Vocabulary Quiz: Word Meanings and Synonyms

Vocabulary for Government Exams

• Fiduciary: A person or organization acting on behalf of another in a relationship of trust. Example: Banks act as fiduciaries when managing client investments.

• Deliberative: Relating to careful consideration or discussion before making decisions. Synonyms: thoughtful, consultative, reflective. Antonyms: rash, impulsive, hasty. Example: The committee adopted a deliberative approach to frame the new policies.

• Acute: Present or experienced to a severe or intense degree. Synonyms: severe, critical, intense. Antonyms: mild, moderate, trivial. Example: The patient was admitted with acute respiratory distress.

• Foreclosed: Excluded or prevented from consideration or action. Synonyms: blocked, barred, precluded. Antonyms: allowed, permitted, included. Example: Public input was foreclosed during the drafting of the rules.

• Overwhelmed: Burdened or overpowered emotionally or physically. Synonyms: stunned, inundated, overpowered. Antonyms: composed, underwhelmed, calm. Example: Hospitals were overwhelmed with patients during the initial COVID-19 outbreak.

• Apropos: With reference to; concerning. Synonyms: regarding, concerning, pertinent. Antonyms: irrelevant, unrelated. Example: The discussion was apropos of the current rise in infections.

• Cloak: To hide or disguise. Synonyms: conceal, cover, shroud. Antonyms: reveal, uncover, expose. Example: The government's decision-making process was cloaked in secrecy.

• Pertinent: Relevant or applicable to a particular matter. Synonyms: relevant, appropriate, suitable. Antonyms: irrelevant, unrelated, inapplicable. Example: The issues raised are pertinent to data privacy.

• Lamentable: Deserving regret or pity. Synonyms: regrettable, unfortunate, deplorable. Antonyms: fortunate, praiseworthy, commendable. Example: The lack of public participation in policy-making is lamentable.

• Vituperate: To criticize or insult someone harshly or abusively. Synonyms: scold, berate, revile, vilify, abuse. Antonyms: praise, commend, compliment, extol. Example: The politician began to vituperate his opponents during the heated debate.

• Egg on: to encourage or provoke.

• Iron out: Resolve or smooth out problems/difficulties.

• Jack up: Increase something (e.g., prices) sharply.

• Reel in: Attract or bring someone or something closer.

• Night owl: Someone who prefers to be awake and active at night.

• Get a grip: Keep or recover self-control.

• Between a rock and a hard place: Faced with two equally undesirable alternatives.

• Whole new ballgame: A completely different, more complex or significant situation.

• Ostrich effect: Ignoring or avoiding negative information by pretending it doesn't exist. Synonyms: denial, avoidance, ignorance. Antonyms: acknowledgment, awareness, acceptance.

• Resilient: Able to recover quickly from difficulties or setbacks. Synonyms: flexible, robust, tough. Antonyms: rigid, weak, fragile. Example: Despite the setbacks, the team remained resilient and fought back.

• Inexptitude: Lack of skill or ability. Synonyms: ineptitude, incapability, clumsiness. Antonyms: competence, skillfulness, aptitude. Example: The team's defeat was due to their batting ineptitude.

• Flux: Continuous change or movement. Synonyms: uncertainty, instability, fluctuation. Antonyms: stability, steadiness, consistency. Example: The squad was in a state of flux following a string of defeats.

• Frailty: A weakness or flaw, especially in character or structure. Synonyms: weakness, vulnerability, deficiency. Antonyms: strength, robustness, resilience. Example: The frailty of their batting order was exposed in the series.

• Adept: Very skilled or proficient at something. Synonyms: skilled, expert, capable. Antonyms: incompetent, unskilled, clumsy. Example: The new player proved to be adept at handling pace bowling.

• Triumph: A great victory or achievement. Synonyms: victory, success, conquest. Antonyms: defeat, failure, loss. Example: The triumph in the final match boosted the team's morale.

• Perpetrate: To carry out or commit a harmful, illegal, or immoral action. Example: The team perpetrated several strategic errors during the series.

• Aversion: A strong dislike or disinclination. Synonyms: hatred, antipathy, repulsion. Antonyms: fondness, affection, liking. Example: He had an aversion to discussing past failures.

• Blow up: To explode; to become very angry.

• Do away with: To abolish or get rid of something.

• Do up: (In the context of this article): A given action relating to the details of something.

• Pull someone's leg: To deceive someone playfully; tease.

• Come rain or shine: Even with any and all conditions.

• Herald: To signal the arrival/announce something publicly. Synonyms: announce, proclaim, signify. Antonyms: conceal, suppress, hide.

• Leeway: The amount of freedom to act or decide. Synonyms: flexibility, freedom, latitude. Antonyms: restriction, constraint, limitation. Example: The new program gives students leeway to explore subjects.

• Rigor: The quality of being extremely thorough, accurate or strict. Synonyms: strictness, precision. Antonyms: laxity, leniency, carelessness.

• Impediments: Things that hinder or obstruct progress. Synonyms: obstacles, barriers, hindrances. Antonyms: aids, facilitators, supports. Example: Universities face several impediments.

• Dissent: The expression or holding of opinions that differ from those previously held. Synonyms: disagreement, opposition, protest.

• Offset: A counterbalance or compensatory action to reduce an impact or effect. Synonyms: counteract, balance, counterbalance. Antonyms: exacerbate, aggravate. Example: Planting trees can help offset carbon emissions.

• Conundrum: A confusing or difficult problem/question. Synonyms: puzzle, enigma, dilemma. Antonyms: solution, clarity, simplicity.

• Underpinned: Supported or strengthened by a solid foundation. Synonyms: supported, reinforced, bolstered. Antonyms: weakened, undermined, destabilized. Example: The company's success was underpinned by innovative technology.

• Expedite: Speeding up a process or action. Synonyms: hastening, accelerating, quickening. Antonyms: delaying, hindering, slowing. Example: Expediting the process will benefit the new projects.

• Omen: A sign or warning of a future event. Synonyms: sign, indication, premonition.

• Sink in: become understood or accepted

• Spell out: Explain something in detail

• Stand up to: Confront or resist

• Stick one's neck out: Take a risk

• Get your walking papers: Get fired

• Cork something up: Suppress or conceal (emotions).

• Cook someone's goose: Spoil someone's chances of success.

• Throw caution to the wind: Do something without worrying about risks.

• Sluggish: Lacking energy or activity; slow moving or inactive.

• Sanguine: Optimistic or positive especially in a difficult situation.

• Marred: Impaired the quality or appearance of; disfigured or spoiled. Synonyms: tarnished, blemished, spoiled, ruined. Antonyms: enhanced, improved, repaired, restored.

• Impetus: The force or energy with which something moves. Synonyms: stimulus, momentum, drive, boost. Antonyms: deterrent, hindrance, restraint, stagnation.

• Defunct: No longer existing or functioning. Synonyms: obsolete, extinct, inoperative, dead. Antonyms: active, operational, functioning, existent. Example. The factory became defunct.

• Cripple: To severely damage or weaken something. Synonyms: weaken, impair, paralyze, disable. Antonyms: strengthen, empower, enhance, enable.

• Elicit: To draw out a response. Synonyms: extract, obtain, evoke, prompt, Antonyms: suppress, hide, cover, ignore.

• Inevitable: Certain to happen; unavoidable. Synonyms: unavoidable, inescapable, assured, destined. Antonyms: avoidable, uncertain, preventable, optional.

• Tinkering: Attempting to repair something in a casual way. Synonyms: fiddling, meddling, adjusting, experimenting. Antonyms: repairing, constructing, completing.

• Ambiguity: Open to more than one interpretation; inexactness. Synonyms: vagueness, uncertainty, obscurity, equivocation. Antonyms: clarity, precision, transparency, certainty.

• Horse around: To behave in silly or noisy way

• Naff off: To go away because annoying

• Slug it out: To fight or compete vigorously until one wins.

• Stop back: To return to a place visited previously.

• Catch some Z's: Get some rest, go to sleep

• Hit the spot: Be exactly what is required

• Strides: Significant progress in development. Synonyms: progress, advancement, headway. Antonyms: setback, regression, stagnation. Example: The country has made significant strides in renewable energy.

• Dearth: A scarcity or lack of something. Synonyms: shortage, paucity, insufficiency. Antonyms: abundance, surplus, plenty. Example: The dearth of skilled professionals hindered growth.

• Exacerbate: To make a problem worse. Synonyms: aggravate, intensify, worsen. Antonyms: alleviate, reduce, improve. Example: The lack of funding will exacerbate issues in the healthcare system.

• Turmoil: A state of great disturbance. Synonyms: chaos, upheaval, disorder. Antonyms: calm, peace, stability. Example: The country was in political turmoil.

• Flaccid: Lacking firmness or stiffness. Synonyms: limp, weak, slack. Antonyms: firm, stiff, rigid. Example: The plant's leaves became flaccid.

• Plausible: Seemingly reasonable or probable.

• Repercussion: An unintended consequence. Synonyms: consequence, effect, fallout. Antonyms: cause, origin. Example: The environmental repercussions were severe.

• Perplexing: Completely baffling; very puzzling. antonyms. clear, straightforward, simple.

• Cursory: Hasty and therefore not thorough. Synonyms: superficial, perfunctory, brief. Antonyms: thorough, detailed, meticulous. Example: A cursory glance revealed errors.

• Back away: Move backwards away.

• Cut out: Delete, remove.

• Nod off: Begin sleeping (usually unintentionally).

• Turn down: Reject.

• Climb the ladder: Advance or achieve success in a hierarchy

• Bury the hatchet: To make peace after a disagreement

• Water under the bridge: Something that happened and cannot be changed

• Jump on the bandwagon: Act on a popular trend or activity

• Tip of the iceberg: A small, insignificant portion of a much larger problem

Test your knowledge of vocabulary with this quiz focusing on word meanings and synonyms. Each question targets specific terms and their implications, helping you enhance your language skills and understanding. Perfect for students looking to boost their vocabulary!