English Language

Vocabulary and Synonyms

17,324 Questions

Vocabulary and synonyms are essential components of English language sections across competitive exams. This topic tests word associations, context meanings, and precise vocabulary skills. Regular practice helps test takers score higher in SSC, banking, and railway recruitment tests.

Finding exact synonymsWord substitutionVocabulary in contextAssociated word groups

Vocabulary and Synonyms Questions

Multiple choice

Which cluster has all the words that belong to the headword ‘labour’?

  1. Occupation, craft, trading, pursuit, lethargy

  2. Sweat, grind, pains, blue, push

  3. Management, fun, pleasure, activity, vocation

  4. Project, undertaking, drive, union, capital

  5. Create, develop, stress, activity, entertainment
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

All of these words are associated with the word labour. The relationship between sweat and labour is obvious. When people work (or labour), they sweat. The term daily grind is used to refer to a person’s everyday work routine. To take great pains is to make a great effort to do something. Pushing involves some labour. The term blue collar is used to refer to people performing labourious tasks.

Multiple choice

Which cluster has all the words that belong to the headword ‘toll’?

  1. Bell, casualties, tax, loss, sound

  2. Loss, penalty, expense, price, free

  3. Damage, figure, expenditure, duty, silence

  4. Profit, service, damage, wellness, pleasure

  5. Duty, tax, levy, prize, bridge
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Toll can mean ‘ring out’ and that makes it synonymous with the words bell, sound, call, etc. Remember the phrase ‘for whom the bell tolls?’ Death toll means the number of people who died in an accident or something. Since the word casualties also means more or less the same, toll can be considered synonymous with casualties. Toll is the fee you pay for using a service. All of these words belong to the headword toll.

Multiple choice

Which cluster has all the words that belong to the headword ‘bond’?

  1. Support, linkage, sever, shackle, adhesive

  2. Handcuff, cord, rope, surety, liberate

  3. Stocks, trade, bearish, gum, alliance

  4. Slavery, glue, dependence, break, security

  5. Pledge, guarantee, obligation, stick, loose
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The words stocks, trade and bearish are associated with the stock market. Since bond is also associated with finance or trading, their relationship is obvious. The words gum and alliance are also associated with bond. Gum is a substance used to bind.

Multiple choice

Which cluster has all the words that belong to the headword ‘yellow’?

  1. Cold, brave, chicken, rumour, scandalous

  2. Old, biased, spineless, cold, honesty

  3. Bile, confident, strong, prejudiced, warm

  4. Riches, gold, illness, young, warm

  5. Warm, sickness, jealousy, betrayal, cowardice
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

All of these words are associated with yellow. Yellow is a warm colour. It is also associated with sun and positivity. Interestingly, a number of negative connotations to do with ageing, sickness, betrayal and jealousy are also associated with this colour. Judas is almost always portrayed wearing a yellow cloak. Yellow belly is a slang term used to refer to cowardice. Formerly jealousy was associated with yellow but now that symbolism has transferred to green.

Multiple choice

Which cluster has all the words that belong to the headword ‘drop’?

  1. Mention, leave, unload, fall, cut

  2. Hire, pick, water, eliminate, miss out

  3. Refer, hint, suggest, jilt, claim

  4. Slump, increment, fall, quit, kick

  5. Introduce, say, adopt, depart, leave
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

All of these words are associated with drop. Drop can mean ‘mention’. To drop an idea is to say or mention it. To drop someone at the airport is to leave him there. As a noun drop means ‘fall’, ‘cut’, ‘decrement’, ‘reduction’ and similar ideas.

Multiple choice

Which cluster has all the words that belong to the headword ‘axe’?

  1. Hatchet, cleaver, dismiss, promote, elegant

  2. Sack, indulge, tree, fell, reduce

  3. Abandon, end, cancel, scrap, start

  4. Hatchet, superior, postpone, closure, abolition

  5. Chopper, eliminate, fire, oust, chop
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

All words in this group belong to the headword axe. A chopper is a cutting tool much like an axe. As a verb, axe means ideas such as abolish, eliminate, terminate, chop, close, dismiss, sack, oust etc.

Multiple choice

Which cluster has all the words that belong to the headword ‘white’?

  1. Fear, purity, pallid, silver, pale

  2. Silvery, transparent, ghastly, milky, biased

  3. Cloudy, light, prejudiced, partial, pearly

  4. Chalky, creamy, candid, strong, blush

  5. Illness, fair, lily, pleasant, unexpected
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

All words in this cluster belong to the word ‘white’. White shows purity or cleanliness. It is also used to express ideas such as fear, shock or anger. Think about the phrase ‘turn white with fear/anger/shock’. White can also mean ‘pale’

Multiple choice

Which cluster has all the words that belong to the headword ‘sign’?

  1. Flag, warning, note, omen, obscurity

  2. Zodiac, math, contract, disease, omen

  3. Astrology, footprints, mark, logic, cleanliness

  4. Representation, token, arithmetic, Libra, hidden

  5. Ad, notice, dark, contract, business
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

All of these words are associated with sign. Think about the zodiac signs. In mathematics, we use very many signs. A contract will be null and void without a sign. A sign may also be an indication of the presence of a disease.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the word that does not belong to the group.

  1. Loss

  2. <font face="Arial">Deprivation</font>

  3. Indemnify

  4. Destitution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Loss, Deprivation, and Destitution are all nouns describing states of lacking something or being deprived. Indemnify is a verb meaning to compensate for damages or loss, making it the odd one out grammatically and conceptually.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the word that does not belong to the group.

  1. Thrift

  2. Frugality

  3. Leniency

  4. Tightness
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Thrift, Frugality, and Tightness all relate to being careful with money, saving resources, and avoiding waste. Leniency means being permissive, merciful, or tolerant - a completely different concept related to judgment rather than resource management.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the word that does not belong to the group.

  1. Juvenile

  2. Senile

  3. Young

  4. Puerile
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Juvenile, Young, and Puerile all relate to youth or childish characteristics. Senile specifically refers to the mental deterioration associated with old age (from Latin senex = old man), making it the opposite concept.