Vocabulary
Synonyms, antonyms, idioms & phrases, and word formation — essential vocabulary for the English paper.
A. Synonyms
Click a letter to see all words starting with it. Grey letters have no entries.
A2. Antonyms
Click a letter to see all antonyms. Same 90 words — opposite meanings highlighted in red.
C. Idioms & Phrases
40 Common Idioms & Phrases
A blessing in disguise
Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good
e.g. Losing that job was a blessing in disguise — he found a better one.
Beat around the bush
To avoid the main topic; to talk in a roundabout way
e.g. Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.
Bite the bullet
To endure a painful or difficult situation bravely
e.g. She bit the bullet and went to the dentist.
Bite the dust
To fail or die; to be defeated
e.g. The old company finally bit the dust after years of losses.
Break the ice
To initiate conversation in a social setting; to relieve tension
e.g. He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.
Burn the midnight oil
To work or study late into the night
e.g. She burned the midnight oil to finish her assignment.
Castles in the air
Unrealistic dreams or plans; wishful thinking
e.g. His business plan was just castles in the air.
Catch red-handed
To catch someone in the act of doing something wrong
e.g. The thief was caught red-handed at the shop.
Cost an arm and a leg
To be very expensive
e.g. That car costs an arm and a leg.
Cry over spilt milk
To complain about past mistakes that cannot be fixed
e.g. The exam is done — don't cry over spilt milk.
Cut a sorry figure
To make a poor impression; to appear foolish
e.g. He cut a sorry figure at the interview.
Every cloud has a silver lining
Every bad situation has a positive aspect
e.g. He failed the test but learned a lot — every cloud has a silver lining.
Face the music
To accept the consequences of one's actions
e.g. He made a mistake and now must face the music.
Fair and square
In an honest and just manner
e.g. He won the prize fair and square.
Feather in one's cap
An achievement to be proud of
e.g. Winning the scholarship was a feather in his cap.
Fish out of water
Someone who is uncomfortable in their surroundings
e.g. In the big city, he felt like a fish out of water.
Get the ball rolling
To start an activity or process
e.g. Let's get the ball rolling with the first agenda point.
Give the cold shoulder
To deliberately ignore someone
e.g. After their argument, she gave him the cold shoulder.
Hit the nail on the head
To be exactly right about something
e.g. You hit the nail on the head with that analysis.
In the same boat
In the same difficult situation as others
e.g. We're all in the same boat — no one got a raise.
Kill two birds with one stone
To accomplish two things with a single action
e.g. Studying with a friend kills two birds with one stone.
Let the cat out of the bag
To accidentally reveal a secret
e.g. She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Make ends meet
To have just enough money to live on
e.g. With low wages, it was hard to make ends meet.
Miss the boat
To miss an opportunity
e.g. He missed the boat by not applying early.
Nip in the bud
To stop something before it develops further
e.g. The problem was nipped in the bud before it spread.
Once in a blue moon
Very rarely; almost never
e.g. He visits his hometown once in a blue moon.
Over the moon
Extremely happy and delighted
e.g. She was over the moon when she got the job.
Pass the buck
To shift blame or responsibility to someone else
e.g. He always passes the buck when things go wrong.
Rain cats and dogs
To rain very heavily
e.g. Take an umbrella — it's raining cats and dogs.
See eye to eye
To agree with someone
e.g. The two managers don't always see eye to eye.
Spill the beans
To reveal secret information, usually accidentally
e.g. He spilled the beans about the plan.
Steal the show
To be the best performer and attract most attention
e.g. The young singer stole the show at the concert.
Take with a pinch of salt
To be sceptical about something; not to take it too literally
e.g. Take his claims with a pinch of salt.
The ball is in your court
It is your turn to take action or make a decision
e.g. I've said what I need to — the ball is in your court.
Throw in the towel
To give up; to admit defeat
e.g. After three failed attempts, he threw in the towel.
Under the weather
Feeling ill or unwell
e.g. I'm feeling a bit under the weather today.
Up in the air
Uncertain; not yet decided
e.g. The final decision is still up in the air.
Wear one's heart on one's sleeve
To show one's feelings openly
e.g. She wears her heart on her sleeve — everyone knows how she feels.
Wolf in sheep's clothing
Someone who appears friendly but is actually dangerous
e.g. Be careful — he is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Worth its weight in gold
Extremely valuable or useful
e.g. A good teacher is worth their weight in gold.
D. Word Formation — Prefixes & Suffixes
Common Prefixes
Added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| un- | Not / opposite of | unhappy, unkind, unfair, unable |
| re- | Again / back | rewrite, return, redo, rebuild |
| pre- | Before | preview, precaution, preschool, predict |
| dis- | Not / away | dishonest, disagree, disappear, dislike |
| mis- | Wrongly | mistake, misuse, mislead, misunderstand |
| over- | Too much / above | overwork, overcome, overestimate |
| under- | Too little / below | underestimate, undermine, undertake |
| anti- | Against | antibiotic, antisocial, anti-war |
| inter- | Between | international, interview, interact |
| sub- | Under / below | submarine, substandard, subway |
| super- | Above / greater | supernatural, superior, supervise |
| trans- | Across / through | transport, translate, transparent |
| bi- | Two | bicycle, bilingual, biannual |
| mono- | One / single | monologue, monotone, monarch |
| auto- | Self | autobiography, automatic, autograph |
| micro- | Very small | microphone, microscope, microwave |
Common Suffixes
Added to the end of a word — often changes the word class
| Suffix | Forms | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -tion / -sion | Noun (action/state) | education, pollution, decision, confusion |
| -ment | Noun (action/result) | government, development, achievement |
| -ness | Noun (state/quality) | kindness, happiness, darkness, weakness |
| -er / -or | Noun (person/agent) | teacher, doctor, actor, player |
| -ful | Adjective (full of) | beautiful, careful, hopeful, powerful |
| -less | Adjective (without) | careless, homeless, useless, hopeless |
| -ly | Adverb (manner) | quickly, slowly, carefully, suddenly |
| -able / -ible | Adjective (capable of) | readable, suitable, responsible, visible |
| -ous | Adjective (having quality) | dangerous, famous, serious, generous |
| -ive | Adjective (tendency) | active, creative, responsive, attractive |
| -ise / -ize | Verb (make/become) | organise, realise, modernize, finalise |
| -fy | Verb (make/cause) | simplify, clarify, magnify, justify |
| -en | Verb (make/become) | strengthen, widen, deepen, brighten |
| -ist | Noun (person/belief) | artist, scientist, journalist, activist |
| -ism | Noun (doctrine/practice) | socialism, patriotism, criticism, realism |
| -ity / -ty | Noun (quality/state) | ability, equality, safety, creativity |
⚡ MCQ Tip Suffix changes word class: kind (adj) → kindness (noun) → kindly (adv). Prefix changes meaning: honest → dishonest. Word formation questions test both.
Quick MCQ Revision
| Word | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|
| Benevolent | Kind, Generous | Malevolent, Cruel |
| Candid | Frank, Honest | Deceptive, Evasive |
| Diligent | Hardworking, Industrious | Lazy, Idle |
| Eloquent | Fluent, Articulate | Inarticulate, Tongue-tied |
| Frugal | Thrifty, Economical | Wasteful, Extravagant |
| Lethargic | Sluggish, Inactive | Energetic, Active |
| Prudent | Wise, Careful | Reckless, Foolish |
| Serene | Calm, Peaceful | Agitated, Turbulent |
| Tenacious | Persistent, Determined | Weak, Irresolute |
| Vigilant | Alert, Watchful | Negligent, Careless |
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