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25 words with meanings and examples. Tick each one you know; cover the meaning column to test yourself.
Paginepagineapp.com| ✓ | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| cacophony noun | a harsh mixture of loud sounds | The cacophony of car horns filled the street. | |
| candor noun | the quality of being open and honest | We appreciated the coach’s candor about our mistakes. | |
| capricious adjective | changing mood or behavior suddenly and unpredictably | Spring weather here is capricious. | |
| castigate verb | to criticize or punish severely | The editorial castigated the company for the spill. | |
| catalyst noun | something that causes or speeds up change | The new park became a catalyst for the neighborhood’s revival. | |
| caustic adjective | bitterly sarcastic; also able to burn by chemical action | His caustic remarks silenced the room. | |
| censure noun | strong, formal disapproval | The senator faced censure from her own party. | |
| chicanery noun | clever trickery used to deceive | The audit uncovered years of financial chicanery. | |
| coalesce verb | to come together to form one whole | Scattered protests coalesced into a national movement. | |
| cogent adjective | clear, logical and convincing | She made a cogent case for a later start time. | |
| commensurate adjective | corresponding in size or degree; in proportion | Pay should be commensurate with experience. | |
| complacent adjective | uncritically satisfied with oneself, ignoring dangers | After three wins, the team grew complacent. | |
| conciliatory adjective | meant to make peace or reduce anger | He sent a conciliatory email after the argument. | |
| conundrum noun | a confusing and difficult problem | Where to seat everyone at the wedding was a real conundrum. | |
| convoluted adjective | extremely complex and hard to follow | The convoluted instructions confused everyone. | |
| corroborate verb | to confirm or support with evidence | Two witnesses corroborated her account. | |
| credulous adjective | too ready to believe things | Credulous readers shared the fake story widely. | |
| culpable adjective | deserving blame | The report found no one culpable for the delay. | |
| cursory adjective | hasty and not thorough | A cursory glance missed the error on page two. | |
| dearth noun | a scarcity or lack | There is a dearth of affordable housing downtown. | |
| deference noun | polite respect for another’s opinion or authority | In deference to the host, we removed our shoes. | |
| delineate verb | to describe or mark out precisely | The map delineates the park’s boundaries. | |
| denigrate verb | to criticize unfairly; to belittle | It is unkind to denigrate a classmate’s work. | |
| deride verb | to mock or express contempt for | Critics derided the film, but audiences loved it. | |
| desultory adjective | lacking a plan or purpose; random | They made desultory conversation while waiting. |