Vocabulary Made Easy series: Sharpen your word power to crack competitive exams

Improving your vocabulary is important if you aspire to crack competitive exams like CAT, TOEFL, UPSC, etc. Most of the competitive exams have a verbal section to check on the language skills of the candidates.

It is not a herculean task to boost your word power. With consistent efforts and dedication, anyone can improve their language skills.

Here's a way to improve your vocabulary. Check out the words for the day and a small quiz to push yourself to improve your word power.

Peer (Verb)

Meaning: look with difficulty or concentration at someone or something

Example: The towers peer over the roofs

Penury (Noun)

Meaning: the state of being very poor; extreme poverty

Example: He couldn't face another year of penury

Perfidy (Noun)

Meaning: The state of being deceitful and untrustworthy

Example: It was an example of his perfidy

Pernicious (Adjective)

Meaning: Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way

Example: He is one of the most pernicious influences in the party

Put your thinking cap on and try to answer the following questions to understand how much you have grasped.

1. The trouble is that fear is almost as ______________ as perceived danger. Which of the following words fits best in the sentence? (Pernicious, Peer)

2. Can you think of some antonyms for the word Perfidy?

3. Can you think of some synonyms for the word Penury?

Also Read: Vocabulary Made Easy series: Hone your word power to crack competitive exams

Watch out for this space for your weekly update on improving word power.

(Definitions and examples are from Oxford Languages)