compulsory · CSS study notes

Set 1 — Abate to Audacious

1. ABATE (v.)

Urdu: کم ہونا، گھٹنا، تھمنا
Meaning: to become less intense or widespread
Synonyms: subside, diminish, wane, ebb, lessen, decline
Antonyms: intensify, escalate, increase, surge
Use: The storm abated by evening, and the fishermen returned to sea.

2. ABERRANT (adj.)

Urdu: معمول سے ہٹا ہوا، غیر فطری، گمراہ
Meaning: departing from an accepted standard
Synonyms: deviant, abnormal, irregular, anomalous, atypical
Antonyms: normal, typical, standard, conventional
Use: Police studied the prisoner's aberrant behaviour.

3. ABEYANCE (n.)

Urdu: التواء، معطلی، زیرِ التوا
Meaning: a state of temporary suspension
Synonyms: suspension, dormancy, pause, recess, hold
Antonyms: operation, continuation, activity, force
Use: The project is in abeyance until funds are released.

4. ABSCOND (v.)

Urdu: فرار ہونا، روپوش ہونا
Meaning: to leave hurriedly and secretly, usually to escape arrest
Synonyms: flee, escape, bolt, decamp, run away
Antonyms: stay, remain, surrender, appear
Use: The cashier absconded with the bank's money.

5. ABSTAIN (v.)

Urdu: پرہیز کرنا، باز رہنا
Meaning: to restrain oneself from doing something; to not vote
Synonyms: refrain, desist, forgo, avoid, eschew
Antonyms: indulge, partake, participate, vote
Use: Pakistan abstained from voting on the resolution.

6. ABSTRUSE (adj.)

Urdu: دقیق، مشکل سے سمجھ آنے والا
Meaning: difficult to understand; obscure
Synonyms: obscure, recondite, esoteric, arcane, complex
Antonyms: simple, clear, obvious, lucid, plain
Use: The lecture on string theory was too abstruse for most students.

7. ACCOLADE (n.)

Urdu: اعزاز، تعریف، خراجِ تحسین
Meaning: an award or expression of praise
Synonyms: honour, award, tribute, praise, acclaim
Antonyms: criticism, censure, condemnation, disgrace
Use: Malala received many accolades for her courage.

8. ACERBIC (adj.)

Urdu: تلخ، کڑوا، طنزیہ
Meaning: sharp and forthright, especially in speech or wit
Synonyms: caustic, sharp, biting, cutting, sardonic
Antonyms: kind, gentle, mild, sweet
Use: The columnist is famous for his acerbic wit.

9. ACUMEN (n.)

Urdu: زیرکی، سوجھ بوجھ، فراست
Meaning: the ability to make good judgements and quick decisions
Synonyms: shrewdness, insight, astuteness, judgement, sharpness
Antonyms: stupidity, ignorance, obtuseness, folly
Use: His business acumen turned a small shop into a chain.

10. ADMONISH (v.)

Urdu: تنبیہ کرنا، سرزنش کرنا
Meaning: to warn or reprimand someone firmly
Synonyms: reprimand, rebuke, scold, caution, reprove
Antonyms: praise, commend, applaud, encourage
Use: The judge admonished the lawyer for wasting time.

11. ADULTERATE (v.)

Urdu: ملاوٹ کرنا
Meaning: to make something poorer in quality by adding another substance
Synonyms: contaminate, debase, taint, dilute, corrupt
Antonyms: purify, refine, cleanse, clarify
Use: Food authorities fined sellers who adulterate milk with water.

12. AESTHETIC (adj./n.)

Urdu: جمالیاتی، حسن سے متعلق
Meaning: concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty
Synonyms: artistic, tasteful, beautiful, elegant, decorative
Antonyms: ugly, unattractive, tasteless, unaesthetic
Use: The mosque's design has great aesthetic appeal.

13. AFFABLE (adj.)

Urdu: ملنسار، خوش اخلاق
Meaning: friendly, good-natured and easy to talk to
Synonyms: amiable, genial, cordial, friendly, approachable
Antonyms: unfriendly, surly, aloof, cold, hostile
Use: The affable principal knew every student by name.

14. ALACRITY (n.)

Urdu: چستی، فوری آمادگی، سرگرمی
Meaning: brisk and cheerful readiness
Synonyms: eagerness, readiness, promptness, zeal, enthusiasm
Antonyms: reluctance, apathy, sluggishness, hesitation
Use: She accepted the job offer with alacrity.

15. ALLEVIATE (v.)

Urdu: کم کرنا، تخفیف دینا
Meaning: to make suffering or a problem less severe
Synonyms: relieve, ease, mitigate, lessen, soothe
Antonyms: aggravate, worsen, intensify, exacerbate
Use: The Ehsaas programme aims to alleviate poverty.

16. AMALGAMATE (v.)

Urdu: ضم کرنا، یکجا کرنا
Meaning: to combine or unite to form one structure
Synonyms: merge, combine, unite, fuse, integrate
Antonyms: separate, divide, split, detach
Use: The two small banks amalgamated into one.

17. AMBIGUOUS (adj.)

Urdu: مبہم، ذو معنی
Meaning: open to more than one interpretation
Synonyms: equivocal, vague, unclear, obscure, cryptic
Antonyms: clear, unambiguous, explicit, definite, plain
Use: The ambiguous clause led to a long court case.

18. AMBIVALENT (adj.)

Urdu: دو دل، متذبذب
Meaning: having mixed or contradictory feelings
Synonyms: uncertain, undecided, torn, equivocal, hesitant
Antonyms: certain, decisive, resolute, sure
Use: She felt ambivalent about moving abroad.

19. AMELIORATE (v.)

Urdu: بہتر بنانا، سدھارنا
Meaning: to make something bad better
Synonyms: improve, enhance, better, amend, reform
Antonyms: worsen, impair, aggravate, deteriorate
Use: New wells ameliorated the water crisis in the village.
🔁 CSS 2026 (antonym: impair)

20. ANACHRONISM (n.)

Urdu: زمانے سے میل نہ کھانے والی چیز، فرسودہ چیز
Meaning: something belonging to a period other than the one it is in
Synonyms: relic, throwback, antique, archaism
Antonyms: modernity, novelty, innovation
Use: A mobile phone in a Mughal-era drama is an anachronism.

21. ANALOGOUS (adj.)

Urdu: مشابہ، مماثل
Meaning: comparable in certain respects
Synonyms: similar, comparable, parallel, akin, equivalent
Antonyms: different, dissimilar, unrelated, unlike
Use: The heart is analogous to a pump.

22. ANOMALOUS (adj.)

Urdu: غیر معمولی، بے قاعدہ
Meaning: deviating from what is standard or expected
Synonyms: abnormal, irregular, atypical, odd, aberrant
Antonyms: normal, regular, typical, usual
Use: Snow in Karachi would be an anomalous event.

23. ANTIPATHY (n.)

Urdu: نفرت، بیزاری، مخالفت
Meaning: a deep-seated feeling of dislike
Synonyms: aversion, hostility, animosity, dislike, enmity
Antonyms: sympathy, affection, liking, fondness
Use: He had a strong antipathy towards corruption.

24. APATHY (n.)

Urdu: بے حسی، لاتعلقی
Meaning: lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern
Synonyms: indifference, unconcern, passivity, lethargy
Antonyms: interest, enthusiasm, concern, passion
Use: Voter apathy led to a low turnout.

25. APPEASE (v.)

Urdu: راضی کرنا، ٹھنڈا کرنا، خوش کرنا
Meaning: to pacify someone by giving in to their demands
Synonyms: placate, pacify, mollify, conciliate, soothe
Antonyms: provoke, anger, enrage, antagonise
Use: Chamberlain tried to appease Hitler before WWII.

26. ARCANE (adj.)

Urdu: پراسرار، صرف چند لوگوں کو معلوم
Meaning: understood by only a few; mysterious
Synonyms: mysterious, esoteric, obscure, secret, recondite
Antonyms: common, known, familiar, simple
Use: Tax law is full of arcane rules.

27. ARDUOUS (adj.)

Urdu: کٹھن، دشوار، مشکل
Meaning: involving great effort; difficult and tiring
Synonyms: difficult, strenuous, laborious, gruelling, onerous
Antonyms: easy, effortless, simple, light
Use: Climbing K2 is an arduous task.

28. ARTICULATE (adj./v.)

Urdu: صاف گو، واضح انداز میں بولنے والا؛ واضح کرنا
Meaning: able to express ideas clearly; to express clearly
Synonyms: eloquent, fluent, lucid, expressive, coherent
Antonyms: inarticulate, incoherent, tongue-tied, unclear
Use: An articulate candidate impresses the interview panel.

29. ASCETIC (adj./n.)

Urdu: زاہد، تارکِ دنیا، سادہ زندگی گزارنے والا
Meaning: practising strict self-denial; avoiding pleasures
Synonyms: austere, abstemious, self-denying, frugal, monkish
Antonyms: hedonistic, indulgent, epicurean, sensual
Use: The Sufi saint lived an ascetic life.
🔁 CSS 2014 (antonym of epicurean)

30. AUDACIOUS (adj.)

Urdu: دلیر، بے باک؛ گستاخ
Meaning: showing willingness to take bold risks; impudent
Synonyms: bold, daring, fearless, brazen, reckless
Antonyms: timid, cautious, meek, fearful
Use: It was an audacious plan to cross the desert on foot.