Vocabulary Made Easy series: Achieve your goals by enhancing language skills

The importance of vocabulary cannot be taken for granted by students who are preparing for competitive exams like UPSC, Bank exams, IELTS, GRE, etc.

The importance of vocabulary cannot be taken for granted by students who are preparing for competitive exams like UPSC, Bank exams, IELTS, GRE, etc. To achieve their dream goal, students also need to focus on improving their language skills.

To achieve their dream goal, students also need to focus on improving their language skills. (Unsplash)

Here's a way to improve your vocabulary and communication skills. Check out the words for the day and a small quiz to push yourself to improve your word power and language skills.

Audacious (Adjective)

Meaning: showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks

Example: Her audacious behaviour will land her in trouble one of these days

Enigma (Noun)

Meaning: a person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand

Example: Scientists have solved the enigma of the strange markings in the desert

Vacillating (Adjective)

Meaning: wavering between different opinions or actions; irresolute

Example: He was accused of vacillating leadership

Enchanting (Adjective)

Meaning: delightfully charming or attractive

Example: The enchanting sight of swans in the twilight was mesmerising

Loquacious (Adjective)

Meaning: tending to talk a great deal; talkative

Example: I cannot tell whether he recognised me, but that night he was voluble, almost loquacious

Cacophony (Noun)

Meaning: a harsh discordant mixture of sounds

Example: At home, at work and in the street the cacophony never ceases

Enervated (Adjective)

Meaning: drained of energy or vitality

Example: The tension has enervated whole generations of players

Prevaricate (Verb)

Meaning: speak or act in an evasive way

Example: He seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions

Ostracize (Verb)

Meaning: exclude from a society or group

Example: Colleagues ostracized him for not taking part in the strike

Malice (Noun)

Meaning: the desire to harm someone; ill will

Example: Even the doctrine of transferred malice can be used

Put your thinking cap on and try to answer the following questions to understand how much you have grasped.

1. I bear no _________________ towards him. Which of the following words fits best in the sentence? (Malice, Ostracize)
2. He lost the battle, and was _________________; most Athenians did not agree with him. Which of the following words fits best in the sentence? (Ostracized, Prevaricate)
3. Can you think of some antonyms for the word Enervate?
4. Can you think of some synonyms for the word Cacophony?
5. Can you think of some sentences using the words Audacious, Enigma, and Loquacious?

Watch out for this space for your weekly update on improving word power.

(Definitions and examples are from Oxford Languages)