Vocabulary Made Easy series: Polish your language skills to excel in exams

Having a good command of the language is essential for students as well as professionals to climb up the career ladder.

Having a good command of the language is essential for students as well as professionals to climb up the career ladder. To be able to communicate effectively one must have a strong sense of vocabulary which can be improved through reading and exploring new words.

To be able to communicate effectively one must have a strong sense of vocabulary which can be improved through reading and exploring new words. (HT file)

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.

Zeal (Noun)

Meaning: great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective

Example: He went about out his task with the zeal of a true believer

Vexation (Noun)

Meaning: the state of being annoyed, frustrated, or worried

Example: Jenna bit her lip in vexation

Untenable (Adjective)

Meaning: (especially of a position or view) not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection

Example: This is an untenable position to take and is fantasy politics

Torpor (Noun)

Meaning: a state of physical or mental inactivity; lethargy

Example: Where physical torpor leads, mental atrophy is sure to follow

Unadorned (Adjective)

Meaning: not adorned; plain

Example: So, naturally, humanist funerals tend to be simple and unadorned, stripped of any ritualistic trappings

Timorous (Adjective)

Meaning: showing or suffering from nervousness or a lack of confidence

Example: A timorous voice

Subversive (Adjective)

Meaning: seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution

Example: Now regarded as a dangerous subversive, Emmeline was watched by plain clothes detectives

Taciturn (Adjective)

Meaning: (of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little

Example: A solemn, taciturn man, he did not endear himself to his colleagues

Repudiate (Verb)

Meaning: refuse to accept; reject/deny the truth or validity of

Example: The modernist belief that modern art should repudiate the past has been jettisoned

Quotidian (Adjective)

Meaning: of or occurring every day; daily

Example: The details are quotidian, but the underlying questions both simple and profound: Who am I?

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

1. His story is an achingly human one, mired in quotidian details. Which of the following words fits best in the sentence? (Quotidian, Subversive)
2. I will continue to repudiate that accusation. Which of the following words fits best in the sentence? ( Repudiate, Taciturn)
3. Can you think of some sentences using the words Timorous, Unadorned and Torpor?
4. Can you think of some antonyms for the word Untenable?
5. Can you think of some synonyms for the word Zeal?