PT’s Vocabulary Development Course

Session 3 – Content file

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Shabdkosh – the lexicon

ALLURE Verb & Noun ALMS Noun
to try and attract in a powerful manner; attraction relief given to the poor out of pity, charity, dole,
Syn. appeal, seduce, beguile, enchant; appeal, offering
seduction, beguilement, enchantment Syn. contribution, subscription
Ant.repulse, revulse; repulsion, revulsion The present Indian government does not believe in
The Chinese have tried to allure many regimes through giving alms to the needy; it believes in capacity
investment promises, to ensure a global footprint. creation and targeted delivery of benefits.

ALLY Noun ALOOF Adjective

one who is a partner or friend or an associate when someone is not too warm towards others
Syn. helper, supporter, assistant Syn. distant, detached, cold, remote, reserved,
Ant. opponent, adversary, foe, rival conservative, indifferent, uninterested
During World War II, the allied forces were able to Ant. friendly, gracious, responsive
prevail over the axis forces. Trump may try to keep America aloof from the world
but that does not change the fact that globalization is
ALMA MATER Noun here to stay.
school or college from where one graduated, fostering
mother ALTAR Noun
IIT Bombay has been lucky that its alumni have been a table for making sacrifices or religious offerings,
generous towards funding the various new initiatives table used for communion in churches
of their alma mater. Many an ambition has died at the altar of social
taboo.
ALTERCATION Noun AMALGAMATE Verb
a heated dispute or quarrel to mix different elements into one whole
Syn. brawl, ruckus, melee, fracas, fight, spat, Syn. integrate, incorporate, unify, coalesce, meld
dissention Ant. separate, detach, break apart, split, sunder
Ant. safeguarding, defense, friendliness, support Mergers and amalgamations are frequent in the IT
The seemingly innocuous altercations over visas being sector, especially when a new challenger comes up.
granted to Indians turned into a full-fledged
government policy action. AMASS Verb
to gather in great quantities, collect
ALTRUISM Noun Syn. heap, pile, rake, hoard
unselfish concern for others' welfare Ant. dole out, allocate, supply
Syn. compassion, benevolence, humanitarianism Mankind has amassed great material comforts, and
Ant. selfishness, malevolence, greed, rapacity nature is planning to strike back soon.
Altruism is always superior to philanthropy as it is
driven by a genuine desire to do good to others. AMATEUR (AMETUR) Noun
an enthusiast or admirer, nonprofessional
ALTIMETER Noun Syn. beginner, dabbler, dilettante, tinkerer, layman
an instrument for measuring height (altitude) Ant. professional, specialist, skilled, ace, deft, gifted
An altimeter in an aircraft shows height above sea or The eagle eye of the coach turned the amateur into a
ground level. virtuoso.

ALUMNA Noun AMAZEMENT Noun

a female graduate of a college or school (plural – astonishment, stupefaction, surprise, wonder,
alumnae) [Male – alumnus] consternation (AMAZE Verb)
Mrs.Indira Gandhi was the alumna of Shantiniketan. Syn. wonder, admiration, shock
The amazement felt by Europeans when they first
ALUMNUS Noun landed in India soon turned to envy, and then hatred.
a male graduate of a college (plural – alumni)
Microsoft’s chief SatyaNadella is an alumnus of
Manipal Institute of Technology.
AMAZON Noun AMBLE Noun, Verb
a tall, strong masculine woman, female warrior an easy gait, a leisurely walk
Syn. stream, masculine Syn. saunter, linger, drift
An Amazon is a member of a legendary race of female Even in her amble, she looks intelligent.
warriors in Scythia and elsewhere.
AMBROSIA Noun
AMBIDEXTROUS Adjective food of the Greek gods that provided immortal youth
able to use both hands equally well and beauty, anything sweet and pleasing
The ambidextrous worker was able to handle multiple Syn. delicacy, nectar, perfume
tasks simultaneously. The sudden funds that arrived from the venture fund
for the startup felt like ambrosia.
AMBIENT Adjective
surrounding (AMBIENCE Noun) AMBULATORY Adjective
Syn. encompassing, enveloping able to walk, not bedridden
The ambience in the IT company gradually turned sour Syn. mobile, able to move around
as rupee kept appreciating! Ant. frozen, handicapped, stuck
The sheer of joy being ambulatory can never be
AMBIGUOUS Adjective appreciated until one is bedridden.
uncertain, subject to multiple interpretations
Syn. ambivalent, enigmatic, paradoxical, abstruse AMBUSHNoun,Verb
Ant. unambiguous, clear, transparent, lucid lying in wait to finally attack by surprise
A lot of government funds are left unused due to Syn. hold-up, stake-out, trap, raid, storm
ambiguous planning and directives. Thousands of American soldiers were ambushed by
guerillas in the Vietnam war.
AMBIVALENCE Noun Shivaji was a master of ambushing the enemy in hilly
attitude of uncertainty, conflicting emotions terrains of the Deccan region.
Syn. equivocation, indecision, evasion, dodging
Ant. certainty, decisiveness, clarity
The government’s ambivalence over nuclear power
plants was deterring future investments.
AMELIORATE Verb AMENITY Noun
to make a situation better pleasantness, something that increases comfort
Syn. rectify, mend, improve Syn. convenience, advantage
Ant. worsen, leave something untended Ant. inconvenience, unpleasantness
The peace mission was able to ameliorate the violent The kidnapped victim was happy to regain access to
condition prevailing in the valley. the amenities of civilised society after spending several
months in the jungle.
AMENABLE Adjective
when someone is open to new ideas/suggestions AMIABLE Adjective
Syn. compliant, acquiescent, agreeable, cooperative friendly, pleasant, likable
Ant. uncooperative, wild, insurgent, revolutionary Syn. affable, agreeable, genial, gregarious, hospitable
The Nazi regime was not amenable to reason or logic, Ant. unfriendly, disagreeable, hostile, aggressive
and that proved to be its nemesis. The amiable approach of the Yoga guru won him
devotees, and customers as well!
AMEND Verb
to improve or correct flaws in (Noun : amendment) AMICABLE Adjective
Syn. modify, correct, adapt, rework, emend friendly, agreeable
That the government should amend the tax system in Syn. amiable, likable
India was a longstanding demand, finally fulfilled Ant. unfriendly, disagreeable
through the GST regime. It is important to understand that no nation can push
through its plans and dreams without an amicable
AMENITIES Noun attitude.
convenient features, courtesies
Syn. facilities, services AMITY Noun
They have all amenities for the business traveller in a feeling or situation of friendship between people
the hotel’s business centre. Syn. accord, concord, harmony
Ant. animosity, enmity
The United Nations was established to nurture amity
between the nations of the world.
AMNESIA Noun AMOROUS Adjective
loss of memory (amnesiac – one who suffers from strongly attracted to love; showing love
amnesia) Syn. amatory, ardent, erotic, passionate, affectionate
Syn. forgetfulness Ant. unloving, cold, distant, aloof
Every time I request for repayment of loan, he feigns The poet wrote many amorous poems about his love.
amnesia.
AMORPHOUS Adjective
AMNESTY Noun having no definite form or structure
a general pardon, a period during which offenders are Syn. formless, structureless, nebulous, indefinite
exempted from punishment Ant. shaped, definite, concrete, distinct
Syn. exoneration, reprieve, respite The seemingly amorphous nature of quantum
Ant. punishment, imprisonment computing can confuse many students.
On Independence Day many prisoners are regularly
granted amnesty. AMORTISE Verb (AMORTISATION Noun)
to reduce debt by paying small regular amounts
AMOK, AMUCK Adverb The NPAs of Indian banking system have gone way
in a violently raging manner beyond what amortization can hope to resolve.
In the movie, a deadly virus runs amok and threatens
the survival of mankind. AMPHIBIAN Adjective
creature equally at home on land or in water
AMORAL Adjective The frog is the most common, of the known 7000
something not anchored in morality species of amphibians.
Syn. unscrupulous, without standard, unprincipled,
unethical AMPLE Adjective
Ant. principled, moral abundant, plentiful
The preacher was very agitated about the amoral Syn. enough, sufficient, adequate, plentiful, galore
nature of modern values. Ant. insufficient, meager, skimpy, sparse, pathetic
Your values will be ample ammunition for you to
cruise through this tough life.
AMPLIFY Verb ANACHRONISM Noun(ANACHRONISTIC Adjective)
toincrease in intensity out of the present time or age, something or someone
Syn. louden, magnify, dilate, augment, extend misplaced in time, a thing out of place in time, thus a
Ant. reduce, quieten, tranquilise, shush, soothe chronological error
An amplified sense of nationalism has helped many Syn. relic, survival, leftover, holdover
contrarian characters win recent elections round the “Simple living and high thinking” is an anachronism in
world. today’s public life.

AMPHITHEATRE Noun ANACONDA Noun

an oval or circular building with rising tiers of seats a large South American water snake
arranged about an open space It’s a miracle sighting an Anaconda in Asia, and trying
Syn. stadium, arena to pet it could be even more miraculous!
Scores of spectators gathered in the amphitheatre to
watch the unarmed prisoners fighting a lion.
ANAGRAM Noun
AMPUTATE Verb(AMPUTATION Noun) A word made by rearranging letters of another word
Syn. cut off, remove, sever, separate Syn. wordplay, paronomasia
Ant. fuse, affix, amalgamate, bind, yoke, annex Mood – Doom, Stool – Tools etc.
Amputation of the arm is the only medical option, Silence is an anagram of license.
otherwise the infection will spread.
He was forced to amputate the less profitable ANALOGOUS Adjective
activities to ensure the survival of the company. comparable, parallel
Syn. corresponding, equivalent
AMULET Noun Ant. dissimilar, unrelated
ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits Some say the universe is analogous to a mechanical
Many cricketers claim theyare not superstitious, but watch, created by the divine watchmaker.
wear amulets around various body parts.
ANARCHY Noun ANDROID Noun
absence of government or law, chaos machine in the form of human being
Syn. mobocracy, disorder Kids are usually fascinated by androids and cyborgs.
Ant. rule of law, order
Some believe that without a strong police force to ANECDOTE Noun
keep society in order, anarchy would soon prevail. a short story of an interesting incident, short account
of an amusing or interesting event
ANATHEMA Noun Syn. story, tale, yarn, sketch
ban, curse, something shunned or disliked He regaled the audience with lively anecdotes.
Syn. abhorrent, abomination
Ant. benediction, blessing ANGUISH Noun, Verb
The soldier, with his sweaty, soiled clothing was excessive pain of body and mind, agony, acute pain,
anathema to the elegant princess. extreme suffering
Syn. affliction, dolour, bale, torment
ANCILLARY Noun Ant. satisfied, contented, pleased
accessory, subordinate His anguish at the outcome of the court case was very
Syn. accompanying, additional clear.
Ant. main, prime
As reforms were only instituted at the main factory, ANGULAR
and not at the ancillary plants, defects continued to characterised by sharp angles, lean and gaunt
occur. Syn. pointed, sharp-cornered
Ant. plump, rounded
ANCHOR Noun, Verb Her angular frame contrasted sharply with that of her
a device to stabilise a structure, a reliable, principal overweight companion.
support, secure or fasten firmly,
Syn. attach, newscaster, presenter ANIMADVERSION Noun
Ant. unfasten, undo, disengage a critical and usually censorious remark; adverse
He was my anchor during adverse times. criticism
A huge ship is anchored off the coast of Syn. obloquy, aspersion
Vishakhapatnam. Ant. commendation, laudation
He was neutral to animadversions and applause.
ANIMATION Noun ANNIHILATE Verb(ANNIHILATION Noun)
enthusiasm, excitement to reduce to zero, destroy completely, exterminate, to
Syn. vivacity, liveliness wipe out, to vanquish, abolish
Ant. sluggishness, lethargy Syn. abrogate, obliterate, liquidate
Bobby spoke with animation about his wonderful, Ant. regenerate, retrieve
exciting trip to London. If humans continue to destroy natural habitats, more
and more animal species will be annihilated.
ANIMOSITY Noun
a sense of deep hatred or hostility ANOINT Verb
Syn. acrimony, antagonism to apply oil to as a sacred rite especially for
Ant. affection, friendship consecration
The deep-rooted animosity between Google and Uber King Ashoka anointed Mahendra as the king of
ended up in courts of law. Awadh.

ANNALS Noun ANNOTATE Verb

record of events in a yearwise fashion to provide explanatory notes on a main issue/topic,
Syn. archives, chronicles, history elucidate, revise, edit, comment, make explanatory
In the annals of cricket, Kapil’s name will be written in notes
gold. Syn. gloss, interpret, comment on
The record company has annotated its new
ANNEAL Verb compilation of Beatles songs, describing how each
strengthen; esp.glass temper by subjecting to great recording was made.
heat and slow cooling
The windscreens of cars are usually made of annealed ANNUITY Noun
glass. a regular payment due each year, yearly allowance
Syn. pension, allowance, income
Irregular annuity payments defeat the very purpose.
ANNUL Verb ANONYMITY Noun
to cancel, or make legally invalid condition of having no name or an unknown name
Syn. nullify, declare void After abandoning her movie career, Greta Garbo
Ant. restore, reinstate, recreate, rebuild retreated into relative anonymity.
The couple asked the court to annul their marriage, as
they found it difficult to get along. ANONYMOUS Adjective(ANONYMITY Noun)
unattested, uncredited, unidentified, unnamed
ANOMALY Noun Syn. unidentified, unspecified, secret
irregularity or deviation from the norm Ant. characteristic, individual, unique
Syn. aberration, exception, abnormality, quirk The anonymous nature of complaints allowed on the
Ant. regularity, norm portal ensured that whistle-blowers had a field day.
There are a number of anomalies in the present
system of funding of infra projects. ANTAGONISM Noun (ANTAGONISTIC Adjective)
hostility, active resistance
Syn. rivalry, opposition, aggression
Ant. collaboration, assistance, help
The underlying antagonism between the two nations
ensured that no third party could ever intervene.
 Quiz used in session
DIRECTIONS: For each of the following questions, select the option which is closest in meaning to the given question word.

1. AMALGAMATE
(1) coalesce (2) mould (3) mend (4) shake up

2. DENOUEMENT
(1) story and plot (2) climax (3) build up (4) clarity of vision

3. METAPHOR
(1) comparison between identical things (2) comparison between dissimilar things
(3) comparison that is no comparison (4) no comparison at all

4. EUPHEMISM
(1) happiness and cheer (2) sweets that cause diabetes
(3) a harsh substitute for a sweet word (4) a sweet substitute for a harsh word

5. ALTERCATION
(1) an alternate option (2) alternatively
(3) fracas (4) creating a loud bang and noise

6. AMELIORATE
(1) mend (2) elevate (3) mollify (4) placidly cajole

7. APOCRYPHAL
(1) obvious and castigating (2) doubtful in origin
(3) genuine and authentic (4) authentic

8. AMBIVALENCE
(1) equivalence (2) dodging (3) elocution (4) adroit

9. ELEGY
(1) lethargy (2) sad song of lament
(3) happy song of ecstasy (4) eulogy

10. ANTHOLOGY
(1) a collection of arms and ammunition (2) a collection of poems or writings
(3) a collected work of art (4) a collection of old clothing

ANSWER KEY  1.(1) 2.(2) 3.(2) 4.(4) 5.(3) 6.(1) 7.(2) 8.(2) 9.(2) 10.(2)
 Topicwise Words
Literature

ALLEGORY (n) a style that uses fictional characters and events to describe something; use of extended metaphors as

a device for teaching a lesson

ALLUSION (n) reference in a literary work to an identifiable person, event, place or passage
ANTHOLOGY (n) a collection selections from the writing of one or more authors

APOCRYPHAL (adj) of unknown authorship or doubtful integrity

DENOUEMENT (n) the final unfolding of a plot; the final resolution or outcome following the climax
DOGGEREL (n) poetic verse of generally poor quality; verse characterised by a crude, rough or irregular style

ELEGY (n) poem (or song) of mourning; a lament

EPIC (n) a long narrative poem about a hero’s deeds; very imposing or impressive
EUPHEMISM (n) a pleasant or complimentary word or phrase used instead of one that is harsh or derogatory
FIGURATIVE (adj) words and phrases used not with their basic meaning but a more imaginative meaning
LIMERICK (n) a somewhat humorous poem of 5 lines in which the first, second and fifth lines rhyme and the third
and fourth lines which are shorter than the other three, form a rhymed couplet
METAPHOR (n) a comparison between two unlike things that is not so apparent, yet very suggestive and forceful, as
in “she has a heart of stone”
MOTIF (n) a dominant idea of central theme; a design that consists of recurring shapes or colours

PASTICHE (n) a literary, artistic, musical or architectural work that is a stylistic imitation of a previous work; a literary,
artistic or musical work made up of selections from different works
PSEUDONYM (n) a fictitious name used by an author

SATIRE (n) a literary form employing irony, ridicule and sarcasm

SIMILE (n) a comparison of two unlike things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
SCHOLIAST (n) an ancient commentator or annotator of classic texts
TREATISE (n) a comprehensive and systematic literary examination of a particular subject
VIGNETTE (n) a short piece of writing, music or acting; small illustrative sketch; a photograph with edges that shade
off gradually
 Idioms and phrases

By leaps and bounds – rapidly, at a rapid pace Ex. Construction of the new sports complex is going ahead by leaps
and bounds, and it should give a boost to local talent.
By no means – in no way Ex.The US is by no means certain to win in the globalization race.
By virtue of – on account of Ex. By virtue of the IPR the country held, it was able to hold against mighty rivals.
To bank upon – to depend, to rely Ex. India is banking upon its abundant youth to make a difference in the long
run.To be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth – born in prosperous circumstances Ex. What does he know
about hardship – he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
To be in the good books – to be in favour with Ex. The Pakistanis have been in the good books of the Chinese ever
since they helped break the thaw with America in the early 1970s.
To be in the bad books – to be in disfavour with Ex.The Dalai Lama has been in the bad books of the Chinese ever
since India gave him shelter and security.
To bear the brunt of – to bear the consequences Ex.If we do not invest in creating our own internet giants, we will
bear the brunt of hidden and rampant digital colonization soon.
To bear the palm – to win reward Ex. You should not expect to bear the palm in case you fail.
To beat about the bush – to talk irrelevant Ex.PM Modi does not like to beat about the bush in review meetings.
To beat a retreat – to retire, to move back Ex. The terrorist beat a hasty retreat when troopers from the Rashtriya
Rifles arrived.
To beat hollow – to defeat completely Ex. The KMT was beaten hollow by the invading Japanese in China in the
1940s.
To bell the cat – to face a risk Ex. It is quite clear that Patanjali has captured some segments of the FMCG market, but
to beat it one will truly need to bell the cat.
To bid fair – likely to be Ex. She is bidding fair to be as beautiful as her mother was.
To bide one’s time – to wait for a favourable chance Ex.A nation cannot just bide its time and await glory; it has to
act.
To break the ice – to break the silence, to get over initial shyness Ex.The Chinese tried to break the ice by bringing
many parties together in the One Belt One Road summit.
To bring credit to – to bring fame and honourEx.The Buddha brought credit to his family by renouncing everything!
To bring down the house – to win general praise Ex.The performance by the thespian in the gangster movie brought
down the house.
To bring to book – to punish the guilty Ex.Demonetisation has raised hopes in ordinary Indians that the corrupt will
be finally brought to book.
To burn one’s fingers – to get into trouble Ex.Many celebrities burnt their fingers when their names popped up in the
Panama revelations.
To burn the candle at both ends – to waste one’s energy, time and money uselessly Ex. He went to late night parties
and got up early at 4 to study; he was trying to burn the candle at both ends.
To burn the mid–night oil – to work very hard till late at night Ex.Typically, in an MBA school, the students burn the
mid-night oil to score higher grades.
To bury the hatchet – to forget a quarrel, to make peace Ex. Finally, the various groups in Sri Lankan politics tried to
bury the hatchet.
 Exam Time!
Vocabulary Material for Competitive Exams with Solutions

Directions: Match the column with the correct meaning of the idiom.

1. Cheese someone off a. Cross swords

2. Have someone’s guts for garters b. Hike the wager

3. Drop a clanger c. Attenuate one’s ferocity

4. Pull punches d. Pull off a bloomer

5. Rattle sabres e. To gall

6. Up the ante f. Tan someone’s hide

Directions: Match the column with the correct meaning of the expression.

7. Spin-off a. A person or thing that is certain to succeed or win

8. Telling-off b. A shot in a film that is edited into another shot or scene

9. Tip-off c. A deadlock between two equally matched opponents

10. Whipper-in d. Bribe

11. Stand-in e. Resemble

12. Shoo-in f. A subsidiary

13. Cut-in g. A reprimand

14. Stand-off h. Confidential information

15. Kick-back i. A huntsman’s assistant

16. Take j. A substitute

DIRECTIONS: In each question, the word at the top of the table is used in four different ways, numbered 1 to 4.
Choose the option in which the usage of the word is INCORRECT or INAPPROPRIATE. Check grammar, usage,
semantics, mechanics, redundancy, punctuation, spelling and style elements.

17. PLAIN

1. It is plain that the examination date will be postponed.

2. He is an expert in plain dealing.

3. John is a plain, honest man with no nonsense about him.

4. Everything is connected on the spiritual plain.

18. BROADCAST

1. We don't want to broadcast our unhappiness to the world.

2. The cricket match was broadcast live.

3. Green manures can be sown broadcast or in rows.

4. The serial was broadcasted on channel Zee.

19. BAG

1. After returning from the journey, she began to unpack her bags.

2. I had bags of energy after my pleasure trip to Goa.

3. Philanthropy was regarded as a bag of social esteem.

4. If religion and politics are your bag you'll find something to interest you here.

20. CONSIST

1. His poetry consisted of the use of emotive language.

2. The information perfectly consists with our friend's account.

3. The crew consists of five men.

4. I was so excited that I couldn't consist myself.

21. Power

The officer assured to do everything that was in his power to save the framed
1.
convict.
2. Her power political sense stopped her from exploiting her opponent's misfortune.
3. India has emerged as one of the leading electronic powers in recent years.
4. Aradhana's benevolence denotes the power of good to me.

22. Sight

1 Gopal was able to achieve his goal because he is a far-sighted person.

2 My sight is 6/6, so I am suitable for the defence services.
3 I shall build my house on this sight.
4 After climbing the hill one can see the beautiful sight of the city.

Directions: Each sentence below has one blank, each blank indicating a missing word . Four numbered words follow
each sentence. Choose the option that best fits each blank in the context of the whole sentence.

23. A small dispute or quarrel is most likely to be termed as .....

(1) a war (2) a battle
(3) an altercation (4) an Armageddon

24. Her book is ....., incisive, highly readable and often very funny.
(1) limpid (2) abstruse
(3) luminous (4) equivocal

25. A person possessing fickle or volatile temperament is often described as being ..... .
(1) mercurial (2) malicious
(3) malevolent (4) malefic

DIRECTIONS: For each of the following questions, choose the word which does not belong to the group.

26. (1) curse (2) objurgate

(3) extol (4) censure
27. (1) diameter (2) circumvent
(3) circumference (4) circumcentre

28. (1) pang (2) wound

(3) qualm (4) twinge

29. (1) quandary (2) dilemma

(3) predicament (4) subterfuge

30. (1) psychologist (2) podiatrist

(3) archaeologist (4) sportsman
 Exam Time!
Vocabulary Material for Competitive Exams with Solutions
SOLUTIONS
1. e
2. f
3. d
4. c
5. a
6. b
7. f
8. g
9. h
10. i
11. j
12. a
13. b
14. c
15. d
16. e
17. Ans.(4). The correct word here should be 'plane'.
18. Ans.(4). The correct word here should be 'telecast' or ‘aired’.
19. Ans.(3). The correct word here should be 'badge'.
20. Ans.(4). The correct word here should be 'contain'.
21. Ans.(2). Option (2) deals with the incorrect usage of the word. The correct usage is ‘Her astute political sense stopped her from
exploiting her opponent's misfortune’ instead of ‘Her power political sense stopped her from exploiting her opponent's misfortune’.
22. Ans.(3). The word ‘sight’ refers to ‘glimpse, view, vision, observation, ability to see, power of sight’. In option (3), the word ‘sight ‘ is
inappropriate in the given context of ‘build my house on this sight’. Here, ‘site’ (location, place, position, spot) is an appropriate word in
the given context. While in options (1), (2) and (4), the usage of the word ‘sight’ is appropriate as it refers to ‘catch or get a glimpse of
future’ in option (1), ‘eyesight or vision’ in option (2) and ‘view or scene’ in option (4). Hence, option (3) is the correct option.
23. Ans.(3). The word ‘altercation’ (a small dispute or quarrel) in option (3) is the only word which suits in the given context. But the words
‘war’ (combat) (1); ‘battle’ (fight, conflict) (2) and ‘an Armageddon’ (the last battle between good and evil before the Day of Judgement)
(4) are irrelevant in the given context. Hence option (3) is the correct option.
24. Ans.(1). The word ‘limpid’ (1) refers to ‘clear, comprehensible’. This option best suits in the given context of ‘the book being incisive and
highly readable’. But the words ‘abstruse’ (perplexing) (2); ‘luminous’ (bright, dazzling) (3) and ‘equivocal’ (unclear, vague) (4) are all
irrelevant in the given context. Hence option (1) is the correct option.
25. Ans.(1). The word ‘mercurial’ (1) refers to ‘fickle, changeable’. This option best suits in the given context of ‘a person possessing fickle or
volatile temperament’. But the words ‘malicious’ (spiteful, malevolent) (2); ‘malevolent’ (spiteful, malicious) (3) and ‘malefic’ (capable of
causing harm or destruction) (4) are all irrelevant in the given context. Hence, option (1) is the correct option.
26. Ans.(3). The word ‘extol’ (praise enthusiastically) in option (3) does not match with the rest of the words in the question. But the words
‘curse’ in option (1), ‘objurgate’ (severely chide or scold) in option (2) and ‘censure’ (criticise harshly, reprove) in option (4) are synonyms.
So, option (3) is the odd option.
27. Ans.(2). The word ‘circumvent’ (deceive, outwit) in option (2) does not match with the rest of the question words. But the words
‘diameter’ (a straight line passing through the centre of circle or sphere) in option (1); ‘circumference’ (an enclosing boundary of circle) in
option (3) and ‘circumcentre’ (the centre of circle passing through three vertices of a triangle) in option (4) are all related to circle. So,
option (2) is the odd option.
28. Ans.(2). The word ‘wound’ (cut, laceration) (2) does not match with the rest of the given question words. But the words ‘pang’ (pain,
ache, cramp) (1); ‘qualm’ (pang of conscience) (3) and ‘twinge’ (pain, ache, throb) (4) are all related to the word ‘pain’. Hence, option (2)
is the correct option.
29. Ans.(4). The word ‘subterfuge’ (trickery, intrigue) (4) does not match with the rest of the given question words. But the words ‘quandary’
(dilemma, predicament) (1); ‘dilemma’ (quandary, predicament) (2) and ‘predicament’ (awkward situation, quandary) (3) are all related
with each other. Hence, option (4) is the correct option.
30. Ans.(4). The word ‘sportsman’ (a person who takes part in sport, especially as a professional) (4) does not match with the rest of the
given question words. But the words ‘psychologist’ (an expert in psychology) (1); ‘podiatrist’ (a person dealing especially with the bones of
the foot and the mechanics of walking) (2) and ‘archaeologist’ (a person who studies human history and pre-history through the
evacuation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains) (3) are all related to the branch of studies. Hence, option (4)
is the correct option.