Ultimate 250 Vocabulary Master List for Competitive Exams

Preparing for competitive exams requires a strategic approach to building your vocabulary. At CSCE TUTORIAL, we have curated this definitive 250-word master list specifically for students aiming to master high-frequency vocabulary. Whether you are tackling reading comprehension, sentence completion, or synonym/antonym sections, these words are essential for achieving a high score. Each entry includes the word, its precise meaning, commonly used synonyms, and clear antonyms, providing you with a complete study resource to boost your verbal reasoning skills.

Synonyms and Antonyms

 

Word	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms
Abate	To lessen/reduce	Diminish, Decrease	Aggravate, Intensify
Abbreviate	To shorten	Condense, Abridge	Expand, Lengthen
Abduct	To kidnap	Kidnap, Seize	Release, Deliver
Abhor	To hate intensely	Detest, Loathe	Love, Admire
Abject	Extremely miserable	Wretched, Hopeless	Noble, Proud
Abjure	To give up/renounce	Forsake, Relinquish	Claim, Assert
Abode	A dwelling place	Home, Residence	–
Abolish	To end officially	Annul, Abrogate	Establish, Create
Abominate	To hate or loathe	Detest, Abhor	Love, Cherish
Abridge	To shorten text	Condense, Shorten	Expand, Lengthen
Abrupt	Sudden and unexpected	Sudden, Blunt	Gradual, Polite
Abscond	To leave secretly	Flee, Escape	Appear, Stay
Absolve	To clear of guilt	Exonerate, Pardon	Condemn, Convict
Abstain	To refrain from	Desist, Avoid	Indulge, Consume
Abstruse	Hard to understand	Obscure, Complex	Simple, Lucid
Abundant	Existing in plenty	Plentiful, Ample	Scarce, Limited
Accede	To agree to	Consent, Comply	Deny, Refuse
Acclimatize	To adjust to climate	Adapt, Adjust	–
Acme	The highest point	Zenith, Peak	Nadir, Bottom
Acumen	Keen insight	Brilliance, Shrewdness	Stupidity, Ignorance
Adamant	Stubborn/Inflexible	Firm, Unyielding	Flexible, Soft
Adherent	A follower/supporter	Disciple, Follower	Opponent, Rival
Admonish	To warn or scold	Counsel, Rebuke	Approve, Applaud
Adroit	Skillful or clever	Dexterous, Skilled	Inept, Clumsy
Adulation	High praise	Flattery, Worship	Criticism, Abuse
Adulterate	To make impure	Corrupt, Contaminate	Purify, Cleanse
Adversity	Hardship/Misfortune	Calamity, Trouble	Prosperity, Success
Affable	Friendly/Good-natured	Genial, Amiable	Surly, Hostile
Affluence	Wealth/Riches	Prosperity, Wealth	Poverty, Penury
Aggrandize	To increase power/rank	Exalt, Magnify	Degrade, Humiliate
Agile	Able to move quickly	Nimble, Lithe	Clumsy, Slow
Alacrity	Brisk eagerness	Zeal, Readiness	Apathy, Hesitation
Alienate	To make unfriendly	Estrange, Separate	Unite, Reconcile
Alleviate	To make less severe	Relieve, Ease	Aggravate, Worsen
Aloof	Distant or reserved	Detached, Cold	Friendly, Sociable
Altruistic	Unselfishly generous	Benevolent, Kind	Selfish, Greedy
Amalgamate	To mix or combine	Blend, Merge	Separate, Split
Ambiguous	Not clear/Vague	Obscure, Doubtful	Explicit, Lucid
Ameliorate	To improve	Enhance, Amend	Worsen, Deteriorate
Amenable	Willing to follow	Docile, Pliable	Stubborn, Obstinate
Amicable	Characterized by friendship	Friendly, Cordial	Hostile, Bitter
Animosity	Strong hostility	Hatred, Enmity	Friendship, Amity
Anomalous	Abnormal	Irregular, Peculiar	Standard, Normal
Antipathy	Strong dislike	Aversion, Disgust	Liking, Affinity
Ardent	Very enthusiastic	Passionate, Zealous	Apathetic, Cold
Arduous	Difficult/Tiring	Laborious, Tough	Easy, Effortless
Assiduous	Showing great care	Diligent, Sedulous	Lazy, Negligent
Audacious	Bold/Daring	Fearless, Bold	Timid, Cowardly
Augment	To increase	Enlarge, Expand	Decrease, Diminish
Auspicious	Showing future success	Favorable, Propitious	Ominous, Luckless
Austere	Severe or strict	Harsh, Simple	Luxurious, Mild
Avarice	Extreme greed	Greed, Cupidity	Generosity, Charity
Banal	Boring/Commonplace	Trite, Ordinary	Original, Fresh
Belligerent	Hostile/Aggressive	Pugnacious, Warlike	Peaceful, Friendly
Benevolent	Kind and generous	Charitable, Altruistic	Malevolent, Spiteful
Benign	Gentle and kind	Harmless, Mild	Malignant, Cruel
Boisterous	Noisy and energetic	Rowdy, Clamorous	Quiet, Calm
Brusque	Abrupt in speech	Blunt, Short	Polite, Courteous
Callous	Cruel/Insensitive	Heartless, Unfeeling	Kind, Compassionate
Candid	Truthful/Straightforward	Frank, Honest	Deceptive, Evasive
Capricious	Sudden mood changes	Fickle, Whimsical	Stable, Consistent
Castigate	To punish severely	Scold, Reprimand	Praise, Laud
Caustic	Sarcastic/Scathing	Acerbic, Mordant	Gentle, Mild
Chastise	To scold or punish	Reprove, Discipline	Reward, Praise
Chronological	Arranged in time order	Sequential, Timed	Random, Unordered
Circumspect	Cautious/Wary	Prudent, Careful	Rash, Reckless
Clandestine	Secret or hidden	Surreptitious, Furtive	Overt, Open
Clemency	Mercy or lenience	Mercy, Forgiveness	Severity, Cruelty
Cogent	Logical and convincing	Persuasive, Sound	Weak, Incoherent
Coherent	Logical and consistent	Lucid, Rational	Confused, Irrational
Collusion	Secret agreement/conspiracy	Conspiracy, Plot	Honesty, Openness, Legal Cooperation
Complacent	Self-satisfied	Smug, Satisfied	Humble, Modest
Concise	Brief and to the point	Succinct, Short	Verbose, Long
Condone	To overlook or forgive	Forgive, Ignore	Condemn, Punish
Conspicuous	Easily seen/Noticeable	Obvious, Clear	Hidden, Subtle
Copious	Abundant in quantity	Plentiful, Profuse	Meager, Sparse
Corpulent	Fat/Obese	Fleshy, Stout	Thin, Lean
Corroborate	To confirm or support	Verify, Authenticate	Contradict, Deny
Curtail	To reduce or shorten	Diminish, Abbreviate	Extend, Prolong
Dearth	A lack or scarcity	Shortage, Paucity	Abundance, Glut
Debilitate	To make weak	Enfeeble, Weaken	Strengthen, Vitalize
Decipher	To decode/understand	Interpret, Decode	Encode, Scramble
Decorum	Proper behavior	Etiquette, Modesty	Impropriety, Rudeness
Deference	Polite respect	Respect, Homage	Disrespect, Contempt
Defile	To make dirty/unholy	Corrupt, Pollute	Purify, Sanctify
Deleterious	Harmful/Damaging	Injurious, Toxic	Beneficial, Healthy
Demure	Quiet and modest	Shy, Reserved	Bold, Aggressive
Denounce	To criticize publicly	Condemn, Attack	Praise, Applaud
Depict	To describe/show	Portray, Illustrate	–
Deprecate	To express disapproval	Belittle, Criticize	Commend, Approve
Deride	To mock or ridicule	Mock, Jeer	Respect, Honor
Desecrate	To treat with disrespect	Violate, Profane	Honor, Sanctify
Desolate	Lonely and empty	Barren, Bleak	Populated, Full
Despondent	Feeling extreme hope	Gloomy, Dejected	Cheerful, Optimistic
Destitute	Extremely poor	Indigent, Needy	Affluent, Wealthy
Deterrent	Something that discourages	Hindrance, Obstacle	Incentive, Stimulus
Detrimental	Causing harm	Harmful, Damaging	Helpful, Beneficial
Devout	Deeply religious	Pious, Sincere	Impious, Insincere
Dexterous	Skillful with hands	Adroit, Nimble	Clumsy, Inept
Diatribe	Bitter verbal attack	Tirade, Harangue	Praise, Eulogy
Diffident	Lacking self-confidence	Shy, Timid	Confident, Bold
Dilatory	Tending to delay	Sluggish, Late	Prompt, Quick
Diligent	Hardworking	Industrious, Assiduous	Lazy, Slothful
Diminish	To become less	Decline, Wane	Increase, Grow
Discord	Lack of agreement	Conflict, Friction	Harmony, Accord
Discreet	Careful/Secretive	Prudent, Cautious	Reckless, Public
Discrepancy	Lack of similarity	Difference, Variance	Similarity, Accord
Disdain	Feeling of contempt	Scorn, Contempt	Respect, Admiration
Disingenuous	Not candid/sincere	Dishonest, Deceitful	Sincere, Honest
Dismal	Depressing/Gloomy	Bleak, Sad	Cheerful, Bright
Disseminate	To spread widely	Scatter, Circulate	Gather, Hide
Divergent	Moving in different directions	Different, Deviating	Convergent, Similar
Docile	Easy to manage	Submissive, Pliable	Stubborn, Obstinate
Dogmatic	Arrogantly certain	Opinionated, Rigid	Flexible, Open
Dormant	Inactive/Sleeping	Latent, Quiescent	Active, Awake
Dubious	Doubtful/Hesitating	Uncertain, Fishy	Certain, Reliable
Duplicity	Double-dealing/Deceit	Deception, Fraud	Honesty, Sincerity

Ebullient	Full of energy/Cheer	Lively, Exuberant	Gloomy, Depressed
Eclectic	From diverse sources	Diverse, Varied	Narrow, Uniform
Edify	To instruct morally	Teach, Enlighten	Corrupt, Mislead
Efface	To erase or wipe out	Expunge, Erase	Create, Build
Effervescent	Bubbly/Lively	Vivacious, Fizzy	Flat, Dull
Efficacy	Ability to produce result	Power, Success	Inefficiency, Failure
Egregious	Outstandingly bad	Shocking, Awful	Excellent, Good
Eloquent	Fluent in speech	Persuasive, Vivid	Inarticulate, Dull
Elucidate	To make clear	Explain, Clarify	Confuse, Obscure
Elusive	Hard to find/catch	Evasive, Slippery	Found, Plain
Emancipate	To set free	Liberate, Free	Enslave, Bind
Embellish	To decorate/Add detail	Adorn, Garnish	Simplify, Strip
Emulate	To match or surpass	Imitate, Copy	–
Endorse	To support publicly	Approve, Support	Oppose, Reject
Enervate	To weaken someone	Exhaust, Drain	Energize, Revive
Enigma	A mystery or puzzle	Riddle, Puzzle	Clue, Solution
Enmity	State of hostility	Hatred, Animosity	Friendship, Amity
Ephemeral	Lasting a short time	Transient, Brief	Eternal, Lasting
Epitome	A perfect example	Summary, Essence	–
Equanimity	Mental calmness	Composure, Peace	Anxiety, Agitation
Equitable	Fair and impartial	Honest, Just	Unfair, Biased
Equivocal	Ambiguous/Uncertain	Vague, Unclear	Definite, Clear
Eradicate	To destroy completely	Uproot, Eliminate	Plant, Create
Erratic	Unpredictable	Inconsistent, Fickle	Consistent, Stable
Erudite	Having great knowledge	Learned, Scholarly	Ignorant, Unlearned
Esoteric	Intended for a few	Private, Obscure	Common, Public
Eulogy	Speech of praise	Tribute, Acclaim	Criticism, Slur
Euphemism	Mild term for harsh one	Delicacy, Politeness	–
Exacerbate	To make worse	Aggravate, Inflame	Alleviate, Soothe
Exalt	To praise highly	Glorify, Honor	Humiliate, Degrade
Exemplary	Serving as a model	Perfect, Ideal	Worthless, Bad
Exonerate	To clear from blame	Absolve, Vindicate	Convict, Accuse
Exorbitant	Unreasonably high	Excessive, Pricey	Cheap, Moderate
Expedite	To speed up	Quicken, Accelerate	Delay, Hinder
Explicit	Stated clearly	Plain, Definite	Vague, Implicit
Expunge	To remove completely	Erase, Delete	–
Extol	To praise enthusiastically	Laud, Exalt	Criticize, Blame
Extraneous	Irrelevant	Unrelated, Foreign	Relevant, Essential
Extravagant	Spending excessively	Lavish, Wasteful	Frugal, Thrifty
Fabricate	To invent or forge	Create, Invent	Destroy, Demolish
Facetious	Treating serious issues with humour	Flippant, Witty	Serious, Grave
Fallacy	A mistaken belief	Error, Delusion	Truth, Reality
Fastidious	Very attentive to detail	Fussy, Exacting	Careless, Sloppy
Feasible	Possible to do	Practical, Viable	Impossible, Vague
Fervent	Passionate/Intense	Ardent, Zealous	Apathetic, Indifferent
Fickle	Changing frequently	Inconstant, Capricious	Loyal, Constant
Flabbergasted	Greatly surprised	Astonished, Amazed	Calm, Indifferent
Flagrant	Obviously offensive	Glaring, Shamelss	Subtle, Mild
Flamboyant	Noticeable/Stylish	Showy, Vibrant	Plain, Simple
Flippant	Not showing respect	Shallow, Glib	Respectful, Serious
Florid	Red-faced/Overly fancy	Red, Ornate	Pale, Plain
Fortitude	Courage in pain	Bravery, Endurance	Cowardice, Fear
Fortuitous	Happening by luck	Lucky, Accidental	Planned, Unlucky
Fragile	Easily broken	Delicate, Frail	Strong, Tough
Frugal	Thrifty with money	Economical, Stingy	Lavish, Wasteful
Furtive	Attempting to avoid notice	Secretive, Sly	Open, Honest
Futile	Pointless/Useless	Vain, Fruitless	Useful, Productive
Garrulous	Excessively talkative	Chatty, Loquacious	Silent, Taciturn
Generic	Common/Not specific	General, Common	Specific, Unique
Germane	Relevant to a subject	Pertinent, Related	Irrelevant, Random
Giddy	Having vertigo/Playful	Dizzy, Lightheaded	Serious, Steady
Glib	Fluent but shallow	Smooth, Easy	Inarticulate, Deep
Gluttony	Habitual greed (food)	Excess, Greed	Frugal, Moderation
Gratuitous	Uncalled for/Free	Unearned, Free	Justified, Paid
Gregarious	Fond of company	Sociable, Outgoing	Reclusive, Shy
Guile	Sly or cunning	Cunning, Deceit	Honesty, Candor
Gullible	Easily persuaded	Naive, Trusting	Shrewd, Cynical
Hackneyed	Lacking significance (trite)	Cliche, Overused	Original, New
Haughty	Arrogantly superior	Proud, Pompous	Humble, Modest
Hedonist	Pleasure seeker	Epicure, Sensualist	Ascetic, Hermit
Heinous	Utterly wicked	Evil, Atrocious	Virtuous, Kind
Heresy	Belief against doctrine	Dissent, Unorthodoxy	Conformity, Faith
Hiatus	A pause or gap	Break, Interval	Continuity, Link
Homogeneous	Of the same kind	Uniform, Alike	Varied, Mixed
Hyperbole	Exaggeration	Overstatement	Understatement
Hypocrisy	Faking virtue	Deceit, Insincerity	Sincerity, Honesty
Iconoclast	One who attacks beliefs	Rebel, Radical	Believer, Traditionalist
Idiosyncrasy	A peculiar habit	Quirk, Oddity	Normality, Standard
Ignominious	Deserving public shame	Shamelss, Disgraceful	Glorious, Noble
Imminent	About to happen	Impending, Looming	Distant, Future
Immutable	Unchangeable	Fixed, Rigid	Mutable, Variable
Impair	To damage or weaken	Harm, Worsen	Improve, Heal
Impeccable	Faultless	Flawless, Perfect	Imperfect, Bad
Impecunious	Having little money	Poor, Penniless	Wealthy, Rich
Impede	To delay or prevent	Hinder, Block	Aid, Facilitate
Impetuous	Acting without thought	Rash, Hasty	Cautious, Careful
Implausible	Not seeming reasonable	Unlikely, Absurd	Likely, Realistic
Implicit	Suggested though not plain	Implied, Hinted	Explicit, Stated
Impoverished	Made poor	Needy, Destitute	Wealthy, Rich
Impromptu	Done without rehearsal	Offhand, Spontaneous	Planned, Prepared
Inadvertent	Not resulting from planning	Accidental, Unintentional	Planned, Intentional
Inane	Silly/Stupid	Foolish, Mindless	Wise, Serious
Inarticulate	Unable to speak clearly	Mumbled, Blurred	Fluent, Clear
Incapacitate	To prevent from functioning	Disable, Weaken	Enable, Empower
Incessant	Never stopping	Constant, Non-stop	Intermittent, Rare
Inchoate	Just beginning/Not developed	Early, Nascent	Developed, Ripe
Incisive	Intelligently analytical	Acute, Sharp	Dull, Vague
Incorrigible	Beyond reform	Hopeless, Incurable	Amendable, Reformable
Incredulous	Unwilling to believe	Skeptical, Doubtful	Trusting, Believing
Indict	To formally charge	Accuse, Charge	Exonerate, Clear
Indifferent	Having no interest	Apathetic, Neutral	Concerned, Biased
Indolent	Wanting to avoid work	Lazy, Slothful	Active, Busy
Inept	Having no skill	Clumsy, Awkward	Skilled, Adroit
Inevitable	Certain to happen	Unavoidable, Sure	Avoidable, Doubtful
Inexorable	Impossible to stop	Relentless, Harsh	Yielding, Kind
Infamous	Well known for bad quality	Notorious, Bad	Famous, Good
Ingenious	Clever/Original	Creative, Brilliant	Stupid, Dull
Ingenuous	Innocent and unsuspecting	Naive, Simple	Sly, Deceitful
Inherent	Existing as a natural part	Innate, Natural	External, Acquired
Innocuous	Not harmful	Safe, Harmless	Toxic, Harmful
Inscrutable	Impossible to understand	Mysterious, Hidden	Clear, Open
Insipid	Lacking flavor or vigor	Dull, Tasteless	Zesty, Tasty
Instigate	To bring about/provoke	Incite, Urge	Discourage, Stop
Insular	Narrow-minded/Ignorant	Petty, Narrow	Broad, Global
Intangible	Unable to be touched	Ethereal, Abstract	Physical, Tangible
Intermittent	Not continuous	Sporadic, Periodic	Continuous, Constant
Intrepid	Fearless	Bold, Brave	Timid, Cowardly
Inundate	To overwhelm with things	Flood, Swamp	Drain, Empty
Inveterate	Habitual	Chronic, Ingrained	Temporary, New
Irascible	Easily angered	Irritable, Grouchy	Calm, Even
Jaded	Tired/Bored from excess	Weary, Bored	Fresh, New
Jargon	Technical language	Slang, Lingo	–
Jovial	Cheerful and friendly	Happy, Merry	Gloomy, Sad
Judicious	Done with good judgment	Wise, Prudent	Rash, Foolish
Juxtapose	Place side by side	Compare, Contrast	Separate, Divide
Kindle	To set fire/Arouse	Light, Stir	Extinguish, Calm
Knell	Sound of a bell (death)	Toll, Ring	–
Laconic	Using few words	Brief, Terse	Verbose, Wordy
Lament	To mourn	Grieve, Weep	Celebrate, Rejoice
Languid	Weak or slow moving	Listless, Slow	Energetic, Fast
Latent	Existing but hidden	Dormant, Hidden	Active, Open
Laud	To praise highly	Extol, Hail	Criticize, Blame
Lavish	Rich or elaborate	Luxurient, Lush	Sparse, Cheap
Lethargic	Drowsy/Lacking energy	Sluggish, Slow	Active, Lively
Lithe	Thin and graceful	Agile, Flexible	Rigid, Clumsy
Loquacious	Tending to talk a lot	Talkative, Chatty	Silent, Taciturn
Lucid	Easy to understand	Clear, Plain	Vague, Obscure
Luminous	Full of light	Bright, Glowing	Dim, Dull
Magnanimous	Very generous/forgiving	Kind, Noble	Mean, Selfish
Malevolent	Wishing evil	Malicious, Cruel	Kind, Benevolent
Malign	Speak evil of	Slander, Harm	Praise, Honor
Malleable	Able to be shaped	Flexible, Pliable	Inflexible, Rigid
Mendacious	Untruthful	Lying, False	Honest, Truthful
Mercurial	Subject to mood swings	Fickle, Erratic	Constant, Steady
Meticulous	Very careful/precise	Thorough, Exact	Sloppy, Careless
Mitigate	To make less severe	Soothe, Ease	Worsen, Intensify
Mollify	To appease or soothe	Calm, Pacify	Anger, Enrage
Morose	Sullen and ill-tempered	Gloomy, Sad	Happy, Cheerful
Munificent	Very generous	Liberal, Rich	Mean, Stingy

 

Nadir	The lowest point	Bottom, Base	Zenith, Peak
Nascent	Just beginning	Emerging, Young	Mature, Dying
Nefarious	Wicked or criminal	Evil, Sinful	Kind, Virtuous
Negligent	Failing to take care	Careless, Lax	Careful, Attentive
Nonchalant	Feeling calm/relaxed	Cool, Casual	Anxious, Concerned
Notorious	Famous for something bad	Infamous, Bad	Famous, Good
Novice	A beginner	Learner, Rookie	Expert, Veteran
Noxious	Harmful/Poisonous	Lethal, Toxic	Healthy, Safe
Nuance	Subtle difference	Shade, Tone	–
Obdurate	Stubbornly refusing	Rigid, Hard	Pliable, Kind
Oblivious	Not aware of surroundings	Heedless, Blind	Alert, Aware
Obscure	Not discovered/Unclear	Hidden, Vague	Lucid, Clear
Obsequious	Obedient to a servile degree	Servile, Fawning	Independent, Proud
Obstinate	Stubbornly holding opinion	Tenacious, Rigid	Yielding, Docile
Obviate	To remove/Prevent	Preclude, Block	Aid, Allow
Odious	Extremely unpleasant	Hateful, Vile	Pleasant, Lovely
Officious	Asserting authority (annoying)	Meddlesome, Bossy	Shy, Retiring
Ominous	Giving impression of evil	Gloomy, Threatening	Hopeful, Bright
Onerous	Burdensome	Heavy, Tough	Easy, Light
Opulent	Wealthy and luxurious	Rich, Grand	Poor, Destitute
Ostentatious	Designed to impress	Showy, Pretentious	Plain, Modest
Pacify	To quell anger/Excitement	Calm, Soothe	Agitate, Provoke
Palpable	Able to be felt/touched	Clear, Tangible	Subtle, Hidden
Panacea	A solution for all	Remedy, Cure	–
Paradigmn	A typical example	Pattern, Model	–
Parsimonious	Very unwilling to spend	Stingy, Frugal	Generous, Liberal
Paucity	Smallness of quantity	Dearth, Lack	Plenty, Surplus
Pedantic	Obsessed with minor rules	Formal, Stiff	Simple, Plain
Penitent	Feeling sorrow/regret	Sorry, Contrite	Proud, Callous
Pensive	Engaged in deep thought	Thinking, Dreamy	Carefree, Shallow
Perfunctory	Done with minimum effort	Cursory, Careless	Thorough, Careful
Pernicious	Having a harmful effect	Harmful, Deadly	Kind, Healthy
Perspicacious	Having keen insight	Shrewd, Sharp	Dull, Slow
Pertinent	Relevant to the matter	Related, Germane	Irrelevant, Random
Pervasive	Spreading widely	Common, General	Rare, Scarce
Petulant	Childishly sulky	Peevish, Irritable	Patient, Calm
Philanthropic	Seeking to help others	Generous, Kind	Selfish, Mean
Placate	To make less angry	Calm, Appease	Enrage, Upset
Plethora	An excessive amount	Surplus, Glut	Scarcity, Lack
Pragmatic	Dealing with things sensibly	Realistic, Logical	Idealistic, Visionary
Precarious	Not securely held	Risky, Unsafe	Safe, Secure
Preclude	To prevent	Block, Hinder	Allow, Assist
Precocious	Early developer	Gifted, Bright	Slow, Backward
Predilection	A preference for	Liking, Bias	Dislike, Aversion
Pretentious	Attempting to impress	Showy, Grand	Sincere, Modest
Prodigal	Spending money freely	Wasteful, Lavish	Thrifty, Frugal
Prolific	Producing much	Fruitful, Rich	Barren, Empty
Prudent	Acting with care	Wise, Careful	Rash, Foolish
Pugnacious	Eager to fight	Warlike, Hostile	Friendly, Kind
Quaint	Attractively old-fashioned	Sweet, Odd	Modern, Plain
Quandary	State of uncertainty	Dilemma, Puzzle	Certainty, Ease
Querulous	Complaining/Whining	Petulant, Sad	Happy, Content
Quiescent	In a state of rest	Dormant, Still	Active, Busy
Quixotic	Idealistic/Impractical	Visionary, Dreamy	Realistic, Practical
Rancor	Bitterness/Resentfulness	Spite, Hatred	Amity, Love
Recalcitrant	Resisting authority	Unruly, Wild	Obedient, Calm
Rectify	To put right	Correct, Fix	Worsen, Break
Redundant	Not needed/Superfluous	Extra, Surplus	Essential, Necessary
Refute	Prove to be wrong	Disprove, Deny	Confirm, Agree
Reiterate	To say again	Repeat, Restate	–
Relegate	To lower in rank	Demote, Lower	Promote, Raise
Relinquish	Give up voluntarily	Resign, Abandon	Keep, Retain
Remorse	Deep regret	Guilt, Sorrow	Satisfaction, Pride
Renounce	Formally abandon	Reject, Quit	Claim, Accept
Replete	Full/Well-supplied	Full, Loaded	Empty, Vague
Reprehensible	Deserving blame	Guilty, Bad	Noble, Good
Repudiate	Refuse to accept	Reject, Deny	Accept, Believe
Resilient	Able to recover quickly	Tough, Strong	Weak, Soft
Resolute	Admirably purposeful	Firm, Sure	Wavering, Weak
Respite	A short rest	Break, Pause	Work, Strain
Reticent	Not revealing thoughts	Shy, Silent	Talkative, Bold
Robust	Strong and healthy	Sturdy, Tough	Fragile, Weak
Salubrious	Health-giving	Healthy, Good	Unhealthy, Toxic
Sanction	Permission/Penalty	Support, Law	Ban, Veto
Sanguine	Optimistic/Positive	Hopeful, Happy	Gloomy, Sad
Sardonic	Mocking/Cynical	Sarcastic, Harsh	Kind, Sincere
Scrupulous	Diligent and thorough	Precise, Honest	Careless, Lazy
Sedentary	Sitting much	Inactive, Idle	Active, Mobile
Serene	Calm and peaceful	Placid, Quiet	Chaotic, Noisy
Skeptical	Not easily convinced	Doubtful, Cynical	Trusting, Sure
Sporadic	Happening at intervals	Random, Occasional	Continuous, Regular
Spurious	Not being what it claims	Fake, False	Genuine, Real
Stoic	Enduring pain without complaint	Calm, Firm	Emotional, Weak
Suave	Charming and elegant	Smooth, Polite	Rude, Clumsy
Superfluous	Unnecessary	Surplus, Extra	Needed, Basic
Surreptitious	Kept secret	Hidden, Sly	Open, Honest
Sycophant	Person acting obsequiously	Flatterer, Toady	–
Taciturn	Reserved in speech	Silent, Quiet	Chatty, Loud
Tangible	Perceptible by touch	Real, Solid	Abstract, Vague
Tantamount	Equivalent in value	Equal, Alike	Different, Unequal
Tenable	Able to be maintained	Valid, Sound	Unsound, Weak
Tenuous	Very weak or slight	Thin, Flimsy	Strong, Firm
Terse	Sparing in words	Brief, Short	Wordy, Verbose
Timid	Lacking courage	Shy, Fearful	Bold, Brave
Tirade	Long, angry speech	Harangue, Rant	–
Torpid	Mentally/physically inactive	Dull, Slow	Lively, Active
Tranquil	Free from disturbance	Calm, Peaceful	Stormy, Loud
Transient	Lasting short time	Brief, Passing	Permanent, Fixed
Trepidation	Feeling of fear	Alarm, Fear	Calm, Security
Trite	Overused/Lacking originalty	Banal, Dull	New, Fresh
Trivial	Of little value	Petty, Small	Vital, Major
Ubiquitous	Present everywhere	Common, Global	Rare, Unique
Uncouth	Lacking manners	Rude, Vulgar	Polite, Refined
Undermine	To weaken	Damage, Erode	Support, Strengthen
Unilateral	Done by one side	Single, One-way	Bilateral, Mutual
Urbane	Courteous/Sophisticated	Suave, Refined	Boorish, Rude
Usurp	Take position illegally	Seize, Grab	Relinquish, Give
Vacillate	Wavering between choices	Hesitate, Dither	Decide, Resolve
Vacuous	Lacking intelligence	Empty, Silly	Bright, Full
Vague	Uncertain/Unclear	Obscure, Dim	Clear, Sharp
Venerate	Regard with respect	Revere, Honor	Despise, Scorn
Veracity	Conformity to facts	Truth, Accuracy	Lying, Falsehood
Verbose	Using too many words	Wordy, Talkative	Concise, Terse
Vex	Make someone annoyed	Irritate, Bother	Please, Soothe
Viable	Capable of working	Feasible, Possible	Impossible, Vague
Vicarious	Experienced through others	Indirect, Secondhand	Direct, Personal
Vigilant	Keeping careful watch	Alert, Wary	Careless, Lax
Vilify	Speak ill of	Slander, Abuse	Praise, Laud
Vindicate	Clear of blame	Exonerate, Absolve	Accuse, Blame
Virtuoso	Highly skilled person	Expert, Master	Amateur, Rookie
Virulent	Bitterly hostile	Toxic, Deadly	Kind, Healthy
Volatile	Liable to change easily	Erratic, Fickle	Stable, Steady
Voracious	Wanting great quantities	Greedy, Hungry	Full, Satisfied
Wane	To decrease in power	Decline, Sink	Wax, Grow
Wary	Showing caution	Careful, Alert	Rash, Blind
Waver	Become unsteady	Falter, Shake	Stay, Fix
Wily	Skilled at gaining advantage	Sly, Crafty	Honest, Simple
Winsome	Attractive in appearance	Sweet, Lovely	Ugly, Plain
Wistful	Having regretful longing	Sad, Dreamy	Happy, Joyful
Wither	Become dry and shrivelled	Fade, Shrivel	Bloom, Grow
Wrath	Extreme anger	Rage, Fury	Love, Calm
Zealous	Great energy/enthusiasm	Ardent, Eager	Indifferent, Lazy
Zenith	The highest point	Apex, Peak	Nadir, Bottom

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How long should I take to master this 250-word vocabulary list?

Consistency is key. We recommend the “25 Words a Day” method. By dedicating 30 minutes daily to learning, reviewing, and using these words in sentences, you can master the entire list in just 10 days.

2. Why is it important to learn synonyms and antonyms together?

Competitive exams often test your ability to understand word relationships. Learning a word alongside its synonym and antonym helps you build “contextual anchors,” allowing you to recall the word’s meaning more easily during high-pressure testing.

3. Will this list cover all topics in my competitive English paper?

This list focuses on high-frequency vocabulary, which appears most often in entrance exams. While this builds a strong foundation for synonyms and antonyms, we recommend supplementing this with regular practice of RC (Reading Comprehension) and grammar exercises to maximize your overall English score.

4. What is the best way to memorize these 250 words?

Do not just rote-memorize. Try creating your own sentences using each word, use flashcards for active recall, and try to spot these words in newspapers or academic journals. Seeing them in real-world contexts significantly improves retention.

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