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