Chapter 12 — Vocabulary, word families and context
Track: common | Study time: 75–100 minutes | Recall task: write the rule before checking the key.
Pareeksha English foundation notes
Vocabulary: Synonyms, Antonyms and One-Word Substitutes
What to remember
- Learn words in groups by theme, not one by one. A group of five words with the same idea is easier to recall than five random words.
- A synonym is a word with a similar meaning; an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning. Always check the sentence: many words have more than one meaning.
- A one-word substitute replaces a long phrase with one exact word. Learn the phrase and the word as a pair.
1. How vocabulary questions are asked
Exam papers use three common forms.
- Synonym: "Choose the word closest in meaning to the underlined word."
- Antonym: "Choose the word opposite in meaning to the underlined word."
- One-word substitute: "Choose one word for the given phrase."
Method for all three:
- Read the whole sentence first. The sentence gives the mood (good or bad).
- Decide if the word is positive, negative or neutral. Remove options with the wrong mood.
- Try each remaining option in the sentence.
- In antonym questions, do not pick a synonym by mistake. Read the question line twice.
Word parts help. A prefix is a group of letters added at the start. A suffix is added at the end.
Part | Meaning | Example
un-, in-, im-, dis- | not | unkind, incorrect, impossible, dislike
mal- | bad | malnutrition, malfunction
bene- | good | benefit, benevolent
anti- | against | antibiotic, antisocial
pre- | before | prehistoric, preview
post- | after | postpone, postwar
-less | without | careless, fearless
-ful | full of | helpful, careful
2. Synonyms and antonyms by theme
Theme: good qualities and praise
Word | Synonym | Antonym
Benevolent | kind, generous | cruel, malevolent
Diligent | hardworking | lazy, idle
Candid | frank, honest | secretive, deceitful
Humble | modest | proud, arrogant
Valiant | brave | cowardly
Prudent | wise, careful | reckless, foolish
Theme: bad qualities and blame
Word | Synonym | Antonym
Arrogant | proud, haughty | humble, modest
Obstinate | stubborn | flexible, yielding
Frugal | thrifty | wasteful, extravagant
Hostile | unfriendly | friendly, kind
Lethargic | sluggish, lazy | energetic, active
Deceive | cheat, mislead | guide, tell the truth
Theme: size, amount and strength
Word | Synonym | Antonym
Abundant | plentiful | scarce, rare
Meagre | small, poor in amount | ample, plentiful
Enormous | huge | tiny
Feeble | weak | strong, robust
Robust | strong, healthy | weak, frail
Scant | very little | abundant
Theme: speed, time and change
Word | Synonym | Antonym
Swift | fast | slow
Delay | postpone | hasten
Temporary | short-lived | permanent
Ancient | very old | modern
Abrupt | sudden | gradual
Vanish | disappear | appear
Theme: feelings
Word | Synonym | Antonym
Elated | very happy | depressed, sad
Gloomy | sad, dark | cheerful
Furious | very angry | calm
Anxious | worried | calm, relaxed
Eager | keen | unwilling
Content | satisfied | dissatisfied
Theme: help, harm and conflict
Word | Synonym | Antonym
Assist | help | hinder
Hinder | block, obstruct | help, aid
Abolish | end, cancel | establish
Conceal | hide | reveal
Expand | grow, enlarge | shrink
Condemn | blame strongly | praise
Approve | agree to | reject
Reluctant | unwilling | willing
3. One-word substitutes
Learn the phrase and the word together. Many are made from Greek or Latin roots.
Phrase | One word
A person who does not believe in God | Atheist
A person who believes in God | Theist
A person who knows everything | Omniscient
One who is present everywhere | Omnipresent
One who has all power | Omnipotent
A government by the people | Democracy
A government by one ruler with total power | Autocracy
Rule by a small group | Oligarchy
A person who walks on foot | Pedestrian
A speech made without preparation | Extempore
A place where birds are kept | Aviary
A place where animals are kept for show | Zoo / Menagerie
A person who loves books | Bibliophile
One who hates people | Misanthrope
One who hates women | Misogynist
A medical doctor of children | Paediatrician
A person who studies old remains and objects | Archaeologist
A person who cannot be corrected | Incorrigible
Something that cannot be avoided | Inevitable
Something that cannot be read clearly | Illegible
Something that cannot be heard | Inaudible
Something that cannot be seen | Invisible
Something that can be eaten | Edible
A person who is new to a task | Novice
A person who looks at the bright side | Optimist
A person who looks at the dark side | Pessimist
Killing of a king | Regicide
Killing of a brother | Fratricide
Killing of oneself | Suicide
Fear of open spaces | Agoraphobia
Fear of closed places | Claustrophobia
Fear of water | Hydrophobia
A person who speaks two languages | Bilingual
Sleep-walking person | Somnambulist
Study of birds | Ornithology
Study of the mind | Psychology
Study of living things | Biology
4. Words that look alike (often confused)
Word 1 | Word 2
Affect (to influence) | Effect (a result)
Accept (to receive) | Except (leaving out)
Principal (head; main) | Principle (a rule)
Stationary (not moving) | Stationery (paper, pens)
Complement (to complete) | Compliment (praise)
Council (a body) | Counsel (advice)
Eminent (famous) | Imminent (about to happen)
Adapt (to adjust) | Adopt (to take as one's own)
5. Words in sentences
Seeing a word in a sentence fixes its meaning in your mind. Read each example and say the meaning aloud.
- The diligent student revised every day, so she passed easily. (hardworking)
- The village had an abundant harvest this year. (plentiful)
- He gave a candid answer and did not hide the truth. (frank)
- The workers were reluctant to leave their homes. (unwilling)
- The old man lived a frugal life and saved every rupee. (thrifty)
- A sudden, abrupt turn in the road surprised the driver. (unexpected)
- The teacher commended the class for good work. (praised)
- Heavy rain hindered the rescue work. (blocked)
- The minister tried to conceal the mistake, but it came out. (hide)
- Her meagre salary was not enough for the month. (very small)
Tips for fast learning:
- Learn five words a day, with one synonym and one antonym each.
- Write your own sentence for every new word.
- Revise old words every week; most forgetting happens in the first week.
- Read an English newspaper editorial each day and note two new words.
- Group words by root: "bene" (good), "mal" (bad), "phobia" (fear), "cide" (killing), "phile" (lover of).
Exam traps
- Synonym vs antonym: read the question line; students often pick the wrong type.
- Frugal is not stingy-bad only: it means careful with money. Its antonym is extravagant, not "poor".
- Eminent and imminent look alike but mean "famous" and "about to happen".
- Atheist and theist are opposites. Atheist = no belief in God.
- Optimist and pessimist: the optimist sees the bright side.
- Democracy, autocracy and oligarchy: the number of rulers is the key: all, one, few.
- Hinder is a synonym of obstruct; its antonym is help or aid.
- Omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent: knows all, is everywhere, has all power.
One-liners
- Benevolent means kind; malevolent means wishing harm.
- Diligent means hardworking; its antonym is lazy.
- Candid means frank and open.
- Abundant means plentiful; scarce is the opposite.
- Feeble means weak; robust means strong.
- Conceal means hide; reveal is the opposite.
- Abolish means to end something officially.
- A bibliophile loves books.
- Fratricide is the killing of a brother.
- Claustrophobia is fear of closed places.
- An extempore speech is made without preparation.
- Inevitable means impossible to avoid.
Worked reasoning and learner clinic
Vocabulary questions test relationships, not just memorised definitions. Learn a new word with its part of speech, a plain meaning, one natural collocation and a sentence of your own. A verb such as “mitigate” is often followed by a problem or impact; an adjective such as “impartial” describes a person, process or decision.
Word families. Prefixes and suffixes can guide but not guarantee meaning: un-, dis- and mis- often change polarity; -ness makes a noun; -ful and -less make adjectives. Check spelling and part of speech. “Reliable” and “reliability” are related but do different jobs in a sentence.
Synonym is contextual. “Fine” can mean acceptable, delicate, a penalty or clear weather. Choose the substitute that fits the sentence’s grammar and context. A near-synonym may be too strong or too weak. In comprehension, the passage’s usage overrides a memorised first definition.
Antonyms and one-word substitutes. The opposite should match the same dimension. “Increase” contrasts with decrease, not with “small”. One-word substitutions often depend on a specific definition, so retain the defining condition rather than matching a vague association.
Telugu-medium transfer check
Use the sentence context to identify the required part of speech, then test the word’s meaning. Prefixes and suffixes can suggest a word family, but they do not replace checking usage and tone.
Retrieval practice
For five target words, create a noun/verb/adjective form where one exists, then use each in a sentence. Check whether the sentence requires a positive, negative or neutral meaning.
Error-log prompt
Write the context clue and the part of speech. Add one original sentence that distinguishes the correct word from its nearest synonym.
Study plate 12. Recall the sequence before you begin the question set.
Chapter 12 practice questions
001. Choose the closest meaning of “candid”.
A. careless
B. secretive
C. honest and direct
D. uncertain
Key: C | Explanation: “candid” means honest and direct. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
002. Choose the closest meaning of “frugal”.
A. generous without limit
B. wealthy
C. careful in spending
D. wasteful
Key: C | Explanation: “frugal” means careful in spending. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
003. Choose the closest meaning of “diligent”.
A. lazy
B. brief
C. hard-working and careful
D. uncertain
Key: C | Explanation: “diligent” means hard-working and careful. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
004. Choose the closest meaning of “reluctant”.
A. certain
B. unwilling or hesitant
C. eager
D. careless
Key: B | Explanation: “reluctant” means unwilling or hesitant. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
005. Choose the closest meaning of “abundant”.
A. scarce
B. plentiful
C. fragile
D. narrow
Key: B | Explanation: “abundant” means plentiful. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
006. Choose the closest meaning of “obsolete”.
A. portable
B. brand-new
C. no longer in use
D. valuable
Key: C | Explanation: “obsolete” means no longer in use. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
007. Choose the closest meaning of “concise”.
A. lengthy
B. confusing
C. unrelated
D. brief but clear
Key: D | Explanation: “concise” means brief but clear. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
008. Choose the closest meaning of “mitigate”.
A. increase
B. ignore
C. measure
D. make less severe
Key: D | Explanation: “mitigate” means make less severe. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
009. Choose the closest meaning of “verify”.
A. conceal
B. postpone
C. invent
D. check that something is true
Key: D | Explanation: “verify” means check that something is true. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
010. Choose the closest meaning of “impartial”.
A. fair and unbiased
B. partial to one side
C. angry
D. unclear
Key: A | Explanation: “impartial” means fair and unbiased. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
011. Choose the closest meaning of “resilient”.
A. able to recover
B. unaware
C. temporary
D. easily broken
Key: A | Explanation: “resilient” means able to recover. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
012. Choose the closest meaning of “ambiguous”.
A. polite
B. accurate
C. having more than one possible meaning
D. obvious
Key: C | Explanation: “ambiguous” means having more than one possible meaning. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
013. Choose the closest meaning of “commence”.
A. divide
B. finish
C. begin
D. repeat
Key: C | Explanation: “commence” means begin. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
014. Choose the closest meaning of “adequate”.
A. harmful
B. excessive
C. uncertain
D. sufficient
Key: D | Explanation: “adequate” means sufficient. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
015. Choose the closest meaning of “adjacent”.
A. opposite
B. hidden
C. distant
D. next to
Key: D | Explanation: “adjacent” means next to. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
016. Choose the closest meaning of “commend”.
A. delay
B. praise
C. divide
D. criticise
Key: B | Explanation: “commend” means praise. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
017. Choose the closest meaning of “scarce”.
A. limited in supply
B. plentiful
C. common
D. exact
Key: A | Explanation: “scarce” means limited in supply. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
018. Choose the closest meaning of “expand”.
A. remove
B. reduce
C. freeze
D. make larger
Key: D | Explanation: “expand” means make larger. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
019. Choose the closest meaning of “relief”.
A. burden
B. ease from difficulty
C. confusion
D. danger
Key: B | Explanation: “relief” means ease from difficulty. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
020. Choose the closest meaning of “transparent”.
A. easy to see through or understand
B. secret
C. temporary
D. heavy
Key: A | Explanation: “transparent” means easy to see through or understand. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
021. Choose the closest meaning of “vital”.
A. distant
B. ordinary
C. optional
D. essential
Key: D | Explanation: “vital” means essential. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
022. Choose the closest meaning of “hostile”.
A. helpful
B. unfriendly
C. neutral
D. careful
Key: B | Explanation: “hostile” means unfriendly. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
023. Choose the closest meaning of “prompt”.
A. uncertain
B. quick or on time
C. late
D. silent
Key: B | Explanation: “prompt” means quick or on time. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
024. Choose the closest meaning of “cease”.
A. explain
B. begin
C. stop
D. continue
Key: C | Explanation: “cease” means stop. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
025. Choose the closest meaning of “preserve”.
A. replace
B. damage
C. protect and maintain
D. discard
Key: C | Explanation: “preserve” means protect and maintain. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
026. Choose the closest meaning of “genuine”.
A. temporary
B. false
C. common
D. real and authentic
Key: D | Explanation: “genuine” means real and authentic. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
027. Choose the closest meaning of “cautious”.
A. careful to avoid risk
B. reckless
C. eager
D. noisy
Key: A | Explanation: “cautious” means careful to avoid risk. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
028. Choose the closest meaning of “brief”.
A. distant
B. unclear
C. detailed
D. short in duration or length
Key: D | Explanation: “brief” means short in duration or length. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
029. Choose the closest meaning of “accurate”.
A. biased
B. approximate
C. correct and exact
D. careless
Key: C | Explanation: “accurate” means correct and exact. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.
030. Choose the closest meaning of “beneficial”.
A. harmful
B. uncertain
C. helpful
D. expensive
Key: C | Explanation: “beneficial” means helpful. Check that the selected option fits the part of speech and the context; the other choices change or reverse the meaning.