Word Meanings Test

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PRACTICE VOCABULARY (WORD MEANINGS) TEST

Test your knowledge of the English language.

This is a test of your knowledge of the meanings of different words. It is a moderately difficult test and uses some rarely heard words.

Example questions

Which of the following 3 words is closest in meaning to "Irksome"

  • Friendly

  • Disagreeable

  • Handsome

Which of the following 3 words is closest in meaning to " "Colossal"?

  • Pedantic

  • Frantic

  • Gigantic

The answers are:

  • Irksome - the answer is "Disagreeable"

  • Colossal - the answer is "Gigantic"

The test has 44 questions and you have 10 minutes to do them if you wish to compare your score to others set a timer on your watch or phone. Questions will get harder as the test progresses.

IF YOU ARE TAKING THIS TEST ON A MOBILE PHONE, PLEASE USE THE VERSION HERE which is adapted for small screens.

When you have finished the test click on "Get Your Score" and then navigate back to this page.

WHAT YOUR SCORE MEANS

This test is for practice only, so you should not regard your result as of importance chiefly because the test was not taken under proper test conditions. Your performance can also be distorted if you have a cold, or have not slept well. International students or those from ethnic minorities may be disadvantaged in this type of test, due to language and cultural differences. If your first language is not English, your score may be lower than native English speakers. Your degree subject may change your performance: scientists may do better on mathematical tests and Humanities students on verbal tests.

Finally, if you are taking the test on a mobile phone or other touch screen device, you may take longer to input your answers.

Score

  • 36 or above. This is an above average score compared to other UK graduates who have taken the test.

  • 25 - 35. This is in the average group compared to other UK graduates who have taken this test.

  • 24 or below. This is below the typical score of UK graduates who have taken the test, but remember that a number of factors may have distorted your score - see above for some of these factors.

ANSWERS

1) Chortle Laugh

2) Discrepancy Inconsistency

3) Trudge Walk wearily

4) Odious Dislikable

5) Paradox Self-contradictory statement

6) Renege Break a promise

7) Assuage Soothe

8) Pragmatic Practical

9) Reticent Restrained

10) Salubrious Wholesome

11) Subterfuge Deception

12) Ubiquitous Omnipresent

13) Intractable Unsolvable

14) Truculent Savage

15) Vortex Whirlpool

16) Vex Annoy

17) Immolate Fire sacrifice

18) Ignominious Shameful

19) Hyperbole Exaggeration

20) Foible Weakness

21) Macabre Gruesome

22) Malevolent Hostile

23) Spurious Fake

24) Puissant Powerful

25) Mellifluous Sweet

26) Lachrymose Tearful

27) Mollify Appease

28) Expurgate Purge

29) Celerity Speed

30) Clandestine Secret

31) Bellicose Warlike

32) Defenestrate Throw from window

33) Pusillanimous Lacking courage

34) Termagant Quarrelsome woman

35) Crepuscular Twilight

36) Disgruntled Unhappy

37) Sinecure Paid job with little work

38) Ptarmigan Type of bird

39) Sepulchral Belonging to a tomb

40) Palimpsest Reused parchment

41) Turpitude Depravity

42) Tryst A meeting

43) Diatribe Denunciation

44) Masticate Chew



He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.
William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?
Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

A hangover is the wrath of grapes