Advanced Word List – 17

A good vocabulary is crucial to acing Verbal section in GRE, CAT, SAT and other such exams. In this series of articles, we have compiled 1000 words that frequently feature in competitive exams.Spread over 25 lists of 40 words, these lists offer you a chance to learn the most essential English words.
Each word in the list is accompanied with its meaning and followed by a usage example. The words are categorized on three levels: 1, 2 and 3, according to the degree of difficulty. Go through the word lists and strengthen your vocabulary database.
Suggested Action:
FREE Live Master Classes by our Star Faculty with 20+ years of experience.
Register Now
Level 1: Let’s get warmed up
Baffled: Be a mystery or bewildering to
The children were baffled by the behaviour of the teachers towards them
Embrace: A close affectionate and protective acceptance
His willingness to embrace new ideas made him very successful
Exile: Expel from a country
The painter lived in exile as he did not conform to government policies
Nosedive: A sudden sharp drop or rapid decline
The stock market nosedived on rumours of a sharp rise in interest rates
Tantamount: Being essentially equal to something
His request was tantamount to a demand
Level 2: Let’s take it up a notch
Camaraderie: The quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
The workers in the coal mines shared an easy camaraderie
Catnap: Take a catnap
Many cultures have a siesta during the hottest part of the day
Efface: Remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing
You must try your best to efface the event from your memory
Espionage: The systematic use of spies to get military or political secrets
The authorities have arrested many people suspected of espionage
Killjoy: Someone who spoils the pleasure of others
The party was ruined by the pessimistic comments of the killjoy
Masquerade: Pretend to be someone or something that you are not
The stowaway masqueraded as a crew member
Multitude: A large indefinite number
The hideous truth was hidden from the multitude
Stealth: Avoiding detection by moving carefully
The big cat stole food from the kitchen stealthily
Svelte: Being of delicate or slender build
She is svelte and smart
Vanquish: Come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
The film had a happy ending in which the hero vanquished the monsters
Watchdog: A dog trained to guard property
A good watchdog can be a faithful friend as well as a deterrent to the intruders
Wily: Marked by skill in deception
He is an experienced and wily old statesman
Wrath: Intense anger
His inhuman action towards his pet incurred the wrath of the human right activists
Suggested Action:
Kick start Your Preparations with FREE access to 25+ Mocks, 75+ Videos & 100+ Chapterwise Tests.
Sign Up Now
Level 3: Time to be a master
Abjure: Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
Very few government officials abjure bribery
Abstruse: Difficult to penetrate
The professor’s lectures were so abstruse that the students tended to avoid them
Atheist: Someone who denies the existence of god
She is an ex-nun who is now an atheist
Beget: Generate
Violence begets more violence
Bestial: Marked by brutality or depravity
The bestial treatment meted out to the prisoners was heart –rending
Cognition: The mental process of knowing   including awareness, perception and judgement
The Armed Forces teach the cadets the cognitive processes of remembering each detail
Crossroad: A junction where one street or road crosses another
The tourist asked the directions to a remote crossroad from the farmer
Evanescent: Tending to vanish like vapour
In the monsoon the evanescent effect of light and weather on the landscape was very severe
Gadfly: A persistently annoying person
It is never fun to interact with gadflies, they are persistent and annoying
Guffaw: Laugh boisterously
He stood guffawing at the boss’s jokes
Indentured: Bound by contract
Indentured labour was sent from India to the  West Indies during the British rule
Jargon: A characteristic language of a particular group
Thieves use a special jargon to confuse passing hearers
Lachrymose: Showing sorrow
It was heart rending to watch the lachrymose mourners
Larceny: The act of taking something from someone unlawfully
He now faces two to twenty years in prison on grand larceny charges
Malediction: The act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
The maledictions of the priest were difficult to bear
Manacle: Shackle that consists of a metal loop that can be locked around the wrist
The prisoners were manacled and led to the courtroom
Oblivious: Failing to keep in mind
She went on working oblivious to the hazards involved
Penitent: Feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
The driver was not penitent even after hitting the truck
Refurbish: Make brighter and prettier
We refurbished the guest wing last winter
Reproach: A mild rebuke or criticism
She is quick to reproach anyone
Swindle: Deprive of by deceit
He swindled me out of my inheritance
Tranche: A portion of something
The aid  from World Bank came in six equal tranches
Rate Us
Views:5588