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Wordlist C-1
(cabal – cartographer)
cabal
•Small group of persons
secretly united to promote
their own interests
The police arrested a cabal who was planning
to plant bombs in the local trains to create
havoc among the innocent public.
cache
•Hiding place
Young Naomi had found a cache where she
could keep her beloved ribbons and buttons
which she loved collecting.
cacophonous
•Discordant
•Inharmonious
The neighbors had to tolerate the
cacophonous sounds of the new music band
when they practised.
cadaver
Corpse
A highly decomposed cadaver was discovered
in the house which was closed since a few
days.
cadaverous
•Like a corpse
•Pale
His cadaverous looks shocked the doctor so
much that he decided to keep him under
observation for a few days.
cadence
•Rhythmic rise and fall of
words or sounds
•Beat
The melodious cadence of the orchestra
acted as a lullaby to him and he fell sound
asleep.
cadge
•Beg
•Mooch
•Panhandle
Sam had to cadge a ride to his office as his car
broke down and had to be towed to the
garage.
cajole
•Coax
•Wheedle
It took a lot of cajoling to convince
Martha to join the night school so that
she could read and write.
calamity
•Disaster
•Misery
After the calamity struck the
countryside, a lot of destruction was
seen everywhere.
calculated
•Deliberately planned
•Likely
A businessman is expected to take
calculated risks to further his profits.
caldron
•Large kettle
Mrs. Wilson boiled the soup for the
party in a large caldron.
caliber
•Ability
•Capacity
One should never under-estimate
anyone’s caliber but should be tolerant
towards others’ capabilities.
calligraphy
•Beautiful writing
•Excellent penmanship
Scriptures are inscripted in beautiful
calligraphy on the monument.
callous
•Hardened
•Unfeeling
She was very hurt by his callous remarks
regarding her weight gain.
callow
•Youthful
•Immature
•Inexperienced
The callow treatment received at the
hospital left the patient permanently
disabled.
calorific
•Heat-producing
The high calorific diet made him regain
the lost weight in a short time, making
him fit again for the race.
calumny
•Malicious
misrepresentation
James was sentenced to one month imprisonment
when he was caught in his calumny, he had not left
town at the time of the burglary as he claimed.
camaraderie
•Good-fellowship
Despite strained relations, the
camaraderie between the children of
the two families was outstanding.
cameo
•Shell or jewel carved in relief
•Star’s special appearance in a
minor role in a film
The film was very successful, largely
owing to the fact that a superstar had
appeared in a cameo in the film.
camouflage
•Disguise
•Conceal
The uniforms of the soldiers are
designed to act as camouflage against
the terrain in which they are posted.
canard
•Unfounded rumour
A baseless canard was doing the rounds
that the popular leader had breathed his
last; he was hale and hearty in his home.
candor
•Frankness
With great candor, she accepted her
mistake and resolved to never repeat the
same.
canine
•Related to dogs
•Dog-like
As he loved dogs, he started a chain of
stores selling canine products.
canker
•Any ulcerous sore
•Any evil
The small wound, if treated on time,
would have not turned into a canker
now.
canny
•Shrewd
•Thrifty
Patrick’s canny ways irritated Fiona so
much that she decided to dissolve their
business partnership.
canon
•Collection or authoritative
list of books
There were one hundred books in the
author’s canon, some not even
published.
cant
•Pious phraseology
•Jargon of criminals
What he preached was pure cant,
without any logic or reasoning.
cantankerous
•ill-humored
•Irritable
Mr. Jones has become so cantankerous
with age that his neighbors avoid
meeting him.
cantata
•Story set to music
•To be sung by a chorus
Nora was going to perform in the
cantata and we all decided to watch the
performance.
canter
•Slow gallop
She has just started learning horse riding
and cannot control more than a canter.
capacity
•Mental or physical ability
•Role
•Ability to accommodate
The teacher realized that the student
lacked the capacity to grasp the lesson
quickly.
capillary
•Having a very fine bore
When he fell from a height, his
capillaries burst open leading to severe
bleeding.
capitulate
•Surrender
Despite his ill-health, he capitulated to
the demand of his children to eat out.
caprice
•Whim
Known for her fancy caprices, she was
ignored by her family and friends.
capricious
•Having sudden changes of
mood
Due to the capricious nature of weather in
the mountains, it becomes difficult to predict
what is going to happen the next moment.
caption
•Title
•Chapter heading
Usually, the captions are more amusing
than the cartoons they accompany.
captious
•Fault finding
Constructive criticism is always preferred
over a captious one.
carafe
•Glass water bottle
A carafe of fresh juice was kept on the
breakfast table.
carapace
•Shell covering the back
The carapace of the snail was damaged
when the children in the park threw
stones at it.
carat
•Unit of weight for precious
stones
•Measure of fineness of gold
Steve gifted 20-carat diamond earrings
to his fiancee on her birthday.
carcinogenic
•Causing cancer
The carcinogenic fumes from the atomic
plant caused havoc in the neighboring
areas.
cardinal
•Chief
The cardinal secret to a healthy and
happy life is positive thinking.
cardiologist
•Doctor specialising in
ailments of the heart
The visit to the cardiologist confirmed
the doubts that he was suffering from
blocked arteries.
careen
•Lurch
•Sway away from side to
side
It was obvious from the way Tim was
careening on the sidewalk that he was
drunk.
caricature
•Distortion
The political leader was very upset at her
caricature made by a cartoonist and got
him arrested.
carillon
•Set of bells capable of
being played
During the orchestra, Rimi was assigned
to play the carillon.
carnage
•Destruction of life
The minister visited the famine-struck
state and was distraught to see the
carnage.
carnal
•Fleshly
The carnal desires of a person come to
the fore front when he is under the
influence of alcohol.
carnivorous
•Meat-eating
The zoo keepers had a tough time controlling
the carnivorous animals as the meat supplier
could not come that day.
carousal
•Drunken revel
There was a carousal all over the country
when it won the world cup tournament.
carping
•Petty criticism
•Fault-finding
Her mother’s constant carping on her cooking
abilities annoyed Sara so much that she
decided to move out of the house.
carrion
•Rotting flesh of a dead
body
The flood-affected areas were strewn
with carrion, attracting vultures.
cartographer
•Map-maker
Being a cartographer, he needs to be
updated about any changes in the
boundaries between any two countries.
Wordlist C-2
(cascade – chauvinist)
cascade
•Small waterfall
While driving towards our holiday destination,
we came across a beautiful cascade among the
hills and decided to stop there for some time.
castigation
•Punishment
•Severe criticism
Tina knew that she had crossed her limits by
staying out for the whole night partying and
was ready for the castigation.
casualty
•Serious or fatal accident
Despite the severity of the accident,
thankfully there were no casualties.
cataclysm
•Deluge
•Upheaval
The family was devastated by the
financial cataclysm and declared
bankruptcy.
catalyst
•Agent that brings about a
chemical changes while it remains
unaffected and unchanged
Frederick acted as a catalyst in bridging the
differences between the two friends who had
stopped talking to each other since the last ten
years.
catapult
•Slingshot
•Hurling machine
The children harassed the passersby by
using catapults to hurl stones at them.
cataract
•Great waterfall
•Eye abnormality
The eye witness’ statement was considered null and
void as he suffered from cataract and hence could
not have seen the accused committing the crime.
catastrophe
•calamity
Freny was grateful that Jacob and their
children were together when the
catastrophe occurred.
catcall
•Shout of disapproval
•Boo
The cricket players are accustomed to
the catcalls received while playing badly.
categorical
•Without exceptions
•Unqualified
•Absolute
The new librarian had a tough job
arranging the books categorically, as the
library was unused since ages.
catharsis
•Purging or cleansing of any
passage of the body
Doctors claim that crying is a type of
catharsis, cleansing our internal system.
caucus
•Private meeting of
members of a party to select
officers or determine policy
A private caucus was arranged to discuss
the corrupt policies undertaken by the
Chairman.
causal
•Implying a cause-andeffect relationship
There is a causal relationship between
each and every event in our lives.
caustic
•Burning
•Sarcastically biting
The teacher’s caustic remarks about
Jim’s poor performance embarrassed
him immensely.
cauterize
•Burn with hot iron
A cauterized child was saved from the
clutches of a lunatic who had kidnapped
him.
caulk
•To make watertight (by
plugging seams)
Dorothy caulked the doors and windows
tightly as there was a forecast of a
violent cyclone.
cavalcade
•Procession
•Parade
A huge cavalcade followed the funeral of
the beloved superstar.
cavalier
•Casual and offhand
•Arrogant
The family was surprised to see the
cavalier manner in which the new bride
behaved in the royal presence.
cavil
•Make frivolous objections
James was irritated with the way Gina
caviled about his extravagant
expenditure.
cede
•Transfer
•Yield title to
After years of struggle, the British ceded the
authority to India and gave her
independence.
celerity
•Speed
•Rapidity
We had to admit him to the hospital
with celerity as he was bleeding
profusely.
celestial
•Heavenly
It was a spectacular sight to watch the
celestial bodies on a dark night.
celibate
•Abstaining from sexual
relationships
•Unmarried
They all respected and obeyed their celibate
leader who claimed to have attained spiritual
knowledge by abstinence.
censor
•Overseer of morals
•Person who eliminates
inappropriate matter
The censor board decides on the content to be
broadcast on television and restrict those which
are not for viewing with children or family.
censorious
•Critical
Her health is becoming censorious with
each passing day and some immediate
measures need to be taken.
censure
•Blame
•Criticize
When the child broke the antique vase at the
party, a look of censure from his mother was
enough for him to scamper away.
centaur
•Mythical figure, half man
and half horse
It was rumored that Mr. Jones turned
into a centaur on a full moon night and
went galloping to the nearby forest.
centigrade
•A widely used temperature
scale ( basically same as
Celsius)
The temperature in the city rose to 50
degrees centigrade in the summer,
leading to sunstrokes.
centrifugal
•Radiating
•Departing from the centre
The centrifugal force of the churning
machine helped in mixing the
ingredients of the ice-cream very well.
centripetal
•Tending towards the
centre
The centripetal force of the machine helped
in collecting the materials stuck to the sides
and blending them as well.
centurion
•Roman army officer
In his dream, he saw himself as a
centurion, brandishing his sword and
ready to fight for his country.
cerebral
•Pertaining to the brain or
intellect
Due to the accident, her cerebral hemisphere
has been permanently damaged, leading to
various health complications.
cerebration
•Thought
His cerebrations have been very popular
in the college campus, making him a
permanent fixture at all the parties.
ceremonious
•Marked by formality
The ceremonious dinner served at the
grand palace was an event to look
forward to.
certitude
•Certainty
As there is no certitude in life, one should
always be prepared to face the challenges
that come along with it.
cessation
•Stoppage
The factory workers threatened a
cessation of work if their demands were
not fulfilled.
cession
•Yielding to another
•Ceding
The enemy troops decided for a cession
as their food supplies and stock of arms
and ammunitions was depleting fast.
chafe
•Warm by rubbing
Due to severe cold, she became very
numb so her mother started chafing her
feet by rubbing warm oil.
chaff
•Worthless products of an
endeavour
For living a peaceful life, one should know how to
separate the grain from the chaff or take the good
experiences and move ahead, leaving behind bad
ones.
chaffing
•Bantering
•Joking
She got fed up of the constant chaffing
at the party and decided to leave early.
chagrin
•Vexation
•Disappointment
The fact that her friend was spending
more time with her room mate than her
added to her chagrin.
chalice
•Goblet
•Consecrated cup
The wine was served in an intricately
designed chalice.
chameleon
•Lizard that changes colour
in different situations
Her behavior pattern was as fast changing as
a chameleon, at some times friendly and
forthcoming, at others, aloof and rude.
champion
•Support militantly
The civilians needed a champion to put
up their suggestions to the ruling party
for a better administration.
chaotic
•In utter disorder
The wedding ceremony was completely chaotic, as
neither were there any proper arrangements for the
seating of guests nor sufficient food on the table.
charisma
•Divine gift
•Great popular charm or
appeal
Her feminine grace added to her
charisma and soon became the centre of
attention at the party.
charlatan
•Quack
•Pretender to knowledge
The people soon realized that George was just
a charlatan, pretending to know all about
astrology and the future.
chary
•Cautious
•Sparing or restrained
about giving
Remo was a little chary about admitting his
daughter to the nearby school as he had rumors
about its teachers beating the students there.
chase
•Ornament a metal surface
by indenting
The engravers were given the task of
chasing the gold seat ordered by a rich
industrialist.
chasm
•Abyss
The guards warned the tourists not to go
beyond a point as a deep chasm was
there.
chassis
•Framework and working
parts of an automobile
When he went to the garage to take his car
given for repairing, he discovered that its
chassis had been completely dismantled.
chaste
•Pure
Some religions require its followers to be so
chaste that they do not even touch meat,
forget about consuming it.
chasten
•Discipline
•Punish in order to correct
The parents strongly believed in
chastening their children, scolding them
in even trivial matters.
chastened
•Humbled
•Subdued
•Rebuked
Visibly chastened, Jim walked out of the
house to get some fresh air to clear his
thoughts.
chastise
•Punish
His mother chastised the child for
opening the door to a stranger in her
absence.
chauvinist
•Blindly devoted patriot
Mr. Clarence is such a chauvinist that he does
not even allow women to be in his presence
when he conducts a religious discourse.
Wordlist C-3
(cherubic – coeval)
cherubic
•Angelic
•Innocent looking
The small child’s cherubic face melted
the heart of the inn keeper and decided
to give the family a room for a short stay.
chicanery
•Trickery
•Deception
Tired of his ways of chicanery, they
decided to report to the police and got
him arrested.
chide
•Scold
The man chided the young beggar and
advised him to do some work to make a
living.
chimerical
•Fantastic
•Highly imaginative
The plot of the film was very chimerical,
making it an instant hit with children.
chisel
•Wedge-like tool for cutting
He made a beautiful statue with the help of a
chisel in a few minutes, much to the
amazement of the spectators.
chivalrous
•Courteous
•Faithful
•Brave
Jeremy was so chivalrous that he impressed
Mr. Arnold to such an extent that he readily
agreed to marry his daughter with him.
choleric
•Hot-tempered
Her choleric outburst offended Linda so
much that she decided to break their
friendship of many years.
choreography
•Art of dancing
Gina was always appreciated for her
choreography, so she decided to open a
dance school.
chortle
•Chuckle with delight
The old man chortled when he was
presented with a box of chocolates for
Christmas.
chronic
•Long established, as a
disease
He was suffering from a chronic back
pain, making him unable to perform
even regular chores.
chronicle
•Report
•Record ( in chronological
order)
They need to prepare a chronological
report of goods bought and sold and
present it for audit.
churlish
•Boorish
•Rude
His churlish behavior surprised everyone
as generally he was quite jovial and easygoing.
ciliated
•Having minute hairs
Horrified at the sight of a black, ciliated
insect on her bed, she screamed.
cipher
•No entity
•Worthless person or thing
Everyone treated him as a cipher,
ignoring whatever he said or did.
circlet
•Small ring
•Band
Having been gifted a gold circlet when
she was promised a diamond one,
disappointed her no end.
circuitous
•Roundabout
When Henry’s circuitous efforts to
broach the subject failed, he thought of
speaking about it directly.
circumlocution
•Indirect or roundabout
expression
The politician’s circumlocution bored the
audience, so it started throwing
tomatoes on him.
circumscribe
•Limit
•Confine
The movement of the civilians was
greatly circumscribed due to war like
situation.
circumspect
•Prudent
•Cautious
It is always advisable to be circumspect
by taking care of one’s belongings while
travelling.
circumvent
•Outwit
•Baffle
The conman circumvented the efforts of
the police to arrest him for months.
cistern
•Reservoir of water tank
The cistern was left uncovered by
mistake, leading to water getting
polluted by dust and dirt.
citadel
•Fortress
The ruler decided to build a strong
citadel to protect his kingdom.
cite
•Quote
•Commend
The teacher explained the lesson by
citing many examples to make it easy to
understand.
civil
•Courteous and polite
•Having to do with citizens
or the state
The host tried to be civil as possible to
the gatecrasher, but as it had no effect
on him he threw him out.
clairvoyant
•Having foresight
•Fortuneteller
The old lady was known for her
clairvoyant ways of predicting the
future.
clamber
•Climb by crawling
The thief clambered up the wall and
disappeared.
clamor
•Noise
The students clamored for a holiday to
see the football match from the principal
but to no avail.
clandestine
•Secret
The reporters came to know of a clandestine
meeting of the two actors and soon gathered
outside the restaurant for some pictures.
clangor
•Loud, resounding noise
The clangor of the church bells surprised
the villagers, so everyone gathered to
know the reason.
clapper
•Striker (tongue) of a bell
The father carried the child so that he
could reach the clapper of the temple
bell.
clarion
•Shrill, trumpet-like sound
The clarion irritated some of the
audience so much that it decided to walk
out of the auditorium.
claustrophobia
•Fear of being locked in
Stuck in the elevator, he became
terrified as he suffered from
claustrophobia.
clavicle
•Collarbone
In a road accident, she was badly injured
as she broke her clavicle.
cleave
•Split asunder
The murderer had cleaved the body into
small pieces and hence its identity could
not be ascertained.
cleft
•Split
The cleft in his chin made him look more
handsome.
clemency
•Disposition to be lenient
•Mildness, as of the
weather
The boarders begged for clemency from the
strict matron , as they had broken the rule of
returning back before midnight.
cliche
•Phrase culled in meaning
by repetition
His expressions of love were too cliche
and she soon got bored of him.
clientele
•Body of customers
She is a renowned therapist, her clientele
includes actors, doctors and
industrialists.
climactic
•Relating to the highest
point
He was very tensed as he watched the
climactic end of the football match.
clime
•Region
•Climate
As they lived in colder climes now, the
children continuously suffered from
cough and cold.
clique
•Small, exclusive group
A clique of musicians was going to
perform at the gala wedding.
cloister
•Monastery or convent
The flood-affected people were given
shelter in the cloister.
clout
•Great influence (especially
political or social)
The minister’s son was soon pardoned
by the judge because of his clout.
cloying
•Distasteful (because of excessive)
•Excessively sweet or sentimental
Her cloying sweetness annoyed him
immensely.
coagulate
•Thicken
•Clot
The custard had coagulated to such an
extent that it spoiled the taste.
coalesce
•Combine
•Fuse
All the employees decided to coalesce
their efforts to protest against the cut in
the salaries.
coalition
•Partnership
•League
•Union
To fight against terrorism, a coalition of
the affected nations is vital.
coda
•Concluding section of a
musical or literary
composition
The pianist ended the performance with
a breath -taking coda.
coddle
•Treat gently
•Pamper
Although she was a single mother, she
coddled her children too much.
codicill
•Supplement to the body of
a will
As he wanted to change his will, a
codicill was added to it.
codify
•Arrange (laws, rules) as a
code
•classify
It took her a week to codify the
documents required for submission in
the court.
coercion
•Use of force
The police compelled the youth at the party
to leave by coercion, as the neighbors had
complained about too much noise.
coeval
•Living at the same time as
•Contemporary
He was interested in learning about the
unknown leaders coeval with Nixon.
Wordlist C-4
(cog – compute)
cog
•Tooth projecting from a
wheel
The bullock cart toppled over due to a
cog in the wheel.
cogent
•Convincing
She gave many cogent reasons to marry
David and not Peter.
cogitate
•Think over
The board of directors met to cogitate
over the matter.
cognate
•Related linguistically
•Allied by blood
By studying different language forms, it
becomes evident that many words are
cognate to each other.
cognitive
•Having to do with knowing
or perceiving related to the
mental processes
Being a professor of Analytical
Reasoning, he is well known for his
cognitive skills.
cognizance
• knowledge
• awareness
Having cognizance of the fact that there
is no hot water supply, he bought the
apartment.
cohabit
• live together
The couples who cohabit happily before
marriage find it difficult to tolerate each
other after tying the knot.
cohere
• stick together
As the facts presented in the court did
not cohere, the judge dismissed the
case.
cohesion
• tendency to keep together
To get hold of their property, the conman
decided to break the cohesion between
the two brothers.
cohorts
• armed band
Alexander and his cohorts invaded the
country and plundered many towns and
cities.
coiffure
• hairstyle
The coiffure of the film and sports celebrities
are followed blindly throughout the world,
whether the style suits an individual or not.
coin
• make coins
• invent or fabricate
It is not known when the phrase ‘necessity is
the mother of invention’ coined, but it still
holds true in our daily lives.
coincident
• occurring at the same
time
The estranged couple planned the strategy so
well that one’s entry into a party was
coincident with the other’s exit.
colander
• utensil with perforated
bottom used for straining
Mrs. Higgins uses a colander to strain
the rice and vegetables after boiling.
collaborate
•Work together
The two companies decided to collaborate on
the ambitious project of providing free
education to the under-privileged children.
collage
• work of art put together
from fragments
They decided to gift a collage of old
photographs to Jane on her 60th
birthday.
collate
• examine to verify
• arrange in order
At the time of voting, the voter’s
documents are collated with the
government records to avoid fake voting.
collateral
• security given for loan
He decided to offer his big house as a
collateral to the bank against the huge
loan to cover his business losses.
collation
• a light meal
A collation consisting of tea and biscuits
was arranged for in the meeting.
colloquial
• pertaining to common
speech
The language used in the legal
documents should not be colloquial, but
should include various legal terms.
colloquy
• informal discussion
Though a colloquy is already conducted,
a formal discussion regarding the matter
is still pending.
collusion
• conspiring in a fraudulent
scheme
When the salesman tried hard to convince the
lady to invest in a particular scheme , she sensed
a collusion and decided to stay away from it.
colossal
• huge
The house he took her to was colossal
and had hundreds of rooms.
colossus
• gigantic statue
The sculpture installed at the crossroads
was a colossus, beautifully made from
bronze and steel.
comatose
•In a coma
•Extremely sleepy
After the severe accident, Gina has been
comatose since the last few weeks and
said to be critical.
combustible
• easily burned
The children were advised to play far
from the van which was carrying
combustible matter.
comely
• attractive
•agreeable
It was difficult to believe that the clumsy
child actor with buck teeth had grown up
to be a comely young lady.
comestible
• something fit to be eaten
As soon as the party began, the waiters
started pouring in with trays laden with a
variety of comestibles.
comeuppance
• rebuke
The warden of the hostel gave a severe
comeuppance to the students who had thrown their
food in the dustbin as they had already eaten out.
comity
• courtesy
The comity of the hosts was so
appreciated by the guests that they were
talked about for days on end.
commandeer
• to draft for military
purpose
• to take for public use
Young boys and men were asked to appear for
a physical test so that the fit ones were
commandeered for the impending war.
commemorative
• remembering
• honoring
A commemorative ceremony was
conducted in honor of the victims of the
train mishap.
commensurate
• proportionate
The slum dwellers wanted a commensurate living
accommodation in exchange of their land on which
the builder wanted to build a shopping mall.
commiserate
• feel or express pity or
sympathy for
All the friends came together to
commiserate with the grieving family.
compatible
• harmonious
• in harmony with
He wanted to marry not just a beautiful
woman but also one who is compatible
with him.
compelling
• overpowering
• irresistible in effect
The desire to eat the cake was so
compelling that she could not resist
herself, in spite of following a strict diet.
compendium
• brief, comprehensive
summary
The professor decided to write a compendium of the
numerous reference books assigned to the students,
so that they could easily read the brief matter for
their tests.
compensatory
• making up for
• repaying
As a compensatory gift for forgetting their
anniversary, Lynn decided to gift her a
diamond necklace.
compilation
• listing of statistical
information in tabular or
book form
The compilation of marks obtained in the
tests is just one of the many tasks of a
teacher.
compile
• assemble
• accumulate
She decided to compile mathematical
formulae for her son so that he could
overcome his inefficiency in that subject.
complacency
• self-satisfaction
When a student attains a certain level of success,
complacency sets in, making him ignore the
studies altogether leading to a downfall.
complaisant
• trying to please
• extra polite
His complaisant behavior surprised her
as normally he was quite rude and
offhand.
complement
• complete
• make perfect
The hat and the jacket he wore
complemented his look of a cowboy.
complementary
• serving to complete
something
The two business partners are complementary
to each other, one being good in sales and the
other in production.
compliance
• readiness to yield
In compliance with the rules of the family, Henry
was gifted a beautiful car for having acquired the
degree of business management.
comport
• behave
The way the children comported
themselves in front of the guests made
their parents feel proud of them.
complicity
• participation
• involvement
The manager suspected Derek of
complicity in the recent theft.
component
• element
• ingredient
The main components of a happy family
life are love, care and compatibility
between its members.
composure
• mental calmness
Despite the grave tragedy, the young
child maintained her composure and
informed the police about the incident.
compound
• combine
• increase
The fact that he had lied about his
father’s death compounded the crime of
the burglary.
comprehensive
• thorough
• inclusive
He has made a comprehensive account
of his journey to the Himalayas.
compress
• close
• contract
•squeeze
They decided to compress the
documents into a zip file before
downloading from the internet.
comprise
• includes
• consists of
The high school fees comprise of the
charges for bus, food, books and
uniforms.
compromise
• adjust
• endanger the interests or
reputation of
Though her life had been full of many
compromises, she always displayed a
happy and positive outlook towards life.
compunction
• remorse
Though he had massacred hundreds of
innocent people, he did not show even a
trace of compunction for his deed.
compute
• calculate
After computing the costs, they realized
that they would not be able to afford the
vacation and cancelled it.
Wordlist C-5
(concatenate – conspiracy)
concatenate
• link
They decided to concatenate their name
to the adopted child along with the
name of its biological parents.
concave
• hollow
Concave mirrors are used in car
headlights to concentrate the lights
ahead at one point.
concede
• admit
• yield
The father decided not to concede to the
demands of his children, of buying them
a big car each.
conceit
• too much pride in oneself
Simon is so conceited that he keeps on
checking himself in the mirrors too
often.
concentric
• having a common centre
The children were required to draw concentric ovals
to depict the orbits of the planets as they revolve
around the sun.
conception
• beginning
• forming of an idea
The conception of a book store with coffee bar
was brewing in her mind since ages but due to
lack of funds, it could not be implemented.
concerted
• mutually agreed on
• done together
The Labor Union members held a
meeting to draft a concerted proposal
and sent it to the management.
concession
• an act of yielding
Due to protests and rallies throughout the country,
the Government decided to provide concession to
the heavy increase in the price of petrol and diesel.
conciliatory
• reconciling
• soothing
Her sudden, conciliatory manner
confused him and made him distrust her
all the more strongly.
concise
• brief
• compact
She was advised to write a clear and
concise essay for publishing in the
newspaper.
conclave
• private meeting
He decided to be present at the family
conclave, though he was not invited.
conclusive
• decisive
Though the police doubted the friend for the
murder, it was not able to find any conclusive
evidence to accuse and arrest him.
concoct
• prepare by combining
Through sheer genius, she concocted a
marvelous cocktail which was liked by
every one.
concomitant
• that which accompanies
It is generally believed that blurred vision
and aching joints are concomitants of
old age.
concord
• harmony
As they were partners in the same
business, the two friends failed to stay in
concord.
concur
• agree
They decided to get a divorce as they
could not concur with each other on any
matter whatsoever.
concurrent
• happening at the same
time
Diane decided to dissolve her business partnership
with Michelle, as concurrently she was planning to
launch another business venture.
condescend
• bestow courtesies with a
superior air
The superstar reluctantly condescended to
meet his fans who were waiting outside his
house, in the rains.
condign
• appropriate
• deserved
There was a public outrage to take
condign action against the terrorist.
condiment
• food seasoning
After sampling the food, she found it
tasteless and decided to add some
condiments to the dish.
condole
• express sympathy
Though Jim had gone to condole with the
family, he ended up picking up a fight
there.
conducive
• helpful
The author decided to stay in the hills for a
few more days as the peaceful atmosphere
was conducive for writing a novel.
conduit
• passage for fluids
He acted as a conduit between both the
warring families at the time of a social
gathering.
confidant
• trusted friend
Jim was a close confidant of Henry as he
always shared his secrets with him.
confine
• shut in
• restrict
The police has confined him to his own
house as there is a threat to his life.
confiscate
• seize
The teacher decided to confiscate a
student’s cell phone as it was not
allowed on the school premises.
conflagration
• great fire
The conflagration started due to faulty
electric wiring of the factory.
conflate
• fuse
• combine into one
The beautiful Taj Mahal conflates the
Persian and the Indian styles of
architecture.
confluence
• flowing together
• crowd
At the seminar, confluence of new ideas
and thoughts helped in addressing the
current emergency in the society.
conformity
• harmony
• agreement
There was no conformity between the
decisions of the two business partners,
leading to a rift between them.
confound
• confuse
• puzzle
Initially, the police was confounded about the
identity of the killer as there were no clues but after
discovering a visiting card on the site, it could arrest
him.
congenial
• pleasant
• friendly
His congeniality was misunderstood by
most of his colleagues and was thus
ignored at all social events.
congenital
• existing at the time of
birth
The child had a congenital black mark on
his foot.
conglomeration
• something consisting of a
number of different and
distinct things
The conglomeration of various religious
leaders and their unique ideas may lead to a
peaceful environment in the whole world.
congruence
• harmonious relationship
Congruence of ideas is essential for any
communal project to be successful.
congruent
• in agreement
• corresponding
If the likes and dislikes of a married couple
are not congruent with each other, discord
and dissatisfaction may arise.
conifer
• pine tree
• cone-bearing tree
Beautiful conifers could be seen on the
mountain slopes.
conjecture
• guess
It was by sheer conjecture that she
accused him of the theft, but her guess
proved to be right.
conjugal
• pertaining to marriage
They decided to part ways as their
conjugal relationship had turned sour.
conjure
• imagine
• invent
He has conjured up an excuse for not
attending the wedding party.
connivance
• assistance in doing
something wrong
The detective suspected Jim of
connivance with the culprit in
committing the crime.
connoisseur
• person competent to act
as a judge of art etc
He has a keen eye for detailing and is
considered a connoisseur in the field of
art.
connotation
• suggested meaning of an
expression
Though she kept a straight face while
talking to him, the hidden connotations
in her speech were not lost on him.
connubial
• pertaining to marriage
Their blissful connubial relationship was
known to all, so the sudden announcement of
separation came as a surprise.
consanguinity
• kinship
All the boys sharing the same apartment
lived in complete harmony and
consanguinity.
conscientious
• careful
She was such a conscientious woman
that a slight act of misbehavior would
also seem gigantic to her.
conscript
• person forced into military
service
As most of the army was filled with
conscripts, patriotism and love for the
country were rare to be found.
consecrate
• dedicate
• sanctify
The noble act of inaugurating the scheme
of free education for poor people was
consecrated to their religious leader.
consensus
• general agreement
There was a common consensus among
the jury about giving the harshest
punishment to the criminal.
consequential
• pompous
• self- important
The politician had such a consequential
air about him that he was instantly
disliked by the common man.
conservatory
• school of fine arts ( music,
drama etc.)
The government allotted a huge piece of land
to build a conservatory to promote
traditional form of art and culture.
consign
• deliver officially
• entrust
The manager consigned the task of depositing
the cash into the bank to Keith who had
recently joined the firm.
consistency
• uniformity
• absence of contradictions
A consistency in quality is essential for
the long term success of any goods or
services.
console
• give comfort
After his mother consoled him, the child
stopped crying and soon forgot his
injury.
consolidation
• unification
The consolidation of three smaller companies into
one bigger one made everyone wonder whether it
would lead to a situation like monopoly.
consonance
• harmony
• agreement
She was very amazed at the fact that all
circumstances seemed to be in consonance
with her decision to move to another country.
consort
• husband or wife
• associate with
The witness testified in the court that he
had seen the accused consort with the
victim in a party.
conspiracy
• treacherous plot
The police got the information that a
conspiracy was being hatched to
overthrow the government.
Wordlist
C-6
(constituent-corrugated)
constituent
• supporter
The constituents of the ruling party were
disappointed in the government as it could
not control soaring prices of daily necessities.
constraint
• compulsion
• repression of feelings
Too many constraints were laid down by
her parents which made her do justice to
her job difficult.
construe
• explain
• interpret
Whatever the professor teaches is
construed differently by different
students.
consummate
• complete
• extremely skilled
Being a consummate actor, he generally
receives an award for his acting skills
every year.
contagion
• infection
Despite proper care and vaccination, the
dog had caught a contagion and needed
proper treatment.
contaminate
• pollute
Due to drinking contaminated water for
weeks, the people in the locality started
falling sick and were soon hospitalized.
contempt
• scorn
Diane looked with contempt at her small
child covered with mud and dirt and
refused to clean her.
contentious
• quarrelsome
The members of the club became so
contentious at the annual meeting that
it was decided to end it immediately.
context
• circumstances surrounding an
event
• parts that come before and after a
text to make the meaning clearer
He did not understand the context in
which the piece of news was being
broadcast on television.
contiguous
• adjacent to
• touching upon
The people were asked to stand contiguous to the
office walls to save themselves from the stones being
pelted at the windows from outside by the workers’
union.
continence
• self-restraint
• sexual chastity
The saint was well known for his continence
as he lived on a frugal diet of fruit and stayed
away from any form of comfort or luxury.
contingent
• conditional
• dependent on
Their trip to the mountains was
contingent on the children’s holiday and
exams schedule.
contortions
• distortions
• twistings
If facial contortions are termed as acting
than surely she is a very good actress.
contraband
• illegal trade
• smuggling
Jerry was accused of dealing with
contraband electronic goods and was
arrested.
contravene
• contradict
• oppose
They had decided to see a movie that
afternoon but the weather contravened
and they had to cancel their outing.
contrite
• sorry for something one
has done
• repentant
She was extremely contrite about the
crime she had committed by helping the
accused in the murder.
contrived
• artificial
• not spontaneous
He spoke in a contrived manner making
us wonder if he had prepared the
answer beforehand.
controvert
• contradict
• oppose with arguments
He controverted our belief that he would
always remain trustworthy and reliable.
contumacious
• disobedient
• resisting authority
He has been contumacious since childhood
and even after making serious blunders, he
refuses to take anyone’s advice.
contend
• surrender
• waive
•resign
She contended to the wishes of her
children and baked them some cookies
in the middle of the night.
contention
• claim
• thesis
It was his contention that he had seen
aliens disembark from a spaceship in the
nearby forest.
contusion
• bruise
Despite the severe accident, mercifully
she was left with just some contusions.
conundrum
• riddle
• difficult problem
It was difficult to understand Tim as he
always spoke in conundrums to confuse
us.
convene
• assemble
Scientists from all across the world convened at the
summit to discuss the hazards of environmental
pollution and how to control them.
conventional
•Ordinary
•Typical
The conventional methods of extracting
metals from their ores are still practised
in some countries.
convention
•Social or moral custom
•Established practice
The convention of leaving the paternal home by
newly wed brides and moving into the bridegroom’s
house has become obsolete and should be changed.
converge
•Tend to come together at a
point
All the well known authors, poets and
journalists converged at the recently
held literary summit.
conversant
•Familiar with
Being well conversant with cooking, it was
not difficult for Pam to rustle up a quick
dinner for her friends.
converse
•Opposite
Generally, it becomes difficult for friends
with converse attitudes to stick together
for long.
convert
•One who has adopted a
different religion or opinion
After becoming a convert, it was not
easy for him to continue having the
same social friends.
convex
•Curving outward
Convex lenses are generally used in
manufacturing magnifying glasses.
conveyance
•Vehicle
•Transfer
Free conveyance was provided for the
guests to travel to the remote party
venue.
conviction
• Judgement that someone
is guilty of a crime
• Strongly held belief
He firmly held the conviction that he was the
best doctor in the whole town, in spite of a
rapid decrease in the number of his patients.
convivial
• Festive
• Characterized by joviality
Everyone was in a convivial mood and
easily forgave Gerald for his misbehavior.
convoke
•Call together
Musicians and singers from the two rival
countries are to convoke at the music fest as
a gesture of peace towards each other.
convoluted
•Coiled around
•Involved
•Intricate
The arguments presented in the courtroom
were so convoluted that it became difficult
for the jury to come to any decision.
copious
•Plentiful
He was unmoved by her copious tears
and walked out of the room.
coquette
•Flirt
Being blamed as a coquette, she was
always scorned by the ladies at social
gatherings.
cordial
•Gracious
•Heartfelt
The cordial welcome by the host
warmed the hearts of the guests and
were immediately put to ease.
cordon
•Extended line of men or
fortifications to prevent
access
It was difficult for a common man to break the
human cordon around the President to
express his woes.
cornice
•Projecting molding on
building (usually above
columns)
The ancient monument was famous for its
beautiful architecture, especially the
intricately carved cornices.
cornucopia
•Overflowing with fruit and
grain
•Symbol of abundance
His share of cornucopia was full, as he
was termed as the youngest billionaire in
the whole world.
corollary
•Consequence
•Accompaniment
The corollary drawn by the director on the basis of
Larry’s poor performance was not accurate, as he
had recently suffered from a bout of pneumonia and
was not fit.
corporeal
•Bodily
•Material
The twin brothers were sentenced to fourteen
years of corporeal punishment for the
massacre of innocent school children.
corpulent
•Very fat
The corpulent neighbor was very kind
and always helpful at the time of a crisis.
correlation
•Mutual relationship
There was no correlation between the
two crimes yet the police kept on
comparing both of them.
corroborate
•Confirm
The news of the impending hurricane
was corroborated by the Prime Minister
on television.
corrode
•Destroy by chemical action
The tracks of the train were corroded to
such an extent that it led to a massive
accident.
corrosive
•Eating away by chemicals
or disease
The corrosive nature of certain
chemicals make them useful for making
cleaning agents.
corrugated
•Wrinkled
•Ridged
The huts in the village were covered with
corrugated roofs.
Wordlist
C-7
(cosmic-cynosure)
cosmic
•Pertaining to the universe
•Vast
The cosmic changes in the environment
have led to imbalances in the planet’s
weather.
coterie
•Group that meets socially
•Select circle
The well known actor always travelled
and partied with his coterie of a few
friends and relatives.
countenance
•Approve
•Tolerate
•Face
A feeling of pride was evident on the
countenances of the parents when their children
participated in the dance competition.
countermand
•Cancel
•Revoke
Their plan for a vacation was
countermanded by the sudden death of
a close relative.
counterpart
•A thing that completes
another
•Things very much alike
The Prime Minister had a meeting with
his counterpart of the warring country
for peace talks.
coup
•Highly successful action
•Sudden attack
The coup to evacuate the hostages from the
hijacked plane was successfully led by the
Intelligence Department.
couple
•Join
•Unite
Beauty coupled with brains has always
been an attractive attribute of a woman
to win a beauty contest.
courier
•Messenger
The urgent documents were sent by
courier to the client company.
covenant
•Agreement
The director of the company made him
sign a covenant stating that he could not
quit the job for the next five years.
covert
•Secret
•Hidden
•Implied
The terrorists had used covert tactics to
enter the country and spread panic
among its citizens.
covetous
•Avaricious
•Eagerly desirous of
The more she refused his advances, the
more he became covetous of her.
cow
•Terrorize
•Intimidate
When he came up with any suggestions,
he was always cowed down by his
superiors.
cower
•Shrink quivering, as if from
fear
The frightened child cowered in a corner
of the room where the crime was
committed.
coy
•Shy
•Modest
•Coquettish
Her coy nature attracted Remo, making
him propose to her.
cozen
•Cheat
•Hoodwink
•Swindle
James, known to cozen people out of
their savings, was arrested yesterday.
crabbed
•Sour
•Peevish
Her crabbed mood swings made her
highly unpopular in the social circuit.
crass
•Very unrefined
•Grossly insensible
His crass behavior, disregarding the
presence of women, shocked the men at
the party.
craven
•cowardly
His craven attitude of never standing up
for his rights made him suffer
throughout his life.
credence
• belief
The immense credence she placed in her
friend was shattered when she heard of
his betrayal.
credo
• creed
His credo in life to live life as it comes
has helped him overcome the grief of
losing his only child to an accident.
credulity
• belief on slight evidence
The trend of distorting spellings of
business establishments attacks on the
credulity of young children.
creed
• system of religious belief
He preferred making friends of his own
creed and hesitated in mingling with
people of other beliefs.
crescendo
• increase in intensity
• climax
The musical concert led to a crescendo
before the grand finale.
crestfallen
• dejected
• dispirited
He was crestfallen when he discovered
that his business partner had been
cheating him since many years.
crevice
• crack
• fissure
Many crevices were reported in the new
apartment building before it collapsed.
cringe
• shrink, as if in fear
The small child cringed in fear and hid
under a table when the earthquake
occurred.
criteria
• standards used in judging
The criteria for judging the answers are
well-kept secrets, especially in
competitive exams.
crone
• hag
The young criminal fooled the police by
changing into a disguise of an old crone and
limped his way out through tight security.
crotchety
• eccentric
• whimsical
The crotchety professor gave a large
assignment to be completed in one day.
crux
• crucial point
The directors realized that the crux of the
matter of less productivity was the low
salaries of their employees.
crypt
•Secret recess or vault
usually used for burial
The archaeologists found a crypt inside
the ruins of the palace of a 16th century
ruler.
cryptic
•Mysterious
•Hidden
•Secret
The cryptic messages left at the site of
the serial murders confused the police.
cubicle
•Small chamber used for
sleeping
Valerie was tired of living in a cubicle for years
and desperately wanted to live in the palatial
house of her parents.
cuisine
•Style of cooking
Thai cuisine boasts of rice and curries
flavored with coconut.
culinary
•Related to cooking
Her culinary skills were well known in the
family and it was no surprise when she stood
first in a cooking competition in the state.
cull
•Pick out
•Reject
At the time of the war of independence,
many leaders were culled and
imprisoned.
culmination
•Attainment of highest
point
His recent success at the box office, breaking
all previous records can be termed as the
culmination of his acting career.
culpable
•Deserving blame
The accomplices in the crime are equally
culpable and should be punished
severely.
culvert
•Artificial channel for water
A culvert was constructed to drain away
excess water from the garden in times of
rains.
cumbersome
•Heavy
•Hard to manage
The use of computers has eased the
cumbersome task of maintaining
records on paper files.
cumulative
•Growing by addition
To gain any knowledge is a cumulative process,
slowly and gradually the small bits of information
keep on adding to the overall understanding of a
subject.
cupidity
• greed
The cupidity of the industrialist could not be
satisfied easily so he decided to halve the
salaries of his employees to gain more profit.
curator
•Superintendent
•Manager
The curator of the museum was deeply
upset due to the irresponsible behavior
by a visitor.
curmudgeon
•Churlish, miserly person
Though Mrs. Gomes is well known as a
curmudgeon, she distributed cupcakes to all
the children in the locality on Christmas.
cursive
•Flowing
•Running
He could not easily understand the cursive
writing in the letter and had to take help from
his friend to read it.
cursory
•Casual
•Hastily done
After giving a cursory glance at her, he
left the party.
curtail
•Shorten
•Reduce
As his salary has been reduced to half, he
asked his wife to curtail the expenses.
cynical
•Skeptical or distrustful of
human motives
His cynical mind did not allow him to
trust the salesman and his offer of a
heavily discounted product.
cynosure
•Object of general attention
The beautiful and elegant Jemima was
the cynosure of all eyes at the party.