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New Words With Meaning

For CAT Exam

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CAT
The CAT exam focuses on accuracy, while the VARC section tests your critical reasoning ability,

not just your language skills. To do better in VARC, you should read a lot to understand words in

context. We've put together 150 new words with meanings to help you improve your CAT

vocabulary and perform well in VARC. Having a strong vocabulary can increase your chances of

success, as words represent knowledge. To learn new words, read regularly, and try to use them

in your daily life to remember them better.

Why it is Important to Learn New Words with Meaning to

Increase CAT Vocabulary?

Every language has a lot of words, and it's impossible to remember them all. In the CAT exam, VARC

tests your accuracy, not just your language skills. Many CAT aspirants don't give this section enough

attention, and that's a big mistake. The words in VARC are often hard, and not knowing their

meanings can make it confusing to answer easy questions. Under stress, you might pick the wrong

answer, and remember, for each wrong answer, you lose points due to negative marking.

Learning new words with their meanings is crucial when preparing for the CAT exam. Here's
why it's important, step by step:

1. Increase in Vocabulary: Learning new words expands your vocabulary. It means you know
more words and their meanings, which is a big advantage during the CAT exam.

2. Sharpens and Enriches Your Thinking Ability: A rich vocabulary allows you to think more
precisely and clearly. You can express your thoughts in a more detailed and accurate manner.

3. Builds Self-Assurance: Knowing a wide range of words boosts your confidence. It helps you
approach the exam with self-assurance, knowing you can understand and answer questions
effectively.

4. Helps in Effective Expression of Thoughts: CAT is not just about knowing the right answer but
also being able to explain your thought process. A strong vocabulary enables you to articulate
your answers better.

5. Improvement of Reading Comprehension: Many CAT questions require a deep understanding

of passages or texts. Knowing the meaning of words within those passages can significantly
enhance your reading comprehension skills.
6. Improves Listening and Speaking Skills: A robust vocabulary isn't just about written words; it
also aids in understanding spoken language and expressing yourself clearly when discussing or
presenting.

7. Enhances Writing Ability: During CAT preparation, you might have to write essays or
responses. A good vocabulary is a valuable asset when it comes to writing effectively and
persuasively.

In summary, learning new words and their meanings is an integral part of CAT preparation, as it
boosts your vocabulary, refines your thinking, and improves your overall communication skills,
which are essential for success in the exam.

List Of New Words With Meaning to Improve Your Verbal

Ability

Word Part of Meaning

Speech

Abate Verb Collapse or lessen

Abdicate Verb Give up the powers (monarchs and royals)

Accede Verb Yielding to someone’s wish

Acrophobia Noun Morbid dread of heights

Acumen Noun Mental keenness, the ability to understand and judge things
quickly and clearly

Affluence Noun Wealth, the state of having a lot of money

Agoraphobia Noun Morbid dread of open spaces

Alma Mater Noun One’s school or college

Amicable Adjective Friendly

Anachronous Adjective Belonging to a different time

Animosity Noun A strong feeling of anger and not liking somebody/something

Animus Noun Hostility or ill feeling

Anomalous Adjective Unusual, different from what is normal

Antipathy Noun A strong feeling of not liking somebody/something

Apathetic Adjective Indifferent, uninterested, uninvolved

Apprise Verb To inform or notify

Atheist Noun Disbeliever in God

Atrophy Verb To become weaker, (of a body part) to be reduced in size and
therefore strength

Attenuate Verb Weaken, to make something weaker or less effective

Audacious Adjective Showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks

Austere Adjective Severe, strict, very simple without decoration

Backfire Verb Rebound or boomerang

Baffling Adjective Puzzling, extremely confusing to understand

Bale Noun Bundle or bunch

Bask Verb Laze or Revel in (something relaxing)

Benefaction Noun Good deed, act of charity or kindness

Cache Noun Hoard or Stockpile

Cacography Noun Ugly, bad handwriting

Caliber Noun Level of ability or distinction in someone’s character

Callous Adjective Heartless or uncaring

Celerity Noun Swiftness of movement

Chauvinism Noun Excessive patriotism

Chronic Adjective Recurring, continuing over a long period of time

Circumlocution Noun Talking around; method of talking indirectly or in a roundabout
way

Circumspect Adjective Cautious, thinking very carefully about something before you do it

Circumspection Noun Care, watchfulness, caution, alertness

Clandestine Adjective Secret and often not legal

Cogency Noun Persuasiveness through logic; keen-mindedness in reasoning

Collusion Noun Plotting and planning, secret agreement especially for illegal
purposes

Commandeer Verb Take possession of something for military or police use

Concatenate Verb Link together in a chain of series

Condonation Noun Act of overlooking or forgiving an offense or a transgression

Congenital Adjective From birth

Consummate Adjective Extremely skilled, a perfect example of something

Convivial Adjective Friendly in atmosphere or character

Credulous Adjective Willing to believe, gullible, trusting

Creed Noun A set of beliefs or principles (especially religious beliefs) that

strongly influence someone’s life

Debase Verb Degrade or Devalue

Debonair Adjective Confident and stylish

Deride Verb Ridicule

Devitalize Verb Deprived of strength and vigor

Dichotomy Noun The separation that exists between two groups or things that are
completely opposite to and different from each other

Dilettante Noun Superficiality

Dilettantism Noun A lack of the level of skill associated with an expert or profession

Disheveled Adjective Untidy

 Docile Adjective Compliant or submissive

Drawl Verb Speak in a slow, lazy way with prolonged vowel sounds

Drivel Noun Nonsense, talk nonsense

Dubious Adjective Doubtful, not sure or certain

Ebullient Adjective Cheerful

Eccentric Adjective Unconventional

Eccentricity Noun Strangeness, oddness, unconventionality

Egregious Adjective Outstandingly bad or vicious

Eloquence Noun Great, emotional, or artistic expressiveness

Elucidate Verb Explain

Enervated Adjective Completely exhausted

Epitome Noun a perfect example of something

Evanescence Noun Vanish gradually from sight

Exurbs Noun Regions far from the city

Fallacious Adjective False or Incorrect

Ferocious Adjective Savage or cruel

Foible Noun Weakness

Frugal Adjective Economical

Furtive Adjective Hidden and secret

Futile Adjective Useless, hopeless, having no success

Galore Adjective Abundance

Gambol Verb Frolic, run or jump playfully

Gape Verb Wide open

Garble Verb Distorted, confused

 Garrulity Noun Incessant chatter with little meaning

Glib Adjective Suspiciously smooth, using words in a way that is clever and
quick but not sincere

Gluttonize Verb Stuff oneself like a pig, eat excessively

Grandiloquent Adjective Using flossy, flowery, elegant or impressive phraseology

Graphology Noun Analysis or study of handwriting

Grapple Verb Wrestle or struggle

Gregarious Adjective Very sociable

Gullible Adjective Believing and trusting people too easily, and therefore easily
tricked

Halcyon Adjective Serene or pleasant

Hoodwink Verb Deceive or trick

Hypercritical Adjective Excessively critical

Hypochondriac Noun Illness

Iconoclast Noun Antitradition, a person who doesn’t believe in and is opposed to

traditions

Impel Verb Force or urge

Incendiarism Noun Malicious setting of fires, as for revenge, etc.

Incorrigible Adjective Beyond reform, too bad to be corrected or improved (behavior)

Incorrigible Adjective Beyond correction or reform (a person’s behavior)

Incredible Adjective Unbelievable

Indefatigable Adjective Tireless, never giving up or getting tired of something

Indefatigable Adjective Tireless

Ingenious Adjective Clever, original, and inventive

Ingenuity Noun Cleverness in devising or combining

 Ingenuous Adjective A person full of new ideas and clever at finding solutions to
problems or at inventing things

Innocuous Adjective Innocent or Harmless

Insurgent Noun A rebel, a person fighting against the government or armed

forces of their own country

Interminable Adjective Never-ending, endless

Intransigence Noun Stubbornness, refusal to change one’s views or to agree about

something

Intrepid Adjective Fearless

Intrepid Adjective Fearless

Intrinsic Adjective Inherent or essential

Introspective Adjective Self-analytical, self-examining

Inveterate Adjective Form long-standing habit that is unlikely to change

Jeopardize Verb Endanger (someone/something)

Judicious Adjective Wise and sensible

Juxtapose Verb Place something close together

Kibble Verb Grind or Chop

Knighthood Noun Title or rank

Laconicity Noun Great economy in speech, expressing much in few words

Lampoon Verb Sarcasm or criticizing publicly

Limp Verb Walking with difficulty

Lithe Adjective Supple, Agile

Ludicrous Adjective Unreasonable or Absurd

Magnanimous Adjective Generous or Benevolent

Magnanimous Adjective Noble, generous, and forgiving

Magnate Noun Big wheel, important or influential person

 Magniloquence Noun Floweriness, pompousness, or elegance in speech

Magnum Opus Noun Great artistic work, masterpiece

Malign Verb To say or write bad things about someone publicly, especially in
an unfair manner

Martinet Noun A complete disciplinarian

Mawkish Adjective Over-sentimental

Mettle Noun Spirit or determination

Misogynist Noun A man who hates women

Misrepresentation Noun Deliberately deceiving, the act of giving false information

Modicum Noun Small quantity of a particular thing

Monomaniac Noun Single-mindedness

Mundane Adjective Dull

Naive Adjective Inexperienced, unworldly, innocent

Nascent Adjective Being born

Neurosis Noun Emotional disturbance

Nexus Noun Series of connection

Notorious Adjective Unfavourably known

Novice Noun Beginner or Learner

Obsolete Adjective Outdated

Occult Noun Mystical or supernatural

Ocular Adjective Visual

Ominous Adjective Suggesting that something unpleasant is going to happen

Onus Noun Burden or responsibility

Pathological Adjective Diseased

Patriarch Noun Man who is the head of the family or social group
 Patrimony Noun Inheritance from one’s father

Penury Noun Extreme poverty

Perdition Noun Damnation, hell, eternal punishment

Peremptory Adjective In a commanding manner

Perfunctory Adjective Superficial, done quickly as a duty without any interest or feeling

Peripatetic Adjective Something that is moving from place to place

Perspicacious Adjective Keen-minded, having a ready insight into and understanding of

things

Pertinent Adjective Relevant

Petulant Adjective Childishly Bad-tempered

Philanthropy Noun Charitable works, the desire to promote the welfare of others

Phlegmatic Adjective Emotionally unresponsive

Placidity Noun Calmness

Prevalent Adjective Most common in a particular place or time

Pusillanimity Noun Lack of courage or determination

Quagmire Noun Marsh, bog, a difficult, complicated, or dangerous situation

Quarry Noun Mine for stone, a place from which stone or other materials are or
have been extracted

Query Noun Question

Repentance Noun Sincere regret

Repulsive Adjective That causes a strong feeling of disgust

Reticence Noun Unwillingness to talk, or disclose, out of fear, shyness, reserve,

etc.

Retrospect Noun Looking back on or dealing with past events or situations

Retrospect Noun A survey or review of the past course of events

Reverent Adjective Deep Respect

 Scintillating Adjective Sparking or shining brightly

Scintillation Noun A flash or sparkle of light

Scribble Verb Writing carelessly

Semantics Noun Science of the meanings and effects of words

Senility Noun Deteriorated old age

Simulate Verb Pretend, to do or make something that looks real but is not real

Solace Noun Consolation

Soliloquy Noun Talking or a speech ‘to oneself’

Somber Adjective Dark or Serious

Sorority Noun Sisterhood

Speciousness Noun Falsity, the fact of seeming to be right or true but really being
wrong or false

Stoical Adjective Uncomplaining

Stoicism Noun Uncomplaining attitude to pain or trouble

Stoke Verb Add fuel to, strengthen, to make people feel more strongly

Supersede Verb Take the place of (a person or a thing previously in authority/use)

Sycophant Noun A person who praises important or powerful people too much in a
way that’s not sincere, flatterer

Tacit Adjective Understood

Tacitness Noun State of being understood though not actually expressed

Taciturnity Noun Unwillingness to engage in conversation

Trait Noun Characteristic

Trepidation Noun The feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen

Tyro Noun Beginner

Unaccountable Adjective Inexplicable

 Unanimity Noun Complete agreement about something among a group of people

Unconscionable Adjective Without conscious, not right or reasonable

Unequivocal Adjective Clear and forthright

Uproot Verb Pull out

Urbane Adjective Polished, sophisticated, courteous, and refined in manner

Uxoricide Noun Killing of one’s wife

Vacillate Verb Swing back and forth in indecision, to waver in mind, will, or
feeling

Ventriloquism Noun The production of the voice in such a way that the sound seems
to come from a source other than the vocal organs of the speaker

Verbatim Adjective Word for word

Verbose Adjective Wordy

Verbosity Noun Wordiness

Verify Verb Confirm or prove

Versatile Adjective Able to adapt many directions, functions, or activities

Virago Noun A violent unpleasant woman who is often angry

Virtuoso Noun An accomplished musician

Vital Adjective Essential, lively

Volition Noun The faculty or power of using one’s free will

Volubility Noun Fluency, ease, and/or rapidity of speech

Wearisome Adjective Tiring

Wintry Adjective Cold (in feeling)

Yearn Verb Longing for something

How to Learn New Words to Improve Your CAT Vocabulary

Certainly, I'll break down the information into separate steps for a clearer understanding.

Step 1: Read Newspapers for CAT Preparation

Start Reading Editorial Sections: Whether you're a regular reader or not, begin by reading the
editorial sections of different newspapers. This is crucial for CAT preparation.

Benefits of Reading Newspapers: Reading newspapers helps boost your general knowledge
and prepares you for group discussions and personal interviews. Newspapers contain expert
opinions on various subjects and provide updates on global events and technology trends.

Daily Reading Routine: Allocate 40 minutes daily to read different newspapers. Since there's
no set syllabus for the CAT exam, newspapers can be a great starting point for your preparation.

Step 2: List of Newspapers - Online/Offline

- Here's a list of newspapers you can consider reading:

- The Hindu
- Frontline
- The Economist
- The Guardian
- Business Standard
- The Economic Times
- Financial Express
- The Atlantic
- The New York Times
- The New Yorker

Important Note: Avoid replacing newspapers with news channels, as the CAT exam focuses on
reading skills, speed, and accuracy.

Step 3: Create a Personal Dictionary for New Words

Be Prepared: Whenever you read a newspaper, an article, or a book, keep a notepad handy or
open a Google Doc to create your personal dictionary for new words.

What to Include: In this personal dictionary, add the new words you come across, along with
their meanings, synonyms, antonyms, and sentence examples. If time allows, include images to
help remember the words visually.
Example: For instance, if you encounter the word "laconic," record it in your dictionary with its
meaning, synonyms, antonyms, and a sentence example to understand its usage.

Step 4: Advantages of Creating a Personal Dictionary

Efficient Vocabulary Building: Spend time building your personal dictionary systematically, as
mentioned above. Organize it by date to make revisions easier.

Effective Revision: This dictionary will serve as a valuable resource for CAT preparation.
Regularly revising the words you've collected will help enhance your vocabulary.

Step 5: Analyze Your VARC Section in Mock Tests

Importance of Mock Tests: As a CAT aspirant, taking mock tests is essential. It helps you
assess your performance in different sections.

Focus on VARC Section: Pay close attention to the VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading
Comprehension) section of mock tests.

Analyze Wrong Answers: Review and attempt to solve the questions you answered
incorrectly.

Add New Words: Add any new words you encounter in the VARC section of mock tests to your
personal dictionary on Google Doc.

Identify Repeated Words: While analyzing mock tests, keep an eye out for words that appear
multiple times. These are more likely to show up in the actual CAT exam.

Continuous Revision: The key is to keep revising the words and concepts you've learned to
reinforce your vocabulary.

Skills Required to Build and Increase CAT Vocabulary

Certainly, let's break down these steps in detail for improving your CAT vocabulary:

Step 1: Equal Focus on Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

Equal Time Allocation: Ensure you dedicate equal time to prepare for both the Verbal Ability
and Reading Comprehension (VARC) sections. Both are essential in CAT preparation.

Step 2: Read Widely, Regardless of Personal Interests

Diverse Reading: Understand that not every topic or subject will pique your interest, but it's
crucial to read them anyway to sharpen your skills.

Step 3: Enhance Your Vocabulary

Daily Vocabulary Building: Aim to be above average in your vocabulary. Allocate a minimum
of 40 to 60 minutes each day for reading books, newspapers, and articles.

Familiarize with Jargon**: Get to know the specialized language (jargon) in various fields such
as science and technology, literature, philosophy, economics, environmental issues, and politics.

Step 4: Develop Reading and Comprehension Skills

Read and Understand: Cultivate the skill of reading and comprehending different topics in
English, whether you have a personal interest in the subject or not.

Step 5: Utilize Post-it Sticky Notes

Daily Vocabulary Practice: Take advantage of Post-it sticky notes. Every day, jot down 8 to 10
new words and their meanings on these notes.

Strategic Placement: Stick these notes on prominent places in your room, like your mirror,
desk, or wall. Each time you enter your room, you'll encounter these notes and reinforce your
memory of the words.

Regular Rotation: Change the words on the notes every day or every alternate day to
continuously expand your vocabulary.

By following these steps, you can effectively improve and expand your list of new words in your
CAT vocabulary.

Tips to Improve Reading for Non-Readers

Certainly, here's a step-by-step breakdown for non-readers looking to prepare for the VARC
section in CAT to increase their vocabulary:

Step 1: Extra Effort for Non-Readers

Acknowledging the Challenge: Non-readers should recognize that they may need to put in
additional effort to prepare for the VARC section because it's important to increase their CAT
vocabulary.
Adjustment Period: Be patient with yourself as it might take a few days or even weeks to get into
the rhythm of regular reading.

Step 2: Broaden Your Knowledge

Stay Updated: Reading about various topics, even those not of personal interest, is crucial. It
will help you stay informed about general knowledge, including domestic and international
affairs, which can be beneficial in both the CAT exam and group discussions/personal interviews
(GDPI).

Step 3: Develop Reading Skills

Reading at a Comfortable Pace: Start by reading for 10 minutes daily. This manageable
duration helps you ease into the habit of reading.

Gradual Increase: As you get more comfortable with reading, gradually extend the time spent
reading.

Step 4: Improve Reading Skills

Stay Focused: Practice slow, focused reading. Don't rush through the text, and try to
understand what you're reading.

Quick Analysis: Work on your ability to analyze and process answers swiftly. This is crucial for
the VARC section.

Read Varied Texts: Practice reading and comprehending text from different topics, such as
newspapers, articles, fiction, and non-fiction books.

Step 5: Timed Reading for Speed

Habit Formation: Once you are accustomed to regular reading, shift to timed reading
exercises. This helps increase your reading speed over time.

Gradual Progress: Begin with shorter time intervals and progressively increase the time as you
become more comfortable with timed reading.

By following these steps, non-readers can effectively prepare for the VARC section in CAT,
gradually increasing their reading skills and vocabulary. This will ultimately benefit their
performance in the exam and GDPI.
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