Frequently Asked Word Meanings

Delhi Law Academy

Given below is a list of 100 Words and their Meanings. These have shown up frequently in Law Entrance Exams, so it is advisable to memorize them.

 

100 Frequently Asked Word Meanings

abate reduce or lesson
abdicate give up a position
aberration something unusual, different from the norm
abhor to really hate
abstain to refrain from doing something
adversity hardship, misfortune
aesthetic pertaining to beauty
amicable agreeable
anachronistic out of the context of time, out of date
arid very dry
asylum sanctuary, place of safety
benevolent friendly, helpful
bias a prejudice towards something or against something
boisterous enthusiastic, loud
brazen bold
brusque short, rude
camaraderie togetherness, trust, group dynamic of trust
canny careful
capacious very large, spacious
capitulate surrender
clairvoyant can predict the future
collaborate work together
compassion sympathy
compromise meeting in the middle, settling differences
condescending patronizing
conditional contingent upon something else, contingent upon
conformist someone who follows the majority
convergence coming together
deleterious harmful
demagogue rabble-rousing leader
digression straying from main point
diligent hard-working, dedicated
discredit dishonor someone, prove something untrue
disdain to regard with scorn
divergent moving apart, going in different directions
empathy feeling someone else’s feeling
emulate following someone else’s example
enervating tiring
ephemeral fleeting, temporary
evanescent not lasting long
exemplary outstanding
extenuating something that makes the situation not as bad
florid ornate
forbearance patience, restraint
fortitude strength
fortuitous lucky
foster promote, aid
fraught filled with
frugal thrifty
hackneyed clichéd
haughty being arrogant, talking down to people
hedonist person who acts in pursuit of pleasure
hypothesis unproven theory, educated guess
impetuous rash, impulsive
impute to assign or attribute to someone
inconsequential without consequence, trivial, doesn’t matter
inevitable unavoidable, definitely going to happen
intrepid fearless
intuitive knowing something by instinct
jubilation extreme happiness, joy
lobbyist person who takes one side or the other, and persuades government officials
longevity long (particularly long life)
mundane boring, ordinary
nonchalant casual, calm, at ease
opulent wealthy
orator speaker
ostentatious flaunting wealth
parched freed from water, dried up
perfidious disloyal
pragmatic practical
precocious gifted/talented beyond one’s years
pretentious being self important, thinking you are better than others
procrastinate to delay, often unnecessarily
prosaic ordinary
prosperity wealth
provocative causes a fuss, inflammatory, likely to get people riled up
prudent careful, wise
querulous irritable, prone to argument
rancorous hateful, unpleasant
reclusive hermit, withdrawn
reconciliation coming back together after a disagreement
renovation being new, being redone
restrained controlled, not free
reverence deep respect
sagacity wisdom
scrutinize to look at carefully
spontaneous being impulsive, acting without thinking
spurious false, untrue
submissive mild, meek
substantiate to confirm, prove
subtle shy, small, not showy
superficial shallow
superfluous unnecessary, too much
surreptitious secret
tactful polite
tenacious persistent stubborn
transient temporary, impermanent
venerable respectable because of its age
vindicate to free from blame
wary careful, watchful