1. IES Academy’s Master Word List

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1. IES Academy’s Master Word List

Use: The rocket mission was abortive because
A
of faulty design

Abridge (v.) to cut short
Synonym: downsize
Abandon (n.) careless disregard for
Antonym: expand, enlarge. [IES-1997]
consequences
Use: The abridged passage could not be
Synonym: wanton
understood.
Antonym: uphold [IES-2002]

Use: The abandoned site is a safe heaven for
Abscond (v.) to depart in a sudden and secret
miscreants to carry their unlawful activities
manner, esp. to avoid capture and legal

prosecution.
Abate (v.) to reduce in amount, degree, Synonym: Run off
intensity, etc.; lessen; diminish Use: The cashier absconded with the money.
Synonym: Decrease
Antonym: Increase [NTPC] Abstemious (adj.) sparing or moderate in
Use: The increasing temperature is sure to
eating and drinking; temperate in diet.
abate with the oncoming rain in the next few
Synonym: Temperate
days.
Moderate [RAILWAYS-1996]

Antonym: Unrestrained
Aberrant (adj.) departing from the right, Use: Persons with abstemious habits can
normal, or usual course. adjust themselves in any social set up.
Synonym: unusual [GAIL]
Antonym: Ordinary Abstinence (n.) Restrained eating or
Use: The dog's sudden aberrant eating drinking, self denial
patterns alerted its owner to a possible health Synonym: Restrained eating or drinking
problem. Antonym: Indulgence
Use: The doctors have called for a total
Abjure (v.) to renounce, repudiate, or retract, abstinence from alcohol.
esp. with formal solemnity;
Synonyms: Renounce [GRE, CDS-2010] Abstinence (n.) forbearance from any
Use: recant the woman also confessed her indulgence of appetite, Self-restraint, Self-
share in the crime at Find on and both abjured discipline, Moderation, Asceticism
the read. Synonym: Restrained eating or drinking
Antonym: Indulgence [HCL]
Abominable (adj.) unacceptable and rude Use: Spiritual ascetics preach a complete
behaviour abstinence from the world.
Synonym: disgusting, shameless [IES-2009]
Antonym: civilized Abysmal (adj.) of or like an abyss;
Use: We were shocked at his abominable act of immeasurably deep or great, extremely or
eve teasing the teacher. hopelessly bad or severe, Unfathomable
Synonym: Appalling
Bottomless [DMRC]
Aborigine (n.) One of the original or earliest
Antonym: Superb
known inhabitants of a country or region
Use: When one studies more, one sees one's
Synonym: Primitive inhabitant
abysmal ignorance.
Antonym: Foreigner

Use: A large population of Australia were
Accede (v.) Comply, Grant, Allow, to give
aborigines.
consent, approval, or adherence; agree;
Synonym: Consent [SAIL]
Abortive (adj.) failing to achieve a goal
Antonym: Reject
Synonym: fiasco
Use: The senior command did not accede to
Antonym: effective, potent [IES-2009]
these requests.

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Synonym: Friendly Antonym: selfish [IES-2001]
Antonyms: Rude [EIL] Use: Her motives for donating the money are
Use: Accustomed to cold, aloof supervisors seemingly altruistic.
Nicholas was amazed at how affable his new
employer was affability, N. Amalgamate (v.) to mix or merge so as to
make a combination; blend; unite; combine.
Affluent (adj.) having an abundance of Synonym: Mix [S.S.C.-1995]
wealth, property, or other material goods; Antonyms : Separate [SAIL]
prosperous; rich Use: The data is also now amalgamated with
Synonym: Prosperous [Railways-1993] the Library's online catalog.
Antonym: Poor
Use: Design is vital to the competitiveness of Ambivalence (n.) Uncertainty or
businesses and the affluence of society. fluctuation, esp. when caused by inability to
make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to
Agglomeration (n.) a jumbled cluster or say or do two opposite or conflicting things.
mass of varied parts Collection, Heap Synonym: Confusion
Synonym: Aggregation Antonym: Decisiveness
Antonym: Dispersal Use: A constant theme of these reports is a
Use: It took weeks to assort the agglomeration marked ambivalence about the nature of the
of miscellaneous items she had collected on her inmates.
trip.
Amble (v.) to go at a slow, easy pace; stroll; to
Aghast (adj.) Horrified, Dumbfounded walk slowly in a relaxed way
Synonym: Amazed Synonym: Meander, Saunter
Antonym: Unsurprised [BHEL] Antonym: Hasten
Use: Teacher was aghast at the crude Use: He ambled around the town.
behaviour of the senior students at the annual
party. Ameliorate (v.) To make or become better,
more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve;
Agility (n.) Suppleness, Quickness, Dexterity, meliorate
the power of moving quickly and easily Synonym: Improve
Synonym: Nimbleness Antonym: Worsen [S.B.I. P.O.-1994]
Antonym: Slow Make worse [Stenographers' -1994]
Use: A smile often goes a long way to
Alacrity (n.) cheerful readiness, promptness, ameliorate the situation.
or willingness
Synonym: Eagerness [IES-2009] Amiable (adj.) agreeable; lovable; warmly
Antonym : Sluggishness friendly.
Use: We accepted the invitation with alacrity. Synonym: Good-natured [NTPC]
Antonym: Ill natured, Unfriendly
Alluvial (adj.) physically concerning land or Use: In Little Women Beth is the amiable
its inhabitants daughter whose loving disposition endears her
Synonym: Mortal to all who know her.
Antonym: Immaterial His amiable manners win him respect
everywhere.
Aloof (adj.) at a distance, esp. in feeling or
interest; Amoral (adj.) having no moral standards,
Synonym: Remote [HPCL] restraints, or principles;
Antonym: Synonym: Immoral
Use: Shy by nature, she remained aloof while Antonym: Moral
all the rest conversed. Echical [EIL]
Use: Jerry is almost totally amoral. He cares
Altruistic (adj.) showing a wish to help or only about making money and having fun and
couldn't care less about right or wrong.
bring advantages to other people

Synonym: benevolent
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Apothegm (n.) Pithy, Arduous (adj.) Hard, Strenuous, Difficult;
Synonym: Moral Arduous means involving a lot of effort and

Use: Compact saying Proverbs is apothegm energy.
that has become familiar sayings. Synonym: Difficult
Antonym: Facile
Appease (v.). Pacify or soothe; relieve. Use: Her arduous efforts had sapped her
Synonym: To Pacify energy.
Anonym: Agitate [NTPC]
Use: Tom and Jody tried to appease the crying Arraign (v.) Charge in court indict
baby by offering him one toy after another. Synonym: Indict [UPSC, CDS]
However, he would not calm down until they Antonym: Pardon [IES-2009]
appeased his hunger by giving him a bottle, Use: After his indictment by the Grand Jury,
appeasement, N. the accused man was arraigned in the Country
Criminal Court.
Applaud (v.) to appreciate; clap for
Synonym: acclaim, adulation [IES-1998] Arrant (adj.) downright; thorough; notorious
Antonym: denounce Synonym: Unmitigated [NTPC]
Use: His pathbreaking work was applauded by Antonym: Mitigated
his colleagues.
Artifact (n.) Object made by human beings,
Apposite (adj.) suitable; well-adapted; either handmade or mass-produced.
pertinent; relevant; Synonym: Man-made [Railways-1995]
Synonym: Appropriate [NTPC] Antonym: Natural object
Antonym: Inappropriate Use: Archaeologists debated the significance of
Use: The term "lifeless pallor" the artifacts discovered in the ruins of Asia
seems very apposite. Minor but came to no conclusion about the
culture they represented.
Approbation (n.) approval
Synonym: Approval Ascetic (adj.) practicing self- denial; austere.
Antonym: Disapproval [IES-2006] Ascetic means not involving in pleasures.
Use: Wanting her parents ‘regard’ she looked Synonym: Austere [BEL]
for some sign of their approbation. Antonym: Extravagant
Benjamin Franklin, that shrewd observer of Use: The wealthy self – indulgent young man
mankind, once wrote. “We must not in the felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by
course of public life expect immediate members of some monastic orders, also N.
approbation and immediate grateful asceticism, N.
acknowledgment of our services.”
Askance (adv.) with suspicion, mistrust, or
Aquiline (adj.) shaped like an eagle's beak; disapproval
hooked Synonym: Skeptically, Suspiciously
Synonym: Curved Use: Jane looked askance at John to see if he
Hooked were watching her."
Antonym: Straight
Use: The profile of the head is slightly aquiline, Asperity (n.) harshness or sharpness of tone,
with a grey/brown muzzle. temper, or manner; severity; acrimony:
Synonym: Good temper
Arable (adj.) fit for growing crops. Antonym: Harshness
Synonym: Suitable for plaguing Kindness [GAIL]
[SAIL] Use: The cause of her anger did not warrant
Use: The first settlers wrote home growing such asperity.
reports of the New World, praising its vast
acres of arable land ready for the plow. Assent (v.) to agree or concur; subscribe to;
Synonym: Consent
Agreement [C.B.I. 1995]
Antonym: Disagree
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Barbarian (n.) somebody with no interest in
B
culture, an extremely aggressive or violent
person
Synonym: Uncivilized
Antonym: Civilised
Babble (v.) to utter sounds or words Use: I think Iraqi's like being killed by Iraqi's
imperfectly, indistinctly, or without meaning, better than by foreign barbarians.
Synonym: Burble
Antonym: Quiet Barbaric (adj.) pertains to crudeness and
Use: She babbles, gurgles, giggles, sucks on
incivility,
her bottle and cries when waking up.
Synonym: Beastly, savage [HCL]

Antonym: Calm
Badger (v.) Ask again and again, Hassle, to Use: Whipping and torturing people is
harass or urge persistently; pester; nag barbaric.
Synonym: To pester persistently [IES-2008]
Antonym: Gratify, make happy, Barge (v.) a to bump into, collide with,
Use: I had to badger him into coming with us.
Synonym: Intrude

Use: He started to run away and barged into a
Baffling (adj.) Unsolved, Inexplicable passer-by.
Synonym: Mysterious
Antonym: Simple [HPCL] Baroque (n.) the baroque style of
Use: Exactly how birds acquired the ability to architecture and art, or its period in European
fly has baffled scientists for years. history
Synonym: Flamboyant
Balmy (adj.) Pleasant, Mild, Gentle, Soft, Antonym: Simple
pleasantly warm and mild in climate, mild and Plain [Tax & Excise, 1990]
refreshing; soft; soothing Use: To stay at the Hotel Ritz is to step inside a
Synonym: Temperate baroque palace, an experience you won't
Antonym: Wintry, Hard forget.
Use: Spain's balmy climate allows for a long
golf season. Beatific (adj.) Showing or producing joy,
Innocent, Pure, Adorable, Virtuous
Bamboozle (v.) To deceive or get the better Synonym: Saintly
of (someone) by trickery, flattery, or the like; Antonym: Dreadful
humbug; Use: When Johnny first saw the new puppy, a
Synonym: Swindle, Dupe [HPCL] beatific smile spread across his face.
Antonym: Be honest
Use: They bamboozled us into joining the club Beaver away (v.) to work hard for a long
time
Banal (adj.) Ordinary, Dull, Trivial, Facile, Synonym: persevere [IES-2008]
Commonplace, boringly ordinary and lacking in Antonym: indolent
originality, devoid of freshness or originality; Use: She has been beavering away at that essay
hackneyed; trite for hours.
Synonym: Mundane
Commonplace [SAIL] Beguile (v.) to win and hold somebody's
Antonym: Original attention, interest, or devotion, to mislead or
Use: The banal realities of the film industry deceive somebody
really do determine what we see on screen. Synonym: Bluff
Antonym: Persuade [S.S.C. 1993]
Bane (n.) Nuisance, Blight, Cause of ruin Use: Utopianism is something to which
Synonym: Curse beguiles a great many people.
Antonym: Blessing
Use: Sudha's little brother was the bane of her Beleaguer (v.) to surround or beset, as with
existence, scribbling on walls with her lipstick troubles
and pouring her shampoo down the drain. Synonym: Harras, Pester
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Bewail (v.) to express great sadness about Bohemian (n.) to be a non-conformist.
something, Lament, Bemoan, Regret, Grumble Synonym: unconventional [IES-1996]
about, Grieve, Deplore Antonym: usual
Synonym: Bemoan, Mourn [GAIL] Use: The actor impressed the audience with his
Antonym: Joyous, Exalt bohemian looks and behavior.
Use: His sins were not grievous, and he did not
bewail them. Boisterous (adj.) full of noisy enthusiasm
and energy, and often roughness or wildness
Bewilder (v.) to confuse or puzzle somebody Synonym: Raucous
completely Antonym: Calm, Serene
Synonym: Confound Use: She is good with children of all ages but
Antonym: Explain [BEL] might be a little too boisterous for toddlers.
Use: These shifting attitudes bewilder me.
Boorish (adj.) lack of good manners, whether
Bifurcate (v.) to be split or branched off into arising from ignorance or brashness,
two parts, or split something into two parts, unmannered; crude; insensitive
Synonym: Split, Synonym: Impolite
Antonym: Converge Antonym: Well-mannered, Refined
Use: There one finds a similar behavior in the Genteel [I.Tax & Excise, 1993]
local and the global bifurcation. Use: He was a boorish man but had a good
taste for music and brought Handel to England.
Bizzare (adj.) amusingly or grotesquely
strange or unusual, unusual Bouillon (n.) a clear liquid that is traditiona-
Synonym: Odd lly made by boiling meat, bones, and vegetables
Strange together. It is sometimes served as a soup, but
Antonym: Normal usually used as a stock for soups and
Usual [EIL] Stews
Use: He found himself in a bizarre situation. Synonym: Concoction
Clear soup [SAIL]
Blanch (v.) to become pale suddenly, decolour Use: You can use beef or chicken bouillon
cubes for seasonings.
Synonym: Bleach

Antonym: Darken
Darken [NHPC] Bowdlerise (v.) to remove parts of a work of
Use: He blanched at the mention of her name literature that are considered indecent
selectively remove
Bleak (adj.) Dreary, Depressing, Uninviting, Synonym: Ban;
Antonym: Approve, endorse
without hope or expectation of success or
Use: The editor bowdlerised those words and
improvement
expressions which cannot with propriety be
Synonym: Drab
read aloud in a family.
Antonym: Bright [NDA-2009]

Cheerful [GRE]
Use: The company's future looks bleak. Braggadocio (n.) somebody who boasts in a
swaggering self-aggrandizing way,
Blemish (n.): marks or scars on skin Synonym: Braggart
Antonym: Meekness
Synonym: disfigure, flaw [IES-2009]

Antonym: beautiful
Use: She is worried at her skin blemishes as Bravura (n.) great skill that is shown when
she is appearing for a fashion show. something artistic is done in an exciting or
innovative way, showy style or behavior
Blithe (adj.) Carefree, Casual, Unthinking, Synonym: Courage [HCL]
Antonym: Timidity
Synonym: Cheerful
Use: This is a bravura piece of filmmaking
Antonym: Cheerless [EIL]
that demands to be seen.
Use: Happy-go-lucky, Amiable Everyone loved

her for her blithe spirit.
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