English One Word Substitution List with Meaning
One Word Substitution can often express the idea of a phrase or a clause and can help in writing or communicating precisely. List of some common one-word substitutions are given below. These words are very important for MBA, SSC, Bank PO and other similar competitive exams.
| Abdicate | Renounce a throne, high office or dignity |
| Abolish | Do away with |
| Accelerate | To move faster |
| Accomplice | One associated with another especially in wrong-doing |
| Acoustics | Science of the production, transmission, reception and effect of sound |
| Acrobat | One who performs gymnastic feats |
| Adolescence | The period of life from puberty to maturity |
| Actuary | One who calculates insurance and annuity premium etc |
| Adulterate | Make impure by the addition of inferior substance |
| Aggression | Unprovoked attack of one country by another |
| Amnesty | General pardon |
| Abattoir | A building where animals are killed for meal (or slaughterhouse) |
| Ad hoc | Made for a particular purpose |
| Aeronautics | The science of the operation and flight of aircraft |
| Aesthete | A person with a highly developed sense of beauty |
| Agnostic | One who believes that nothing can be known about God |
| Agoraphobia | Fear of open spaces |
| Alibi | It is Latin for elsewhere. It is actually a plea of having been elsewhere at the time of commission of an act. But it is now used in the sense of an excuse. Example: He offered no alibi for his absence from duty. |
| Alimony | Compensatory allowance given to wife after divorce |
| Allergic | Allergy means, a heightened sensitivity to a substance as food, medicine etc. Allergic means having an aversion to. He is allergic to hard work. |
| Altruist | One who is habitually kind to others |
| Alumnus | A former student of a school or college |
| Ambivalent | The word means simultaneous attraction towards and repulsion from an object, person or action. The attitude of educated Indians to love-marriages is ambivalent |
| Anachronism | That which appears to be in the wrong period |
| Anarchy | Lawlessness and disorder caused by absence of control |
| Anecdote | A short interesting or amusing story |
| Anthology | A collection of poems or writings |
| Aphorism | (or maxim) A wise saying in a few words |
| Aphrodisiac | A medicine causing sexual excitement |
| Apiary | A place where bees are kept |
| Apprentice | A person who works under someone to learn that person’s skill |
| Arboreal | Those who live in trees |
| Armistice | (or cease-fire or truce) An agreement to stop fighting |
| Ascetic | One who avoids physical pleasures and comforts |
| Astrology | The art of understanding the influence of heavenly bodies |
| Astronomy | Scientific study of heavenly bodies |
| Aviary | A place for keeping birds |
| Backlog | It means an accumulation of arrears. Example: I must clear my heavy backlog of arrears. |
| Backwater | A Dart of a river out of the main stream, where the water does not move |
| Barbarian | An uncivilised person |
| Barbecue | A metal flame on which meat etc. is cooked over an open fire |
| Barometer | An instrument for measuring the air pressure |
| Beverage | A liquid for drinking |
| Bibliography | A list of writings on a subject |
| Biennial | Happening once every two years |
| Bigamy | System of two marriages |
| Biodata | (or resume or curriculum vitae) A short written account of one’s education and past employment |
| Black Hole | An area in outer space into which everything near it, including light, is pulled- |
| Bleach | Make white or pale by mean~ of chemicals or sunlight |
| Blue Blood | The quality of being a noble person by birth |
| Blueprint | The word originated in the engineering industry where it means the final stage of paper design. So it may mean the final plan or layout. Example: The blueprint of the Five-Year Plan is ready. |
| Bonsai | The art of growing a plant in a pot that is prevented from reaching its natural size |
| Bon Vivant | One who likes good wine and food and cheerful companions |
| Bookworm | (or nerd) One who is too fond of reading and study |
| Botany | The scientific study of plants |
| Bottleneck | It is a narrow passage, a place, stage or condition that checks progress. Example: We must rem o”e all bottlenecks in the swift implementation of policies. |
| Boulevard | A broad street having trees on each side |
| Bourgeois | Belonging to the middle class |
| Bric-a-brac | Small objects kept for decoration |
| Bullion | Bars of gold or silver |
| Bust | A piece of sculpture showing a person’s head, shoulders, and upper chest |
| Cabal | A small group of people who make secret plans for political action |
| Calligraphy | The art of beautiful writing by hand |
| Canine | Of a dog |
| Cannibal | One who eats human flesh |
| Cardiac | Connected with the heart |
| Catch-22 | A situation from which one is prevented from escaping by something that is part of the situation itself |
| Celestial | Of the sky or heaven |
| Cerebral | Connected with the brain |
| Chalet | A wooden house with a steeply sloping roof |
| Charlatan | One who deceives others by falsely claiming to have a skill |
| Calmistry | The art of telling one’s character or future by examining one’s hands |
| Celibacy | One who does not indulge in carnal pleasure |
| Clean sweep | A complete victory |
| Clock-and-Dagger | Stories that deal with adventure and exciting mystery |
| Clot | A half-solid mass or lump formed from a liquid, especially blood |
| Clubfoot | A badly-shaped foot twisted out of position from birth |
| Coagulate | Change from a liquid into a solid by chemical action |
| Cold war | Severe political struggle between countries, without actual fighting |
| Colloquial | Suitable for ordinary, informal, or familiar conversation |
| Colonnade | A row of pillars supporting a roof or arches |
| Coma | A state of long unnatural deep unconsciousness |
| Combustible | (or Inflammable) That can catch fire and burn easily |
| Comrade | A close companion who shares difficult work |
| Congenital | Existing at or from one’s birth |
| Connotation | The feeling or ideas that are suggested by a word |
| Consortium | A combination of several companies, banks, etc. for a common purpose |
| Consul | A person appointed by a govt. to protect and help its citizens and its interests in trade in a foreign city |
| Contemporary | A person living at the same time as another |
| Contretemps | An unlucky and unexpected event, socially uncomfortable |
| Corinthian | Typical of the most richly decorated style of ancient Greek building |
| Corrigendum | Something (to be) made correct in a printed book |
| Counterfeit | Made exactly like something real in order to deceive |
| Countervailing | Acting with equal force but opposite effect |
| Couture | The business of making and selling fashionable women’s clothes |
| Cradle | A small bed for a baby |
| Creativity | The ability to produce new and original ideas |
| Criminology | The scientific study of crime and criminals |
| Crossroads | A point at which an important decision must be taken |
| Cruise | A sea voyage for pleasure |
| Cuisine | A style of cooking |
| Daredevil | One who is prepared to take dangerous risks |
| D-day | A day on which an important operation is to begin |
| Debacle | A sudden complete failure |
| Decanter | A container for holding alcoholic drinks, especially wine |
| Defeatism | The practice of thinking in a way that shows an expectation of being unsuccessful |
| Deficit | The amount by which something is less than what is needed |
| Déja vu | The feeling of remembering something that in fact one is experiencing for the first time |
| Depression | A long period of seriously reduced business activity and high unemployment |
| Designate | Chosen for an office but not yet officially placed in it |
| Disarmament | Reduction of weapons by a government |
| Dissection | Cutting up the body of a plant or animal for studying |
| Dividend | The money which is divided among shareholders |
| Dome | A rounded roof on a building |
| Dormitory | A large room containing a number of beds |
| Down-and-out | One who is suffering from lack of money, work, etc, and is unable to change the situation |
| Dragnet | A system of connected actions and methods for catching criminals |
| Dregs | Sediment in a liquid that sinks to the, bottom and is thrown away |
| Drudgery | Hard uninteresting work |
| Dutch | Of the Netherlands (Holland) |
| Eagle-eyed | Looking with very keen attention and noticing small details |
| Eaves | The edges of a roof which come out beyond the walls |
| Eddy | A circular movement of water, wind, dust, etc. |
| Elastic | Able to spring back into shape after being stretched |
| Electrocute | To kill by passing electricity through the body |
| Embargo | An official order forbidding trade with another country |
| Empirical | Based on practical experience of the world we see and feel |
| Enigmatic | That which is mysterious and very hard to understand |
| Entomology | The scientific study of insects |
| Epic | A long narrative poem |
| Epicurean | Lover of physical/material |
| Ergonomics | The study of the conditions in which people work most effectively with machines |
| Estuary | The wide lower part or mouth of a river |
| Evaporate | To change into steam and disappear |
| Evolution | Gradual development from simpler forms |
| Excise | Tax on goods produced and used inside a country |
| Expletive | An often meaningless word used for swearing |
| Expressionism | A style of painting which expresses feelings rather than describing objects and experiences |
| Extrovert | One who likes to spend time with others |
| Facet | Any of the many flat sides of a cut jewel |
| Faeces | The solid waste material passed from the bowels |
| Fallacy | A false idea or belief |
| Farce | A light humorous play full of silly things happening |
| Farrier | One who makes and fits shoes for horses |
| Febrile | Of or caused by fever |
| Felony | A serious crime such as murder or armed robbery |
| Fiance | (feminine fiancée) The person one is going to marry |
| Filament | A thin thread |
| Flogging | Severe beating with a whip or stick |
| Flora | All the plants of a particular place, country, or period |
| Fluvial | Of, found in, or produced by rivers |
| Foible | A small rather strange and stupid personal habit |
| Foolscap | A large size of paper, especially writing paper |
| Foray | A sudden rush into enemy country |
| Foreman | A skilled and experienced worker in charge of other workers |
| Fortnight | Two weeks |
| Fourth Estate | Newspapers and their writers, considered with regard to their political influence |
| Freckle | A small flat brown spot on the skin |
| Freight | Goods carried by ship, train. plane, etc. |
| Frill | A decorative edge to a piece of material |
| Frontispiece | A picture or photograph at the beginning of a book |
| Fumigate | To clear of disease, bacteria etc. by means of chemical smoke |
| Furrow | A long narrow track cut by a plough |
| Galaxy | A large group of stars |
| Gastronomy | The art and science of cooking and eating good food |
| Gelatine | A clear substance used for making jellies |
| Geocentric | Having the Earth as the central point |
| Gigolo | A man who is paid to be a woman’s lover |
| Glacier | A mass of ice moving very slowly down a mountain valley |
| Glut | A larger supply than is necessary |
| Goatee | A little pointed beard on the bottom of the chin |
| Go-Getter | One who is forceful, determined, and likely to succeed in getting what one wants |
| Good Samaritan | One who helps others in trouble, without thinking of oneself |
| Gorge | A deep narrow valley with steep sides |
| Graffiti | Drawings or writing on a wall |
| Grange | A large country house with Farm buildings |
| Green Belt | A stretch of land, around a town or city, where building is not allowed, so that fields, woods, etc. remain |
| Grunt | Short deep rough sound of a pig |
| Gubernatorial | Of a governor |
| Guinea pig | A person who is subject of some kind of test |
| Halitosis | A condition in which one has bad breath |
| Handbook | ‘A short book giving all the most important information about a subject |
| Hangar | A big building where aircraft are kept between flights |
| Harpoon | A spear with a long rope, used for hunting large sea animals |
| Haven | A place of calm and safety |
| Headgear | A covering for the head |
| Headstrong | Determined to do what one wants in spite of all advice |
| Heat-stroke | Fever and weakness caused by too much heat |
| Heirloom | A valuable object passed on for generations |
| Herbivore | A plant-eating animal |
| Hide | An animal’s skin, when removed to be used for leather |
| Hinterland | The inner part of a country |
| Histrionics | Behaviour resembling a theatrical performance |
| Holocaust | Great destruction and the loss of many lives |
| Holster | A leather holder for a pistol |
| Hooligan | A noisy rough person who causes trouble |
| Hothead | One who does things too quickly, without thinking |
| Hub | The central part of a wheel |
| Hump | A lump on the back of a camel |
| Ideology | A set of ideas on which a political or economic system is based |
| Idolatry | The worship of idols |
| Illegible | Difficult or impossible to read |
| Immortal | That which will never die |
| Implacable | Impossible to satisfy, change, or make less angry |
| Improvident | One who does not save for the future |
| Incarnate | In physical form rather than in the form of a spirit or idea |
| Incorporeal | Without a body |
| Inedible | Not suitable for eating |
| Inflate | To fill until swelled with air or gas |
| Ingest | To take food into the stomach |
| Innate | That which one is born with |
| Inseminate | To put male seed into a female |
| Intelligentsia | Those who are highly educated and often concern themselves with ideas and new developments |
| Intestate | Not having made a will |
| Invective | A forceful attacking speech used for blaming someone |
| Invoice | A list of goods supplied, stating quantity and price |
| Irreproachable | So good that no blame at all could be given |
| Journal | A serious magazine produced by a specialist society |
| Junta | A council or assembly that deliberates in secret upon the affairs of government. |
| Juxtapose | To place side by side or close together |
| Kennel | A small hut for a dog |
| Kimono | A long loose garment made of silk |
| Knuckle | The joint between the finger and the hand |
| Lackey | One who behaves like a servant by always obeying |
| Lead Time | The time taken in planning and producing a new product |
| Lecher | One who continually looks for sexual pleasure |
| Leonine | Of or like a lion |
| Levee | An embankment beside a river or stream or an arm of the sea, to prevent overflow. |
| Levy | An official demand and collection, especially of a tax |
| Libertarian | One who believes that people should have freedom of expression |
| Lien | A legal claim or hold on property, as security for a debt or charge. |
| Limerick | A humorous short poem with five lines |
| Linchpin | An important member which keeps the whole group together |
| Literati | People with great knowledge of literature |
| Livery | Uniform of a special type for servants |
| Locale | A place where something particular happens |
| Logger V | One whose job is to cut down trees |
| Loom | A machine on which thread is woven into cloth |
| Lore | Old beliefs, not written down, about a particular subject |
| Lowbrow | One who has no interest in literature, art, etc. |
| Lullaby | A pleasant song used for causing children to sleep |
| Machete | A knife with a broad heavy blade |
| Magnum Opus | A great work of art |
| Malady | That which is wrong with a system |
| Malaise | A feeling of pain without any particular pain or appearance of disease |
| Malcontent | One who is dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs. |
| Male Chauvinist | A man who believes that men are better than women |
| Malign | To speak evil of, especially to do so falsely and severely. |
| Mane | The long hair on the back of a horse’s neck |
| Manual | A book giving information about how to do something |
| Market Forces | The free operation of business and trade without govt. controls |
| Mascot | Chosen as a symbol and thought to bring good luck |
| Massacre | The unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of human beings. |
| Materialism | Too great interest on in money & material etc, rather than spiritual matters |
| Mechanics | The science of the action of forces on objects |
| Megalomania | The belief that one is more important than one really is |
| Mercantile | Of trade and business |
| Meteorology | The scientific study of weather conditions |
| Midriff | The part of the human body between the chest and the waist |
| Militia | Those trained as soldiers but not belonging to a regular army |
| Miniature | A very small painting |
| Mirage | The appearing of objects which are not really there |
| Misnomer | A name wrongly or mistakenly applied. |
| Moccasin | A simple shoe made of leather |
| Modus Operandi | A method of doing something typical of someone |
| Mogul | A person of very great power. wealth, and importance |
| Monarchy | Rule by a king or queen |
| Monomaniac | One who keeps thinking of one particular idea only |
| Moralistic | Having unchanging narrow ideas about right and wrong |
| Morbid | Caused by or denoting a diseased or unsound condition of body or mind. |
| Motto | A few words taken as the guiding principle |
| Multinational | A company having operations in many different countries |
| Mundane means | Worldly/earthly |
| Mycology | The study of fungi (plural of fungus) |
| Namesake | A person with the same name as yours is your |
| Nautical | Of sailors, ships, or sailing |
| Necromancy | The practice which claims to learn about the future by talking with the dead |
| Nemesis | Just and unavoidable punishment |
| Newfangled | New (idea. machine etc) but neither necessary nor better |
| Nihilism | The belief that nothing has meaning or value |
| Nodding | lower and raise one’s head slightly and briefly, to give someone a signal |
| Acquaintance | A very slight familiarity |
| Nosegay | A small bunch of flowers, to be carried or worn on a dress |
| Notary | A public official who makes written statements official |
| No-win Situation | That which will end badly whichever choice one makes |
| Nursery | A place where small children are taken care of |
| Oar | A long pole used for rowing a boat |
| Obstetrics | The branch of medicine concerned with childbirth |
| Obtrude | To be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence. |
| Obtrusive | Tending to be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence. |
| Obviate | To clear away or provide for, as an objection or difficulty. |
| Odoriferous | Having a smell, especially a pleasant one |
| Off-White | White with some grey or yellow |
| Oligarchy | A collective government formed by a few persons |
| One-Upmanship | The art of getting an advantage over others without actually cheating |
| Ontology | The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of existence |
| Operational | The study of how best to build and use |
| Opprobrium | The state of being scornfully reproached or accused of evil. |
| Orderly | A soldier who attends an officer |
| Ornithology | The scientific study of birds |
| Ostentation | A display dictated by vanity and intended to invite applause or flattery. |
| Ostracism | Exclusion from intercourse or favor, as in society or politics. |
| Outcast | One who is forced from one’s home or without friends |
| Overhaul | Thorough examination and repair if necessary |
| Pacemaker | A small machine that regularises heartbeats |
| Palaeography | The study of ancient writing |
| Panacea | A remedy or medicine proposed for or professing to cure all diseases. |
| Panache | An admirably stylish manner of doing things effortlessly |
| Panegyric | A formal and elaborate eulogy, written or spoken, of a person or of an act. |
| Pariah | One who is not accepted by society |
| Parricide | Act of murdering one’s father |
| Parting Shot | A last remark made at the moment of leaving |
| Passive Smoking | The breathing in of smoke from the cigarettes that others are smoking |
| Patent | The right to make or sell a new invention |
| Paunch | A man’s fat stomach |
| Peanuts | Too small a sum of money |
| Peeping Tom | One who secretly looks at others when they are undressing |
| Penance | Making oneself willingly suffer for one’s wrongs |
| Perdition | Everlasting punishment after death |
| Perjury | A lie told on purpose |
| Persona on Grata | One who is not acceptable or welcome |
| Petrology | The scientific study of rocks |
| Phonetics | The study and science of speech sounds |
| Phylum | A main division of animals or plants |
| Pigment | The natural colouring matter of plants and animals |
| Pillion | A seat for a second person on a motorcycle |
| Pithead | The entrance to a coalmine |
| Placate | To bring from a state of angry or hostile feeling to one of patience or friendliness. |
| Plaintiff | One who brings a charge against someone in a court |
| Platitude | A written or spoken statement that is flat, dull, or commonplace. |
| Platonic | A friendly, not sexual, relationship between a man and a woman |
| Plebeian | Of the lower social classes |
| Poetaster | A writer of bad poems |
| Poker Face | A face that shows nothing of what one is thinking or feeling |
| Porcine | Of or like a pig |
| Pork | Meat from pigs |
| Portend | To indicate as being about to happen, especially by previous signs. |
| Post-Haste | In a great hurry |
| Pot-Boiler | A book of low quality produced quickly to get money |
| Powder Keg | Something dangerous that might explode |
| Précis | A shortened form of a piece of writing |
| Prescient | Able to imagine or guess what will probably happen |
| Prevaricate | To use ambiguous or evasive language for the purpose of deceiving or diverting attention. |
| Prey | An animal that is hunted and eaten by another |
| Prima Donna | The main woman singer in an opera company |
| Prodigal | One wasteful or extravagant, especially in the use of money or property. |
| Profile | A side view of someone’s head |
| Projection | Something that sticks out from a surface |
| Propellant | An explosive for firing a bullet or a rocket |
| Protagonist | means first actor in a play. It means one who takes the leading part in a drama, novel or any other sphere. Clearly the word is not an antonym of antagonist which means one who contends with another. |
| Proscribe | To reject, as a teaching or a practice, with condemnation or denunciation. |
| Prosody | The rules by which the patterns of sounds are arranged in poetry |
| Postscript (or P.S.) | A note added at the end of a letter |
| Pulmonary | Of or having an effect on the lungs |
| Punctilious | Strictly observant of the rules or forms prescribed by law or custom. |
| Punter | One who makes a bet on horserace results |
| Pus | A thick yellowish liquid produced in an infected wound |
| Putsch | A sudden secretly planned attempt to remove a govt. by force |
| Quartet | Four singers or musicians performing together |
| Quixotic | Trying to do the impossible, often so as to help others, while getting oneself into danger |
| Raconteur | One who is good at telling stories in an interesting way |
| Raillery | Friendly joking al someone’s weakness |
| Ranger | The keeper of a forest |
| Real Estate | Property in the form of land and houses |
| Real Politick | Politics based on practical facts rather than on moral aims |
| Rebuff | A peremptory or unexpected rejection of advances or approaches. |
| Recant | To withdraw formally one’s belief (in something previously believed or maintained). |
| Recumbent | Lying down on the back or side |
| Red-Handed | In the act of doing something wrong |
| Redundant | means exceeding what is natural, usual or necessary. The idea of too much is inseparable from it. It is not a synonym of inappropriate. |
| Reflation | A govt. policy of increasing the amount of money |
| Relic | Something old that reminds us of the past |
| Renaissance | A renewal of interest in some particular kind of art, literature, etc. |
| Renal | Of the kidneys |
| Requisition | An official demand or request |
| Rescind | To make void, as an act, by the enacting authority or a superior authority. |
| Resonance | Sound produced in one object by sound waves from another |
| Retribution | A severe deserved punishment |
| Revisionism | The questioning of the main beliefs of an already existing political system |
| Rhyme | To end with the same sound, including a vowel |
| Right-hand Man | One’s most useful and valuable helper |
| Ringleader | One who leads others to do wrong or make trouble |
| Riviera | A warm stretch of coast, popular with holiday makers |
| Rodent | A small herbivore with strong sharp long front teeth |
| Rolling Stone | One who.travels around a lot and has no fixed address or responsibilities |
| Rosary | A string of beads used for counting prayers |
| Roving eye | Sexual interests that pass quickly from one person to another |
| Rubber Stamp | One who acts only to make official the decisions already made by another |
| Ruling | An official decision of a court |
| Rung | Any of the cross-bars that form the steps of a ladder |
| Saboteur | One who practices sabotage |
| Salve | (or Ointment) An oily substance for putting on a cut, wound, etc. |
| Sapient | Wise and full of deep knowledge |
| Scaffold | A structure built up from poles and boards for workmen to stand on |
| Scalp | The skin on the top of the human head |
| Sceptical | Unwilling to believe a claim or promise. |
| Scraps | Pieces of food not eaten at a meal, and thrown away |
| Scuba | An instrument used for breathing while swimming underwater |
| Seam | A line of stitches ‘joining two pieces of cloth, leather, etc. |
| Sedentary | Done while sitting down |
| Seer | One who can see into the future |
| Seismic | Of or caused by earthquakes |
| Seller’s Market | Where there are not many goods for sale |
| Sensationalism | The intentional producing of excitement or shock |
| Septic | Infected with disease bacteria |
| Sexagenarian | One who is between 60 and 69 years old |
| Sexism | The belief that one sex is not as good as the other |
| Shaman | A priest believed to have magical powers and cure people |
| Shibboleth | A once-important custom which no longer has much meaning |
| Shoot | A new growth from a plant |
| Short-change | To give back less than what actually should be given back |
| Siamese twins | Those joined together from birth at some part of their bodies |
| Side Effect | An unwanted effect happening in addition to the intended one |
| Signatory | Any of those who sign an agreement |
| Sill | The flat piece at the base of a window |
| Singsong | A repeated rising and falling of the voice in speaking |
| Skyscraper | A very tall modern city building |
| Sleeping Partner | A partner in a business who takes no active part |
| Slip-up | A slight unintentional mistake. |
| Small Fry | A young or unimportant person |
| Smokestack | The tall chimney of a factory or a ship |
| Snippet | A short piece from something spoken or written |
| Socialite | A person well known for going to fashionable parties |
| Sociology | The scientific study of societies and human behaviour in groups |
| Solidarity | Loyal agreement of interests, aims, or principles among a group |
| Somnambulism | The habit of walking about while asleep |
| SOS | An urgent message from someone in trouble |
| Souvenir | An object kept as a reminder of something |
| Spatial | Connected with space |
| Spectacle | A grand public show or scene |
| Spindle | A machine part round which something turns |
| Splinter | A small sharp-pointed piece of wood broken off something |
| Sportsmanship | A spirit of honest fair play |
| Sprig | A small end of a stem or branch with leaves |
| Stallion | A fully-grown male horse kept for breeding |
| Standard-bearer | An important leader in a moral argument or movement |
| Statesman | A political leader who is respected as being wise, honourable, and fair-minded |
| Stellar | Of the stars |
| Sticking Point | Something that prevents an agreement |
| Stock Broker | One whose job is buying and selling shares and debentures for others |
| Stoic | One who is indifferent to joys/sorrows |
| Stooge | One who habitually does what another person wants |
| Stratagem | A trick to deceive an enemy |
| Strategist | A person skilled in planning, especially of military movements. |
| Stride | A long step in walking. |
| Strobe Light | A light which goes on and off very quickly |
| Subcutaneous | Beneath the skin |
| Sub Judice | A legal case being considered in court |
| Subsidy | Money paid by the govt. to make prices lower |
| Superannuated | Too old for work |
| Surety | One who takes responsibility for the behaviour of someone |
| Surreal | Having a strange dreamlike unreal quality |
| Swarm | A large group of insects moving in a mass |
| Sweet Tooth | A liking for sweet and sugary things |
| Sword of Damocles | Something bad that may happen at any time |
| Tactile | Of the sense of touch |
| Take-home Pay | Wages left after all taxes, pension payments, etc. have been paid |
| Tannery | A Place where animal skin is made into leather |
| Tarot | A set of 22 cards used for telling the future |
| Tautology | is redundancy, which consists of needless repetition of meaning in other words. Example: audible to the ear return back, One after another in succession. |
| Taxonomy | The system of putting plants and animals into various classes |
| Technocrat | A highly skilled specialist in charge of organisation |
| Teller | One who is employed to receive and pay out money in a bank |
| Tenure | The act, right, or period of holding land or a job |
| Territorial waters | The sea near a country’s coast over which it has legal control |
| Testamentary | Of or done according to a will |
| Thatch | Roof covering of straw, reeds, etc. |
| Thermal | Of heat |
| Thorax | The part between the neck and the abdomen |
| Thromhosis | Having a clot in a blood tube or the heart |
| Topiary | The art of cutting trees into decorative shapes |
| Touchstone | Something used as a test or standard |
| Tract | A short piece dealing with a religious or moral subject |
| Traitor | One who is disloyal to one’s country |
| Transient | One who or that which is only of temporary existence. |
| Transmogrify | To change completely as if by magic |
| Transpire | It does not mean to happen or occur but to become known. Example: It transpired at the meeting that he was going to be our next President. |
| Treatise | A serious book or article that examines a particular subject. |
| Tribunal | A court of people officially appointed to deal with special matters. |
| Troglodyte | One who lives in a cave. |
| Trousseau | The personal possessions that a woman brings with her when she marries. |
| Tunnel Vision | A condition in which one can see only straight ahead |
| Turf | A surface made up of earth and a thick covering of grass |
| Tutelage | The act of training or the state of being under instruction. |
| Tyrant | A ruler with complete power, who rules cruelly and unjustly |
| Tyro | One slightly skilled in or acquainted with any trade or profession. |
| Underling | A person of low rank in relation to another |
| Undermanned | Not having enough workers |
| Unguent | A thick oily substance used on the skin |
| Unisex | Of one type used by both male and female |
| Upholstery | A comfortable covering and filling for a seat |
| Valise | A small bag used while travelling |
| Vase | A decorative container used to put flowers in |
| Vendor | A seller of small articles that can be carried about |
| Vertebrate | A living creature which has a backbone |
| Vicissitude | A change, especially a complete change, of condition or circumstances, as of fortune. |
| Vinous | Of wine |
| Voluntary | Done willingly, without being forced |
| Wade | To walk through water |
| Walkout | Leaving a meeting as an expression of disapproval |
| Wardrobe | A large cupboard in which one hangs up clothes |
| Wasteland | Empty, unproductive, usually ugly land |
| Waterloo | A severe defeat after a time of unusual success |
| Weakling | One who lacks physical strength or strength of character |
| Wean | To transfer (the young) from dependence on mother’s milk to another form of nourishment. |
| Westher-beaten | Marked or damaged by the force of wind. sun, rain. etc. |
| Wheeler-dealer | One who is skilled at making profitable or successful deals |
| Whirlpool | A place with circular currents of water, which can pull objects down into it |
| Wholesale | The business of selling goods to shopkeepers |
| Wit | The ability to say clever and amusing things |
| Wizard | One who has magic powers |
| Word Blindness | (or dyslexia) Difficulty in seeing the difference between letter shape |
| Workaholic | One who likes to work too hard |
| Working knowledge | Enough practical knowledge to do something |
| Wreckage | The broken parts of a destroyed thing |
| Wretch | An unfortunate or unhappy person |
| Xenophobia | Fear of strange or foreign people, customs, etc. |
| Yeoman service | Great and loyal service, help, or support |
| Yuppie | A young person in a professional job with a high-income |
| Zeitgeist | The intellectual and moral tendencies that characterize any age or epoch. |
| Zoology | The scientific study of animals |
