HIGH FREQUENCY WORDS -- I

HIGH  FREQUENCY  WORDS  --  I

Abstemious Being satisfied with little
Abrogate Abolish, Cancel
Acquittal act of declaring innocent
Adept Expert at, Skilled
Affliction Suffering, Pain
Aggravate Exacerbate, Worsen
Amend Change, Alter, Improve
Anachronism something that is obsolete
Anomalous Abnormal
Antagonism Hostility
Antipathy Aversion, Enmity, Hostility
Apathy Disinterest, Indifference
Aplomb Self-assurance, Confidence
Apprehension Fear
Apprise Inform
Arbitrary Dogmatic, reckless, Opinionated
Ascetic Austere, Self-denying, Strict, Rigid
Asylum Shelter, Refuge
Atheistic Agnostic
Attenuate Weaken, Enervate

Acoustics – study of sound
Agoraphobia – fear of public places
Ambush - surprise attack
Amnesia - loss of memory
Anarchy - apposite of order, lawlessness
Anathema - Curse
Anticlimax – falling from tense into absurd situation
Apostate - one who abandons religious faith
Apparent - Obvious, Ostensible
Archipelago – group of closely located islands
Architect - one who designs blueprint
Astigmatism – eye defect
Atavism - resemblance to remote ancestors rather than parents
Auger - drill
Autocracy - Dictatorship, Tyranny, Despotism, Omnipotent
Awe - Fear, Fright, Respect (Irreverence - lack of respect)


Ballast To stabilize
Banal Commonplace
Bane Curse
Baneful Harmful
Belie Contradiction
Bet Gamble, Take a risk
Bizarre Strange, odd, unusual
Boon Blessing, Benefit
Burgeon Grow forth, Blossom, expand
Burnish Polish, Make shiny by rubbing

Bard - poet, singer
Barterer - person who exchanges one thing for another
Bashful – shy
Bereavement - loss of a loved one by death
Betroth - become engaged to marry
Bibliophile - person who loves & collects books
Bilious - suffering from indigestion
Bon vivant – hedonist
Bridle - device used for leading horse
Burgeon - blossom, expand, bloom
Bureaucrat - government official

Cacophony Loud unpleasant sound of mixture
Callow Inexperienced
Calumny Defame, malign, vilify, Libel
Candid Honest, Frank
Canvass Determine votes, examination, and canvas
Capricious Unpredictable, Fickle, Changeable
Castigation Severe punishment
Chagrin Disappointment
Charlatan Quack, Fraud
Charm Magic, Amulet, Talisman
Chicanery Trickery, Deception
Clairvoyant Perception, Prophet
Coda Concluding section of a musical or literary composition
Cognizant Awareness, Consciousness
Commensurate Equal in extent
Compendium Brief, comprehensive summary
Complaisant Trying to please
Compliant yielding
Comprehend Understand
Comprehension Understanding
Condone Pardon, Forgive
Contention Claim, Thesis
Contentious Quarrelsome
Controversy Disagreement
Conundrum Difficult problem
Converge Come together
Cram Gorge (related to food), Compress, Fatten, and Stuff
Cursory Superficial, Brief

Calligraphy - beautiful writing by hand
Camaraderie - good fellowship
Carnivorous - meat eating
Cartographer - map maker
Cartography - the drawing of maps & charts
Chivalrous - being polite & helpful to women
Claustrophobia - fear of being blocked in
Conceal – Hide Cygnet - a young swan
Connoisseur - expert, a person with good judgments (e.g. in arts, food)
Conservatory - school of fine arts
Coronation - crowning ceremony

Debt Obligation, Condition of owing money
Decorum Orderliness, Propriety
Default Failure to act
Deference Courteous regard for another's wish
Deify Glorify, Turn into a god, Idolize
Delineate Portray, Depict, Sketch
Denigrate lacking
Deride Ridicule
Desultory Aimless
Deterrent Something that discourages
Diffidence Shyness
Diffuse wordy, rambling, spread out
Discerning Mentally quick & observant
Discrepancy Lack of consistency
Disingenuous Sophisticated, not naïve
Disparage Belittle, Lower in price, depreciate

Dissemble- disguise, hide, falsify
Disseminate- Distribute
Distend- Expand
Divest- Deny, Deprive from having, unclothe
Dogmatic- Stubborn, Rigid, Authoritative

Denizen - citizen, resident, dweller
Desperado - person ready to do any reckless or criminal act
Didactic - instructive, educational
Doe - is a female deer
Dove - is the symbol of peace
Drake - male duck
Dungeon - underground, prison,
Dyspepsia - indigestion




Ebullient- Showing Enthusiasm
Eccentricity- Oddity, Idiosyncrasy
Eclectic- Selective
Efficacy- Power to produce desired effect
Effrontery- Shameless Boldness
Elegance- Refinement
Elegy- Poem or song expressing lamentation
Elicit- Drawn out by discussion
Embellish- Make Beautiful
Empirical- Based on observation & Experiment
Emulate- Imitate, Rival, Copy
Engender- Cause, Produce
Enigmatic- Puzzling, Ambiguous, Mysterious, Esoteric
Ephemeral- Short Lived, Evanescent
Erratic- Unstable, Irregular
Erudite- Learned, Scholar
Esoteric - Abstruse
Eternal- Everlasting, without end
Eternity - Infinity, Timelessness
Exacerbate - Aggravate, to make worse (pain, disease etc.)
Excerpt - Selected Passage
Exculpate - Clear from blame
Exigency - Urgent situation
Exonerate - Declare innocent, Clear, Free, Release
Extrapolation - Act of guessing, Projection, Conjecture
Extravagant - Lavish, Profligate (Parsimonious)
Entomology - study of insects
Ethnology - study of mankind
Etymology - branch of linguistic science concerned with formation of word
Euphemism - mild expression in place of an unpleasant one
Euthanasia - mercy killing
Evict - Turn out, Expel (Harbor)
Exotic - colorful, foreign, unusual
Exorbitant - Excessive
Expedite - accelerate


Facetious - Joking, humorous
Facilitate - Make less difficult
Fecund - Productive
Feign - Fake, pretend, imitate
Felicitous - Suitably expressed, well chosen,
Fickle - Changeable
Flag - Droop, Hanging down
Fledgling - Inexperienced
Flout - Reject, Mock
Foster - to encourage
Franchise - Privilege, Suffrage, and Right to vote
Futile - Useless, Hopeless

Gander - male goose
Gastronomy - the art & science of cooking & eating good food
Genealogy - study of ancestry
Gerontology - study of old age
Gourmet - kitchen expert of food & drink
Gainsay - Deny
Goad - Urge on
Gouge - Overcharge, Fraud
Grandeur - Importance, Magnificence, No

Grandeur - Importance, Magnificence, Nobility
Grateful - Thankful, Obliged, Pleasing
Gregarious - Sociable

Hedonist - one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim of life
Hypochondriac - is unduly worried about health


Impair - Injure, Hurt
Impasse - Halt, Deadlock, Standstill
Impassive - Without Feeling
Impeccable - Faultless
Imperturbable - Calm, Unemotional, Sluggish
Impetus - Impulse, force, momentum
Implacable - Incapable of being pacified
Implicit - Understood but not stated
Implode - Burst inward, Collapse inward
Impromptu - Not rehearsed, in an offhand manner
Inadvertently - Unintentionally
Inchoate - Recently begun, Incomplete, unorganized
Incorporate - Combine, unite
Indigence - Poverty, Destitution, Penury
Innocuous - Harmless
Insane - Crazy, Deranged, Mad
Insinuate - Hint
Insularity - Isolation, Narrow-mindedness
Intangible - Vague
Intellectual - Educated person
Intransigence - Stubbornness
Inundate - Overwhelm, flood, and submerge
Inured - Hardened
Invective - Abuse
Irascible - Irritable
Irony - Sarcasm, Pungency, Paradox
Irresolute - weak, uncertain to act
Itinerary - Plan of a trip

Iconoclastic - against the use of idols in religion
Impiety - lack of respect for god, blasphemy
Indigenous - native
Infirmary - clinic, hospital
Iniquitous - one who lacks virtue, wicked
Insurgent - rebellious, one who challenges authority
Interloper - one who interferes in other people's business, intruder
Intransigence - unwillingness
Intransigent - uncompromising, uncooperative (Yielding)
Introvert – inclined to think more about oneself
Irony – paradox, contradiction
Iridescent - exhibiting rainbow like colors

Judicious - Wise
Juvenile - A young person that is neither a child nor is grown up

Jargon - language used by special group, gibberish
Jurisprudence – science of law

Kaleidoscope – tube in which patterns made of colored pieces of glass, Produce symmetrical effects
Kennel - is the dog shelter
Kleptomaniac – one who has a compulsive desire to steal

Laconic - Short, Concise, to the point
Larceny - Robbery
Lassitude - Languor, Weariness
Levee - Earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding
Levity - Lack of seriousness
Limpid - Clear (Turbid)
Loath - Unwilling (Eager)
Log - Record of day to day activities
Loquacious - Talkative (Taciturn)
Lexicographer - compiler of a dictionary


Magnanimity - Generosity
Majestic - Royal, Regal
Malignant - Injurious (Benign)

Malleable - (Brittle)
Maudlin - Emotional, Weepy
Maverick - Having no owner, Independent
Melancholy - Sadness
Mendacious - Lying, Habitually dishonest
Mollify - Soothe, mitigate
Moribund - Dying (Viable)
Morose - Melancholy, Sullen
Mundane - Commonplace, Everyday
Myriad - Very large number

Negate - Cancel out, Nullify, Deny

Obligation - Duty, Responsibility, agreement, indebtedness
Obsequious - Slavishly attentive, Sycophantic
Obviate - Remove obstacle, Getting rid of
Occlude - Shut, Close
Odious - Nasty, Loathsome, Abhorrent
Onerous - Burdensome
Opprobrium - Infamy, Vilification, Shame, Insult
Opulence - Wealth (Poverty)
Orthodox - Traditional, Conservative
Ostentatious - Showy, Bombastic
Overwhelm - Overpower, Defeat, Master, Crush, Engulf

Panjandrum - Arrogant person, Haughty, Disdainful
Paradox - Contradiction
Partisan - Support, One-sided
Penchant - Strong Liking
Penitent - Contrite, Regretful, Consoled
Perennial - Something long-lasting
Perfidious - Faithless
Perfunctory - Superficial, Not thorough, Lacking interest
Pervasive - Spread throughout
Phlegmatic - Calm, Unemotional, Sluggish
Piety - Reverence for god
Pious - Religious (irreverent)
Platitude - Commonplace statement, trite remark, banality
Plethora - Excess
Pliant - Flexible, Bendable
Plummet - Fall sharply
Portrait - Painted or drawn image of a person
Posterity - Offspring
Precarious - Dangerous
Preposterous - Ridiculous, absurd
Prevaricate - Lie
Pristine - Unspoiled, Primitive
Probity - Incorruptibility
Proclivity - Inclination, Penchant
Prodigal - Wasteful, Reckless with money, Profligate
Profane - Unholy, Desecrate, Defile, Pollute
Profound - Deep, Not superficial, Complete
Prolific - Productive, Fruitful, Profitable
Propensity - Natural inclination
Propitiate - appease
Propriety - Fitness
Proscribe - Ostracize, Banish, Outlaw, Exclude
Protract - Prolong, Postpone
Provoke - Anger, Exasperate, Harass
Prowess - Bravery
Prudent - Cautious (Temerarious)
Pusillanimous – Cowardly

Quibble - Minor objection or complaint
Quixotic - Unrealistic, Dreamy
Quotidian - Daily Occurrence, Common, Everyday

Ratify - Confirm, Verify
Ratiocinate - Think, Deduce, Reason
Recalcitrant - Stubborn, Defiant, Disobedient
Recant - Disclaim, Disavow
Recluse - Hermit, Loner, One who lives apart from people
Recondite - Abstruse, Profound, Secret
Refractory - Stubborn, Unmanageable
Refute - Disprove
Relegate - Delegate, Assign, and Banish to an inferior person
Reproach - Express disapproval
Reprobate - Censure, Denounce, Banish, Criticize
Repudiate - Reject, Renounce
Rescind - Cancel
Resolution - Determination
Reticent - Reserved, Uncommunicative, Silent (Loquacious)
Retrospect - Looking backward

Sanguine - Optimistic (Pessimistic)
Satiate - Satisfied
Sequester - Segregate, separate
Shard - Fragment, Generally of pottery
Sinister - Threatening, Wicked, Ominous (Good)
Skeptic - Doubter
Solicitous - Worried, Concerned
Solicitude - Worry, Anxiety, Desire, Ambition
Soliloquy - Monologue, Speech given by only one speaker
Solvent - Able to be paid (Bankrupt)
Somatic - Physical (Mental)

Sophomoric - Immature (Mature)
Soporific - Dull, Which causes dullness (Awakening)
Specious - Misleading
Spurious - False, Artificial (Original)
Squabble - Minor quarrel
Squander - Waste (Preserve)
Startle - Surprise, Frighten, Shock
Stereotype - Repeated (Prototype)
Stigma - Mark of disgrace, Brand
Stint - Be thrifty
Stipulate - Specify, Set conditions
Strut - Pompous walk
Subpoena - Invitation to court
Substantiate - Verify, Support
Sumptuous - Magnificent, Splendid, Lavish, Superb, Wonderful
Superfluous - More than needed
Supersede - Replace, Make obsolete

Taciturn - Silent (talking little)
Tenuous - thin, slender
Timid - Shy, Bashful
Tirade - Scold, Blame
Tortuous - Winding, Full of curves
Transgression - Violation of a law
Truculence - Aggressiveness, Ferocity, Cruelty

Ubiquitous - present everywhere at the same time

Vacillate - Fluctuate
Venerate - Admire, Respect
Veracious - Truthful
Vernacular - Local language
Vertex - Peak, Pinnacle (Base, Nadir)
Viable - Living
Vigilance - Watchfulness
Vilify - Slander, Defame, Malign, Dirty (Eulogy, Praise)
Vituperative - Abusive, Scolding
Vulnerable - In danger

Wastrel - One who wastes (Paragon)

Wax - Grow
Whimsical - Visionary, fanciful, changeable
Wraith - ghost, phantom
Welter - Bewildering jumble, confusion, turmoil

Zeus - Olympian King of all gods