| Absurd: Incongruous; inviting ridicule |
| They went to absurd lengths to save a small amount of money. |
| Appreciation: An expression of gratitude |
| He expressed his appreciation by sending a short note. |
| Cope: Come to terms with |
| He coped with his responsibilities with courage. |
| Dismantle: Tear down so as to make flat with the ground |
| He dismantled the furniture before moving out of the house. |
| Fabricated: Formed or conceived by the imagination |
| She fabricated an excuse for not attending the function. |
| Incompatibility: The quality of being unable to exist or work in congenial combination |
| Incompatibility between mother and baby’s blood group may cause jaundice. |
| Materialism: A great or excessive regard for worldly concerns. |
| Disciples of materialism are more concerned about their bank balances than the fate of humanity. |
| Nurture: Help develop, help grow |
| The teacher nurtured her student’s talent. |
| Originate: Come into existence; take on form or shape |
| No-one who originated that story is available for comment. |
| Plight: An unfavourable or unfortunate state. |
| She was in a terrible plight as she had lost all her money. |
| Taint: The state of being contaminated |
| The elections were tainted by corruption. |
| Tradition: A specific practice of long standing |
| She has carried on the family tradition of giving away plants. |
| Universal: Of worldwide scope or applicability |
| Gargles are a universal remedy for sore throat. |
| Amnesty: A period during which offenders are exempted from punishment |
| Activists will not automatically be granted amnesty. |
| Awesome: Inspiring awe or admiration or wonder |
| He stood in awesome silence in front of the ancient ruins. |
| Bona fide: Undertaken in good faith |
| He was a bona fide citizen of The United States. |
| Covert: Secret or hidden. |
| They have been supplying covert military aid to the rebels. |
| Debris: The remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up |
| There was a lot of debris in the house after the builder had left. |
| Eruption: A sudden violent spontaneous occurrence |
| There was a sudden eruption of violence on the streets. |
| Incapacitated: Lacking in or deprived of strength or power |
| He is incapacitated so he cannot work. |
| Nirvana: Any place of complete bliss and delight and peace |
| The soul reaches nirvana after numerous cycles of birth and death. |
| Puny: Inferior in strength or significance |
| It was difficult to arrange a grand function due to the puny resources at our disposal. |
| Salvation: A means of preserving from harm or risk. |
| Reading was his only salvation from boredom. |
| Sumptuous: Rich and superior in quality |
| They live in sumptuous surroundings. |
| Underwrite: Guarantee financial support of |
| They hired a special agency to underwrite their small business loans, |
| Vulnerable: Susceptible to attack |
| Small animals are often vulnerable to attack from the stronger ones. |
| Abhor: Find repugnant |
| She abhors delay of any kind. |
| Connubial: Of or relating to marriage or to the relationship between a wife and husband |
| It is difficult to explain what connubial felicity actually is. |
| Contemptuous: Expressing extreme contempt |
| She gave a contemptuous little laugh and walked away. |
| Demur: Take exception to |
| He demurred at the suggestion of working on Saturday. |
| Entreaty: Earnest or urgent request |
| They have resisted all entreaties to pledge their support for the campaign. |
| Exonerate: Pronounce not guilty of criminal charges |
| The official report exonerated the school of any blame. |
| Expatriate: A person who is voluntarily absent from home or country |
| The military is preparing to evacuate expatriate families. |
| Fiat: A legally binding command or decision entered on the court record |
| He has imposed solutions by fiat. |
| Inviolable: Incapable of being transgressed or dishonoured |
| The game had a single inviolable rule. |
| Juxtapose: Place side by side |
| The judge juxtaposed the statements of the two eye-witnesses to arrive at the conclusion. |
| Mendacious: Given to lying |
| The politicians were issuing mendacious claims and counter- claims. |
| Parsimonious: Excessively unwilling to spend |
| His parsimonious thrift was relieved by a few generous impulses. |
| Pecuniary: Relating to or involving money |
| He received gratitude but no pecuniary benefit for his services. |
| Proscribe: Command against |
| He was proscribed not to leave the house until his parents came back. |
