Synonym questions are directly important because in SSC CGLE, you will get 1 to 2 Synonym questions in Tier I and 3 to 4 questions in Tier II. Synonym questions are also indirectly important because words (and meanings of words) are indirectly tested in the whole of the English section. You can do well in this section only if you are good at Vocabulary.
Steps to deal with synonym questions
* Read the question word and first decide whether the meaning is positive, neutral or negative.
* Then check the word's part of speech: whether it is a verb, noun, adjective or adverb.
* Go to the options and look for its synonym of the same part of speech and the same tone, and then select the answer.
* In case you do not know the word and its meaning, please do not guess. Guessing does not work in vocabulary, only memory will help. You better prepare well!
Model Questions
Directions: Select the synonym of the given word.
1. Audacity
1) Boldness 2) Apprehension 3) Introversion 4) Silliness
Ans: 1
Explanation: The given word means “boldness”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1. Option 2 means “worry; anxiety”; option 3 means “shyness or the quality of being reserved” and option 4 means “stupidity; childishness”.
2. Antediluvian
1) Ancient 2) Dehydrated 3) Dogmatic 4) Ridiculous
Ans:1
Explanation: The given word means “prehistoric; ancient”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1. Option 2 means “having lost a large amount of water from the body”; option 3 means “inclined to lay down principles as undeniably true; opinionated; adamant” and option 4 means “laughable, absurd; comical”.
3. Remote
1) Spontaneous 2) Isolated 3) Savage 4) Miserly
Ans: 2
Explanation: The given word means “far away; isolated”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2. Option 1 means “voluntary; unplanned; impulsive”; option 3 means “ferocious; fierce; wild” and option 4 means “stingy; tightfisted; close-fisted; penny-pinching”.
4. Churlish
1) Immature 2) Ill-mannered 3) Passionate 4) Messy
Ans: 2
Explanation: The given word means “rude; impolite; illmannered”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2. Option 1 means “not fully developed; childish”; option 3 means “having, showing, or caused by strong feelings or beliefs; intensely emotional” and option 4 means “untidy; dirty”.
5. Prophesy
1) Forecast 2) Adopt 3) Avert 4) Discover
Ans: 1
Explanation: The given word (with an ‘s’; this is a verb; the noun form has ‘c’) means “say that (a specified thing) will happen in the future; predict; foretell; forecast”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1. Option 2 means “legally take (another's child) and
bring it up as one's own; choose; embrace”; option 3 means “turn away” and option 4 means “find; locate; come across”.
6. Pensive
1) Burdened 2) Detained 3) Brooding 4) Contented
Ans: 3
Explanation: The given word means “engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought; thoughtful; contemplative; brooding”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3. Option 1 means “loaded; weighed down”; option 2 means “kept (someone) from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention; delayed; held up”; and option 4 means “satisfied”.
7. Banish
1) Exile 2) Abhor 3) Support 4) Sanitize
Ans: 1
Explanation: The given word means “send (someone) away from a country or place as an official punishment; exile; deport”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1. Option 2 means “regard with disgust and hatred; detest; despise”; option 3 means “help” and option 4 means “make clean and hygienic; disinfect”.
8. Covetous
1) Inaudible 2) Underhand 3) Loitering 4) Avaricious
Ans: 4
Explanation: The given word means “having or showing a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else; greedy; avaricious”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4. Option 1 means “unable to be heard”; option 2 means “acting or done in a secret or dishonest way; deceitful; dishonest” and option 3 means “standing or waiting around without apparent purpose; lingering”.
9. Deplete
1) Embellish 2) Beg 3) Finish 4) Hasten
Ans: 3
Explanation: The given word means “use up the supply or resources of; exhaust; use up; consume; finish”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3. Option 1 means “make (something) more attractive by the addition of decorative details or features; decorate; adorn”; option 2 means “ask someone earnestly or humbly for something; beseech; entreat”; and option 4 means “be quick to do something; hurry”.
10. Dupe
1) Deceive 2) Generate 3) Simpleton 4) Medication
Ans: 1
Explanation: The given word means “deceive; trick”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1. Option 2 means “produce or create”; option 3 means “a foolish or gullible person” and option 4 means “a drug or other form of medicine that is used to treat or prevent disease”.
11. Apathetic
1) Impartial 2) Uncaring 3) Exquisite 4) Amusing
Ans: 2
Explanation: The given word means “showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern; unconcerned; indifferent; uncaring”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2. Option 1 means “treating all rivals or disputants equally; unbiased; unprejudiced”; option 3 means “extremely beautiful and delicate; beautiful; elegant” and option 4 means “causing laughter and providing entertainment; entertaining; funny; comical”.
12. Valiant
1) Authoritative 2) Spineless 3) Courageous 4) Suspicious
Ans: 3
Explanation: The given word means “possessing or showing courage or determination; brave; fearless; courageous”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3. Option 1 means “commanding and self-confident; likely to be respected and obeyed; self-assured; also reliable; dependable”; option 2 means “having no spine or backbone;
invertebrate; weak; weak-willed”; and option 4 means “having or showing a cautious distrust of someone or something; doubtful; unsure”.
13. Pretend
1) Stimulate 2) Simulate 3) Artificial 4) Recurrence
Ans: 2
Explanation: The given word means “behave so as to make it appear that something is the case when in fact it is not; pose; fake; simulate”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2. Option 1 means “encourage or arouse interest or enthusiasm in; encourage; prompt”; option 3 means “not natural; synthetic” and option 4 means “the fact of occurring again”.
14. Dispense
1) Apportion 2) Resolve 3) Censor 4) Dispute
Ans: 1
Explanation: The given word means “distribute or provide (a service or information) to a number of people; apportion”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1. Option 2 means “settle or find a solution to (a problem or contentious matter); settle; solve”; option 3 means “examine (a book, film, etc.) officially and suppress unacceptable parts of it; cut; delete” and option 4 means “argue about (something)”.
15. Generic
1) Nonspecific 2) Discounted 3) Renewed 4) Mature
Ans: 1
Explanation: The given word means “characteristic of or relating to a class or group of things; not specific; general; common”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1. Option 2 means “deducted an amount from (the usual price of something)”; option 3 means “having been resumed, re-established, or revived” and option 4 means “fully developed physically; fullgrown; adult”.
16. Wary
1) Tranquil 2) Curled 3) Muddled 4) Watchful
Ans: 4
Explanation: The given word means “feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems; cautious; careful”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4. Option 1 means “free from disturbance; calm; peaceful”; option 2 means “curved; spiralled” and option 3 means “not clear or coherent; confused”.
17. Flippant
1) Humourous 2) Detrimental 3) Frivolous 4) Thoughtful
Ans: 3
Explanation: The given word means “not showing a serious or respectful attitude; frivolous; superficial”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3. Option 1 means “causing laughter and amusement; comic; amusing; funny”; option 2 means “tending to cause harm; harmful; damaging; injurious”; and option 4 means “absorbed in or involving thought; pensive”.
18. Distort
1) Bungle 2) Malign 3) Deform 4) Injure
Ans: 3
Explanation: The given word means “pull or twist out of shape”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3. Option 1 means “carry out (a task) clumsily or incompetently; mishandle”; option 2 means “speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner; defame”; and option 4 means “do physical harm or damage to (someone); hurt; wound”.
19. Whirl
1) Spin 2) Travel 3) Sensation 4) Blunder
Ans: 1
Explanation: The given word means “move or cause to move rapidly round and round; rotate; spin”. Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1. Option 2 means “go from one place to another, typically over a distance of some length”; option 3 means “a widespread reaction of interest and excitement” and option 4 means “a stupid or careless mistake”.
