compulsory · CSS study notes

CSS 2007 — Synonyms & Antonyms (Solved)

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The older papers had fewer vocabulary items. 2007 had 5 synonyms and 5 antonyms. The option sets did not survive, so each question shows the word and the correct answer.

(a) Synonyms

1. LACUNAE (plural of lacuna)

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Answer: Gaps / missing parts

Urdu: خلا، خالی جگہیں، کمی
Meaning (n.): unfilled spaces or gaps; missing portions in a text or argument
Synonyms: gaps, omissions, voids, blanks, deficiencies, holes
Antonyms: completeness, fullness, continuity, wholeness
Sentences:
1. The report has serious lacunae in its data.
2. Legal lacunae allow criminals to escape.

2. STOICISM

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Answer: Patient endurance

Urdu: صبر و تحمل، ضبط
Meaning (n.): enduring pain or hardship without complaint; the Greek philosophy of Zeno
Synonyms: endurance, fortitude, patience, forbearance, resignation, self-control
Antonyms: impatience, complaining, emotionalism, weakness
Sentences:
1. Flood victims showed remarkable stoicism.
2. Marcus Aurelius is the best-known writer on stoicism.

3. FETTER

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Answer: To restrain / shackle

Urdu: بیڑی ڈالنا، پابند کرنا
Meaning (v./n.): to restrain with chains; to restrict freedom
Synonyms: shackle, chain, restrain, bind, hamper, restrict
Antonyms: free, release, liberate, unchain, loosen
Sentences:
1. Bureaucratic rules fetter innovation.
2. The prisoners were fettered in iron chains.

4. GROTTO

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Answer: Cave / cavern

Urdu: غار، کھوہ
Meaning (n.): a small picturesque cave, especially an artificial one in a park
Synonyms: cave, cavern, hollow, recess, den, grot
Antonyms: (none)
Sentences:
1. The Blue Grotto in Capri draws thousands of tourists.
2. Children hid in a grotto by the stream.

5. PAROXYSM

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Answer: Sudden outburst / fit

Urdu: دورہ، اچانک شدید جذبات
Meaning (n.): a sudden attack or violent expression of an emotion or activity
Synonyms: fit, outburst, spasm, attack, seizure, eruption
Antonyms: calm, composure, tranquillity, restraint
Sentences:
1. He burst into a paroxysm of laughter.
2. The patient suffered a paroxysm of coughing.

(b) Antonyms

6. FRUGAL

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Answer: Prodigal / extravagant

Urdu: کفایت شعار، محتاط خرچ کرنے والا
Meaning (adj.): sparing or economical with money or food
Synonyms: thrifty, economical, sparing, careful, prudent, abstemious
Antonyms: prodigal, extravagant, lavish, wasteful, spendthrift
Sentences:
1. The Quaid lived a frugal personal life.
2. The prodigal son wasted his inheritance.

7. GAWKY

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Answer: Graceful / elegant

Urdu: بھدا، بے ڈھنگا
Meaning (adj.): nervously awkward and ungainly
Synonyms: awkward, clumsy, ungainly, gangling, gauche, lumbering
Antonyms: graceful, elegant, poised, agile, deft
Sentences:
1. The gawky teenager grew into a graceful athlete.
2. The dancer moved with graceful ease.

8. TWINE

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Answer: Untwist / straighten

Urdu: بل دینا، لپیٹنا؛ (اسم) سوتلی
Meaning (v./n.): to wind or twist together; (n.) strong string
Synonyms: twist, wind, coil, entwine, intertwine, wrap
Antonyms: untwist, unwind, straighten, untangle, uncoil
Sentences:
1. The vine twined around the old tree.
2. He untangled the kite string patiently.

9. CAPRICIOUS

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Answer: Steady / resolute

Urdu: متلون مزاج، من موجی
Meaning (adj.): given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour
Synonyms: fickle, whimsical, erratic, unpredictable, changeable, mercurial
Antonyms: steady, resolute, consistent, stable, predictable
Sentences:
1. The capricious ruler changed ministers every month.
2. Pakistan's weather has become capricious due to climate change.

10. CONGEAL

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Answer: Melt / liquefy

Urdu: جم جانا، گاڑھا ہو جانا
Meaning (v.): to become semi-solid, especially on cooling
Synonyms: solidify, coagulate, set, thicken, clot, harden
Antonyms: melt, liquefy, thaw, dissolve, soften
Sentences:
1. The ghee congealed in the cold kitchen.
2. The ice began to melt by noon.
Note: the circulating list gives "mollify" here, which is not an opposite. Melt is the dictionary antonym.

Source: CSS Exam Desk list (corrected)