9th Class English Word Meanings Word Meaning

 

Word Meaning

 

Generally we come across words which are easy to understand, for example- eat, sleep, etc. But sometimes we see some words which are uncommon i.e., esoteric, Spartan etc. Wherever these are written it is very difficult to understand the meaning of these words. Here, we are giving some unpopular/uncommon words which we find tough to understand. This exercise will help you to understand the meaning of sentences containing these words and especially unseen comprehensions.

 

 

A

 

1.            Abortive- (Adj.) Attacked by armed troops

For example - The Chinese students had to abandon their abortive attempt to democratise Beijing peacefully.

Synonyms- Unsuccessful, fruitless

 

2.            Acuity- (N.). Sharpness of thought, vision or hearing

For example - In time his youthful acuity of vision failed him, and he needed glasses

Synonym- Sharpness

 

3.            Adept- (Adj.) Expert or skilled at something

For example- She was adept at the fine art of irritating people.

(Also N.) He is an adept at acting.

 

4.            Appal- (V.) Dismay, shock

For example- We were appalled by the horrifying conditions in the cit/s jails.

 

 

B

 

1.            Benign- (Adj.) Kindly, favourable, not malignant

For example- Though her benign smile and gentle bearing made Miss Marple seems to be a sweet little old lady, in reality she was a tough-minded, shrewd observer of human nature.

(Also N.) Benignity

 

2.            Bleak- (Adj.) Cold or cheerless unlikely to be favourable

For example- The frigid, inhospitable Aleutian Islands are bleak military out-posts. It is no wonder that soldiers assigned there have a bleak attitude towards their posting.

 

3.            Breach- (N.) Breaking of contract or duty, fissure or gap

For example- Jill sued Jack for breach of promise, claiming he had broken his promise to marry her.

(Also V) They found a breach in the enemy's fortifications and penetrated their lines.

 

4.            Broach" (V.) Introduce or to open up

For example- Jack did not even try to broach the subject of religion with his in-laws.

If you broach a touchy subject, it may cause a breach.

 

5.            Buffet- (V.) Slap, batter, knock about or to buffet something is to rough it up (Buffet rhymes with Muffet)

For example- Was Miss Muffet buffeted by the crowd on the way to the buffet tray?

 

 

 

C

 

1.            Canto- (N.) Division of a long poem

For example- Dante's poetic master-piece The Divine Comedy is divided into cantos.

 

2.            Chafe- (V.) Warm by rubbing, to make sore (by rubbing)

For example- Chilled, he chafed his hands before the fire.

The collar of his school uniform chafed Tom's neck, but not as much the school's strict rules chafed his spirit.

(Also N.)

 

3.            Clout- (N.) Great influence (especially political or social)

For example- Gatsby wondered whether he had enough clout to be admitted to the exclusive club.

 

4.            Cozen- (V.) Cheat, hoodwink, swindle

For example- He was the kind of individual who would cozen his friends in a cheap card game but remain eminently ethical in all business dealings.

 

5.            Cupidity- (N.) Greed

For example- The defeated people could not satisfy the cupidity of the conquerors, who demanded excessive tribute.

 

 

D

 

1.            Decipher- (V.) Interpret secret codes or hidden meanings

For example- Lacking his code book, the spy was unable to decipher the scrambled message sent to him from the KGB.

 

2.            Dingy- (Adj.) Dull, not fresh, cheerless

For example- Refusing to be depressed by her dingy studio apartment, John spent the weekend polishing the floors and windows and hanging bright posters on the walls.

 

3.            Doff- (V.) Take off

For example- A gentleman used to .doff his hat to a lady

 

4.            Dupe- (N.) Someone easily fooled

For example- While the gullible Watson often was made a dupe by unscrupulous parties, Sherlock Holmes was far more difficult to fool.

(Also V)

 

 

E

 

1.            Ebullient- (Adj.) Showing excitement, overflowing with enthusiasm

For example- Amy's ebullient nature could not be repressed; she was always bubbling over with excitement and ebullience.

(N.)

 

2.            Equine- (Adj.) Resembling a horse

For example- His long, bony face had an equine look to it.

 

3.            Evasive- (Adj.) Not frank, eluding

Your evasive answers convinced the judge that you were withholding important evidence.

(V) Evade

4.            Exodus- (N.) Departure

For example- The exodus from the hot and stuffy city was particularly noticeable on Friday evenings.

 

 

F

 

1.            Facade- (N.) Front (of building), superficial or false appearance

For example- The ornate facade of the church was often photographed by tourists, who never bothered to walk around the building to view its other sides. Susan seemed super-confident, but that was just a facade she put on to hide her insecurity.

 

2.            Feint- (N.) Trick, shift, sham blow

For example- The boxer was fooled by his opponent's feint and dropped his guard.

(Also V.)

 

3.            Forte- (N.) Strong point or special talent

For example- I am not eager to play this rather serious role, for my forte is comedy

 

4.            Frigid- (Adj.) Intensely cold

For example- Alaska is in the frigid zone.

 

 

G

1.            Gall- (V.) Annoy, chafe

For example- Their taunts galled him.

 

2.            Gnarled- (Adj.) Twisted

For example- The gnarled oak tree had been a landmark for years and was mentioned in several deeds.

 

3.            Grovel- (V.) Crawl or creep on ground, remain prostrate

For example- Even though we have been defeated, we do not have to grovel/before our conquerors.

 

4.            Gusty- (Adj.) Windy

For example- The gusty weather made sailing precarious.

 

 

H

 

1.            Harangue- (N.) Noisy speech

For example- In her lengthy harangue, the principal berated the offenders.

(Also V)

 

2.            Heinous- (Adj.) Atrocious, hatefully bad

For example- Hitler's heinous crimes will never be forgotten.

 

3.            Horde- (N.) Crowd

For example- Just before Christmas the stores are filled with hordes of shoppers.

 

4.            Humdrum- (Adj.) Dull, monotonous

For example- After his years of adventure, he could not settle down to a humdrum existence.

 

 

I

 

1.            Ignominy- (N.) Deep disgrace, shame or dishonour

For example- To lose the Ping-Pong match to a trained chimpanzee! How could Rollo stand the ignominy of his defeat?

(Also Adj.) Ignominious.

 

2.            Imperious- (Adj.) Domineering, haughty

For example- Jane rather liked a man to be masterful, but Mr. Rochester seemed so bent on getting his own way that he was actually imperious!

 

3.            Inane- (Adj.) Silly, senseless

For example- There is no point to what you are saying. Why are you bothering to make such inane remarks?

 

4.            Invective- (N.) Abuse

For example- He had expected criticism but not the invective that greeted his proposal. (Also V) Inveigh

 

 

J

 

1.            Jabber- (V.) Chatter rapidly or unintelligibly

For example- Why does the fellow insist on Jabbering away in French when I can?t understand a word he says?

2.            Jettison- (V.) Throw overboard

For example- In order to enable the ship to ride safely through the storm, the captain had to jettison much of his cargo.

 

 

K

 

1.            Kindred- (Adj.) Related, belonging to the same family

For example- Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were two kindred spirits.

Also (N.)

 

2.            Kudos- (N.) Honour, glory, praise

For example- The singer complacently received kudos from his entourage on his performance.

 

 

L

 

1.            Laconic- (Adj.) Brief and to the point

For example- Many of the characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood are laconic types: strong men of few words.

 

2.            Libretto- (N.) Text of an opera

For example- The composer of an operas music is remembered more frequently than the author of its libretto.

 

3.            Lofty- (Adj.) Very high

For example- Though Barbara Jordans fellow students used to tease her about her lofty ambitions, she rose to hold one of the highest positions in the land.

 

4.            Loom- (V.) Appear or take shape (usually in an enlarged or distorted form)

For example- The shadow of the gallows loomed threateningly above the small boy.

 

5.            Lucrative- (Adj.) Profitable

For example- He turned his hobby into a lucrative profession.

 

 

M

 

1.            Malady- (N.) Illness

For example- A mysterious malady swept the country filling doctors' offices with feverish, purple-spotted patients.

 

2.            Medley- (N.) Mixture

For example- To avoid boring dancers by playing any one tune for too long, bands may combine three or four tunes into a medley

 

3.            Mirth- (N.) Merriment, laughter

For example- Sober Malvolio found Sir Toby's mirth improper

 

4.            Mortician- (N.) Undertaker

For example- The mortician prepared the corpse for burial.

 

 

N

 

1.            Nemesis- (N.) Someone seeking revenge

For example- Abandoned at sea in a small boat, the vengeful Captain Bligh vowed to be the nemesis of Fletcher Christiari and his fellow mutineers.

 

2.            Noisome- (Adj.) Foul-smelling, unwholesome

For example- The noisome atmosphere downwind of the oil refinery not only stank, it damaged the lungs of everyone living in the area.

 

3.            Noxious- (Adj.) harmful

For example- We must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us.

 

4.            Nurture- (V.) Nourish or educate

For example- The Head Start program attempts to nurture pre-kindergarten children so that they will do well when they enter public school.

Also (N.)

 

 

O

 

1.            Oblivion- (N.) Obscurity or forgetfulness

For example- After a decade of popularity Hurston's works had fallen into oblivion; no one bothered to read them anymore.

 

2.            Opus- (N.) Work

For example- Although many critics hailed his Fifth Symphony as his major work, he did not regard it as his major opus.

 

3.            Ornate- (Adj.) Excessively or elaborately decorated

For example- With its elaborately carved, convoluted lines, furniture of the Baroque period was highly ornate.

 

4.            Overt- (Adj.) Open to view

For example- According to the United States? Constitution, a person must commit an overt act before he may be tried for treason.

 

 

P

 

1.            Pall- (V.) Grow tiresome

For example- The study of word lists can eventually pall and put one to sleep

 

2.            Pedant- (N.) A scholar who overemphasises book learning or technicalities

For example- Her insistence that the book be memorised marked the teacher as a pedant rather than a scholar.

 

3.            Pious- (Adj.) Devout, religious

For example- The challenge for church people today is how to be pious in the best sense, that is, to be devout without becoming hypocritical or sanctimonious.

(Also N.) Piety

 

4.            Polyglot- (Adj.) Speaking several languages

For example- New York City is a polyglot community because of the thousands of immigrants who settle there.

 

 

Q

 

1.            Quagmire- (N.) Soft wet boggy land, or complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself

For example- Up to her knees in mud, Myra wondered how on earth she was going to extricate herself from his quagmire.

 

2.            Qualms- (N.) Misgivings, uneasy fears, especially about matters of conscience

For example- I have no qualms about giving this assignment to Helen, I know she will handle it admirably.

 

3.            Quirk- (N.) Startling twist, caprice

For example- By a quirk of fate, he found himself working for the man whom he had discharged years before.

 

4.            Quizzical" (Adj.) Teasing, bantering, mocking or curious

For example- When the skinny teenager tripped over his own feet stepping into the bullpen, coach raised one quizzical eyebrow, shook his head, and said, "Okay kid. You're here, let's see what you've got."

 

 

R

 

1.            Rapt- (Adj.) Absorbed, enchanted

For example- Caught up in the wonder of the storyteller's tale, the rapt listeners sat motionless, hanging on his every word.

 

2.            Ravenous- (Adj.) Extremely hungry

For example- The ravenous dog upset several garbage pails in its search for food.

 

3.            Relent- (V.) give in

For example- When her stern father would not relent and allow her to marry Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett eloped with her suitor.

(Also Adj.) Relentless

 

4.            Rue- (V.) Regret, lament, mourn

For example- Tina rued the night she met Tony and wondered how she ever fell for such a jerk.

(Also, Adj.) Rueful

 

 

S

 

1.            Sap- (V.) Diminish, undermine

For example- The element kryptonite has an unhealthy effect on Superman: it saps his strength.

 

2.            Scanty- (Adj.) Meager, insufficient

For example- Thinking his helping of food was scanty, Oliver Twist asked for more.

 

3.            Serenity- (N.) Calmness, placidity

For example- The sound of air raid sirens pierced the serenity of the quiet village of Pearl Harbor.

 

4.            Solace- (N.) Comfort in trouble

For example- I hope you will find solace in the thought that all of us share your loss.

 

 

T

 

1.            Taut- (Adj.) Tight, ready

For example- The captain maintained that he ran a taut ship.

 

2.            Tenet- (N.) Doctrine, dogma

For example- The agnostic did not accept the tenets of their faith.

 

3.            Throng-(N.) Crowd

For example- Throngs of shoppers jammed the aisles (Also V)

 

4.            Tutelage- (N.) Guardianship, training

For example- Under the tutelage of such masters of the instrument, she made rapid progress as a virtuoso.

 

 

U

 

1.            Unanimity- (N.) Complete agreement

For example- We were surprised by the unanimity with which members of both parties accepted our proposals.

(Also Adj.) Unanimous

 

2.            Unctuous- (Adj.) Oily, bland, insincerely suave

For example- Uriah Heep disguised his nefarious actions by unctuous protestations of his "humility".

 

3.            Unpalatable- (Adj.) Distasteful, disagreeable

For example- T refuse to swallow your conclusion,' said she, finding his logic unpalatable.        

                         

4.            Urbane- (Adj.) Suave, refined, elegant

For example- The courtier was urbane and sophisticated.

(Also N.) Urbanity

 

 

V

 

1.            Vacuous- (Adj.) Empty, inane

For example- The vacuous remarks of the politician annoyed the audience, who had hoped to hear more than empty platitudes.

 

2.            Vent- (N.) A small opening, outlet

For example- The wine did not flow because the air vent in the barrel was clogged.

 

3.            Virile- (Adj.) Manly

For example- I do not accept the premise that a man proves he's virile by being belligerent.

 

W-Z

 

1.            Waif- (N.) Homeless child or animal

For example- Although he already had eight cats, he could not resist adopting yet another feline waif.

 

2.            Wallow- (V.) Roll in indulge in., helpless

For example- The hippopotamus loves to wallow in the mud.

 

3.            Wince- (V.) Shrink back, flinch

For example- The screech of the chalk on the blackboard made her wince.

 

4.            Woe- (N.) Deep, inconsolable grief, affliction, suffering

For example- He listened to my tale of woe.

 

5.            Zeal- (N.) Eager enthusiasm

For example- Katya\s zeal was contagious, soon all her fellow students were busily making posters, inspired by her ardent enthusiasm for the cause.

 

6.            Zenity- (N.) Point directly over head in the sky

For example- When the sun was at its zenith, the glare was not as strong as a sunrise and sunset