compulsory · CSS study notes
GRE Vocabulary — Bucket Wise (Thematic, 105 Buckets)
🪣
The same GRE high-frequency words, but grouped by theme instead of A–Z. When an essay or précis is about governance, conflict, economy or ethics, open that bucket and you have a ready word bank. Every word has Urdu meaning, English meaning, synonyms, antonyms, a Précis/Essay usage sentence and a memory hook (analogy).
How to use this page
- One bucket a day (roughly 5–15 words). Learn the theme first, then the words inside it.
- Cover everything under the word and recall the Urdu first, then the antonym (FPSC asks many antonym MCQs).
- The ✍️ Use sentence is written in essay/précis register. Copy it once by hand, then write your own.
- Every week, pick 5 words from the week's buckets and use them in a practice essay paragraph.
- Revise every 7 days: open the bucket, read only the headings, and say the meanings aloud.
Entry format
- Urdu: Urdu meaning
- Meaning: plain English meaning
- Syn / Ant: synonyms · antonyms
- ✍️ Use: a Précis/Essay-ready sentence
- 🧠 Hook: an analogy or word-root trick to remember it
- Words that appear in more than one bucket are written in full the first time. Later buckets show a short 🔁 repeat card (Urdu + meaning) and point back to the full entry, so every bucket still reads complete for revision.
⚠️ Corrections to the source list
The source PDF has a few errors. They are fixed in these pages:
- Quotidien → Quotidian (correct spelling).
- Heirarchy → Hierarchy (correct spelling).
- Palpable is listed under "Small & Insignificant" and marked "(Antonym)". It actually means so intense it can almost be touched; it is the antonym of the bucket's theme, not a member of it.
- Pompous is defined in the source as "rich voice". The correct meaning is self-important and affectedly grand.
- Desiccate (dry out) sits in "Change, Increase & Decrease". It is kept there, but note it is about drying, not decreasing.
- Disinterested means impartial, not uninterested. This is a classic CSS trap.
- Several source mnemonics are sound-alikes that point to the wrong meaning (e.g. Axiom = "ask no questions"). These have been replaced with root-based hooks where a better one exists.
📊 Coverage
The source list is advertised as "1000 words". It actually contains 105 buckets with about 600 entries, of which roughly 400 are unique words (many words repeat across buckets). All of them are covered below.
Buckets
Continue studying
Bucket 1 — Power, Politics & Governance →Bucket 10 — Size, Quantity & Abundance →Bucket 100 — Final Wrap-Up (A–Z Mix) →Bucket 101 — Oddities & Anomalies →Bucket 102 — Public Symbols & Signs →Bucket 103 — Small & Insignificant →Bucket 104 — A–Z Vocabulary Connectors →Bucket 105 — Final Gaps & Completion →Bucket 11 — Time, Order & Duration →Bucket 12 — Logic, Reasoning & Evidence →Bucket 13 — Intensity, Energy & Mood →Bucket 14 — Harm, Criticism & Verbal Attacks →Bucket 15 — Secretive & Deceptive Behaviour →Bucket 16 — Positive Qualities & Virtues →Bucket 17 — Difficulty & Hardship →Bucket 18 — Confusion, Mystery & Obscurity →Bucket 19 — Speech & Silence →Bucket 2 — Communication & Speech →Bucket 20 — Physical States & Appearance →Bucket 21 — Social Status & Manners →Bucket 22 — Laws, Rules & Official Actions →Bucket 23 — Wealth, Poverty & Economy →Bucket 24 — Growth, Development & Change →Bucket 25 — Conflict, Tension & Hostility →Bucket 26 — Knowledge, Wisdom & Learning →Bucket 27 — Evidence, Certainty & Proof →Bucket 28 — Fairness, Ethics & Justice →Bucket 29 — Persuasion & Argumentation →Bucket 3 — Thought, Logic & Truth →Bucket 30 — Lack, Scarcity & Poverty →Bucket 31 — Foundations & Essentials →Bucket 32 — Authority, Leadership & Respect →Bucket 33 — Guilt, Blame & Forgiveness →Bucket 34 — Intelligence & Mental Sharpness →Bucket 35 — Stubbornness & Flexibility →Bucket 36 — Weakness & Tiredness →Bucket 37 — Ordinary vs Extraordinary →Bucket 38 — Calmness & Agitation →Bucket 39 — Beginning & Ending →Bucket 4 — Change, Increase & Decrease →Bucket 40 — Truth & Deception (Core) →Bucket 41 — Personality Flaws & Social Errors →Bucket 42 — Religion, Beliefs & Sacredness →Bucket 43 — Legal Nuances & Official Records →Bucket 44 — Changeability & Unpredictability →Bucket 45 — Practicality vs Idealism →Bucket 46 — Praise & Excessive Flattery →Bucket 47 — Chaos, Turmoil & Noise →Bucket 48 — Support & Foundations →Bucket 49 — Artistic Style & Decoration →Bucket 5 — Human Behaviour & Personality →Bucket 50 — Geographical & Spatial Terms →Bucket 51 — Excessive Pride & Arrogance →Bucket 52 — Repayment & Justice →Bucket 53 — Government Styles & Rulers →Bucket 54 — Practical Action & Diligence →Bucket 55 — Criticism & Mockery →Bucket 56 — Physical Properties & Resistance →Bucket 57 — Mental States & Attitudes →Bucket 58 — Small Amounts & Fragments →Bucket 59 — Excess & Overload →Bucket 6 — Standards, Quality & Value →Bucket 60 — Surroundings & Environments →Bucket 61 — Structure & Physical Support →Bucket 62 — Declining & Worsening →Bucket 63 — Formality & Ritual →Bucket 64 — Flow & Movement →Bucket 65 — Parts & Wholes →Bucket 66 — Memory & The Past →Bucket 67 — Contrast & Opposition →Bucket 68 — Public Opinion & Fame →Bucket 69 — Skill & Talent →Bucket 7 — Conflict, Criticism & Agreement →Bucket 70 — Earth & Environment →Bucket 71 — Beliefs, Ideologies & Radicalism →Bucket 72 — Punishment, Scolding & Rebukes →Bucket 73 — Foundations, Basics & Origins →Bucket 74 — Talkativeness vs Brevity →Bucket 75 — Weakness, Fatigue & Decay →Bucket 76 — Honesty, Truth & Integrity →Bucket 77 — Complexity & Confusion →Bucket 78 — Calmness, Peace & Stability →Bucket 79 — Persuasion, Logic & Reasoning →Bucket 8 — Negative Traits & Harmful Effects →Bucket 80 — Excess, Abundance & Surplus →Bucket 81 — Physical States & Materials →Bucket 82 — Conflict, Fighting & War →Bucket 83 — Support & Foundations (Revision) →Bucket 84 — Social Status & Manners (Revision) →Bucket 85 — Time & Order (Revision) →Bucket 86 — Science, Nature & Biology →Bucket 87 — History, Archaeology & The Past →Bucket 88 — Social Rejection & Distancing →Bucket 89 — Morality, Sin & Wrongdoing →Bucket 9 — Stability, Tradition & Rules →Bucket 90 — Abstract Complexity & Riddles →Bucket 91 — Emotional Extremes & Tempers →Bucket 92 — Legal & Administrative Fine Print →Bucket 93 — Abundance & Over-the-Top Styles →Bucket 94 — Hardness & Resistance →Bucket 95 — Water, Liquids & Flow →Bucket 96 — Old, Ancient & Outdated →Bucket 97 — Slander, Lies & Verbal Attacks →Bucket 98 — Tools, Methods & Systems →Bucket 99 — Beliefs & Mental Certainty →