Competitive exams, such as GRE, GMAT, SAT, and CAT, require more than just basic vocabulary. Mastering advanced vocabulary is crucial to stand out from the crowd and achieve top scores. In this post, we’ll explore 25 advanced vocabulary words that will help you enhance your language skills, improve comprehension, and tackle verbal sections with confidence. From nuanced meanings to contextual usage, we’ll break down each word to ensure you’re well-prepared for exam day.
Table of Contents
Exam Excellence: 25 Essential Advanced Vocabulary Words to Know
Here are 25 advanced vocabulary words useful for competitive examinations and detailed information about each word and their usage examples. At the end, you will also find a short story using all 25 words.
1. Acrimonious
– Meaning: Angry and bitter.
– Pronunciation: /ˌækrɪˈmoʊniəs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: towards, with, in
– Examples:
1. Their acrimonious debate lasted for hours.
2. He spoke in an acrimonious tone with his opponent.
3. There was an acrimonious dispute over the contract.
4. Acrimonious feelings towards her boss were clear in her resignation letter.
2. Belligerent
– Meaning: Hostile and aggressive.
– Pronunciation: /bəˈlɪdʒərənt/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: with, towards, in
– Examples:
1. His belligerent attitude got him into trouble.
2. She was belligerent towards the referee after the game.
3. A belligerent stance in negotiations may lead to failure.
4. He became belligerent when confronted with the facts.
3. Cacophony
– Meaning: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
– Pronunciation: /kəˈkɑfəni/
– Part of Speech: Noun (Uncountable)
– Common Prepositions: of, in, with
– Examples:
1. The city was full of the cacophony of traffic.
2. There was a cacophony of voices in the crowded room.
3. The band’s performance turned into a cacophony.
4. A cacophony of alarms filled the air during the fire drill.
4. Debilitate
– Meaning: To make someone weak or infirm.
– Pronunciation: /dɪˈbɪlɪˌteɪt/
– Part of Speech: Verb
– Forms: debilitated, debilitating
– Common Prepositions: by, with, from
– Examples:
1. The disease debilitated him, leaving him bedridden.
2. She was debilitated by stress and exhaustion.
3. His strength was debilitated after the long illness.
4. The economy was debilitated by the crisis.
5. Ebullient
– Meaning: Cheerful and full of energy.
– Pronunciation: /ɪˈbʌljənt/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: with, in, about
– Examples:
1. She was ebullient with excitement after her promotion.
2. His ebullient personality made him popular among colleagues.
3. They felt ebullient in the celebration after the victory.
4. Her speech was full of ebullient energy.
6. Fastidious
– Meaning: Very attentive to detail and concerned about accuracy.
– Pronunciation: /fæˈstɪdiəs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: in, about, with
– Examples:
1. He was fastidious in his choice of words.
2. She is fastidious about cleanliness.
3. Fastidious attention to detail is key to success.
4. The chef was fastidious with every dish he prepared.
7. Garrulous
– Meaning: Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
– Pronunciation: /ˈɡærələs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: with, about, in
– Examples:
1. His garrulous nature made conversations long and tiresome.
2. She was garrulous about her weekend plans.
3. The garrulous man continued talking even after the meeting ended.
4. He became garrulous with excitement when discussing his hobby.
8. Hapless
– Meaning: Unfortunate or unlucky.
– Pronunciation: /ˈhæpləs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: in, with, at
– Examples:
1. The hapless traveler lost his luggage at the airport.
2. She felt sorry for the hapless victim of the prank.
3. The hapless student was always late for class.
4. His hapless attempts at cooking ended in disaster.
9. Impecunious
– Meaning: Having little or no money.
– Pronunciation: /ˌɪmpɪˈkjuːniəs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: with, in, among
– Examples:
1. The impecunious artist struggled to make ends meet.
2. He was impecunious with debt after the failed business.
3. An impecunious life left him seeking financial assistance.
4. Despite being impecunious, she remained optimistic.
10. Juxtaposition
– Meaning: The fact of two things being placed close together with contrasting effect.
– Pronunciation: /ˌdʒʌkstəpəˈzɪʃən/
– Part of Speech: Noun (Countable)
– Common Prepositions: of, between, in
– Examples:
1. The juxtaposition of light and shadow created a dramatic effect.
2. There was a striking juxtaposition between wealth and poverty in the city.
3. The artist used the juxtaposition of bright and dark colors to convey emotion.
4. The juxtaposition in the design highlighted its uniqueness.
11. Kaleidoscopic
– Meaning: Having complex patterns of colors; continually shifting or changing.
– Pronunciation: /kəˌlaɪdəˈskɑpɪk/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: with, of, in
– Examples:
1. The city’s lights created a kaleidoscopic view from the rooftop.
2. Her kaleidoscopic thoughts made it hard to focus.
3. The kaleidoscopic patterns of the fabric fascinated the shoppers.
4. He admired the kaleidoscopic diversity of cultures in the area.
12. Languid
– Meaning: Displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed.
– Pronunciation: /ˈlæŋɡwɪd/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: with, in, on
– Examples:
1. She spent the afternoon in a languid mood by the pool.
2. His languid walk showed his lack of urgency.
3. They enjoyed a languid day at the beach.
4. The heat made everyone feel languid and slow.
13. Mellifluous
– Meaning: Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.
– Pronunciation: /məˈlɪfluəs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: with, to, in
– Examples:
1. The singer’s mellifluous voice enchanted the audience.
2. He spoke with a mellifluous tone that calmed everyone.
3. The mellifluous sound of the stream was soothing.
4. Her mellifluous laugh filled the room with joy.
14. Nefarious
– Meaning: Wicked or criminal.
– Pronunciation: /nɪˈfɛriəs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: in, for, with
– Examples:
1. The villain had a nefarious plan to take over the world.
2. He was arrested for his nefarious activities.
3. The group was involved in a nefarious plot against the government.
4. Her nefarious actions were uncovered during the investigation.
15. Obfuscate
– Meaning: To deliberately make something unclear or difficult to understand.
– Pronunciation: /ˈɑbfəˌskeɪt/
– Part of Speech: Verb
– Forms: obfuscated, obfuscating
– Common Prepositions: with, by, in
– Examples:
1. The politician tried to obfuscate the truth with complex language.
2. He obfuscated the facts by providing unnecessary details.
3. They obfuscated the issue to avoid responsibility.
4. The document was obfuscated by legal jargon.
16. Palpable
– Meaning: So intense as to seem almost tangible.
– Pronunciation: /ˈpælpəbəl/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: in, with, at
– Examples:
1. The tension in the room was palpable.
2. There was a palpable sense of excitement before the performance.
3. The fear was palpable among the audience.
4. His anger was palpable during the discussion.
17. Quintessential
– Meaning: Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
– Pronunciation: /ˌkwɪntɪˈsɛnʃəl/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: of, with, in
– Examples:
1. He is the quintessential example of a leader.
2. The restaurant served quintessential Italian cuisine.
3. This book is the quintessential guide to cooking.
4. She looked like the quintessential movie star at the event.
18. Resplendent
– Meaning: Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
– Pronunciation: /rɪˈsplɛndənt/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: in, with, at
– Examples:
1. The bride looked resplendent in her wedding gown.
2. The ballroom was resplendent with golden decorations.
3. He stood resplendent in his uniform at the ceremony.
4. The sunset was resplendent with vibrant colors.
19. Sycophant
– Meaning: A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important to gain advantage.
– Pronunciation: /ˈsɪkəˌfænt/
– Part of Speech: Noun (Countable)
– Common Prepositions: of, with, to
– Examples:
1. He was known as a sycophant who flattered his boss excessively.
2. The sycophant’s behavior annoyed everyone in the office.
3. She surrounded herself with sycophants who never challenged her.
4. His sycophantic praise was clearly insincere.
20. Trepidation
– Meaning: A feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen.
– Pronunciation: /ˌtrɛpɪˈdeɪʃən/
– Part of Speech: Noun (Uncountable)
– Common Prepositions: with, in, about
– Examples:
1. She entered the room with trepidation.
2. His trepidation about the exam was evident in his expression.
3. They waited in trepidation for the results.
4. The news was received with a mix of trepidation and hope.
21. Ubiquitous
– Meaning: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
– Pronunciation: /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: in, at, across
– Examples:
1. Smartphones are now ubiquitous in modern society.
2. Her influence was ubiquitous in the company.
3. The brand’s advertisements were ubiquitous across the city.
4. Technology is becoming ubiquitous in classrooms.
22. Vicarious
– Meaning: Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.
– Pronunciation: /vaɪˈkɛriəs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: through, in, by
– Examples:
1. He lived vicariously through his son’s success.
2. She felt vicarious joy in her friend’s achievements.
3. The movie gave him a vicarious thrill of adventure.
4. They experienced vicarious excitement through the stories.
23. Wistful
– Meaning: Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing.
– Pronunciation: /ˈwɪstfəl/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: for, about, in
– Examples:
1. He had a wistful look as he reminisced about the past.
2. She felt wistful for the carefree days of her childhood.
3. The old man spoke with a wistful tone about his youth.
4. The wistful music filled the air with a sense of nostalgia.
24. Zealous
– Meaning: Filled with or showing intense enthusiasm for something.
– Pronunciation: /ˈzɛləs/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: for, in, about
– Examples:
1. He was zealous for his favorite sports team.
2. She was zealous in her efforts to raise funds for charity.
3. They were zealous about promoting their new project.
4. His zealous attitude was admired by his peers.
25. Recalcitrant
– Meaning: Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.
– Pronunciation: /rɪˈkælsɪtrənt/
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Common Prepositions: with, in, towards
– Examples:
1. The recalcitrant student refused to follow the rules.
2. He was recalcitrant in his response to the teacher’s instructions.
3. The recalcitrant employee constantly challenged his boss.
4. They dealt with a recalcitrant group of protesters during the strike.
Expanding your advanced vocabulary is a game-changer for competitive exam success. By incorporating these 25 advanced vocabulary words into your study routine, you’ll not only enhance your language skills but also develop a deeper understanding of complex concepts. Remember, mastering advanced vocabulary requires practice and context. Continue to challenge yourself, and you’ll unlock the door to achieving exceptional scores and reaching your academic goals.
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Story: “The Ebullient Leader”
In the small town of Riverton, there lived an ebullient leader named Jacob, known for his fastidious attention to detail. He was always zealous in his pursuits and managed to inspire his team, despite the occasional recalcitrant members. His team, full of sycophants and genuine followers alike, often marveled at his ability to deal with even the most belligerent situations.
One day, however, a rift occurred in the group. The cacophony of dissent arose due to an acrimonious debate between Jacob and another leader, Mark, known for his nefarious ways. Mark’s plan was full of obfuscation, leaving the townspeople confused and worried. Jacob felt the palpable tension in the air as he worked to restore order.
Despite the trepidation in the group, Jacob remained resplendent in his leadership. He called for a meeting where he spoke with a mellifluous tone, offering reassurance to his followers. His quintessential leadership style prevailed, and soon, the group found harmony once more, their previous disagreements becoming nothing more than a wistful memory.
In the end, Riverton thrived under Jacob’s kaleidoscopic vision, with unity and progress replacing the once-fractured group.