you do it with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
Sit On Someone Or
To hold something or someone back.
Something
Sit On the Fence Someone who does not want to choose or make a decision.
Sit Through Something To witness or endure all of something.
Sitting Duck A sitting duck is an easy target, a person who is easy to deceive.
Sitting Pretty Living in comfort or luxury.
Six of One and Half a
About the same one way or another.
Dozen of the Other
Skip Out On Someone Or
To sneak away from someone.
Something
Slap In the Face An insult; An act that causes disappointment or discouragement.
Slap On the Wrist To receive mild punishment.
Sleep On Something To think about something overnight.
Slip of the Tongue An error in speaking
Slip Through Someone's
To get away from someone.
Fingers
Small Print The part of a document that is not easily noticed.
Smoke and Mirrors An attempt to conceal or distort the truth (like a magician) in order to confuse people.
Smoke Like a Chimney Someone who smokes a large amount of tobacco on a regular basis.
Snake In the Grass A low and deceitful person.

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Snatch Victory From the If you manage to win something such as a match or a contest, when you are on the
Jaws of Defeat verge of losing.
So Be It This is the way it will be.
So Far, So Good All is going well so far.
So Much For Someone Or
That is the last of someone or something.
Something
Social Butterfly A person who has a lot of friends and acquaintances.
Something To Spare With extra left over.
Sound Like a Broken
Someone who says the same thing again and again.
Record
Sour Grapes To make others believe that something they cannot have is of no importance.
If someone's behaviour, or something they say, sows the seeds of suspicion, it leads
Sow Seeds of Suspicion
people to suspect that they are guilty.
Spanner In the Works To do something that causes problems and prevents the success of a plan or event.
Speak For Itself and
To have an obvious meaning.
Speak For Themselves
Speak Ill of Someone If you speak ill of someone, you say bad or unkind things about them.
Speak of the Devil This expression is used when the person you have just been talking about arrives.
Speak Out of Turn To say something unwise or imprudent.
Speak Same Language Having similar opinions or ideas.
Speak With a Forked
To tell lies.
Tongue
Spick And Span Very clean.
Spill the Beans If you spill the beans, you reveal a secret or talk about something private.
Spin a Yarn Telling a story with distorted truths.
When difficulties or costs spiral out of control, they get worse or increase
Spiral Out of Control
continuously, creating a situation that becomes difficult to manage.
Spit In Someone's Eye If you spit in someone's eye, you treat that person with disrespect or contempt.
Sponge off Someone Accepting hospitality without sharing the costs or doing something in return.
Sporting Chance A reasonably good chance.
Spruce Something Up To make someone or something clean and orderly.
A transaction that is fair and honest, or an equitable arrangement, is called a square
Square Deal
deal.
Square Peg In a Round
A misfit.
Hole
Stab Someone In the
To betray someone.
Back
Stand On Own Two Feet To be independent.
Stand One's Ground To maintain ones position/opinion.
Start From Scratch To start from the beginning.
Start off On the Wrong
To begin [something] by doing something wrong.
Foot

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Start off With a Clean

To start out fresh again.
Slate
Start the Ball Rolling To begin an activity in which other people will join.
State of the Art The most technologically advanced model currently available.
Steal a March On
To get some sort of an advantage over someone without being noticed.
Someone
Steal Someone's Thunder To take the credit for something someone else did.
Steer Clear of Someone
To avoid someone or something.
Or Something
Step Into Someone's
Understanding the perspective of the other person
Shoes
If you annoy or irritate someone by intervening in a situation that is their
Step On Someone's Toes
responsibility.
Step On the Gas To accelerate or to get something done quickly.
Stick One's Neck Out For
To take a risk.
Someone Or Something
Stick Out Like a Sore
To be very prominent or unsightly.
Thumb
Stick To One's Guns To remain firm in one's convictions.
Stick To Your Guns If you stick to your guns, you show determination when faced with opposition.
Stick In The Mud Someone who is stubbornly old fashioned.
Stiff Upper Lip Hiding ones emotions.
Stir Up a Hornet's Nest To do something which causes a commotion and provokes criticism and anger.
Stoop To Doing
To degrade oneself.
Something
Stop Dead In One's Tracks When you stop suddenly because you are frightened or totally surprised.
Stop Short of Doing
Not to go as far as doing something.
Something
Stop, Look, and Listen To exercise caution.
Straight From the Horse's
From an authoritative or dependable source.
Mouth
Strange Bedfellows Unlikely association of two or more people, companies or states.
Strike a Balance Between
To find a satisfactory compromise between two extremes.
Two Things
Strike a Bargain To reach an agreement on a price for something.
Strike a False Note If you strike a false note, you do something wrong or inappropriate.
Strike Gold If you strike gold, you find exactly what you need: satisfaction, wealth, happiness, etc.
Strike Pay Dirt To be lucky and suddenly successful in money making situation.
Strike the Right Note To achieve the desired effect.
Strike While the Iron Is
To do something at the best possible time.
Hot
String Along With
To accompany someone
Someone
Struggle To the Death A bitter struggle to the end.

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Stubborn as a Mule A very obstinate person unwilling to listen to reason.

A problem or obstacle that prevents you from achieving something is a stumbling
Stumbling Block
block.
Such as It Is In the imperfect state that one sees it.
Sugar the Pill To make some unpleasant news more acceptable.
Suit Every Pocket The price you can afford.
Survival of the Fittest The most able, or those best capable of adapting to particular conditions, will survive.
Swallow One's Pride You accept something humiliating or embarrassing.
Swallow Something,
To believe something completely.
Hook, Line, and Sinker
You completely accept something, especially an offer that is a trick or way of getting
Swallow the Bait
something from you.
Swallow Your Words Admitting that you were wrong.
Swear By Something To have complete faith and confidence in something.
Sweep Something Under
To try to hide something unpleasant, shameful from attention of others.
the Carpet / Rug
Sweet Nothings Pleasant but unimportant words that lovers say to each other.
Sweet Tooth Enjoying eating sweet things like sugar, pastries, chocolate, etc.
Sweetheart Deal An abnormally lucrative arrangement between two parties.
Swift and Sure Fast and certain.
Swim Against the Tide To do the opposite of everyone else.
Tail Wagging the Dog A situation where a small part is controlling the whole thing.
Take a Chance To try something where failure or bad fortune is likely.
Take a Dig at Someone To insult someone.
Take a Dim View If you take a dim view of something, you dislike or disapprove of it.
Take a Leaf Out of
To behave or to do something in the way that someone else would.
Someone's Book
Take a Powder To leave (a place).
Take a Spill To have a fall; To tip over.
Take Advantage of
To cheat or deceive someone.
Someone
Take Heed To be cautious.
Take It Or Leave It To accept something or forget it.
Take Kindly To Something To be agreeable to something.
Take Leave of One's
To become irrational.
Senses
Take Liberties With
To use or abuse someone.
Someone
Take One's Medicine To accept the punishment that one deserves.
Take Sides To choose one side of an argument.
Take Someone For a Ride To trick or deceive someone.

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Take Someone To the

To fleece, abuse.
Cleaners
Take Someone's Breath
To overwhelm someone with beauty or grandeur.
Away
Take Something at Face
To accept something exactly the way it appears to be.
Value
Take Something In Stride To accept something as natural or expected.
Take Something Lying
To endure something unpleasant without fighting back.
Down
Take Stock of a Situation Assessing all the aspects in order to form an opinion.
Take the Bitter With the
To accept the bad things along with the good things.
Sweet
Take the Bull By the
To meet a challenge directly.
Horns
Take the Edge off
To remove the power, essence of something.
Something
Take the Law Into One's If, instead of calling the police, you act personally against someone who has done
Own Hands something wrong.
Take the Lid off
To begin to deal with a problem.
Something
Take the Rap You accept blame or punishment, even if you have not done it.
Take the Rough With the
To accept what is unpleasant or difficult as well as what is pleasant or easy.
Smooth
Take the Starch Out of
To make someone tired and weak.
Someone
Take the Wind Out of
To challenge someone's boasting or arrogance.
Someone's Sails
Take To One's Heels To run away.
Take With Pinch of Salt The information may not be accurate or true.
Take Your Courage In
Do something very brave.
Both Hands
Taken Aback Surprised and confused.
Talk In Circles To talk in a confusing or roundabout manner.
Talk Nineteen To the
Someone who talks nineteen to the dozen speaks very quickly.
Dozen
Talk Someone Down To win out over someone in an argument.
Talk Someone Out of
To convince someone not to do something.
Doing Something
Talk Someone's Head off To speak too much.
Talk Something Over To discuss something.
Talk Through One's Hat To talk nonsense.
Talk Until One Is Blue In
To talk until one is exhausted.
the Face
Taste of Your Own Means that something happens to you, or is done to you, that you have done to
Medicine someone else.
Teach Someone a Lesson To get even with someone for bad behaviour.

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Tear One's Hair Out To be anxious, frustrated.

Tempest In a Teapot An uproar about practically nothing.
That Makes Two of Us. The same is true for me.
That Ship Has Sailed A particular opportunity has passed by and now it's too late.
That's the Way the Ball
Things don't always work out as planned, and there's nothing we can do about it.
Bounces
That's the Way the
Things don't always turn out the way we want.
Cookie Crumbles
The Apple of Your Eye To have great affection for someone.
The Bottom Line The result; The final outcome.
The Bubble Has Burst The success of an idea, a product or a situation has suddenly stopped.
The Jury Is Still Out A decision has not been reached on someone or something.
The Last Straw! Last unpleasant event and that cannot be tolerated.
The Party's Over. A happy or fortunate time has come to an end.
The Plot Thickens. Things are becoming more complicated or interesting.
The Point of No Return The point at which it is too late to turn back.
The World Is Your Oyster Enjoying pleasures and opportunities that life has to offer.
There Are Plenty of Other
There are other choices.
Fish In the Sea.
There's More Than One
There is more than one way to do something.
Way To Skin a Cat.
Think On One's Feet Making good decisions without prior thinking or planning.
Think Out Loud To say one's thoughts aloud.
Think Twice Before Doing
To consider carefully whether one should do something.
Something
Throw a Monkey Wrench
To cause problems for someone's plans.
Into the Works
Throw Caution To the
To become very careless.
Wind
Throw Down the
To challenge someone to an argument or to combat.
Gauntlet To Challenge
Throw Good Money After Someone who spends additional money on something that was already considered a
Bad bad investment.
Throw One's Hands Up In
To give up.
Despair
Throw One's Weight
To attempt to boss people around.
Around
Throw Someone off the
To cause someone to lose the trail.
Track
Throw Someone's Name
To impress people by saying you know a famous or influential person.
Around
Throw Something Into
To include something in a deal.
the Bargain
Throw the Baby Out With
To dispose of the good while trying to get rid of the bad.
the Bath Water

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Throw the Book at

To charge or convict someone with as many crimes as is possible.
Someone
Thrust and Parry To enter into verbal combat.
Tide Someone Over To last until someone can get some more.
Tie Someone Up In Knots To become anxious or upset.
Tighten One's Belt To manage to spend less money.
Till the Cows Come Home To do it for a long time.
Time Is Money Time is valuable, so don't waste it.
Tip Someone Off to give someone a hint; To warn someone.
To a Great Extent Mainly; Largely.
To Have To Get Even
Have a score to settle (with someone).
With Someone
To One's Heart's Content As much as one wants.
To Put It Mildly To understate something.
To the Best of One's
As well as one is able.
Ability
To the Letter Do exactly as is told or written.
To the Nth Degree To the maximum amount.
Toe the Line Obeying the rules and accepting the principles.
Too Big For One's Boots A person behaving as if they were more important than they really are.
Too Many Cooks Spoil the
Too many people trying to manage something simply spoil it.
Broth,
Toot One's Own Horn To boast or praise oneself.
Top Something off To add to the difficulty of something.
Touch and Go Very uncertain.
Touch Base With
To talk to someone.
Someone
Trade On Something To use a fact or a situation to one's advantage.
Trip Down Memory Lane Remembering pleasant things that happened in the past.
Try Someone's Patience To do something annoying that may cause someone to lose patience.
Turn a Blind Eye To
To ignore someone or something.
Someone Or Something
Turn a Deaf Ear Not paying attention to a request or a complaint.
Turn Over a New Leaf To start again with the intention of doing better.
Turn Over In One's Grave For a dead person to be shocked and horrified.
Twist Someone's Arm To force or persuade someone.
Under Close Scrutiny Being watched or examined carefully.
Under One's Belt To acquire experience or satisfactorily achieving something.
Under Your Own Steam Without any help from others.
Up In Arms Rising up in anger.

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Up To One's Neck In
Very much involved in something.
Something
Up To the Hilt To do completely or to the maximum degree.
Up/Down Your Alley The sort of thing that will suit your tastes or abilities.
Upper Hand To take control over a situation.
Ups and Downs Good fortune and bad fortune.
Upset the Applecart If you upset (or overturn) the applecart, you spoil a satisfactory plan or situation.
Use Every Trick In the
To use every method possible.
Book
Use One's Head To use one's own intelligence.
Use Someone Or
To blame someone or something for a failure.
Something as an Excuse
Waiting In the Wings Prepared to take over someone else's job or position.
Walk a Tightrope To be in a situation where one must be very cautious.
Walk All Over Someone To treat someone badly.
Walk On Eggshells To be careful to not hurt or offend anyone.
Walk Out On Someone To abandon someone.
Wash One's Dirty Linen In
To discuss private or embarrassing matters in public.
Public
Wash One's Hands of
To end one's association with something or someone.
Someone Or Something
Wash Your Hands Of If you wash your hands of a problem or situation, you refuse to deal with it any longer.
Waste One's Breath To waste one's time talking.
Watch One's Step To act with care and caution.
Water Something Down To dilute something.
Water Under the Bridge Something past and forgotten.
Wear More Than One Hat To hold more than one office.
Wet Behind the Ears Young and inexperienced.
Wet Blanket Someone who spoils other people's fun.
When In Rome, Do as the
One should behave in the way of local traditions.
Romans Do
When the Chips Are
When things really become difficult.
Down
When the Going Gets
When things really become extremely difficult.
Tough
Where the Shoe Pinches An area that is often a source of problems or difficulties.
Where There's Smoke
Evidence of a problem probably indicates that there really is a problem.
There's Fire
White Lie Lying to protect someone or to avoid hurting any feelings.
Whole Nine Yards Everything; All of it.
Why Keep a Dog and Bark
If someone can do a task for you, there's no reason to do it yourself.
Yourself?
Wide of the Mark Inadequate.

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Wild Goose Chase Looking for something that has little chances of being found.
Window Shopping Looking at things in shop windows, without actually purchasing anything.
With Bells On Delighted and eager to go.
With Flying Colours To do something very successfully.
With One's Eyes Open Being fully aware of what one is doing.
Without Batting An Eye Without showing alarm or response.
Wolf In Sheep's Clothing A threatening person disguising himself/ herself as innocent.
Won't Hold Water To be inadequate, insubstantial, or ill conceived.
Work Fingers To Bone Extremely hardworking person.
Work One's Way Into
To squeeze into something.
Something
Work One's Way Up To advance in one's job or position.
Worlds Apart When two people are very different, they are said to be worlds apart.
Worm One's Way Out of
To squeeze or wiggle out of a problem or a responsibility.
Something
Wouldn't Touch
Something With a Ten To avoid something at all costs; To refuse to associate with something.
foot Pole
Write Something off To absorb a debt or loss.
Year In, Year Out Year after year; All year long.
Yoke Around One's Neck An obligation, commitment or restraint that becomes an oppressive burden.
You Can Say That Again That is true. You are correct.
You Can't Judge a Book
You should not form an opinion about something from its appearance.
By Its Cover
You Can't Please
It is not possible to make everyone happy.
Everyone
You Can't Teach An Old
Old people cannot learn anything new.
Dog New Tricks.
You Don't Know the Half
To emphasize that someone knows some of the facts but not how bad the situation is.
of It
Your Guess Is as Good as
To have no idea, do not know the answer to a question.
Mine
Your Wish Is My
Willingness to do whatever the other person asks.
Command
Zero In On Something To aim or focus directly on something.
Zero Tolerance No toleration for breaking the rules.

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CHAPTER 3
ROOTS, PREFIXES, SUFFIXES
ROOTS MEANING WORD
alter Other alternate, alter ego
ami, amic- Love amiable, amicable
amphi both ends or all sides amphibian
ann, enni Year anniversary, annual, biennial, perennial
anthrop human, man anthropology, anthropomorphic, misanthrope
aqua, aque Water aquatic, aquarium, aqueduct
arch chief, leader, ruler archangel, monarch, archaic, archenemy
arthro Joint Arthritis
aud Sound auditorium, audible, audiologist, audiotape
bell War belligerent, bellicose
biblio Book bibliography, bibliophile
bio- Life biography, autobiography, biology, antibiotic
brev Short brief, abbreviate
cap take, seize capture, captivate, capacity
carn Meat carnivorous, chili con carne
ced yield, go recede, secede, proceed, intercede, concession
chrom- Color chromatic, monochrome, polychrome
chron- Time chronicle, chronology, chronometer, synchronize
cogn Know recognize, cognitive, incognito
cord/chord String Harpsichord
corp Body corpus, corpse, corporal
crac, crat rule, ruler autocrat, democracy, bureaucrat, democracy
cred Believe credible, credulous, credibility, credit, credo
cruc Cross crucifix, crucial
crusta Shell Crustacean
crypt Hidden cryptogram, cryptology, cryptic
culp Guilt culpable, culprit
dei God deity, deify
demo- People demography, democracy, epidemic
dent Tooth dentist, dentifrice, dentin
derm- Skin dermatology, epidermis, hypodermic
dic speak, say dictate, predict, diction, indict
dox belief, opinion orthodoxy, paradox, heterodoxy
duc, duct Lead induce, deduce, seduction, conduct, abduct
duo Two Duo------------- example is missing
dynam- Power dynamo, hydrodynamics
ego Self egotist, egomania
equ Equal equal, equity, equanimity, equate, equidistant
fac make, do manufacture, factory, benefactor
fil Threadlike filament
frater Brother fraternal, fraternize
gam- Marriage monogamy, polygamy, bigamy
geo- Earth geopolitical, geology, geography, geothermal
glyph vertical groove Hieroglyphics—Egyptian “sky writing”
grad, gress Step gradual, progression, transgression
graph- writing, printing graphology, biography, telegraph, geography
gym Sports Gymnasium
gyn- Woman gynecologist, androgynous
hemo, hema, hem Blood hemophilia, hematology, hemoglobin
holo whole, entire Holograph
hydro, hydr Water dehydrate, hydraulics, hydroelectric, hydroplane
iso equal, identical Isolate
ject Throw inject, reject, subject, projection
jud Judge judicial, judge, adjudicate
leg, lect read, choose legible, lectern, lecturer, election
liter Letter literature, illiterate, literal
loc Place local, location
log Word monologue, epilogue
Luc Light lucid, elucidate
magn Large magnify, magnate, magnificent
man Hand manufacture, manual, manuscript

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mar Sea marine, mariner

mater Mother maternal, maternity, matriarchy, matricide
mere part, segment Mere
meta, met behind, between Metacognition—behind the thinking
metri, meter- Measure geometric, thermometer, odometer
min Small minority, minuscule, minute
mit, miss Send permit, submission, mission, emit,
mob, mot, mov Move mobile, automobile, motion, promote, movie
mon Warn premonition, admonition
mor, mort Death mortal, mortician, immortality
morph form, structure metamorphosis, amorphous, morphology
mut Change mutant, mutability, mutate
neuro Nerve neurology, neurosis, neurobiology
nomen /nomin Name nominal, nominate, nomenclature
nov New novel, renovate, innovation, novella
nym, onym word, name synonym, acronym, anonymous, pseudonym
odonto Tooth orthodontist—one who straightens teeth
ortho- straight, correct orthodox, orthodontist, orthopedic
Pac Peace pacify, Pacific Ocean, pacifist
pater Father paternal, paternity, patricide, patrilineal, patriotic
path feeling, suffering sympathy, apathy, empathy, telepathy, pathology
ped, pod Foot pedal, pedometer, centipede, gastropod
pel, puls Push pulsate, repulsive, impulse, compel, propel
pend hang, weigh pendulum, pendant, suspend, pending
phon-, phono- sound, voice telephone, euphony, cacophony, phonograph
plan Flat planar, plantation, plane
pneum Lung Pneumatic
pod Feet Podiatrist
port Carry portable, transport, portage, report,
Pot Power potent, omnipotent, potentate
psych- soul, spirit, mind psychology, psychic, psychobiography
pugna Fight pugnacious, pugilist
quer, quis Ask query, inquisition,
scent, scend Climb ascend, ascent
schizo, schiz division, split Schizophrenic
Sci Know Scientific
sciss Cut Scissors
scrib, script Write manuscript, scribe, proscribe, scripture
sec, sect Cut dissect, section
sed, sess Sit sedentary, session
sens, sent feel, be aware sensible, sentient
sequ, secu Follow sequence, sequel, consecutive
serv serve, protect Service
simil Same similar, assimilate, simile, facsimile (fax)
siphon Tube Siphon
Sol Sun Solar
Son Sound sonar, resonate, unison
soph wisdom, knowledge philosophy, sophisticated, sophomore (wise fool)
spec, spic look, see spectacles, spectator, inauspicious, prospect
spir Coil Spiral
spir Breathe inspire, respiration, conspire, perspiration
spond, spons promise, answer for respond, responsible
spont by one's own force Spontaneous
stat stay, position Station
tang, tact Touch tactile, tangible
temp Time temporary, temporize
ten, tent Hold tentative, tenable, tenuous
Terr Earth subterranean, terrain, terrestrial, disinter
theo god, deity theology, polytheism, atheist, monotheism
therm- Heat thermal, thermos, thermometer
trophy nutrition, food atrophy—without nutrition
Uro Urine urologist
Vac Empty vacation, vacuum, vacuous, vacant
ven, vent come, go intervene, convene, contravene
Ver Truth veracity, verify, verity
vert Turn introvert, irreversible, vertigo

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Vit Life vital, revitalize, vitamin

Voc Call revoke, invocation, vocal, evocative, convocation
Zoo Animal zoo, zoology, zoolatry

PREFIXES

PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLES

a-, an- not, without amoral, anesthetic, apolitical, asocial
ab- away from abduction, abstain, abnormal
ad- to, toward adjoin, adjacent (lying near to)
ambi- Both ambidextrous, ambivalent
ana- up, back, again analogy, anatomy, anagram
anti- Against antipathy, antiwar, antisocial
apo- from, away from apology, apologize
auto- Self autobiography, automobile, autocracy, automaton
bene- Good benediction benevolent benefactor
cata-, cat- down, against catastrophe--a turning down
centro, centri- around, center concentric, centrifugal
circum- Around circumlocution circumference, circumvent
com- with, together communal, community
con- with, together connect, confide conspire
contra- Against contradict, contravene
de- down, away descend, deject (cast down)
dia-, di- through, across diameter, division
dis- apart, not disengage, discord, discomfort
dys- ill, difficult, bad dysfunctional, dysentery
e- out of, from elect (choose out of), eject (throw out)
ecto- on the outside ectoderm--outer skin
en-, em- in empathy—feeling in
endo- within, inside endoscope--instrument for observing inside
epi- upon epitaph epidermis, epicenter
eso- inward, within esoteric--more inward, esophagus
eu- well, good euthanasia—good death
ex- out of, from exhume, exhale, exodus
hetero- other, different heterosexual, heterodoxy, heterodox heterogeneous
homo- same homosexual, homogeneous, homogenized
hyper- over hypertension, hypersensitive, hyperactivity
hypo- under hypotension, hypodermic
il- not illegitimate, illicit, illegal, illegible
im- not imperfect, impolite, impossible
im- into imbibe (drink in, take in)
in- not indiscreet, invisible
in- into incorporate (take into the body)
inter- between intervene (come between), interstate
intra- within intrastate, intramural
ir- not irregular, irrational, irredeemable
macro- large macrocosm, macroeconomics
mal, male- bad, evil malediction malevolent, malnutrition
meta- beyond Metaphysical
micro- small microscope, microcosm, microeconomics
mono- one, single monologue, monotheism, monarchy, monogamy
neo- new, recent neologism, neo-liberal, neonatology. neolithic
ob- against object, obstruct (build against)
palin-, pali- back, again Palindrome
pan- all, every pantheism, Pan-Hellenic, panorama, pandemic
para- false paramilitary, paralegal, parachute
per- through percolate (flow through) perforate (punch through)
peri- around perimeter, periscope
phil-, philo- like, lover of philosophy, Francophile, bibliophile, philanthropy
poly- many, several polygon, polygamy, polytechnic, polytheism
post- after postgraduate, posthumous postpone
pre- before precede, predict (tell before)
pro- for, forward promote, project
pros- toward, in front prospect—view in front, something coming up

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proto- first prototype, protoplasm, protobiology

pseudo false pseudonym, pseudoscience
re- again, back repeat, recede, regress (step back)
retro- back retrogression, retroactive
se- away from seduce (lead away), secede
sub- under submarine, subject, subhuman subterranean
sur-, super- over, above superhuman, superego, superintend, surpass
syn-, sym-, syl-, sys- with, together symphony, synonym, system, syllable
tele- distant, far off telephone, telepathy, television, telegram

SUFFIXES

SUFFIX DEFINITION EXAMPLE

-agog, -agogue leader demagogue, pedagogue
-cide kill(ing) patricide, infanticide, herbicide. suicide
-ectomy cutting appendectomy, splenectomy
-ia, -y act, state amnesia, mania, democracy, anarchy
-ic, -tic, -ical, -ac having to do with anthropomorphic, dramatic, biblical, cardiac
-ics things having to do with optics, physics
-isk, -iscus small asterisk--a little star
-ism the belief in pacifism, terrorism, socialism, communism
-ist one who believes in pacifist, terrorist, socialist, communist
-ite one connected with meteorite, polite, cosmopolite
-logy study field of biology, geology, etymology, cardiology
-oid resembling, like-shaped asteroid, spheroid
-or, -er one who takes part in doctor, actor, teacher, driver
-phobia exaggerated fear photophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia
-sis act, state, condition of analysis

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REVIEW TESTS

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TEST I
VERBAL ANALOGY

Direction: In each of the following questions, identify the pair of words which has a relationship similar to the pair in the
questions.

1. Wool : Acrylic
a) Rayon : Silk b) Winter : Spring c) Cotton : Terylene d) Rubber : Plastic

2. Germ : Disease
a) Man : Woman b) War : Destruction c) Doctor : Medicine d) Owner : Shop

3. Gazelle : Swift
a) Horse : Swallow b) Swan : Graceful c) Lion : Roar d) Lamb : Bleat

4. Pilgrim : Shrine
a) Traveller : Destination b) Accident : Injury c) Peace : War d) Flight : Escape

5. Roar : Engine
a) Whisper : Noise b) Echo : Sound c) Crack : Whip d) Tinkle : Bell

6. Wood : Carve
a) Clay : Mould b) Pipe : Blow c) Paper : Bum d) Trees : Sway

7. Spasm : Pain
a) Sound : Noise b) Flash : light c) Touch : Delicate d) Love : Hate

8. Sober : Mercurial
a) Redundant : Concise b) Saturn : Venus c) Heavenly : Starry d) Wolf : Sly

9. Celebrate : Marriage
a) Window : Bedroom b) Pot : Pan c) Crime : Penalty d) Lament : Bereavement

10. Emulate : Mimic

a) Slander : Defame b) Praise : Flatter c) Aggravate : Promote d) Express : Imply

11. Zeal : Bigotry

a) Sweetness : Bitterness b) Envy : Jealousy c) Good : Bad d)Fanaticism : Intolerance

12. Leash : Dog

a) Reins : House b) Tyranny : Despot c) Weapon : Peace d) Democracy : Peace

13. Scholarly : Erudite

a) Teacher : Lawyer b) Reader : Hermit c) Ignorant : Illiterate d) Master : Hunger

14. Social Worker : Delinquent

a) Patient : Doctor b) Officer : Soldier c) Evangelist : Sinner d) Soldier : Enemy

15. Practice : Practise

a) Noun : Adverb b) Advice : Advise c) Gone : Going d) Do : Done

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TEST II
SYNONYMS: TEST 1

1. Perspicacious 11. Compunction

a. clear b. hazy a. regret b. appreciate
c. shrewd d. bad c. wonder d. anger

2. Proscribe 12. Obstreperous

a. allow b. prescribe a. cheerful b. noisy
c. banish d. advance c. calm d. obstinate

3. Obfuscation 13. Ostracise

a. confusing others b. prone a. welcome b. include
c. to darken d. infer c. expedite d. cut off

4. Prone 14. Deplete

a. thrown forward b. disease a. take away b. fill
c. supine d. inactive c. make greater d. to exhaust

5. Ugly 15. Osmosis

a. ugly b. fearless a. gradual acceptance b. slow recovery
c. selfish d. coward c. abrupt ending d. crowded

6. Vernal
a. luxuriant b. spring-like 16. Sycophant
c. scale d. dirty a. Bootlicker b. patriot
c. Skeptic d. Chauvnist
7. Gluttony
a. happiness b. contentment 17. Glib
c. satisfaction d. greed a. Ugly b. Beautiful
c. Smooth d. Ignorant
8. Incensed
a. incited b. affected 18. Adroit
c. encouraged d. inspired a. Gauche b. Clumsy
c. Skilful d. Awkward
9. Sozzled
a. cultured b. drunk 19. Equivocal
c. moderate d. burning a. Equal voice b. Ambiguous
c. Balanced d. Certain
10. Vituperate
a. encourage b. appraise 20. Credulous
c. abuse d. appreciate a. Credible b. Reliable
c. Gullible d. Skeptical

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TEST II
SYNONYMS: TEST 2

1. modest most nearly means 11. aloof most nearly means

a. attractive b. clever a. above b. tidy
c. current d. humble c. clever d. reserved

2. custom most nearly means 12. resolve most nearly means

a. dessert b. habit a. turn b. puzzle
c. ethic d. deliver c. decide d. want

3. prolong most nearly means 13. congregate most nearly means

a. extend b. inquire a. worship b. gather
c. relax d. wait c. disturb d. hurry

4. hustle most nearly means 14. utter most nearly means

a. dance b. hurry a. express b. defer
c. busy d. clean c. borrow d. laugh

5. solemn most nearly means 15. fearless most nearly means

a. amusing b. harmful a. powerful b. cowardly
c. speech d. serious c. brave d. careful

6. imply most nearly means 16. negligible most nearly means

a. suggest b. stab a. insignificant b. arguable
c. thick d. destroy c. careless d. dark

7. ramble most nearly means 17. placid most nearly means

a. knot b. confuse a. calm b. lazy
c. wander d. wonder c. solemn d. devious

8. beneficial most nearly means 18. rake most nearly means

a. help b. advantageous a. thin b. scoundrel
c. charity d. wise c. gentleman d. shovel

9. flare most nearly means 19. dupe most nearly means

a. judicial b. temper a. rancher b. trick
c. style d. blaze c. simpleton d. drug

10. negligent most nearly means 20. stigma most nearly means
a. pajamas b. morbid a. stain b. trial
c. careless d. dark c. difficulty d. holines

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TEST III
ONE WORD SUBSTITUTION

Direction : Choose the option which best explains the given word.

1. Level-headed 9. pulchritude
(a) plain headed person (a) impertinence
(b) wild person (b) abject misery
(c) intractable person (c) with great speed
(d) sensible and reasonable person (d) beauty

2. cliché 10. catamaran

(a) an overused phrase or idea (a) type of boat
(b) unknown phrase or idea (b) type of cannon
(c) spicy and interesting phrase or idea (c) Jewish place of worship
(d) foreign phrase or idea (d) Zoroastrian place of worship

3. barter 11. microcosm

(a) trade involving foreign currencies (a) very big sample
(b) trade involving exchange of goods (b) very small sample
(c) trade involving speculation (c) very stealthy
(d) to mash and squeeze something (d) deadly

4. bizarre 12. paradox

(a) commonplace (a) embarrassing or humiliating
(b) strikingly odd in shape or appearance (b) churlish
(c) reasonable and understandable (c) self-contradictory but true
(d) lovable (d) charlatan

5. clique 13. discredit

(a) a defunct group (a) make an account
(b) a ruling military group (b) damage reputation of
(c) a small exclusive group (c) withdraw money
(d) a hosiery shop (d) praise a person

6. junta 14. foray

(a) a defunct group (a) a short raid
(b) a small exclusive group (b) make advances
(c) a ruling military group (c) build a road
(d) a hosiery shop (d) have an appetizer

7. margarine 15. impart

(a) butter made from animal or vegetable fat (a) satisfy oneself
(b) type of fruit jam (b) be invisible
(c) alcoholic pastry (c) to give or bestow
(d) alcoholic chocolate (d) be partial

8. peignoir
(a) type of woman’s nightgown
(b) woman’s razor
(c) animal’s bed
(d) butcher’s knife

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TEST IV
SPECIAL VOCABULARY

Direction : For numbers 1–10, you will find sentences that describe a personality type or character trait. Read each
sentence carefully and then circle the vocabulary word that best describes the person or character trait.

1. To please her boyfriend, Charlotte changed the Angelo was being

way she dressed to a style that he preferred. a.imperious. b. ebullient.
c.impetuous. d. querulous.
Charlotte is being
a. apathetic b. lippant 7. At the end of his life, the reclusive billionaire
c. complaisant d. impetuous. lived in a small apartment with a bed and a
bible as his only possessions, even though he
2. Although he failed another exam, Ivan didn’t seem could have had almost any luxury.
to care.
The billionaire chose a lifestyle that was
Ivan is being
a. insouciant. b. morose.
a. adamant. b. apathetic.
c. ascetic. d. facetious.
c. querulous. d. imperious.

8. Susan absolutely insisted that we come along;

3. “It’s my way or the highway!” said George.
she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
George is being
Susan was being
a. impassive. b. facetious.
a. adamant. b. querulous.
c. morose. d. peremptory.
c. peremptory. d. audacious.
4. “My future mother-in-law continually gives me
9. Raj was someone who, no matter how
suggestions on planning my wedding. She even
perfect the day, would always find
ordered the flowers without consulting me first.”
something to complain about.
The mother-in-law is being
Raj is very
a. officious. b. flippant.
a. nonchalant. b. vitriolic.
c. ebullient. d. complaisant.
c. officious. d. querulous.
5. When working at the scene of an accident, rescue
10. “You fatuous boor! You’ve ruined my life! I never
workers often hide their emotions and maintain a
want to see you again!”
professional countenance. The rescue workers are
being This statement is
a. audacious. b. morose. a. morose. b. vitriolic.
c. apathetic. d. impassive. c. insouciant. d. apathetic.

6. Mistakenly believing his boss was speaking ill of

him, Angelo burst through the door and yelled: “I
quit!” to his boss.

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Direction : For numbers 11–20, you will find sentences describing a personality trait or attitude followed by a fill in the blank
exercise. Read each sentence carefully and choose the vocabulary word from the list below that best completes the second
sentence. Write the correct answer in the blank.

audacious insouciant ebullient mettlesome facetious

morose flippant nonchalant imperious sanctimonious

11. Even after the rain began, Latisha continued to push forward and finish the marathon. Latisha is a_______person.

12. Though the hurricane was approaching, the surfers thought it would be a great time to go surfing regardless of
the risk. The surfers are being___________.

13. When friends came to play, Rachel would only let them play the games she selected; she even dictated where her
friends would sit and what they could eat. Rachel is being_________

14. At work, To m boasted that he and his family never missed church on Sunday mornings; he did not mention that they
always left services without saying hello to any of their friends or neighbors. Tom’s boastful statements
are___________ .

15. Having already won two awards, the movie director coolly and calmly walked up to the podium to collect his third
award of the evening. The director’s manner is very________ .

16. Chang has been sulking in her room after learning she wasn’t accepted by the college of her choice. She is even
saying that she may not go to college at all. Chang is feeling________ .

17. Tom shocked the jurors when he stuck his tongue out at the judge during the court proceedings. Tom is
being________toward the judge.

18. Reynaldo was a popular guest at dinner parties because of his ability to turn a phrase and to make funny, witty
remarks. Reynaldo is very _________.

19. Though she was only an office assistant, Adele marched boldly into the vice president’s office and calmly told him she
would someday be his boss. Adele is being _________

20. The teenage girls were jumping up and down in the aisles as their favorite band took the stage. The girls are acting in
a(n)_________.manner.

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TEST V
IDIOMS

Direction : Each of the following sentences contains an idiom (which is underlined). Pick the correct meaning of the idiom
from the answer choices.

1. The authorities took him to task for his negligence. 9. He struck several bad patches before the made good.
(a) gave him additional work (a) came across bad soil
(b) suspended his assignment (b) had a bad time
(c) reprimanded him (c) went through many illness
(d) forced him to resign (d) had many professional difficulties.

2. I am sure they will fight tooth and nail for their rights. 10. Mohan always keeps to himself.
(a) with all their might (a) is too busy
(b) without any other weapon (b) is selfish
(c) resort to violence (c) is unsociable
(d) are cowards (d) does not take sides

3. The detective left no stone unturned
culprit.
(a) took no pains
(b) did very irrelevant things
(c) resorted to illegitimate practice
(d) used all available means
to trace the 11. He never liked the idea of keeping his wife under
thumb and so he let her do what she liked.
(a) pressed down
(b) unduly under control
(c) below his thumb
(d) under tyrannical conditions

4. He was in high spirits when I met him in the 12. Its no longer easy to strike gold in Shakespeare’s
restaurant. research since much work has already been done on
(a) He was in a drunken state him.
(b) He was very cheerful (a) hit a golden spot
(c) He talked incoherently (b) come across gold
(d) He was deeply engrossed in thoughts (c) come across the word ‘gold’
(d) uncover or find a valuable line of argument or
5. Harassed by repeated acts of injustice, he decided to information
put his foot down.
(a) not to yield 13. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.
(b) to give up (a) enjoy for ever
(c) to accept the proposal unconditionally (b) have it both ways
(d) to with draw (c) run away from responsibility
(d) absolve yourself of guilt
6. There has been bad blood between the two
communities even before the shootng. 14. You have to be a cool customer and be patient if you
(a) impure blood want to get the best buys.
(b) ill-feeling (a) be calm and not be excitable
(c) bloody fights (b) have a cool head
(d) quarrels (c) be uncommunicative
(d) be choosy
7. He acts so much like his father, truly, he is a chip of
the old block. 15. In his youth, he was practically rolling in money.
(a) outdated in mannerisms (a) spending more then his income
(b) very similar to his father (b) borrowing money liberally
(c) a good actor (c) very rich
(d) an honourable man (d) wasting a lot of money

8. Don not imagine that Dharemendra is really sorry that

his wife died. Those are only crocodile tears.
(a) pretended sorrow
(b) tears of a crocodile
(c) weeping crocodile
(d) mild regret

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TEST VI
ANTONYMS: TEST 1

1. Instil 11. Sophisticated

(A) extract (B) eradicate (A) rustic (B) rural
(C) express (D) expand (C) civil (D) domestic

2. Esoteric 12. Genuine

(A) external (B) familiar (A) rotten (B) bogus
(C) native (D) pleasant (C) unsound (D) impure

3. Ponderous 13. Exonerate

(A) simple (B) thoughtless (A) reject (B) contract
(C) empty (D) light (C) accuse (D) admit

4. Nominal 14. Husbandry

(A) huge (B) clear (A) misters hood (B) subordination
(C) real (D) solid (C) discipline (D) wastefulness

5. Parallelism 15. Neophyte

(A) obliquity (B) contrast (A) Laudatory (B) defamatory
(C) disparity (D) divergence (C) quiet (D) in admirable

6. Antiquity 16. Amalgamate

(A) common (B) recent (A) Reduce (B) Steady
(C) innovation (D) youthfulness (C) Endure (D) Separate

7. Swear 17. Blithe

(A) support (B) reject (A) Dim (B) Sturdy
(C) deny (D) praise (C) Grave (D) Laconic

8. Transparent 18. Deference

(A) translucent (B) vague (A) Aversion (B) Resignation
(C) blind (D) opaque (C) Suspicion (D) Contempt

9. Extrovert 19. Untoward

(A) boaster (B) mixer (A) Anticipated (B) Decisive
(C) introvert (D) social (C) Necessary (D) Confident

10. Virtuous 20. Pertain

(A) vicious (B) vulgar (A) Apathetic (B) Illegitimate
(C) miserly (D) dimestic (C) Irrevocable (D) Irrlevant

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TEST VI
ANTONYMS: TEST 2
1. detain is most opposite to 11. cursed is most opposite to
(a) release (b) silence (a) swore (b) pious
(c) forget (d) prosper (c) unfortunate (d) lucky

2. famous is most opposite to 12. candid is most opposite to

(a) boring (b) poor (a) unkind (b) blunt
(c) obscure (d) untalented (c) valid (d) dishonest

3. colossal is most opposite to 13. flaunt is most opposite to

(a) easy (b) tiny (a) regard (b) sink
(c) graceful (d) roof (c) hide (d) propose

4. fluid is most opposite to 14. heal is most opposite to

(a) solid (b) liquid (a) sew (b) foot
(c) afraid (d) decent (c) good (d) maim

5. continue is most opposite to 15. pacify is most opposite to

(a) curve (b) argue (a) excite (b) land
(c) carry (d) pause (c) coddle (d) unhand

6. labor is most opposite to 16. sullen is most opposite to

(a) amuse (b) cat (a) dirty (b) cheerful
(c) rest (d) strive (c) clean (d) risen

7. brawny is most opposite to 17. assure is most opposite to

(a) swift (b) weak (a) alarm (b) reassure
(c) strong (d) pale (c) quiet (d) unsure

8. fickle is most opposite to 18. fallacious is most opposite to

(a) steady (b) kind (a) perfect (b) truthful
(c) please (d) finagle (c) accidental (d) disarming

9. inept is most opposite to 19. gumption is most opposite to

(a) clumsy (b) infer (a) seriousness (b) apathy
(c) competent (d) foolish (c) levity (d) despair

10. pivotal is most opposite to 20. ecstasy is most opposite to

(a) turning (b) wavy (a) hate (b) agony
(c) unimportant (d) clear (c) languor (d) fatigue

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ANSWERS

TEST I: VERBAL ANALOGY:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
C B B A D A B A B B C A C D B

TEST II: SYNONYMS TEST 1:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
C C A C A B D A B C A B D D A A C C B B

TESTII: SYNONYMS TEST 2:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
D B A B D A C B D C D C B A C A A B B

TESTIII: ONE WORD SUBSTITUTION

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
D A B B C C A A D A B C B A C

TEST IV: ANSWERS SPECIAL VOCABULARY

1. To be complaisant is to comply with others and be willing to do what pleases others.
2. To be apathetic is to show a lack of interest or concern; to be indifferent.
3. To be peremptory is to be dictatorial, not allowing contradiction, or putting an end to debate or action.
4. To be officious is to be meddlesome, bossy, and eagerly offering unwanted advice.
5. An impassive person does not show his or her feelings, emotions, or pain.
6. To be impetuous is to display sudden, forceful energy or emotion, especially without thought or consideration of
consequences.
7. Someone who is ascetic practices self-denial and does not allow him or herself pleasures or luxuries.
8. Someone who is adamant is unyielding to requests, appeals, or reason.
9. To be querulous is to complain and be generally discontented.
10. Something or someone who is vitriolic is savagely hostile or bitter.
11. Someone who is mettlesome is courageous and high-spirited.
12. To be insouciant is to be unconcerned, carefree, and indifferent.
13. Someone who is imperious is overbearing, bossy; domineering.
14. To be sanctimonious is to be hypocritically pious or devout; excessively self- righteous.
15. To be nonchalant is to be indifferent or cool; not showing anxiety or excitement.
16. To be morose is to be gloomy, sullen, or melancholy.
17. To be flippant is to not show proper seriousness or to be disrespectful.
18. To be facetious is to be humorous and witty; cleverly amusing.
19. To be audacious is to be fearlessly or recklessly daring; bold.
20. To be ebullient is to be bubbling over with enthusiasm, exuberant.

TEST V: IDIOMS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
C A D B A B B A D C B D B A C

TEST VI: ANTONYMS TEST 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
B B D C D B C D C A A B C D D D C D A D

TEST VI: ANTONYMS TEST 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
A C B A D C B A C C D D C D A B A B B B

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