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S-1 — Sabotage to Sluggish (50 words)

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Letter S, part 1: 50 words, from Sabotage to Sluggish.

1. SABOTAGE (v./n.)

  • Urdu: تخریب کاری، جان بوجھ کر نقصان پہنچانا
  • Meaning: to deliberately destroy or obstruct
  • Synonyms: undermine, wreck, disrupt, damage, subvert
  • Antonyms: support, assist, build, protect
  • Use: Hostile agencies tried to sabotage CPEC projects.

2. SACCHARINE (adj.)

  • Urdu: حد سے زیادہ میٹھا، بناوٹی جذباتی
  • Meaning: excessively sweet or sentimental
  • Synonyms: sugary, sentimental, mawkish, cloying, syrupy
  • Antonyms: bitter, sour, unsentimental, harsh
  • Use: The drama's saccharine ending annoyed critics.

3. SACROSANCT (adj.)

  • Urdu: مقدس، ناقابلِ تنقید
  • Meaning: regarded as too important to be changed or questioned
  • Synonyms: sacred, inviolable, untouchable, hallowed, holy
  • Antonyms: profane, unimportant, open to question
  • Use: The Constitution is not sacrosanct; it can be amended.

4. SAGACIOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: دانا، عقلمند
  • Meaning: having keen judgement; wise
  • Synonyms: wise, shrewd, astute, perceptive, judicious
  • Antonyms: foolish, unwise, stupid, obtuse
  • Use: A sagacious leader avoids needless wars.

5. SALIENT (adj.)

  • Urdu: نمایاں، اہم ترین
  • Meaning: most noticeable or important
  • Synonyms: prominent, notable, conspicuous, main, principal
  • Antonyms: minor, inconspicuous, unimportant, trivial
  • Use: List the salient features of the 18th Amendment.

6. SALUBRIOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: صحت بخش
  • Meaning: health-giving; pleasant
  • Synonyms: healthy, wholesome, beneficial, invigorating, pleasant
  • Antonyms: unhealthy, insalubrious, harmful, noxious
  • Use: Murree's salubrious climate attracts tourists.

7. SALUTARY (adj.)

  • Urdu: مفید، سبق آموز
  • Meaning: producing good effects, often through an unpleasant experience
  • Synonyms: beneficial, useful, valuable, advantageous, instructive
  • Antonyms: harmful, damaging, useless, pernicious
  • Use: The defeat was a salutary lesson for the team.

8. SANCTIMONIOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: ریاکار، پارسائی کا دکھاوا کرنے والا
  • Meaning: making a show of being morally superior
  • Synonyms: self-righteous, holier-than-thou, hypocritical, pious, smug
  • Antonyms: humble, modest, sincere, unassuming
  • Use: His sanctimonious speeches hid his corruption.

9. SANCTION (n./v.)

  • Urdu: منظوری؛ پابندی
  • Meaning: official permission; a penalty (contranym)
  • Synonyms: approval, authorization; penalty, embargo
  • Antonyms: prohibition, disapproval; reward
  • Use: The UN imposed sanctions on the regime.
  • ⚠️ Trap: sanction can mean both "allow" and "penalize"; read the context.

10. SANGUINE (adj.)

  • Urdu: پرامید، خوش بیں
  • Meaning: optimistic, especially in a bad situation
  • Synonyms: optimistic, hopeful, confident, positive, buoyant
  • Antonyms: pessimistic, gloomy, despondent, hopeless
  • Use: The finance minister was sanguine about growth.

11. SARDONIC (adj.)

  • Urdu: طنزیہ، تمسخر آمیز
  • Meaning: grimly mocking or cynical
  • Synonyms: mocking, sarcastic, cynical, sneering, scornful
  • Antonyms: sincere, respectful, earnest, kind
  • Use: He gave a sardonic smile at the promise of cheap electricity.

12. SATIATE (v.)

  • Urdu: سیر کرنا، پوری طرح مطمئن کرنا
  • Meaning: to satisfy fully or to excess
  • Synonyms: satisfy, sate, fill, gratify, glut
  • Antonyms: starve, deprive, leave hungry
  • Use: Nothing could satiate his hunger for power.

13. SATURATE (v.)

  • Urdu: شرابور کرنا، بھر دینا
  • Meaning: to soak thoroughly; to fill completely
  • Synonyms: soak, drench, permeate, flood, glut
  • Antonyms: dry, drain, dehydrate
  • Use: The market is saturated with cheap imports.

14. SCANTY (adj.)

  • Urdu: ناکافی، قلیل
  • Meaning: small or insufficient in quantity
  • Synonyms: meagre, sparse, scant, insufficient, inadequate
  • Antonyms: ample, abundant, plentiful, copious
  • Use: Scanty rainfall hurt the cotton crop.

15. SCAPEGOAT (n.)

  • Urdu: قربانی کا بکرا
  • Meaning: a person blamed for the wrongs of others
  • Synonyms: fall guy, whipping boy, victim, patsy
  • Antonyms: culprit, offender, wrongdoer
  • Use: Junior officers became scapegoats for the failure.

16. SCATHING (adj.)

  • Urdu: سخت تنقیدی، کڑوا
  • Meaning: witheringly severe in criticism
  • Synonyms: severe, harsh, withering, caustic, scornful
  • Antonyms: mild, gentle, complimentary, laudatory
  • Use: The audit report was scathing about waste.

17. SCEPTICISM (n.)

  • Urdu: شک، تذبذب
  • Meaning: doubt about the truth of something
  • Synonyms: doubt, disbelief, distrust, suspicion, cynicism
  • Antonyms: belief, faith, trust, credulity
  • Use: The public greeted the promises with scepticism.

18. SCHISM (n.)

  • Urdu: فرقہ وارانہ تقسیم، پھوٹ
  • Meaning: a split between strongly opposed groups
  • Synonyms: division, split, rift, breach, rupture
  • Antonyms: unity, union, agreement, harmony
  • Use: Sectarian schisms weaken the Muslim world.

19. SCINTILLATING (adj.)

  • Urdu: چمکدار، شاندار، دلچسپ
  • Meaning: sparkling; brilliantly clever or exciting
  • Synonyms: brilliant, dazzling, sparkling, witty, lively
  • Antonyms: dull, boring, tedious, lacklustre
  • Use: The team produced a scintillating performance.

20. SCRUPULOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: بااصول، انتہائی محتاط
  • Meaning: diligent and careful; very honest
  • Synonyms: meticulous, careful, conscientious, principled, honest
  • Antonyms: careless, unscrupulous, dishonest, negligent
  • Use: A scrupulous officer refuses every gift.

21. SCRUTINIZE (v.)

  • Urdu: بغور جائزہ لینا، پڑتال کرنا
  • Meaning: to examine closely
  • Synonyms: examine, inspect, study, investigate, analyse
  • Antonyms: ignore, overlook, glance at, skim
  • Use: The ECP scrutinized nomination papers.

22. SCURRILOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: ہتک آمیز، بہتان طرازی والا
  • Meaning: making scandalous claims to damage reputation
  • Synonyms: defamatory, slanderous, libellous, abusive, insulting
  • Antonyms: complimentary, respectful, flattering
  • Use: Scurrilous social media campaigns target women journalists.

23. SECLUDED (adj.)

  • Urdu: الگ تھلگ، ویران
  • Meaning: sheltered and private; isolated
  • Synonyms: isolated, sequestered, remote, private, solitary
  • Antonyms: public, busy, crowded, accessible
  • Use: They rented a secluded cottage in Kalam.

24. SECTARIAN (adj.)

  • Urdu: فرقہ وارانہ
  • Meaning: relating to divisions between religious groups
  • Synonyms: factional, partisan, denominational, bigoted, schismatic
  • Antonyms: non-sectarian, tolerant, inclusive, ecumenical
  • Use: Sectarian violence claimed thousands of lives.

25. SECULAR (adj.)

  • Urdu: غیر مذہبی، دنیاوی
  • Meaning: not connected with religion
  • Synonyms: worldly, lay, temporal, non-religious, civil
  • Antonyms: religious, spiritual, sacred, ecclesiastical
  • Use: Secular subjects were added to madrassah curricula.

26. SEDATE (adj./v.)

  • Urdu: سنجیدہ، پرسکون؛ نیند آور دوا دینا
  • Meaning: calm and unhurried; to calm with drugs
  • Synonyms: calm, placid, sober, staid, leisurely
  • Antonyms: lively, excited, hectic, frantic
  • Use: The procession moved at a sedate pace.

27. SEDENTARY (adj.)

  • Urdu: بیٹھک والا، جسمانی حرکت سے خالی
  • Meaning: involving much sitting and little exercise
  • Synonyms: inactive, seated, desk-bound, idle, stationary
  • Antonyms: active, mobile, energetic, vigorous
  • Use: Sedentary lifestyles are driving obesity.

28. SEDITION (n.)

  • Urdu: بغاوت، ریاست کے خلاف اشتعال
  • Meaning: conduct or speech inciting rebellion against the state
  • Synonyms: incitement, subversion, insurrection, mutiny, treason
  • Antonyms: loyalty, allegiance, obedience, patriotism
  • Use: Colonial rulers used sedition laws against freedom fighters.

29. SEDULOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: محنتی، مستقل مزاج
  • Meaning: showing dedication and diligence
  • Synonyms: diligent, assiduous, industrious, persevering, painstaking
  • Antonyms: lazy, careless, idle, negligent
  • Use: Sedulous revision is the secret of toppers.

30. SEMINAL (adj.)

  • Urdu: بنیادی، اثر انگیز، نئی راہ دکھانے والا
  • Meaning: strongly influencing later developments
  • Synonyms: influential, formative, groundbreaking, pioneering, original
  • Antonyms: derivative, minor, unimportant, imitative
  • Use: Iqbal's Allahabad Address was a seminal moment.

31. SENILE (adj.)

  • Urdu: بڑھاپے سے کمزور ذہن
  • Meaning: having weakened mental faculties due to old age
  • Synonyms: doddering, decrepit, feeble-minded, infirm
  • Antonyms: youthful, sharp, alert, vigorous
  • Use: The senile patient could not recognize his son.

32. SENSATIONAL (adj.)

  • Urdu: سنسنی خیز
  • Meaning: causing great excitement, often through exaggeration
  • Synonyms: dramatic, lurid, shocking, melodramatic, startling
  • Antonyms: ordinary, dull, sober, restrained
  • Use: TV channels prefer sensational headlines to facts.

33. SENTIENT (adj.)

  • Urdu: ذی حس، احساس رکھنے والا
  • Meaning: able to perceive or feel things
  • Synonyms: conscious, aware, feeling, sensitive, perceptive
  • Antonyms: insensate, unconscious, inanimate, unfeeling
  • Use: Animals are sentient beings that deserve protection.

34. SENTIMENTAL (adj.)

  • Urdu: جذباتی
  • Meaning: prompted by feelings of tenderness or nostalgia
  • Synonyms: emotional, nostalgic, tender, romantic, mawkish
  • Antonyms: unsentimental, practical, realistic, hard-headed
  • Use: The old house has sentimental value for the family.

35. SEQUESTER (v.)

  • Urdu: الگ کرنا؛ قرق کرنا
  • Meaning: to isolate; to take legal possession of assets
  • Synonyms: isolate, seclude, separate; confiscate, seize
  • Antonyms: release, free; return
  • Use: Forests sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

36. SERENDIPITY (n.)

  • Urdu: خوش قسمتی سے اتفاقی دریافت
  • Meaning: finding valuable things by chance
  • Synonyms: chance, luck, fortune, happy accident, fluke
  • Antonyms: misfortune, bad luck, design, intention
  • Use: The discovery of penicillin was pure serendipity.

37. SERENE (adj.)

  • Urdu: پرسکون، سکون بھرا
  • Meaning: calm, peaceful and untroubled
  • Synonyms: calm, tranquil, peaceful, placid, composed
  • Antonyms: agitated, turbulent, anxious, stormy
  • Use: The serene lakes of Gilgit refresh the soul.

38. SERVILE (adj.)

  • Urdu: غلامانہ، چاپلوس
  • Meaning: excessively willing to serve or please
  • Synonyms: obsequious, subservient, sycophantic, fawning, slavish
  • Antonyms: assertive, independent, domineering, proud
  • Use: A servile bureaucracy cannot serve the public.

39. SEVER (v.)

  • Urdu: کاٹ دینا، تعلق ختم کرنا
  • Meaning: to cut off; to end a connection
  • Synonyms: cut, detach, sunder, break off, terminate
  • Antonyms: join, connect, attach, unite
  • Use: The two countries severed diplomatic ties.

40. SHACKLE (v./n.)

  • Urdu: بیڑی، پابند کرنا
  • Meaning: to restrain; a chain for the wrists or ankles
  • Synonyms: chain, fetter, restrain, hamper, constrain
  • Antonyms: free, release, liberate, unchain
  • Use: Debt shackles developing economies.

41. SHAM (n./adj.)

  • Urdu: دکھاوا، جعلی
  • Meaning: a thing that is not what it seems; fake
  • Synonyms: pretence, fraud, farce; fake, bogus, counterfeit
  • Antonyms: reality; genuine, real, authentic
  • Use: The trial was a sham.

42. SHREWD (adj.)

  • Urdu: چالاک، زیرک
  • Meaning: having sharp practical judgement
  • Synonyms: astute, sharp, clever, canny, perceptive
  • Antonyms: naive, foolish, gullible, obtuse
  • Use: A shrewd trader buys when others panic.

43. SHUN (v.)

  • Urdu: کترانا، دور رہنا
  • Meaning: to persistently avoid
  • Synonyms: avoid, ostracize, eschew, spurn, snub
  • Antonyms: embrace, welcome, seek, accept
  • Use: Society should not shun the disabled.

44. SIMULATE (v.)

  • Urdu: نقل کرنا، بناوٹی طور پر دکھانا
  • Meaning: to imitate the appearance of; to feign
  • Synonyms: imitate, mimic, feign, fake, replicate
  • Antonyms: be genuine, reveal, expose
  • Use: Pilots train on machines that simulate flight.

45. SINECURE (n.)

  • Urdu: بغیر کام کے تنخواہ والا عہدہ
  • Meaning: a position requiring little work but giving pay
  • Synonyms: easy job, cushy number, soft option, gravy train
  • Antonyms: hard work, drudgery, toil
  • Use: Many state boards offer sinecures to political allies.

46. SINISTER (adj.)

  • Urdu: منحوس، بدنیتی پر مبنی
  • Meaning: giving the impression of evil or harm
  • Synonyms: menacing, ominous, threatening, evil, malevolent
  • Antonyms: benign, innocent, harmless, auspicious
  • Use: There was a sinister motive behind the fake news.

47. SKIRMISH (n.)

  • Urdu: چھوٹی جھڑپ
  • Meaning: a brief fight between small groups
  • Synonyms: clash, fight, scuffle, encounter, brush
  • Antonyms: peace, truce, harmony
  • Use: Border skirmishes along the LoC are common.

48. SLANDER (n./v.)

  • Urdu: بہتان، زبانی تہمت
  • Meaning: a false spoken statement damaging a person's reputation
  • Synonyms: defamation, calumny, libel, smear, vilification
  • Antonyms: praise, compliment, commendation, acclaim
  • Use: He sued the anchor for slander.

49. SLOTH (n.)

  • Urdu: کاہلی، سستی
  • Meaning: laziness
  • Synonyms: laziness, idleness, indolence, lethargy, inertia
  • Antonyms: industry, diligence, energy, activity
  • Use: Bureaucratic sloth delays every file.

50. SLUGGISH (adj.)

  • Urdu: سست، مندا
  • Meaning: slow-moving or inactive
  • Synonyms: slow, lethargic, torpid, languid, listless
  • Antonyms: brisk, lively, energetic, vigorous
  • Use: Sluggish exports widened the trade deficit.