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Words with their Synonyms Usages in Sentence (try substituting each word and read the
sentence out loud).
Try using them in real life! (Use actions too, that would help
you remember even better!)
SPECIAL NOTES - This will help you understand
the degrees of synonyms. Some carry more
weight or intensity than the others. Pay
attention to tenses also.
1 Abhorrent, abominable, detestable, execrable,
loathsome, obnoxious, repellent, repugnant,
odious, heinous, disgusting (adjective)
I find his behavior so abhorrent; I'm surprised his family still
supports him.

2 Abandon, renounce, maroon, leave in the lurch,
forfeit, disown, waive, ditch, abdicate, jilt,
forsake, abjure, disown, repudiate (verb)
There goes a jilted lover, I feel so sorry for her. I hope she gets
over her sadness of being left in the lurch soon.
Notice the tense of the second word/phrase.
3 Abnormal, aberrant, anomalous, bizarre,
eccentric, freakish (n:freak), idiosyncratic,
queer, wayward (adjective) SAME MEANING
BUT STRONGER: grotesque, outlandish, weird
Yes I know, she likes guys who are a little eccentric. That
doesn't mean you act like a total freak around her!
Two synonyms but their degrees vary (one is not
so strong, other is relatively extreme). The
second word used is a noun, so you cannot
substitute it with an adjective from the list.
4 Scurrilous, calumnious, libelous, opprobrious,
shameful, abusive, disgraceful, ignominious
(adverb)
I dont think anyone is going to vote for him again next term,
because everyone has seen his opprobrious behavior after
coming to power.

5 Libel, calumny, obloquy, slander, aspersion,
vilification, imputation (n), malign, traduce,
smear, besmirch, tarnish, defame, denigrate,
misrepresent, vituperate, defile (verb)
-same as above-
6 Abundant, bountiful, copious, luxuriant,
rampant, profuse, exuberant, prolific, lavish
(adjective)
The farmer hoped for an abundant crop, but with the pests
running so rampant, his dream has been shattered.
Abundant was used for a non-living thing,
rampant was used for a living thing.
7 Abuse, assault, execration, invective,
vituperation, affront, odium (noun) berate,
castigate, inveigh (verb)
The wife launched into such an invective on her husband in
front of his friends, that he was left red-faced in anger.

8 Acclaim, applaud, extol, commend, kudos, laud,
eulogize, ovation, esteem, plaudits,
acquiescence, endorsement, mandate,
ratification (noun)
Even though it was his first movie, the director's work was
critically acclaimed and he received a standing ovation at the
awards ceremony.
Ovation = think of clapping.
9 Accusation, impeachment, allegation, summons,
indictment (noun)
How dare you make those allegations against me! Don't you
know me at all?

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10 Acquit, absolve, exonerate, vindicate (verb) After being falsely convicted of murder and jailed, Robert was
vindicated when the true murderer confessed to his crimes.

11 Bounty, largesse, munificence, philanthropy,
benevolence, beneficence, benignity,
compassion (noun) altruistic (adjective)
He is such a generous and giving person, but his wife despises
his largesse. Why? Because she wants all his money to herself.
Despise = hate.
12 Commendable, exemplary, laudable,
meritorious, honorable (adverb)
You should be commended on your effort; I am sure it required
exemplary courage!
Exemplary would be 'leading by example'. Try to
look for root words when you analyze sentences.
13 Contemptible, despicable, detestable,
disgraceful, loathsome, odious, ignominious,
dishonorable, discreditable (adverb)
You have brought dishonor on our family name by engaging in
such loathsome activities! Don't you have any sense of shame?
Opposites (antonyms) of above set of words.
14 Condemnable, reprehensible, deplorable
(adverb)
People who go around torturing innocent animals should be
severely punished for their deplorable acts.
These are a stronger degree of the above set of
words
15 Censure, condemnation, culpability, reprimand,
recrimination, reproach, denounce (verb)
We should be careful with the way we reproach children for
their mistakes. They are still young and haven't yet learned the
difference between right and wrong.

16 Aggressive, antagonistic, bellicose, belligerent,
pugnacious, warlike, fractious, quarrelsome,
contentious, litigious, militant (adjective)
That guy always gets into a pugnacious mood when he has too
much to drink. Best not to let him into a bar or he'll start
picking fights with the bouncers too!
These people go around looking for trouble and
always want to fight
17 Irascible, petulant, peevish, dyspeptic,
cantankerous, irritable, bilious (adjective)
Some people become really cantankerous in their old age. Not
my grandpa though, he's still the fun-loving man I always
knew.
Does this remind you of someone? Keep that
image in mind!
18 Agreement, accord, conformity, consensus,
harmony, unanimity, compact, treaty, covenant,
truce, pact (noun)
There has to be some harmony among the players if the team
has to win the championship. No one is going to be benefited
by the lack of unanimity here.

19 Approbate, comply, accent, concur, approve,
acquiesce, concede, accord (verb)
He had to concede defeat to her; she is just too good at chess.
20 Alleviate, abate, allay, ameliorate, assuage,
mitigate, slake, subdue, temper, relieve, mollify,
appease, conciliate, placate, palliate, extenuate
(verb)
They said 'time' can heal wounds, can subdue tempers, can
appease tyrants or reconcile enemies. They didn't say the time
would be in the range of thousands of years!
Uses exaggeration to make the point - that it is
impossible.
21 Alliance, affiliation, coalition, concordat,
compact, confederation, consortium (noun)
The alliance between the US and Russia was instrumental
(important) in ending World War II.

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22 Allure, attract, beguile, decoy, entice, lure,
magnetize (verb)
The Venus Fly Trap is a carnivorous plant; it lures insects with
its color and smell and traps them when they are within reach.
All these are responses to outwardly sensations
and feelings.
23 Coax, wheedle, inveigle, cajole (verb) I tried coaxing him to play with us, but he is just too lazy. No
amount of cajoling can change his mind.
Is this what your friends say about you? Don't
become so engrossed that you don't take a little
break! All work and no play makes Jack (or you) a
dull boy.
24 Amiable, affable, amicable, genial (adjective) Amiable people are easy to make friends with. Friendly.
25 Amorous, carnal, enamored, erotic, lustful,
lecherous, licentious, salacious, lascivious,
libidinous, lewd, prurient, lubricious, bawdy,
erotic (adjective)
He is a lecherous man, always making lewd comments when
women pass by!
Lecher is used for adults and people in advanced
age.
26 Ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, archaic,
outmoded, pass, primordial (adjective)
Radios were outmoded by black and white televisions, but in
today's times, black and white TVs are considered absolutely
antediluvian.

27 Animosity, acerbity, acrimony, animus,
antagonism, antipathy, asperity, malevolence,
rancor, vindictiveness, enmity, malice,
churlishness, rancor (noun)
When a married couple starts getting acrimonious with each
other, they'd better get marriage counseling because
vindictiveness can kill marriages.
Revenge seeking and 'hitting below the belt' -
taking cheap hurtful shots at a person's character
or actions.
28 Anonymous, incognito, (adjective) pseudonym
(noun)
She likes to remain anonymous, so she uses a pseudonym
when filling in the 'authors name' on all of her articles.
Root word 'pseudo' means 'false'. VERY
IMPORTANT.
29 Phlegmatic, sluggish, languid, indolent, listless,
lackadaisical (adjective)
Politicians sometimes are so lackadaisical; it's a mystery how
any progress ever happens.

30 Apathy, lassitude, lethargy, debility, languor
(noun)
A manager cannot have an apathetic attitude, because
employees like to have someone who listens to their problems.
This relates to the previous set of words, but
they are slightly different.
31 Apex, acme, apogee, zenith, crest, culmination,
summit, pinnacle (noun)
She has reached the zenith of her career at an early age; she is
now the CEO of a multi-million dollar company.

32 Apologetic, contrite, penitent, remorseful, rueful
(adjective)
There's no point being all apologetic now, the damage is done
and we can't change anything. Maybe you should have
thought about the consequences before you took action,
contrition does not change the past.

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33 Apprentice, novice, tyro, greenhorn (noun) Take it easy on him, he's just a greenhorn. He joined the
company just last week and is still learning.

34 Appropriate, apposite, apropos, apt, befitting,
felicitous, opportune, pertinent, seasonable,
seemly (adjective)
Go-getters are people who seize opportune instances to move
up professionally.
Opportunity.
35 Autocratic, despotic, imperious, tyrannical,
totalitarian (adjective)
Saddam Hussein was a tyrant and his rule of Iraq was
despotic.

36 Arbitrary, capricious, whimsical, erratic,
eccentric, mercurial, quirky, random (adjective)
Teenagers are more likely to take whimsical decisions than
logical ones.
Mercurial - Like mercury - Liquid, doesn't stay in
a place
37 Ardent, zealous, fervent, impassioned,
passionate (adjective)
He is passionate about his work, but some of his friends think
he is obsessed with it as he has no time to spend with them
anymore.

38 Arduous, grueling, laborious, herculean,
onerous, daunting (adjective)
Stopping corruption totally is such a herculean task; one would
not know where to begin or when it will end.
Hercules was the son of Zeus (Greek Mythology)
and was praised for his feats (acts) of strength.
39 Altercation, bickering, clash, dispute, feud,
squabble, wrangle, quibble, carp, cavil (noun)
Many families have long-standing disputes that start with a
simple misunderstanding.

40 Arrogant, cavalier, haughty, impudent,
supercilious, swaggering, presumptuous,
snobbish, condescending, insolent (adjective)
I don't like his condescending attitude. Even if he is better at
something that doesn't mean he should act superior to the rest
of us.
It is an opinion formed about someone in power
or a peer (someone who is on the same level)
who acts superior.
41 Articulate, eloquent, glib, lucid (adjective) Many great speakers of our time had the power of great
articulation - they could communicate their mind clearly
without any difficulty in language.

42 Augury, premonition, forewarning, portent,
foreboding, bode, foreshadow, presentiment
(noun)
The future does not portend well for our children, because we
are unable to control the pollution of the environment.

43 Ascetic, austere, Spartan, self-denying
(adjective)
Tibetan monks are said to be austere people. They do not use
a single comfort or luxury that we are so used to.

44 Frugal, parsimonious, stingy (adjective) Stop being so stingy with your money and learn to enjoy life a
bit!
Try to understand the difference from this set of
word and the previous set.
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45 Banal, clichd, commonplace, hackneyed,
humdrum, platitudinous, stereotyped, trivial,
trite (adverb)
Just because someone is badly dressed doesn't mean they are
poor. Such stereotypes have long been forgotten in society.

46 Banish, exile, expel, rusticate, outlaw, oust,
expatriate, deport (verb)
The terrorist was deported to his home country on request of
his government, since they wanted to conduct a trial against
him for his crimes.

47 Banter, badinage, chaffing, repartee (noun) I love having the occasional casual repartee with old and wise
people. There is much we can learn from them.
Most of these words (apart from banter) do not
really appear much in colloquial (informal,
everyday) settings.
48 Barbarian, boor (noun) I don't know if his parents brought her up like that, but her
manners are so boorish.

49 Barrage, fusillade, onslaught, bombardment,
assault (noun)
The enemy could not withstand the assault of our stronger
battalion and had to retreat immediately.

50 Barrier, embankment, rampart, bulwark,
blockade, fortification, palisade (noun)
The police blockaded the road so that the protesters couldn't
enter the city square.
Not all these words have verb forms like was
used in the sentence.
51 Beget, procreate, father (verb) Love begets love; it is human nature to love someone back
who loves us first.

52 Bell, carillon, knell (noun) The prisoner heard the clock strike 12 o clock; it was his death
knell- he is going to be taken away for execution.

53 Bemuse, befuddle, bewilder, stupefy, confound,
daze, flummox, muddle, mystify (verb)
Too much information in a short time has a chance of
befuddling someone who is trying to learn.
A common scenario with students trying to cram
everything into their heads too soon.
54 Berserk, frenzied, frenetic, demented, deranged,
maniacal (adverb)
The lion launched into a frenzied attack against his rival,
because his pride (group of lions) was in danger from the
newcomer.
All of these words elevate (lift) any action to the
highet degree.
55 Beseech, implore, importune, entreat, supplicate
(verb)
I beseech you; please have mercy on my son! I implore you not
to harm him!

56 Besiege, beleaguer, pester, badger (verb) Listen kid, if you don't stop badgering me for chocolates, I'm
never going to buy them for you! You are getting too annoying.

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57 Bewitch, captivate, enrapture, enchant, enthrall,
entrance, mesmerize, ensnare, endear, engaging
(verb)
A good speaker can grab the attention of his audience; a great
speaker can enthrall them with his engaging oratory (speech).
Some of these words are used to describe
something good, some are used to describe
something bad (usually). Try and think of why
and when this happens.
58 Biased, bigoted, chauvinistic, jaundiced,
partisan, tendentious, patriotic, jingoistic,
sectarian (adjectives)
Even though our country has progressed so much, there are
still some people who have racial bias. It is such bigots who
arrest the development of the country as a whole.
Not to any specific country, these kind of people
are sadly present everywhere.
59 Genealogy, lineage, pedigree, race (noun) The lineage of the prince can be traced far back to the 12th
century; all his paternal ancestors sat on the throne at
different times in history.

60 Blasphemous, impious, irreverent, profane,
sacrilegious (adverb)
Religious blasphemy is looked upon very seriously, and there
are always dire (bad) consequences for people who commit
sacrilegious acts against any religion.

61 Blatant, barefaced, flagrant, conspicuous,
shameless (adjective)
I have never seen a more barefaced liar; I can never
understand how someone can be so shameless!

62 Blaze, conflagration, Holocaust, carnage,
massacre
The conflagration that started because of one careless
cigarette has caused widespread destruction in the forest, and
a lot of innocent wildlife was massacred.
The first two words relate to destruction by fire.
63 Boastful, vainglorious, bragging, conceited
(adjective)
There is no need to brag so much, everyone knows your team
did most of the work. You don't deserve all the credit.
Brag has the noun form of Braggart - A person
who brags. The other words do not directly
translate into any noun form.
64 Boisterous, obstreperous, rowdy, uproarious
(adjective) Tumult, pandemonium, turmoil,
chaos, commotion, turbulence, uproar (noun)
It's very hard to manage a boisterous crowd, sometimes force
becomes necessary control uproar.
Notice that all the noun forms indicate that the
problem has reached its tipping point.
65 Burlesque, caricature, travesty, lampoon,
parody, sham, pastiche (noun)
Newspaper writers sometimes make fun of the local politicians
using short lampoons in the press.

66 Circuitous, devious, labyrinthine, meandering,
oblique, rambling, tortuous, serpentine
(adjective)
The road leading up to the castle was so serpentine that after
driving for a while, I lost all sense of direction.

67 Dainty, squeamish, fastidious, meticulous
(adverb)
Those who pay meticulous attention to detail usually do well,
as long as their fastidiousness does not sacrifice too much of
their time.

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68 Dappled, pied, motley, speckled, variegated
(adjective)
There are two kinds of leopards: The black leopard or panther,
and the more common speckled type.
Variegated = like the veins on a leaf.
69 Dawdle, dally, loiter (verb) Loitering in the park after 11 PM is not allowed, the police
looks suspiciously on them because it's the time dealers and
addicts usually come out and meet.

70 Dexterous, agile, nimble, deft, adroit, lithe,
limber (adjective)
Wow! Look at how fast he climbs those rocks, his agility is to
be praised!
Dexterity is a term usually reserved for when
someone is good with their hands.
71 Devilish, demonic, diabolic, fiendish, infernal
(adjective)
Villains who hatch diabolic schemes in movies always meet
their match in the hero, but its not always the case in real life.

72 Dingy, murky, drab, seedy, dowdy (adjective) I dont want you walking in those murky alleys at night time
dear, they are not safe.

73 Discordant, cacophonous, clashing, dissonant,
incongruous (adjective)
The band said they could play music well, but it just ended up
being a cacophony and the noise was just too much to bear. I
wonder how they formed a band without having any musical
talent at all.
The root word 'phone' means sound.
74 Dormant, comatose, quiescent, latent, torpid
(adjective)
Even dormant volcanos are dangerous; no one really knows
when they might erupt again!

75 Ephemeral, evanescent (adjective)(temporary
existence) Fleeting, perfunctory, cursory
I caught a fleeting glance of someone through the train
window; I think it was my classmate!
The first two words define something to be
temporary. The last three words are used to
describe glances or inspection (visual)
76 Etiquette, civility, protocol, decorum (noun) Etiquette is a sign of civilized people; it is the boors who lack
civility.

77 Exuberant, ebullient, effervescent, vivacious,
exultant (adjective)
She has such an exuberant personality, it's so much fun to be
around her and there is never a dull moment.
Ex' - root word meaning 'outside'.
78 Fashionable, modish, vogue, contemporary,
trendy (adjective)
Movies and movie stars dictate trends nowadays, people just
follow whatever is in vogue at the current time.

79 Flirt (used for both sexes), coquette (female),
philanderer (male) (noun)
Such flirtatious behavior in the office cannot be excused.
Please take your personal interactions outside.

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80 Gaunt, emaciated, cadaverous, lanky, haggard
(adjective)
Christian Bale really gets into his roles physically, look at how
gaunt he was in The Machinist, and exactly opposite and well
built in The Batman movies.
The guy really is a great actor.
81 Grandiloquent, bombastic, melodramatic,
pompous, rhetorical (adjective)
She is so melodramatic, I'm sure any TV serial would love to
have her!
Attention seekers are usually attributed (given)
these adjectives.
82 Heretic, unorthodox, heterodox, iconoclast,
pagan (adjective)
Unorthodox ways of dealing with old religious beliefs can
sometimes be misinterpreted as heresy.

83 Hoodwink, cozen, deceive, dupe, hoax (verb)
Insidious, deceptive, treacherous, surreptitious,
furtive (adverb)
People who have fallen prey (come under attack) to illegal
money scheme con-men try to dupe other people to recover
their own money.

84 Impromptu, extemporized, offhand (adjective) Sometimes its better not to go prepared, an extemporized
speech from the heart can really move and affect your
audience. But dont make it a habit.
Ex-temp-oh-ree = Extempore, the adverb form.
85 Impregnable, impenetrable, invincible,
unconquerable (adjective)
Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the peak of his bodybuilding career
was invincible. He was so good that no one could dream of
defeating him at the time.

86 Lament, dirge, elegy, requiem (noun) A dirge is a song for the departed, an elegy to those who have
passed away.
Both mean the same thing. Be good in life so
when you die (yes, one day you will) someone
will proffer (give) a dirge at your funeral.
87 Melancholy, lugubrious, disconsolate,
despondent, somber, dejected, plaintive,
lamenting, doleful (adjective)
Why are you so melancholy? It's not the end of the world, it
was just a game! There is no need to get so disappointed over
one loss.

88 Paraphernalia, appurtenance, accessories (noun) What's with all the paraphernalia? We are just going hiking,
and you have come prepared as if you are going to war!
Geeks are usually associated with paraphernalia -
Gadgets that the normal person would not have
a need for nor even seen in their lifetimes.
89 Pestilence, blight, pandemic, plague, contagion,
epidemic (noun)
The viral fever epidemic threatened to wipe out the whole
population of the area, but luckily the blight moved on and did
not spread to the urban locations.

90 Pillage, depredation, marauding, plunder,
despoil, ransack, ravage, devastate (verb)
The Huns were raiders; they pillaged and plundered every
village they went through, leaving only death and destruction
behind.
Make something useless.
91 Prevaricate, tergiversate, equivocate, evasive,
elusive (adverb)
Don't be so evasive with me; I know how to get the truth out
of you.

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92 Profound, erudite, esoteric, recondite
(adjective)
Socrates made some really profound statements in his lifetime
like: "It is a shame for a man to die without seeing the strength
and beauty of which his body is capable!" - Makes me think.
Wise people (usually) make profound
statements. Not-so-wise people also do, but
rarely and without realizing it.
93 Suspicious, apprehensive, skeptical, dubious,
incredulous, wary (adverb)
They are always skeptical of new recruits, since their work
requires tremendous effort. Not many make it past the training
stage.

94 Sycophantic, flattering, servile (adjective) I hate people who are sycophantic, always buttering up people
in power so that they can get their own interests satisfied.
False people
95 Therapeutic, curative, salubrious (adjective) A massage is really therapeutic, so much stress builds up in our
bodies nowadays that we are seldom aware of.
Therapy = something that heals.
96 Virtuoso, maestro, prodigy (noun) To be able to play the violin so well at such a young age, I'm
sure she is a prodigy, a maestro in the making!
Prodigy is used for children usually, maestro for
someone who has become the best from
practice.
97 Voracious, ravenous, rapacious, insatiable, avid
(adjective)
Don't go on crash diets, they only increase your hunger till you
become so ravenous that you eat everything you see. That
defeats the whole point of dieting in the first place.