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.

VACILLATE (verb)

Meaning
be indecisive; be doubtful
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
dither, waver, teeter, temporize, hesitate, oscillate, fluctuate
Antonyms
-
Usage
I warned him that if he continued to vacillate, the opportunity would slip out of his hand.

VACUOUS (adj)

Meaning
empty-headed
Root of the word
vac = empty
Synonyms
stupid, blank, dim, inane, unintelligent
Antonyms
bright
Usage
John's vacous remarks embarrassed his bosses very much.

VACUUM (noun)

Meaning
a gap or loss left by someone or something important
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
gap, space, absence, lack, deficiency, blank, lacuna
Antonyms
continuity
Usage
The Chief's death has created a vacuum in the team.

VAGABOND (noun)

Meaning
vagrant
Root of the word
vag = wander
Synonyms
drifter, wanderer, tramp, beggar
Antonyms
-
Usage
Do you know that the vagabond next door is a graduate?

VAGARY (noun)

Meaning
an unexpected and mysterious change
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
quirk, idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, oddity, eccentricity
Antonyms
-
Usage
Indian agriculture, to a large extent, is affected by the vagaries of the weather.

VAGRANT (noun, adj)

Meaning
homeless person
Root of the word
vag = wander
Synonyms
beggar, tramp, nomadic, itinerant
Antonyms
-
Usage
His vagrant nature irritated his parents.

VALOR (noun)

Meaning
courage
Root of the word
val/vail = value, strength
Synonyms
spirit, bravery, nerve, heroism, fearlessness, boldness, gallantry
Antonyms
cowardice
Usage
He was awarded the President's medal for showing exemplary valor. Hercules was famous for his valour.

VAN (noun)

Meaning
front line
Root of the word
van = front
Synonyms
forefront, precursor, forerunner
Antonyms
rear
Usage
He was in the van of the Renaissance movement.

VANQUISH (verb)

Meaning
conquer
Root of the word
vict/vinc/vano = conquer
Synonyms
annihilate, subjugate, overcome, rout, crush, defeat, subdue
Antonyms
-
Usage
The Chicago Bulls vanquished their opponents very comfortably.

VAPID (adj)

Meaning
offering nothing that is stimulating or exciting
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
insipid, uninspired, colourless, uninteresting, feeble, flat, dead, dull, boring, tedious, uninspiri
Antonyms
lively, colourful, exciting
Usage
Most people, these days, spend their evenings watching vapid TV soaps rather than socializing or pursuing an intellectual activity.

VARIEGATED (adj)

Meaning
various
Root of the word
vari = different, various
Synonyms
diverse, kaleidoscopic
Antonyms
uniform
Usage
The variegated life forms in the Amazon forests are mind boggling

VEILED (adj)

Meaning
not expressed directly or clearly
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
covert, surreptitious, hidden, concealed, disguised, camouflaged, masked, suppressed, underlying, un
Antonyms
-
Usage
Our veiled threats failed to have any impact on our opponents.

VENAL (adj)

Meaning
prepared to do dishonest or immoral things in return for money.
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
corrupt, bribable, dishonest, fraudulent, mercenary
Antonyms
honourable, honest
Usage
During his brief stint as a minister, the venal politician amassed a lot of ill-gotten wealth

VENERATE (verb)

Meaning
regard with great respect
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
revere, reverence, respect, worship, adulate, hallow, deify, idolize, hold sacred, exalt, honour
Antonyms
despise
Usage
People, not only in India, but also in many nations across the world, venerate trees.

VERACITY (noun)

Meaning
the quality of being true or accurate, reality
Root of the word
ver = true
Synonyms
truthfulness, accuracy, correctness, exactness, preicision, realism, authenticity, faithfulness, fid
Antonyms
falsity, falseness, inaccuracy
Usage
Since he is a person with dubious credentials, we cannot be sure about the veracity of his claim. The judge directed the police to verify the veracity of the eyewitness' statements.

VERBATIM (adj and adv)

Meaning
word for word, exact
Root of the word
verb = words
Synonyms
faithfully, exactly, precisely, literally, accurately
Antonyms
-
Usage
Some reachers insist that the students reproduce extracts from the book verbatim.

VERBOSE (adj)

Meaning
wordy
Root of the word
verb = words
Synonyms
prolix, repetitive, talkative
Antonyms
succinct, laconic
Usage
The new writer's articles are full of verbose statements.

VERDICT (noun)

Meaning
a formal decision made by a jury in a court of law as to whether a person is innocent or guilty.
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
adjudication, judgement, opinion
Antonyms
-
Usage
The accused will be kept in confinement until the jury pronounces its verdict.

VERITY (noun)

Meaning
a truth
Root of the word
ver = true
Synonyms
authenticity, genuineness, rightfulness, legitimacy, validity, veracity, reliability, credibility
Antonyms
fiction, unreliability, inaccuracy
Usage
“I do not, even for a moment, doubt the verity of Mona's statement,” said her father. Some eternal verities of life have to be endured.

VERSATILE (adj)

Meaning
adaptable, multipurpose
Root of the word
vert/vers = to turn
Synonyms
multitalented, flexible, resourceful, adaptable
Antonyms
limited
Usage
Clark Gable is a versatile actor.

VERTIGO (noun)

Meaning
dizziness
Root of the word
vert/vers = to turn
Synonyms
giddiness, unsteadiness, light-headedness
Antonyms
-
Usage
Pilots are tested for vertigo from time to time.

VET (verb)

Meaning
to examine (e.g a document or candidate) thoroughly and critically
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
screen, assess, evaluate, appraise, examine, look over, review, consider, scrutinize, study, inspect
Antonyms
-
Usage
The publishing house thoroughly vets all the manuals before they are released into the market.

VEXATIOUS (adj)

Meaning
causing annoyance or worry
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
annoying, irritating, irksome, displeasing, infuriating, maddening, exasperating, galling
Antonyms
-
Usage
Piqued by the child's vexatious behaviour, his mother admonished him severely.

VIABLE (adj)

Meaning
capable of working successfully
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
workable, feasible, practicable, applicable, usable, operable, operational, possible, within reach
Antonyms
impracticable
Usage
The plan had to be shelved mid way because it was not economically viable.

VICARIOUS (adj)

Meaning
experienced in one's imagination after watching or reading about another persons actions or feelings
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
indirect, second-hand, derived substitute
Antonyms
-
Usage
Thanks to the developments in modern technology, we are able to experience the vicarious pleasure of travelling to exotic locales in the world.

VICISSITUDES (noun)

Meaning
changes of circumstances or fortune
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
change, alteration, unpredictability, fluctuation
Antonyms
-
Usage
Despite experiencing the vicissitudes of life, he is always sanguine about the future.

VIE (verb)

Meaning
to compete strongly with somebody in order to obtain or achieve something
Root of the word
Synonyms
compete, contend, contest, struggle, fight, battle, cross swords, lock horns, jokey, jostle, grapple
Antonyms
Usage
The resort had several inns and restaurants vying with each other to lure customers. A few years ago nationalized banks vied with each other to offer loans to customers at the lowest possible interest rate.

VIGILANT (adj)

Meaning
very careful to notice any signs of danger or trouble
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
watchful, observant, sharp-eyed, keen-eyed, alert, awake, concentrating, careful, cautious, wary, ch
Antonyms
negligent, inattentive
Usage
Since there was a spurt of burglaries in the area, residents were asked to remain vigilant.

VILE (adj)

Meaning
extremely wicked
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
foul, nasty, unpleasant, bad, disagreeable, horrid, horrible, dreadful, abominable, atrocious, offen
Antonyms
pleasant
Usage
The weather suddenly turned vile forcing us to shelve our plans of going to the seaside for a picnic.

VILIFICATION (noun)

Meaning
speaking or writing in a very abusive way
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
condemnation, censure, criticism, denunciation
Antonyms
praise
Usage
The vilification of our established customs and traditions is resented by orthodox thinkers.

VIRULENT (adj)

Meaning
extremely harmful
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
acrimonious, baleful, bitter, deadly
Antonyms
harmless, safe
Usage
The couple were devasted after their only son succumbed to a virulent strain of pneumonia.

VISAGE (noun)

Meaning
face
Root of the word
vid/vis = to see
Synonyms
features, façade
Antonyms
-
Usage
The visage of the hero of the movie was very pleasant.

VISION (noun)

Meaning
dream, eyesight, foresight
Root of the word
vid/vis = to see
Synonyms
mental picture, hallucination, image, visualization, idea, revelation
Antonyms
-
Usage
The Chairman's vision for the company sounded rather impractical.

VISTA (noun)

Meaning
view
Root of the word
vid/vis = to see
Synonyms
panorama, scene, seascape, outlook, landscape
Antonyms
-
Usage
The vista from the resort is breathtaking.

VITALITY (noun)

Meaning
energy and enthusiasm
Root of the word
vita/viva = life, alive
Synonyms
liveliness, life, energy, animation, spirit, spiritedness, vivacity, exuberance, buoyance, bounce, v
Antonyms
listlessness
Usage
Continued reading and updating one's knowledge helps in enhancing one's intellectual vitality. Mike's speech lacked vitality.

VITRIOLIC (adj)

Meaning
full of anger and hatred
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
acrimonious, bitter, caustic, mordant, acerbic
Antonyms
pleasant, kind
Usage
He launched a vitriolic attack against the media, accusing it of character-assassination.

VITUPERATE (verb)

Meaning
to attack some one in a bitter and abusive way
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
revile, upbraid, lambaste, reprimand, castigate
Antonyms
praise, extol
Usage
In his satire, the poet vituperated against the tyrannical behaviour of the aristocracy.

VIVACIOUS (adj)

Meaning
lively
Root of the word
vita/viva = life, alive
Synonyms
full of life, bubbly, spirited, energetic, effervescent, cheerful, chirpy
Antonyms
unenthusiastic
Usage
Jane is a vivacious lady.

VIVID (adj)

Meaning
bright, clear
Root of the word
vita/viva = life, alive
Synonyms
colorful, glowing, dramatic, stunning, flamboyant, brilliant, vibrant
Antonyms
dull, boring
Usage
He gave a vivid account of the accident.

VOCAL (adj)

Meaning
verbal, vociferous
Root of the word
voc/voca/vok/vow = call, word
Synonyms
choral, spoken, speaking, voiced, singing, oral
Antonyms
silent
Usage
The victim received vocal support from the press.

VOCIFEROUS (adj)

Meaning
vocal
Root of the word
voc/voca/vok/vow = call, word
Synonyms
voluble, determined, raucous, strident, enthusiastic, noisy
Antonyms
silent, quiet
Usage
The jury did not change its verdict despite vociferous appeals from the defendant.

VOLITION (noun)

Meaning
-
Root of the word
vol = free will
Synonyms
desire, decision, choice, preference, option
Antonyms
coercion
Usage
“No one forced me”, He remarked “I did this out of my own volition.

VOLUMINOUS (adj)

Meaning
very large
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
capacious, commodious, roomy, spacious, ample, full, big, large, sizeable, immense, vast, generous,
Antonyms
tiny, tight-fitting
Usage
The magician fished out the missing rabbit, from the pocket of his voluminous coat.

VORACIOUS (adj)

Meaning
insatiable
Root of the word
vor = eat
Synonyms
hungry, ravenous, gluttonous, rapacious, greedy, big, avid
Antonyms
satiable
Usage
He has a voracious appetite.

VORTEX (noun)

Meaning
a very powerful, force or situation that you cannot avoid or escape.
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
whirlwind, whirlpool, gyre, maelstrom, eddy, swirl, swirling, counter current.
Antonyms
-
Usage
Sometimes, innocent young people are caught into a vortex of bad habits quite unsuspectingly.

VOUCHSAFE (verb)

Meaning
to give or tell something to somebody, esp. as a privilege
Root of the word
-
Synonyms
grant, give, accord, award, offer, hand, confer on, bestow on
Antonyms
withhold, refuse
Usage
Nature, has vouchsafed innumerable benedictions on mankind.