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mpt · CSS study notes

Vocabulary (Synonyms/Antonyms/One-word/Idioms)

How to use

Create sub-pages for:

  • Synonyms
  • Antonyms
  • One-word substitutions
  • Idioms & phrases

Daily target

  • 10 words/day
  • revise weekly

Template for each word

  • Word:
  • Meaning:
  • Synonym:
  • Antonym:
  • Sentence:

Starter word bank (CSS-frequent words)

  1. Austere — severe/strict in manner; Syn: stern; Ant: lenient — "He led an austere life."
  2. Candid — honest/straightforward; Syn: frank; Ant: evasive — "She gave a candid opinion."
  3. Diligent — hardworking; Syn: industrious; Ant: lazy — "A diligent student always prepares in advance."
  4. Eloquent — fluent/persuasive in speech; Syn: articulate; Ant: inarticulate — "He gave an eloquent speech."
  5. Frugal — economical/thrifty; Syn: thrifty; Ant: extravagant — "She is frugal with her spending."
  6. Gregarious — sociable; Syn: outgoing; Ant: reserved — "He is a gregarious person."
  7. Hostile — unfriendly/antagonistic; Syn: antagonistic; Ant: amicable — "The crowd turned hostile."
  8. Impartial — unbiased; Syn: neutral; Ant: biased — "A judge must remain impartial."
  9. Lucid — clear, easy to understand; Syn: clear; Ant: vague — "He gave a lucid explanation."
  10. Meticulous — very careful/precise; Syn: thorough; Ant: careless — "She is meticulous in her work."
  11. Naive — lacking experience/judgment; Syn: innocent; Ant: worldly — "His naive trust cost him."
  12. Obsolete — outdated; Syn: outdated; Ant: modern — "This technology is now obsolete."
  13. Pragmatic — practical; Syn: practical; Ant: idealistic — "A pragmatic approach is needed."
  14. Redundant — unnecessary/excess; Syn: superfluous; Ant: essential — "That clause is redundant."
  15. Skeptical — doubtful; Syn: doubtful; Ant: convinced — "He remained skeptical of the plan."
  16. Tenacious — persistent; Syn: persistent; Ant: irresolute — "Her tenacious effort paid off."
  17. Unanimous — in total agreement; Syn: undivided; Ant: divided — "The decision was unanimous."
  18. Volatile — unpredictable/unstable; Syn: unstable; Ant: stable — "The situation remains volatile."
  19. Zealous — very enthusiastic; Syn: passionate; Ant: apathetic — "A zealous reformer."
  20. Ambiguous — unclear/open to interpretation; Syn: vague; Ant: explicit — "The statement was ambiguous."

Drill: Choose the Correct Synonym

  1. Candid — (a) dishonest (b) frank (c) shy — b
  2. Meticulous — (a) careless (b) careful (c) fast — b
  3. Obsolete — (a) modern (b) outdated (c) rare — b
  4. Zealous — (a) lazy (b) passionate (c) calm — b
  5. Frugal — (a) wasteful (b) thrifty (c) generous — b
  6. Lucid — (a) confusing (b) clear (c) dark — b
  7. Tenacious — (a) weak (b) persistent (c) shy — b
  8. Pragmatic — (a) idealistic (b) practical (c) emotional — b
  9. Gregarious — (a) sociable (b) hostile (c) quiet — a
  10. Impartial — (a) biased (b) neutral (c) angry — b

Antonyms — Word Bank

  1. Benevolent (kind) — Ant: Malevolent
  2. Concur (agree) — Ant: Dissent
  3. Diligent (hardworking) — Ant: Indolent
  4. Elated (very happy) — Ant: Dejected
  5. Frivolous (silly, trivial) — Ant: Solemn
  6. Genuine (real) — Ant: Fake / Spurious
  7. Hostile (unfriendly) — Ant: Amicable
  8. Innate (natural, inborn) — Ant: Acquired
  9. Jubilant (joyful) — Ant: Morose
  10. Kindle (to ignite/start) — Ant: Extinguish
  11. Lenient (mild, tolerant) — Ant: Strict / Severe
  12. Meticulous (careful) — Ant: Careless
  13. Novice (beginner) — Ant: Expert / Veteran
  14. Optimistic (hopeful) — Ant: Pessimistic
  15. Prudent (wise, cautious) — Ant: Reckless
  16. Quell (to suppress) — Ant: Incite
  17. Robust (strong) — Ant: Frail
  18. Scarce (rare) — Ant: Abundant
  19. Timid (shy) — Ant: Bold
  20. Unanimous (all agree) — Ant: Divided

Drill: Choose the Correct Antonym

  1. Benevolent — (a) kind (b) malevolent (c) generous — b
  2. Elated — (a) happy (b) dejected (c) excited — b
  3. Prudent — (a) wise (b) reckless (c) careful — b
  4. Scarce — (a) rare (b) limited (c) abundant — c
  5. Robust — (a) strong (b) frail (c) healthy — b
  6. Novice — (a) beginner (b) expert (c) student — b
  7. Genuine — (a) real (b) authentic (c) fake — c
  8. Optimistic — (a) hopeful (b) pessimistic (c) confident — b
  9. Timid — (a) shy (b) bold (c) nervous — b
  10. Concur — (a) agree (b) dissent (c) accept — b

One-Word Substitutions

  1. A person who loves books — Bibliophile
  2. A place where birds are kept — Aviary
  3. One who cannot read or write — Illiterate
  4. A person who knows many languages — Polyglot
  5. A word that sounds like its meaning — Onomatopoeia
  6. Government by the people — Democracy
  7. Study of ancient societies through remains — Archaeology
  8. One who loves mankind — Philanthropist
  9. A person who hates mankind — Misanthrope
  10. Murder of a king — Regicide
  11. Handwriting that cannot be read — Illegible
  12. A speech given without preparation — Impromptu
  13. One who is new to a job/place — Novice
  14. A person who eats too much — Glutton
  15. Life history written by oneself — Autobiography
  16. Life history written by someone else — Biography
  17. A remedy for all diseases — Panacea
  18. Fear of enclosed spaces — Claustrophobia
  19. Fear of heights — Acrophobia
  20. One who leaves their own country to live elsewhere — Emigrant

Idioms & Phrases — High-Frequency in CSS MPT

  1. Break the ice — to start a conversation in an awkward setting — "He told a joke to break the ice."
  2. Once in a blue moon — rarely — "He visits us once in a blue moon."
  3. Hit the nail on the head — to say something exactly right — "She hit the nail on the head with that comment."
  4. Burn the midnight oil — to work/study late into the night — "Students burn the midnight oil before exams."
  5. A blessing in disguise — something good that seemed bad at first — "Losing that job was a blessing in disguise."
  6. Beat around the bush — to avoid the main point — "Stop beating around the bush and answer directly."
  7. Bite the bullet — to endure something difficult — "He had to bite the bullet and accept the loss."
  8. Cut corners — to do something poorly to save time/money — "They cut corners on quality."
  9. Fall on hard times — to face financial difficulty — "The business fell on hard times."
  10. Get cold feet — to become nervous before an event — "He got cold feet before the interview."
  11. In the nick of time — just in time — "He arrived in the nick of time."
  12. Jump on the bandwagon — to join a popular trend — "Many companies jumped on the bandwagon."
  13. Keep at bay — to keep something away/under control — "Exercise keeps illness at bay."
  14. Let the cat out of the bag — to reveal a secret — "She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party."
  15. Miss the boat — to miss an opportunity — "If you don't apply now, you'll miss the boat."
  16. On thin ice — in a risky situation — "He's on thin ice with his manager."
  17. Pull strings — to use influence to get an advantage — "He pulled strings to get the job."
  18. Read between the lines — to understand the hidden meaning — "You need to read between the lines."
  19. See eye to eye — to agree completely — "They finally saw eye to eye on the plan."
  20. Turn a blind eye — to deliberately ignore something — "The officer turned a blind eye to the violation."

Drill: Choose the Correct Meaning

  1. "Break the ice" means — (a) to cause a fight (b) to start a conversation (c) to end a friendship — b
  2. "Once in a blue moon" means — (a) frequently (b) rarely (c) never — b
  3. "Bite the bullet" means — (a) to avoid a task (b) to endure something hard (c) to celebrate — b
  4. "Let the cat out of the bag" means — (a) to hide something (b) to reveal a secret (c) to lose something — b
  5. "Turn a blind eye" means — (a) to notice (b) to deliberately ignore (c) to investigate — b

Practice tracker

YYYY-MM-DD

  • New words learned:
  • Antonyms/Synonyms revised:
  • Idioms revised:
  • Weak area: