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.

cadaverCorpse

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-and-effect 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 easy-going.

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.