Quick Revision Glossary — 200 Must-Know Words
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How to Use This Glossary
This chapter is the single most reusable reference in the book. It gathers 200 of the highest-yield words that repeatedly appear across SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, RRB NTPC, Group D and banking clerk/PO English sections — drawn in combination from synonym lists, antonym lists, and one-word substitution sets, since real papers mix all three freely within a single vocabulary section. Words are arranged alphabetically for fast lookup during last-week revision. Each entry gives a precise meaning and a short usage note that tells you how the word is normally tested — as a synonym match, an antonym match, a one-word substitution, or simply a word worth knowing because it shows up constantly in Reading Comprehension passages. Treat this chapter as your final revision sweep two or three days before the exam: read the whole table start to finish in one sitting, marking any word whose meaning does not come back to you instantly, and revisit only those flagged words the night before the paper.
| Word | Meaning | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Abate | To reduce in intensity or amount | Synonym of "subside," "diminish"; antonym of "intensify." |
| Abdicate | To formally give up a position of power or responsibility | Common in RC passages about monarchs and resignations; also a standalone vocabulary word. |
| Abhor | To detest thoroughly; regard with disgust | Synonym of "loathe," "despise"; antonym of "adore." |
| Abject | Extremely bad, degrading, or hopeless | Frequently paired with "poverty" — "abject poverty" is a standard collocation. |
| Abolition | The act of formally ending a system, practice or institution | Common in history-linked RC passages; noun form of "abolish." |
| Abrogate | To repeal or do away with a law formally | Frequent in current-affairs passages about constitutional articles. |
| Abstemious | Sparing or moderate in eating and drinking | Antonym of "gluttonous"; tests precise vocabulary depth. |
| Abundant | Existing in large quantities; plentiful | Synonym of "ample," "copious"; antonym of "scarce." |
| Acclaim | Enthusiastic public praise | Synonym of "applaud," "commend"; often used as both noun and verb. |
| Accomplice | A person who helps another commit a crime | Frequent one-word substitution answer for "a partner in wrongdoing." |
| Acumen | Keen insight or sharp judgment, especially in business | Common in "business acumen," "political acumen" collocations. |
| Adamant | Refusing to change one's mind; firmly resolute | Synonym of "obstinate," "unyielding"; antonym of "flexible." |
| Adept | Very skilled or proficient at something | Synonym of "proficient," "skilled"; antonym of "inept." |
| Admonish | To warn or reprimand firmly | Synonym of "reprove," "chide"; antonym of "praise." |
| Adroit | Clever and skilful, especially with the hands or in speech | Synonym of "deft," "dexterous"; antonym of "clumsy." |
| Adulterate | To make impure by adding an inferior substance | Common in food-safety RC passages; frequent standalone vocabulary word. |
| Adversary | An opponent or enemy | Synonym of "rival," "opponent"; antonym of "ally." |
| Aesthetic | Concerned with beauty or artistic taste | Frequent in art and design-related passages; watch spelling. |
| Affable | Friendly, good-natured, easy to talk to | Synonym of "amiable," "cordial"; antonym of "surly." |
| Affluent | Having a great deal of money; wealthy | Synonym of "prosperous," "opulent"; antonym of "destitute." |
| Aggregate | A total formed by combining several elements | Common in banking numerical-cum-vocabulary contexts; also means "total." |
| Alacrity | Brisk, cheerful readiness or eagerness | Often tested as "with alacrity" meaning promptly and willingly. |
| Allege | To claim something without proof | Common in news-style cloze passages: "alleged corruption." |
| Altercation | A noisy, heated argument or dispute | Synonym of "quarrel," "wrangle"; frequent RC passage word. |
| Amass | To gather together a large quantity, especially wealth | Synonym of "accumulate"; common in business/finance passages. |
| Ambivalent | Having mixed or contradictory feelings about something | Distinct from "ambiguous" (unclear meaning) — a frequent confusable pair. |
| Amiable | Friendly and pleasant in nature | Synonym of "affable," "genial"; antonym of "hostile." |
| Amnesty | An official pardon for people convicted of offences | One-word substitution: "a general pardon granted by a government." |
| Anarchy | A state of disorder due to absence of authority | One-word substitution: "absence of government and law." |
| Anecdote | A short, amusing or interesting story about a real event | Frequent in RC passage openings; distinguish from "antidote." |
| Animosity | Strong hostility or hatred | Synonym of "hostility," "enmity"; antonym of "goodwill." |
| Annihilate | To destroy completely | Synonym of "obliterate," "eradicate"; strong-intensity word, often overused as a distractor. |
| Anomaly | Something that deviates from what is standard or expected | Common in data/report-based RC passages. |
| Antipathy | A deep-seated feeling of dislike | Antonym of "affinity"; synonym of "aversion." |
| Apathy | Lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern | Antonym of "zeal," "enthusiasm"; frequent in civic/voting-related passages. |
| Appease | To pacify or placate someone by giving in to their demands | Common in diplomatic and political RC passages. |
| Arbitrary | Based on random choice rather than reason or system | Frequent in governance passages: "arbitrary decision-making." |
| Arbitrate | To settle a dispute between parties as an impartial judge | Root of "arbitrator," a frequent one-word substitution answer. |
| Ardent | Enthusiastic or passionate | Synonym of "fervent," "zealous"; antonym of "apathetic." |
| Arduous | Involving great effort; difficult and tiring | Synonym of "strenuous," "laborious"; antonym of "effortless." |
| Articulate | Able to express oneself clearly and fluently | Also a verb meaning "to express clearly"; frequent in both forms. |
| Ascetic | A person who practises strict self-denial for spiritual reasons | One-word substitution answer for "one who leads a simple, austere life." |
| Assiduous | Showing great care and perseverance in work | Synonym of "diligent," "industrious"; antonym of "lazy." |
| Astute | Having sharp judgment; shrewd | Synonym of "shrewd," "perceptive"; antonym of "naive." |
| Audacious | Showing a willingness to take bold risks | Synonym of "daring"; antonym of "timid." |
| Augment | To make something greater by adding to it | Synonym of "increase," "enhance"; antonym of "diminish." |
| Austerity | Sternness or severity; also, strict economic restraint | Common in economic RC passages: "austerity measures." |
| Authentic | Genuine; of undisputed origin | Synonym of "genuine," "bona fide"; antonym of "fake." |
| Autonomy | The right to self-govern; independence | Common in governance passages: "regional autonomy." |
| Aversion | A strong dislike or unwillingness | Synonym of "antipathy," "repugnance"; antonym of "fondness." |
| Belligerent | Hostile and aggressive; ready to fight | Synonym of "combative"; antonym of "peaceable." |
| Benevolent | Kind and generous in nature | Synonym of "charitable"; antonym of "malevolent." |
| Benign | Gentle and kindly; also, not harmful (medically) | Antonym of "malignant"; watch dual usage in RC passages. |
| Bereaved | Deprived of a close relative through death | Frequent in obituary-style Reading Comprehension. |
| Bigot | A person intolerant of opinions different from their own | One-word substitution answer; also frequent standalone word. |
| Blatant | Completely obvious, in an unpleasant or offensive way | Synonym of "flagrant," "glaring"; antonym of "subtle." |
| Bolster | To support or strengthen | Synonym of "reinforce"; antonym of "undermine." |
| Boycott | To refuse to deal with a person, organisation or product as a protest | Both noun and verb; frequent in current-affairs passages. |
| Buoyant | Cheerful and optimistic; also, able to float | Antonym of "despondent"; watch dual usage. |
| Callous | Insensitive and cruel; showing no care for others' feelings | Synonym of "unfeeling," "heartless"; antonym of "compassionate." |
| Candid | Truthful and straightforward; frank | Synonym of "forthright"; antonym of "evasive." |
| Capricious | Given to sudden, unpredictable changes in mood or behaviour | Synonym of "fickle," "whimsical"; antonym of "steadfast." |
| Catastrophe | A sudden, large-scale disaster | Synonym of "calamity"; frequent in news-based RC passages. |
| Censure | Strong formal disapproval or criticism | Synonym of "reprimand"; antonym of "commend." Distinguish from "censor." |
| Chronic | Persisting for a long time; long-lasting (often of illness or problems) | Antonym of "acute" (in medical contexts) or "temporary." |
| Coherent | Logical and consistent; easy to follow | Synonym of "logical"; antonym of "incoherent," "disjointed." |
| Coincide | To occur at the same time; to correspond | Common in event-scheduling RC passages; noun form "coincidence." |
| Complacent | Excessively self-satisfied; unaware of danger | Frequent trap word confused with "complaisant" (eager to please). |
| Compliant | Willing to follow rules or requests | Antonym of "defiant"; common in regulatory RC passages. |
| Comprehensive | Complete and including everything necessary | Synonym of "exhaustive," "thorough"; antonym of "partial." |
| Conciliate | To bring peace to a dispute; to placate | Root of "conciliatory"; common in negotiation passages. |
| Concur | To agree; to have the same opinion | Antonym of "dissent"; frequent in formal report-style passages. |
| Condone | To accept or overlook wrongdoing without objection | Antonym of "condemn"; frequent confusion pair. |
| Conducive | Making a certain outcome likely; favourable | Common collocation: "conducive to growth/learning." |
| Congenial | Pleasant, friendly, agreeable in atmosphere or company | Synonym of "amiable"; antonym of "unpleasant." |
| Connoisseur | An expert judge in matters of taste, especially art or food | One-word substitution answer for "an expert in fine arts, food or wine." |
| Consensus | General agreement among a group | Frequent in policy and cloze passages: "reach a consensus." |
| Constrain | To severely restrict the scope or freedom of something | Synonym of "restrict"; noun form "constraint." |
| Contemplate | To think about something deeply and at length | Synonym of "ponder," "deliberate." |
| Contentious | Likely to cause disagreement or argument | Synonym of "controversial"; frequent in debate-style RC passages. |
| Contrite | Feeling genuine remorse for wrongdoing | Synonym of "repentant"; antonym of "unrepentant." |
| Conundrum | A confusing and difficult problem or puzzle | Common in RC passage headers about dilemmas. |
| Corroborate | To confirm or give supporting evidence for a statement | Synonym of "substantiate"; antonym of "contradict." |
| Credible | Believable; capable of being trusted | Synonym of "plausible"; antonym of "dubious." Distinguish from "creditable." |
| Culpable | Deserving blame for a wrongful act | Synonym of "blameworthy"; antonym of "innocent." |
| Cursory | Hasty and without attention to detail | Synonym of "perfunctory"; antonym of "thorough." |
| Deceptive | Giving an appearance or impression different from the true one | Synonym of "misleading"; antonym of "honest." |
| Deference | Humble respect and submission to another's wishes | Common collocation: "in deference to." |
| Deficient | Lacking in some necessary quality or element | Antonym of "adequate," "sufficient." |
| Deleterious | Causing harm or damage | Synonym of "harmful," "detrimental"; frequent scientific-passage word. |
| Deplete | To use up the supply or resources of something | Common in environment-related passages: "deplete natural resources." |
| Deprivation | The state of lacking basic necessities | Frequent in social-issues RC passages. |
| Despondent | In low spirits from loss of hope or courage | Synonym of "dejected"; antonym of "buoyant." |
| Deter | To discourage someone from doing something through fear of consequences | Noun form "deterrent"; common in crime/policy passages. |
| Diligent | Showing careful, persistent effort in work | Synonym of "assiduous"; antonym of "negligent." |
| Discern | To perceive or recognise something clearly | Adjective form "discerning" — one with good judgment. |
| Disdain | A feeling of contempt for someone considered unworthy | Synonym of "scorn"; antonym of "admiration." |
| Disparage | To speak of someone or something in a belittling way | Synonym of "belittle," "denigrate"; antonym of "praise." |
| Disparity | A great difference or inequality | Common in economic RC passages: "income disparity." |
| Dissent | Disagreement with an official or majority opinion | Antonym of "consensus"; frequent in governance passages. |
| Dissuade | To persuade someone not to do something | Antonym of "persuade"; frequent confusable pair. |
| Divulge | To reveal private or secret information | Synonym of "disclose"; antonym of "conceal." |
| Docile | Ready to accept control or instruction; submissive | Synonym of "compliant," "tractable"; antonym of "rebellious." |
| Dogmatic | Inclined to lay down principles as undeniably true | Frequent in opinion-based RC passages describing rigid thinkers. |
| Dubious | Doubtful; of questionable value or truth | Synonym of "questionable"; antonym of "certain." |
| Eccentric | Unconventional and slightly strange in behaviour | Frequent in character-description RC passages. |
| Egregious | Outstandingly bad; shocking | Synonym of "flagrant"; strong-intensity word, common distractor. |
| Elated | Extremely happy and excited | Synonym of "jubilant"; antonym of "dejected." |
| Elicit | To draw out a response or reaction | Confusable with "illicit" (unlawful) — frequent exam trap. |
| Eloquent | Fluent and persuasive in speaking or writing | Synonym of "articulate"; antonym of "inarticulate." |
| Emaciated | Abnormally thin, especially from illness or hunger | Frequent in famine/health-related RC passages. |
| Embezzle | To steal money placed in one's trust | Common in financial-crime RC passages. |
| Eminent | Famous and respected within a particular field | Confusable with "imminent" (about to happen) — frequent trap. |
| Empathy | The ability to understand and share the feelings of another | Distinguish from "sympathy" (feeling pity for another). |
| Encroach | To intrude gradually on someone's territory or rights | Common in land-dispute and rights-based RC passages. |
| Endorse | To publicly approve of or support something | Synonym of "sanction," "back"; antonym of "denounce." |
| Enervate | To drain someone of energy or vitality | Frequently confused with "energise," its near-opposite in sound. |
| Enigmatic | Mysterious and difficult to interpret | Adjective from "enigma"; frequent in character-description passages. |
| Ephemeral | Lasting for a very short time | Synonym of "transient," "fleeting"; antonym of "permanent." |
| Equanimity | Mental calmness, composure, especially in difficult situations | Synonym of "composure"; frequent high-register RC word. |
| Equivocal | Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous | Antonym of "unequivocal," "categorical." |
| Erratic | Not consistent or regular in pattern | Synonym of "unpredictable"; antonym of "consistent." |
| Erudite | Having or showing great knowledge; learned | Synonym of "scholarly"; frequent in academic RC passages. |
| Euphoric | Feeling intense excitement and happiness | Synonym of "elated"; antonym of "despondent." |
| Exacerbate | To make a problem or situation worse | Synonym of "aggravate"; antonym of "alleviate." |
| Exemplary | Serving as a desirable model; outstanding | Common collocation: "exemplary conduct." |
| Exorbitant | Unreasonably high, especially of a price | Synonym of "excessive"; antonym of "reasonable." |
| Extol | To praise enthusiastically | Synonym of "laud"; antonym of "denounce." |
| Fabricate | To invent or construct something false | Common in news-integrity RC passages: "fabricated evidence." |
| Facetious | Treating serious matters with inappropriate humour | Antonym of "earnest"; frequent tone-related trap word. |
| Fallacy | A mistaken belief based on unsound reasoning | Common in argumentative RC passages and logical-reasoning overlap. |
| Feasible | Possible to do easily or conveniently | Synonym of "practicable"; antonym of "impractical." |
| Feign | To pretend to feel or be affected by something | Common collocation: "feign ignorance/illness." |
| Fervent | Having or showing intense feeling; passionate | Synonym of "ardent"; antonym of "indifferent." |
| Fickle | Changing frequently, especially in loyalties or affections | Synonym of "capricious"; antonym of "constant." |
| Flagrant | Conspicuously and shockingly wrong or bad | Synonym of "blatant"; common in rule-violation contexts. |
| Flout | To openly disregard a rule or convention | Confusable with "flaunt" (to show off) — a very frequent exam trap. |
| Fortuitous | Happening by chance, especially a lucky one | Distinct from "fortunate" — tests precision of meaning. |
| Frivolous | Not having any serious purpose or value | Synonym of "trivial"; antonym of "grave," "serious." |
| Frugal | Sparing or economical in the use of resources | Synonym of "thrifty"; antonym of "extravagant." |
| Furtive | Attempting to avoid notice; secretive | Synonym of "surreptitious"; antonym of "open." |
| Garrulous | Excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters | Synonym of "loquacious"; antonym of "taciturn." |
| Genuine | Truly what it is said to be; authentic | Antonym of "fake," "spurious." |
| Gregarious | Fond of company; sociable | Antonym of "reclusive," "solitary." |
| Gullible | Easily deceived or tricked | Synonym of "credulous"; antonym of "sceptical." |
| Hackneyed | Overused and lacking originality | Synonym of "trite," "clichéd"; antonym of "original." |
| Haphazard | Lacking order or organisation; random | Synonym of "random"; antonym of "systematic." |
| Hedonism | The pursuit of pleasure as life's chief goal | Adjective form "hedonistic"; frequent in philosophy-linked RC passages. |
| Hegemony | Dominance of one group or state over others | Common in geopolitics-based RC passages. |
| Heretic | A person holding beliefs contrary to established doctrine | One-word substitution answer for "one who opposes established beliefs." |
| Hierarchy | A system in which members are ranked according to status | Frequent in organisational/administrative RC passages. |
| Hypocrisy | The practice of claiming standards one does not follow oneself | Frequent one-word substitution answer. |
| Hypothetical | Based on a suggested idea rather than known fact | Antonym of "factual"; common in scientific/logical RC passages. |
| Impartial | Treating all sides equally; unbiased | Synonym of "unbiased"; antonym of "partisan." |
| Impede | To delay or obstruct progress | Synonym of "hinder"; antonym of "facilitate." |
| Imperative | Extremely important; urgent | Also a grammatical term for commands; watch for dual usage. |
| Impetuous | Acting quickly without thought; impulsive | Synonym of "rash"; antonym of "cautious." |
| Inadvertent | Not resulting from careful thought; unintentional | Antonym of "deliberate." |
| Incessant | Continuing without pause or interruption | Synonym of "continuous," "ceaseless"; antonym of "intermittent." |
| Incite | To encourage someone to act, especially violently | Common in law-and-order RC passages: "incite violence." |
| Indigenous | Originating naturally in a particular place; native | Antonym of "foreign," "alien." |
| Indignant | Feeling anger at unfair treatment | Synonym of "outraged"; noun form "indignation." |
| Indolent | Habitually lazy | Synonym of "lethargic"; antonym of "industrious." |
| Inevitable | Certain to happen; unavoidable | Antonym of "avoidable." |
| Infamous | Well known for a negative reason | Distinguish from "famous" (neutral/positive) — a frequent nuance trap. |
| Ingenuous | Innocent and unsuspecting; artless | Confusable with "ingenious" (clever) — a classic exam trap. |
| Innate | Inborn; natural rather than acquired | Antonym of "acquired," "learned." |
| Insolent | Showing rude and disrespectful lack of respect | Synonym of "impertinent"; antonym of "respectful." |
| Insurgent | A person fighting against an established government | One-word substitution answer for "a rebel." |
| Intrepid | Fearless; adventurous | Synonym of "audacious," "bold"; antonym of "timid." |
| Intrinsic | Belonging naturally; essential | Antonym of "extrinsic," "external." |
| Inundate | To overwhelm with things or people to be dealt with | Common collocation: "inundated with requests." |
| Irrevocable | Not possible to change or reverse | Synonym of "irreversible"; antonym of "reversible." |
| Jubilant | Feeling or expressing great happiness after a success | Synonym of "elated"; antonym of "despondent." |
| Judicious | Having or showing good judgment; sensible | Antonym of "injudicious," "rash." |
| Laconic | Using very few words; terse | Antonym of "verbose," "loquacious." |
| Lament | To express grief or sorrow, often loudly | Common in obituary and loss-related RC passages. |
| Languish | To lose strength or vitality, especially over time | Common collocation: "languish in prison." |
| Lethargic | Lacking energy; sluggish | Synonym of "indolent"; antonym of "energetic." |
| Litigation | The process of taking legal action | Common in legal/court-related RC passages. |
| Lucid | Easy to understand; clear | Synonym of "clear"; antonym of "obscure," "murky." |
| Magnanimous | Generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival | Antonym of "petty," "vindictive." |
| Malicious | Intending to do harm | Synonym of "spiteful"; antonym of "benevolent." |
| Meagre | Small in amount; scanty | Synonym of "scanty"; antonym of "abundant." |
| Meticulous | Showing great attention to detail; very careful | Synonym of "scrupulous"; antonym of "careless." |
| Mitigate | To make a problem less severe | Synonym of "alleviate"; antonym of "aggravate." |
| Mundane | Lacking interest or excitement; ordinary | Synonym of "banal"; antonym of "extraordinary." |
| Nefarious | Wicked or criminal | Synonym of "villainous"; strong-register RC word. |
| Nostalgia | A sentimental longing for the past | Frequent in memoir-style RC passages. |
| Notorious | Famous for some bad quality or deed | Similar nuance trap as "infamous" — negative connotation only. |
| Novice | A person new to and inexperienced in a field | One-word substitution answer; antonym of "veteran," "expert." |
| Obsolete | No longer produced or used; outdated | Synonym of "outdated"; antonym of "current." |
| Obstinate | Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion | Synonym of "adamant"; antonym of "compliant." |
| Ominous | Giving the impression something bad is about to happen | Synonym of "foreboding"; frequent in narrative RC passages. |
| Opulent | Grand and luxurious; wealthy in display | Synonym of "affluent," "lavish"; antonym of "austere." |
| Ostentatious | Designed to impress; showy | Synonym of "flamboyant"; antonym of "understated." |
| Panacea | A solution supposed to cure all problems | Frequent in argumentative RC passages, often used critically: "no panacea." |
| Paradox | A statement that seems self-contradictory but may be true | Common in RC passage titles and logical-reasoning overlap. |
| Pertinent | Relevant to the matter at hand | Synonym of "relevant"; antonym of "irrelevant." |
| Pervasive | Spreading widely throughout an area or group | Common in social-issue passages: "pervasive inequality." |
| Placate | To make someone less angry; appease | Synonym of "appease," "conciliate." |
| Plausible | Seeming reasonable or probable | Antonym of "implausible," "far-fetched." |
| Precarious | Not securely held or placed; risky | Synonym of "unstable"; antonym of "secure." |
| Precedent | An earlier event used as an example for later cases | Common in legal and policy-related RC passages. |
| Pretentious | Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance than is real | Synonym of "affected"; antonym of "modest." |
| Prevalent | Widespread in a particular area or group at a time | Synonym of "widespread," "common." |
| Prodigious | Remarkably or impressively great in extent or size | Common collocation: "prodigious talent." |
| Prolific | Producing a large quantity of works or results | Common collocation: "prolific writer." |
| Prudent | Acting with care and thought for the future | Synonym of "judicious"; antonym of "reckless." |
| Pungent | Having a sharply strong smell or taste | Also used figuratively of criticism: "pungent remark." |
| Quandary | A state of uncertainty over what to do | Synonym of "dilemma"; frequent RC passage word. |
| Rampant | Widespread in an uncontrollable way | Common collocation: "rampant corruption." |
| Rebuke | To express sharp disapproval; reprimand | Synonym of "reprimand"; antonym of "commend." |
| Redundant | Not needed or useful; superfluous | Synonym of "superfluous"; antonym of "essential." |
| Renounce | To formally give up a title, claim or belief | Common in abdication/resignation RC passages. |
| Resilient | Able to recover quickly from difficulties | Antonym of "fragile," "vulnerable." |
| Reticent | Not revealing one's thoughts readily; reserved | Synonym of "taciturn"; antonym of "forthcoming." |
| Rigorous | Extremely thorough and careful | Common collocation: "rigorous testing/analysis." |
| Scrupulous | Diligent and careful about details and doing things properly | Antonym of "unscrupulous," "careless." |
| Sedentary | Involving much sitting; not physically active | Antonym of "active"; frequent in health-related RC passages. |
| Squander | To waste money or resources carelessly | Synonym of "waste"; antonym of "conserve." |
| Staunch | Loyal and committed in attitude | Common collocation: "staunch supporter." |
| Stringent | Strict and precisely controlled | Common collocation: "stringent regulations." |
| Subside | To become less intense or violent | Synonym of "abate"; antonym of "intensify." |
| Substantiate | To provide evidence to support a claim | Synonym of "corroborate"; antonym of "refute." |
| Superfluous | More than what is needed; unnecessary | Synonym of "redundant"; antonym of "essential." |
| Surreptitious | Kept secret because it would not be approved of | Synonym of "furtive"; antonym of "open." |
| Tenacious | Holding firmly to a course of action; persistent | Synonym of "persistent"; antonym of "irresolute." |
| Tentative | Not certain or fixed; provisional | Antonym of "definite," "conclusive." |
| Transient | Lasting only a short time | Synonym of "ephemeral"; antonym of "permanent." |
| Ubiquitous | Present or found everywhere | Common in technology-related RC passages: "ubiquitous smartphones." |
| Vindicate | To clear someone of blame after being suspected | Common in court-verdict RC passages. |
| Volatile | Liable to change rapidly and unpredictably | Common in market/economy RC passages: "volatile stock prices." |
| Zealous | Having great energy in pursuit of a cause | Synonym of "ardent," "fervent"; antonym of "apathetic." |
How to Turn This List Into Marks
Reading a glossary passively rarely produces exam-day recall; the words that stick are the ones you have actively tested yourself on. A practical three-day plan works well with a list this size: on the first day, read the full table once and mark every word you did not recognise instantly. On the second day, cover the "Meaning" column with a sheet of paper and try to recall each marked word's definition from the word alone, checking yourself against the table. On the third day, cover the "Word" column instead and try to produce the correct word from its meaning and usage note — this direction is closer to how one-word substitution and cloze questions actually present the challenge, since you are usually given a description and asked to supply or recognise the word, not the reverse. Repeating this final drill once more the night before the exam is normally enough to keep the full 200-word set fresh through the following morning's paper.