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compulsory · CSS study notes

Set 10 — Surreptitious to Zenith

1. SURREPTITIOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: خفیہ، چوری چھپے
  • Meaning: done secretly to avoid notice
  • Synonyms: stealthy, furtive, clandestine, covert, sly
  • Antonyms: open, overt, public, blatant
  • Use: A surreptitious recording was leaked to the press.

2. SUSCEPTIBLE (adj.)

  • Urdu: جلد متاثر ہونے والا
  • Meaning: likely to be influenced or harmed
  • Synonyms: vulnerable, prone, liable, sensitive, open
  • Antonyms: immune, resistant, impervious, invulnerable
  • Use: Unregulated markets are susceptible to manipulation.

3. SYCOPHANT (n.)

  • Urdu: خوشامدی، چاپلوس
  • Meaning: a flatterer who seeks favour from the powerful
  • Synonyms: flatterer, toady, yes-man, bootlicker, lackey
  • Antonyms: critic, detractor, opponent
  • Use: Sycophants shield a leader from unpleasant facts.

4. TACIT (adj.)

  • Urdu: ضمنی، خاموش رضامندی
  • Meaning: understood without being stated
  • Synonyms: implicit, unspoken, implied, understood, silent
  • Antonyms: explicit, stated, express, declared
  • Use: There was tacit agreement to postpone the issue.

5. TACITURN (adj.)

  • Urdu: کم گو، خاموش طبع
  • Meaning: saying very little
  • Synonyms: reticent, reserved, quiet, uncommunicative, laconic
  • Antonyms: talkative, garrulous, loquacious, voluble
  • Use: The taciturn witness gave one-word answers.

6. TANGIBLE (adj.)

  • Urdu: ٹھوس، مادی
  • Meaning: clear and definite; perceptible by touch
  • Synonyms: concrete, real, palpable, definite, physical
  • Antonyms: intangible, abstract, vague, theoretical
  • Use: The public wants tangible improvement in services.

7. TANTAMOUNT (adj.)

  • Urdu: کے برابر، مترادف
  • Meaning: equivalent in effect or seriousness
  • Synonyms: equivalent, equal, comparable, as good as, synonymous
  • Antonyms: different, unequal, dissimilar
  • Use: Refusing to answer was tantamount to an admission.

8. TEMERITY (n.)

  • Urdu: جسارت، گستاخی
  • Meaning: excessive boldness
  • Synonyms: audacity, nerve, effrontery, impudence, cheek
  • Antonyms: timidity, caution, humility, diffidence
  • Use: He had the temerity to contradict his own minister.

9. TENACIOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: ثابت قدم، مضبوطی سے ڈٹا ہوا
  • Meaning: persistent; holding firmly
  • Synonyms: persistent, determined, dogged, resolute, steadfast
  • Antonyms: irresolute, yielding, weak, wavering
  • Use: Tenacious follow-up finally got the case fixed.

10. TENUOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: کمزور، باریک
  • Meaning: very weak or slight
  • Synonyms: weak, flimsy, slight, fragile, insubstantial
  • Antonyms: strong, solid, substantial, firm
  • Use: The evidence linking the two events is tenuous.

11. THWART (v.)

  • Urdu: ناکام بنانا
  • Meaning: to prevent from succeeding
  • Synonyms: foil, frustrate, block, obstruct, stymie
  • Antonyms: assist, help, facilitate, promote
  • Use: Timely action thwarted the attack.

12. TIRADE (n.)

  • Urdu: غصیلی تقریر
  • Meaning: a long angry speech of criticism
  • Synonyms: diatribe, harangue, rant, invective, outburst
  • Antonyms: praise, eulogy, tribute
  • Use: The interview turned into a tirade against critics.

13. TORTUOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: پیچیدہ، ٹیڑھا میڑھا
  • Meaning: full of twists; excessively complex
  • Synonyms: winding, convoluted, circuitous, complicated, twisting
  • Antonyms: straight, direct, simple, straightforward
  • Use: The approval process is needlessly tortuous.
  • ⚠️ Trap: tortuous (twisting) ≠ torturous (painful).

14. TRANSIENT (adj.)

  • Urdu: عارضی، فانی
  • Meaning: lasting only a short time
  • Synonyms: temporary, fleeting, ephemeral, passing, short-lived
  • Antonyms: permanent, lasting, enduring, perpetual
  • Use: The relief was transient; prices rose again.

15. TREPIDATION (n.)

  • Urdu: خوف، گھبراہٹ
  • Meaning: fear or anxiety about something that may happen
  • Synonyms: apprehension, anxiety, dread, alarm, unease
  • Antonyms: confidence, calm, composure, assurance
  • Use: She opened the result sheet with trepidation.

16. TRITE (adj.)

  • Urdu: گھسا پٹا، باسی
  • Meaning: overused and lacking originality
  • Synonyms: hackneyed, clichéd, banal, stale, commonplace
  • Antonyms: original, fresh, novel, striking
  • Use: Replace trite phrases with your own wording.

17. TRIVIAL (adj.)

  • Urdu: معمولی، غیر اہم
  • Meaning: of little importance
  • Synonyms: minor, insignificant, petty, negligible, trifling
  • Antonyms: important, significant, major, crucial
  • Use: The House debated trivial matters for hours.

18. UBIQUITOUS (adj.)

  • Urdu: ہر جگہ موجود
  • Meaning: present everywhere
  • Synonyms: omnipresent, pervasive, universal, widespread, rife
  • Antonyms: rare, scarce, absent, uncommon
  • Use: Mobile wallets have become ubiquitous.

19. UNEQUIVOCAL (adj.)

  • Urdu: واضح، غیر مبہم
  • Meaning: leaving no doubt
  • Synonyms: unambiguous, clear, explicit, categorical, definite
  • Antonyms: ambiguous, equivocal, vague, uncertain
  • Use: The court gave an unequivocal ruling.

20. UNPRECEDENTED (adj.)

  • Urdu: بے مثال
  • Meaning: never done or known before
  • Synonyms: unparalleled, unheard-of, exceptional, novel, unique
  • Antonyms: common, routine, familiar, usual
  • Use: The heatwave was unprecedented in the region's history.

21. VACILLATE (v.)

  • Urdu: تذبذب کا شکار ہونا
  • Meaning: to waver between opinions
  • Synonyms: waver, dither, hesitate, oscillate, falter
  • Antonyms: decide, resolve, stand firm, commit
  • Use: The cabinet vacillated for weeks over the subsidy.

22. VEHEMENT (adj.)

  • Urdu: شدید، پرجوش
  • Meaning: showing strong, forceful feeling
  • Synonyms: forceful, passionate, fervent, intense, emphatic
  • Antonyms: mild, indifferent, apathetic, half-hearted
  • Use: There was vehement opposition to the amendment.

23. VENERATE (v.)

  • Urdu: عقیدت سے احترام کرنا
  • Meaning: to regard with deep respect
  • Synonyms: revere, respect, honour, esteem, admire
  • Antonyms: despise, scorn, disdain, deride
  • Use: Scholars are venerated in every culture.

24. VERACITY (n.)

  • Urdu: سچائی، صداقت
  • Meaning: truthfulness; accuracy
  • Synonyms: truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, credibility, authenticity
  • Antonyms: falsehood, inaccuracy, dishonesty, mendacity
  • Use: Verify the veracity of a forward before sharing it.

25. VERBOSE (adj.)

  • Urdu: طویل، لفاظی والا
  • Meaning: using more words than needed
  • Synonyms: wordy, long-winded, prolix, rambling, diffuse
  • Antonyms: concise, succinct, terse, pithy
  • Use: Verbose answers waste the examiner's patience.

26. VIABLE (adj.)

  • Urdu: قابلِ عمل
  • Meaning: capable of working successfully
  • Synonyms: feasible, workable, practicable, sustainable, realistic
  • Antonyms: unworkable, impractical, unfeasible, impossible
  • Use: Rainwater harvesting is a viable option for the city.

27. VIGILANT (adj.)

  • Urdu: چوکس، ہوشیار
  • Meaning: watchful against danger
  • Synonyms: watchful, alert, attentive, observant, wary
  • Antonyms: careless, negligent, inattentive, heedless
  • Use: Border forces remain vigilant around the clock.

28. VINDICATE (v.)

  • Urdu: بری الذمہ ثابت کرنا
  • Meaning: to clear of blame; to prove right
  • Synonyms: exonerate, justify, absolve, acquit, defend
  • Antonyms: accuse, blame, convict, incriminate
  • Use: The audit vindicated the officer's stand.

29. VOLATILE (adj.)

  • Urdu: غیر مستحکم، تیزی سے بدلنے والا
  • Meaning: liable to change rapidly and unpredictably
  • Synonyms: unstable, unpredictable, erratic, explosive, capricious
  • Antonyms: stable, steady, calm, predictable
  • Use: The rupee remained volatile through the quarter.

30. ZENITH (n.)

  • Urdu: عروج، بلند ترین مقام
  • Meaning: the highest point of success or power
  • Synonyms: peak, pinnacle, summit, apex, acme
  • Antonyms: nadir, low point, bottom, trough
  • Use: Our hockey reached its zenith in the 1980s.

🏁 End of the quick-start track

After Set 10, move to the full A–Z bank pages for the remaining words.