Previous Year SSC CGL CHSL English vocabulary: Part 1

abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, aberration, abstruse, accolade, acrimony, adamant

abase (verb):

• Meaning: to lower in rank, dignity, or importance; degrade.
• Synonyms: humble, humiliate, demean, debase, disgrace, dishonor.
• Antonyms: elevate, dignify, honor, praise, extol.

Examples:

1. The bully abasedhis victim by mocking her in front of the entire school.
2. The politician’s scandalous behavior abasedhis reputation and credibility.
3. The teacher’s unfair grading system is abasingthe students’ self-esteem.
4. The online trolls will continue to abaseanyone who disagrees with their views.
5. The con artist manipulated his victims to abasethemselves and hand over their money.

abate (verb):

• Meaning: to reduce, lessen, or diminish in intensity or amount.
• Synonyms: decrease, diminish, reduce, mitigate, alleviate, subside, dwindle.
• Antonyms: increase, intensify, escalate, amplify, augment, heighten, worsen.

Examples:

1. The storm began to abateas the winds calmed down.
2. The medication helped abatethe patient’s pain.
3. The protests started to abateafter the government addressed the concerns.
4. With time, the excitement over the new product launch will abate.
5. The noise from the construction site will abateonce the project is completed.

abdicate (verb):

• Meaning: to renounce or relinquish a position of power or responsibility.
• Synonyms: resign, step down, relinquish, give up, surrender, abjure, cede.
• Antonyms: assume, take up, embrace, retain, hold, occupy, claim.

Examples:

1. The king was forced to abdicatethe throne due to political pressure.
2. The CEO decided to abdicatehis position and retire early.
3. The president chose to abdicatehis role after a vote of no confidence.
4. The dictator refused to abdicatepower despite widespread protests.
5. The queen was the first in centuries to abdicatethe crown voluntarily.

aberrant (adjective):

• Meaning: deviating from the normal or expected course; departing from the usual.
• Synonyms: deviant, anomalous, irregular, unusual, peculiar, strange, odd.
• Antonyms: normal, typical, conventional, standard, regular, expected, ordinary.

Examples:

1. The scientist noticed an aberrantresult in the experiment that required further investigation.
2. The child’s aberrantbehavior raised concerns among the teachers.
3. The driver’s aberrantactions on the road led to a near accident.
4. The company’s aberrantdecision to withdraw from the market surprised its competitors.
5. The animal’s aberrantmigration pattern puzzled researchers.

abeyance (noun):

• Meaning: a state of temporary inactivity or suspension; being temporarily set aside.
• Synonyms: suspension, dormancy, hiatus, interruption, pause, respite, lapse.
• Antonyms: continuation, permanence, persistence, continuity, ongoing, progression, activity.

Examples:

1. The construction project is currently held in abeyancedue to funding issues.
2. The decision was made to keep the plans in abeyanceuntil further notice.
3. The negotiations are in abeyanceuntil both parties can reach a compromise.
4. The legal case has been in abeyanceawaiting a verdict from the court.
5. The project was put into abeyancepending approval from the board of directors.

aberration (noun):

• Meaning: a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected; a deviation.
• Synonyms: deviation, anomaly, irregularity, departure, variation, divergence, exception.
• Antonyms: conformity, normality, regularity, standard, conformity, normalcy, consistency.

Examples:

1. The sudden outburst was an aberrationfrom his usual calm demeanor.
2. The stock market crash was seen as an aberrationin an otherwise stable economy.
3. Her absence from the meeting was considered an aberrationsince she was always punctual.
4. The error in the data was an aberrationand did not reflect the overall trend.
5. The professor’s unconventional teaching methods were considered an aberrationby some students.

abstruse (adjective):

• Meaning: difficult to understand; obscure; esoteric.
• Synonyms: complex, intricate, cryptic, perplexing, arcane, enigmatic, inscrutable.
• Antonyms: simple, straightforward, clear, comprehensible, evident, obvious, transparent.

Examples:

1. The philosopher’s writings were known for their abstruseconcepts and intricate arguments.
2. The subject matter of quantum physics is often considered abstrusefor many students.
3. The professor’s lecture on astrophysics was filled with abstruseequations and theories.
4. The book delves into abstrusephilosophical questions that challenge conventional wisdom.
5. The artist’s abstract paintings were often criticized for being abstruseand inaccessible.

accolade (noun):

• Meaning: an award, honor, or recognition for achievement; praise.
• Synonyms: award, honor, tribute, commendation, recognition, applause, plaudit.
• Antonyms: criticism, censure, rebuke, condemnation, reproach, disapproval, denunciation.

Examples:

1. The actor received numerous accoladesfor his outstanding performance in the film.
2. The singer was honored with an accoladefor her contribution to the music industry.
3. The team’s victory in the championship earned them accoladesfrom their fans.
4. The writer’s novel received critical acclaim and garnered several accolades.
5. The scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize, the highest accoladein his field.

acrimony (noun):

• Meaning: bitterness or harshness in speech, behavior, or attitude.
• Synonyms: animosity, hostility, resentment, rancor, bitterness, spite, discord.
• Antonyms: harmony, goodwill, friendliness, kindness, cordiality, amiability, concord.

Examples:

1. The divorce proceedings were filled with acrimony, with each party making bitter accusations.
2. The political debate was marked by acrimonyand personal attacks between the candidates.
3. The siblings’ relationship was strained, and there was a lot of acrimonybetween them.
4. The business partners’ disagreement led to an atmosphere of acrimonyin the workplace.
5. The contentious negotiations between the two countries were characterized by acrimony.

adamant (adjective):

• Meaning: refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind; unyielding.
• Synonyms: inflexible, resolute, uncompromising, determined, steadfast, unwavering, immovable.
• Antonyms: flexible, yielding, open-minded, adaptable, compromising, pliable, malleable.

Examples:

1. Despite the opposition, she remained adamantabout her decision to pursue her dream.
2. The professor was adamantthat the students meet the deadline for their research papers.
3. He was adamantin his refusal to accept any compromises in the negotiation.
4. The parent was adamantabout enforcing strict rules for their child’s safety.
5. The employee was adamantin demanding fair treatment and equal opportunities.

admonitory, amenable, amorphous, anomalous, anomaly, antipathy, apocryphal, appease, arbitrary, artful

admonitory (adjective):

• Meaning: conveying a warning or reprimand; cautionary.
• Synonyms: cautionary, admonishing, reproving, rebuking, reprimanding, warning, scolding.
• Antonyms: approving, encouraging, praising, commendatory, laudatory, supportive, affirming.

Examples:

1. The teacher gave an admonitoryspeech to the students about the consequences of cheating.
2. His parents gave him an admonitorylook after he broke the vase.
3. The manager’s email contained an admonitorytone, reminding employees of the company policies.
4. The coach delivered an admonitorytalk to the team after their poor performance.
5. The police officer issued an admonitorywarning to the driver for speeding.

amenable (adjective):

• Meaning: responsive to suggestion, open to influence or control; cooperative.
• Synonyms: compliant, receptive, cooperative, willing, accommodating, agreeable, tractable.
• Antonyms: stubborn, resistant, uncooperative, unyielding, inflexible, defiant, obstinate.

Examples:

1. She was amenableto trying new ideas and approaches in her work.
2. The team members were amenableto the changes proposed by their leader.
3. The student was amenableto receiving feedback and improving his performance.
4. The manager found her staff to be highly amenableto the new policies.
5. He was amenableto negotiation and compromise in settling the dispute.

amorphous (adjective):

• Meaning: without a clearly defined shape or form; lacking a specific structure.
• Synonyms: shapeless, formless, unstructured, vague, indefinite, indeterminate, nebulous.
• Antonyms: structured, defined, organized, distinct, definite, clear, precise.

Examples:

1. The cloud formation was amorphous, constantly changing and shifting.
2. The artist’s abstract painting had an amorphouscomposition with no discernible figures.
3. The concept of time is amorphousand difficult to grasp.
4. The organization’s goals were amorphous, lacking a clear direction.
5. The writer’s thoughts were amorphous, struggling to find a coherent structure.

anomalous (adjective):

• Meaning: deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected; atypical.
• Synonyms: unusual, abnormal, irregular, aberrant, peculiar, odd, exceptional.
• Antonyms: typical, normal, regular, standard, common, conventional, predictable.

Examples:

1. The sudden temperature drop in summer was anomalousfor that region.
2. The behavior of the animal was anomalousand contrary to its usual patterns.
3. The financial report showed anomaloustrends that required further investigation.
4. The test results were anomalous, not fitting the established patterns.
5. His actions were anomalousand unexpected, surprising everyone around him.

anomaly (noun):

• Meaning: something that deviates from what is expected or normal; an abnormality.
• Synonyms: deviation, irregularity, aberration, oddity, peculiarity, exception, quirk.
• Antonyms: conformity, regularity, normality, standard, norm, typicality, predictability.

Examples:

1. The sudden disappearance of the ship remains an unsolved anomalyin maritime history.
2. The scientific experiment yielded unexpected results, indicating the presence of an anomaly.
3. The unusually high number of errors in the data raised suspicions of an anomalyin the system.
4. The discovery of a new species in that area was considered a remarkable anomaly.
5. The behavior of the child was seen as an anomalycompared to other children of the same age.

antipathy (noun):

• Meaning: a deep-seated feeling of dislike or aversion; strong hostility.
• Synonyms: animosity, aversion, hostility, hatred, loathing, disgust, enmity.
• Antonyms: affinity, fondness, attraction, liking, sympathy, harmony, rapport.

Examples:

1. There was a deep antipathybetween the two rival gangs, leading to frequent conflicts.
2. The politician’s controversial remarks stirred up antipathyamong certain groups.
3. The two co-workers harbored a mutual antipathy, often clashing in their opinions.
4. The novel depicted the protagonist’s antipathytowards the corrupt government.
5. The team’s failure to meet the deadline resulted in antipathyfrom their clients.

apocryphal (adjective):

• Meaning: of doubtful authenticity; fictitious or false.
• Synonyms: spurious, mythical, fabricated, legendary, untrue, false, dubious.
• Antonyms: authentic, genuine, true, factual, verified, reliable, credible.

Examples:

1. The story of the ghost haunting the old mansion was dismissed as apocryphal.
2. The book claimed to reveal the apocryphalsecrets of the ancient civilization.
3. The rumor about the celebrity’s secret marriage turned out to be apocryphal.
4. The historical account included several apocryphalevents and embellishments.
5. The legend of the lost treasure was considered apocryphalby most historians.

appease (verb):

• Meaning: pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands; to calm or relieve.
• Synonyms: placate, mollify, soothe, pacify, conciliate, satisfy, assuage.
• Antonyms: provoke, agitate, incite, irritate, enrage, inflame, antagonize.

Examples:

1. The manager offered a raise to appeasethe dissatisfied employees.
2. The parents gave in to their child’s demands to appeasethe tantrum.
3. The government implemented reforms to appeasethe protestors’ grievances.
4. She bought flowers as a peace offering to appeaseher upset friend.
5. The speaker’s apology was an attempt to appeasethe offended audience.

arbitrary (adjective):

• Meaning: based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.
• Synonyms: capricious, random, discretionary, subjective, whimsical, unpredictable, impulsive.
• Antonyms: systematic, reasoned, rational, objective, logical, deliberate, planned.

Examples:

1. The teacher’s grading system seemed arbitrary, lacking clear criteria.
2. The dictator made arbitrarydecisions without considering the consequences.
3. The company’s dress code was deemed arbitraryand unnecessary by the employees.
4. The judge’s ruling appeared arbitraryand inconsistent with previous cases.
5. The selection process for the scholarship seemed arbitrary, leaving many qualified applicants disappointed.

artful (adjective):

• Meaning: skillful or clever in a crafty or cunning way.
• Synonyms: cunning, crafty, sly, wily, shrewd, devious, manipulative.
• Antonyms: honest, straightforward, sincere, genuine, naive, ingenuous, guileless.

Examples:

1. The lawyer’s artfulquestioning of the witness exposed inconsistencies in their testimony.
2. The politician used artfulrhetoric to manipulate public opinion.
3. The con artist employed artfultactics to deceive unsuspecting victims.
4. The painter’s use of colors was artful, creating a sense of depth and emotion.
5. The negotiator’s artfulpersuasion techniques helped secure a favorable deal.