English Vocabulary - Archives

For each word, you will get the meaning and the root of the word and synonyms and antonyms for the word. For each word, you will also get a simple sentence which uses the word. These sentences help you understand the usage of the words.

NADIR (noun)

Meaning
the worst moment of a particular situation
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
the lowest point, lowest level, rock-bottom, floor
Antonyms
zenith, acme, climax
Usage
His involvement in the scam and consequent resignation was the nadir of his career.

NAÏVE (adj)

Meaning
lacking experience, wisdom or judgement
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
innocent, unsophisticated, artless, ingenuous, inexperienced, guileless, unworldly
Antonyms
sophisticated, disingenuous, worldly
Usage
Although he was very naive when he first started the business, he is now a stalwart.

NARCISSIST (noun)

Meaning
self-admiring person
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
self-obsessed, conceited
Antonyms
modest
Usage
The super star has become a narcissist, a victim of his own past glory.

NASCENT (adj)

Meaning
just coming into existence and beginning to develop
Root of the word
nasci = be born
Synonyms
growing, embryonic, incipient, young, fledgeling, evolving, emergent, rising, dawning
Antonyms
-
Usage
Nanotechnology is still in its nascent stages in many countries across the world.

NE PLUS ULTRA (noun)

Meaning
the highest form of something
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
the last word, the last example, the best example, the height, the zenith, the culmination, the epit
Antonyms
-
Usage
Mother Teresa was the ne plus ultra of patience and humanity.

NECROMANCY (noun)

Meaning
witchcraft or black magic.
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
sorcery, (black) magic, witchcraft, wizardry, occultism, enchantment, divination, demonology
Antonyms
-
Usage
It is surprising that people still believe in weird practices like necromancy even in this twenty first century.

NEFARIOUS (adj)

Meaning
wicked or criminal
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
sinful, evil, iniquitous, villainous, criminal, heinous, atrocious
Antonyms
good, admirable noble
Usage
The dubious politician was expelled from the party for indulging in nefarious activities.

NEGATE (verb)

Meaning
cancel out, deny
Root of the word
neg = not, deny
Synonyms
counteract, undo, reverse, contradict, wipe out, -ify, disprove, make invalid
Antonyms
vindicate
Usage
The opposition feels that its stand has been vindicated while the ruling party's stance stands negated.

NEPOTISM (noun)

Meaning
undue favouritism to one's relations and close friends
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
favouritism, partiality, partisanship, patronage, unfairness
Antonyms
impartiality
Usage
Nepotism is not uncommon in the political and bureaucratic circles of India.

NERVE-RACKING (adj)

Meaning
making you feel very nervous and worried
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
stressful, anxious, worrying, fraught, nail-biting, tense, difficult, trying, worrisome, disquieting
Antonyms
-
Usage
Driving through the hilly terrain, especially negotiating the hair-pin bends, was a nerve-racking experience.

NETTLED (adj)

Meaning
annoyed
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
irritated, cross, put out, irked, galled, vexed, exasperated, infuriated, upset, displeased, offende
Antonyms
pleased, delighted
Usage
She was visibly nettled by his slighting remarks.

NEWFANGLED (adj)

Meaning
newly developed and unfamiliar
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
new, the latest, modern, novel, the newest, ultra-modern, state-of-the act, advanced, contemporary,
Antonyms
-
Usage
Today's youth have an obsession for newfangled gizmos.

NICETY (noun)

Meaning
the small details or points of difference, especially concerning the correct way of behaving or doing things.
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
precision, accuracy, exactness, meticulousness, rigour, rigorousness.
Antonyms
-
Usage
Being born and bred in a village, she was not aware of the social niceties of high society life in a city.

NIGGLE (verb)

Meaning
criticize in a petty way
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
complain, object, moan, fuss, nag, carp, cavil, grumble, grouse
Antonyms
-
Usage
The couple had the habit of constantly niggling at each other which led to incompatibility between them.

NIHILISM (noun)

Meaning
the belief that nothing has any value, especially religious and moral principles
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
negativity, cynicism
Antonyms
-
Usage
The religiously - inclined rebels urged the people to grab hold of nitilists and teach them a lesson.

NIRVANA (noun)

Meaning
perfect bliss and release from karma, attained by the extinction of individuality
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
paradise, heaven, Eden, bliss, blessedness, ecstasy, joy, peace, serenity, tranquillity, enlightenme
Antonyms
hell, purgatory
Usage
According to the scriptures, one can achieve a state of nirvana through detachment and dedication to one's duty.

NOISOME (adj)

Meaning
very unpleasant
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
disagreeable, distasteful, displeasing, obnoxious, abhorrent
Antonyms
pleasant
Usage
The convicts were confined in a noisome dungeon.

NON-COMMITTAL (adj)

Meaning
not showing what one thinks or which side one supports
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
evasive, equivocal, temporizing, guarded, circumspect, wary, careful, prudent
Antonyms
revealing, careless, indiscreet
Usage
When journalists questioned him about the outcome of the negotiations, the minister remained non-committal.

NONCHALANT (adj)

Meaning
calm, relaxed
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
calm, cool, unconcerned, collected, composed
Antonyms
anxious, concerned
Usage
Despite the trying circumstances, he appeared nonchalant.

NONDESCRIPT (adj)

Meaning
having no interesting or unusual features or qualities
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
undistinguished, featureless, characterless, ordinary, commonplace
Antonyms
distinctive, ordinary
Usage
The young lad who belonged to a nondescript village, in a remote corner of the country, eventually achieved immense success

NONENTITY (noun)

Meaning
a person without any special qualities, who has not achieved anything important
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
unimportant person, person of no account, nobody, cipher, man of straw, nothing, small fry, lightwei
Antonyms
somebody, celebrity, heavy weight
Usage
Mr.Brown who was once a nonentity in social circles is now a famous business tycoon.

NONPAREIL (adj)

Meaning
a person or thing having no match or equal
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
incomparable, matchless, unrivalled, unparalleled, peerless, unmatched, inimitable, unique
Antonyms
mediocre
Usage
His devotion to duty, sheer business acumen and willingness to take risks made him a businessman nonpareil within a very short time.

NONPLUSSED (adj)

Meaning
surprised and confused as to how to react
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
surprised, stunned, dumbfounded, confounded, astounded, astonished, amazed
Antonyms
-
Usage
The new teacher was nonplussed when she was accorded a rude welcome by the students.

NOSTRUM (noun)

Meaning
favourite method for improving something.
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
remedy, cure, prescription, answer, magic formula, recipe for success
Antonyms
-
Usage
Peddling failed nostrums of yesteryears will in no way help a nation to embrace the path of progress.

NOTIONAL (adj)

Meaning
based on a guess, estimate or theory; not existing in reality
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
hypothetical, theoretical, speculative, conjectural, suppositional, putative, conceptual, abstract,
Antonyms
actual, genuine, real
Usage
The figures published in the newspapers were only notional, since the actual figures could not be obtained.

NOVEAU RICHE (pl.noun)

Meaning
people who have recently become rich and who like to display their wealth in an obvious or tasteless way.
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
the new rich, parvenus, arrivistes, upstarts, social climbers, vulgarians.
Antonyms
-
Usage
The nouvea riche do not hesitate to frequently throw lavish parties in order to flaunt their wealth.

NOVITIATE (noun)

Meaning
the period or state of being a novice esp. in a religious order.
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
probationary period, probation, trial period, test period, apprenticeship, training period
Antonyms
-
Usage
After graduating in theological studies, he underwent a two-year novitiate and was inducted as a priest.

NOXIOUS (adj)

Meaning
harmful or very unpleasant
Root of the word
noc/nic/nec/nox = harm
Synonyms
toxic, poisonous, deadly, lethal, venomous, injurious, deleterious
Antonyms
innocuous, safe, pleasant
Usage
The discharge of noxious effluents into the atmosphere has a detrimental effect on human health.

NUANCE (noun)

Meaning
a very slight difference in meaning, expression, sound etc
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
fine distinction, subtle distinction, shade, shading, gradation, variation, modulation, degree, subt
Antonyms
-
Usage
Despite watching her face intently to catch every nuance of expression, I could not discern her inner feelings.

NUGATORY (adj)

Meaning
of no value; futile
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
worthless, unimportant, inconsequential, valueless, trifling, trivial, insignificant, meaningless
Antonyms
-
Usage
The shares that she thought would fetch her a lot of money proved to be nugatory.