READING PASSAGE11

FACETIOUS Don't be so facetious! Don’t be facetious about the meeting. They are discussing a very important topic which requires you to show some gravitas. She's just being playful.

FACILE My child has a facile imagination in writing. While the middle aged people found the video game complicated, the teenagers thought it was facile and easily played. Since Ravi had studied for the exam, he earned a perfect score on the easy test.

FALLACIOUS Their argument is based on fallacious reasoning. The argument is fallacious, for it is based on a set of factual flaws. I think this is an entirely erroneous argument, with little to no factual support.

FASTIDIOUS My spouse is fastidious about her appearance. My father is a fastidious man who always has a complaint on his lips. A cat is a fussy animal that washes itself frequently.

FEASIBLE If waking up early isn't feasible for you, then why did you take the early morning shift? Playing computer games on an old processor may not be feasible. Is it possible to finish the work by Sankranti?

FECKLESS My landlady’s husband was a charming, but lazy and feckless man. Sanju was portrayed as a feckless drunk and drug addicted in his biography. The police were able to make an arrest because the irresponsible burglar had left his wallet at the scene of the robbery.

FLEETING For one fleeting moment, Archana allowed herself to forget her office stress. Sulochana was paying a fleeting visit to her mother’s house. I caught a short glimpse of them as they drove past.

FORESTALL Fortunately at the last minute, a mediator was able to talk to the two super power countries and forestall a trade war. The local government must act now to forestall disaster. I left the room to prevent involvements.

FORTUITOUS Ramanujan proved to be fortuitous by selecting all six winning lottery numbers. It is a fortuitous coincidence that led the twins to meet in Kumbha Mela after twenty years.  The meeting with his favourite super star was unanticipated.

FRIVOLOUS My sister never spends her pocket money on frivolous purchases she never uses. Students who consider IELTS test instructions to be frivolous often get low bands. I feel like doing something completely non-serious today.

FRUGAL Stop being so frugal and just buy me a real diamond ring! If I could find a woman that frugal, I might just settle down. As children we were taught to be economical and hard-working.

GALVANIZE Do you think the girl child’s death will galvanize town residents to the point they will stand up to rapists and molesters? The coach of Indian cricket team decided to talk loudly and galvanize the team into action. We have to dynamize people into action.

GARRULOUS My daughter, who is usually loud and garrulous, was surprisingly quiet as a mouse this morning. Garrulous people make great talk show hosts. Though my window is closed, I can still hear my talkative neighbours loudly gossip in the night.

GRANDILOQUENT Even though Naresh did not understand the grandiloquent words, he still used them to impress his examiner in speaking test.  Ram’s use of grandiloquent terminology failed to impress the job interviewer. Our school principal’s speech was full of bombastic language, but it contained no new ideas.

GREGARIOUS When Surya walks in our office room, he radiates gregarious energy, surely to brighten all gloomy souls. Snow geese are very gregarious birds. Dolphins were happy, social surface dwellers.

GUILE With a little guile she might get what she wanted. Sai was a man completely lacking in guile A man with-out cunning or hidden history.

HACKNEYED Eventually, the style became so hackneyed that people stopped using it. Every time my internet goes down, the cable company gives me a hackneyed explanation. Politicians tend to repeat the same stale expressions over and over again.

HERETICAL This is not as heretical a suggestion as it might seem at first sight. Many of official doctrines are heretical. Priest Association spokesmen edged toward declaring support for female priests separatist.

HETERODOX Many of the old teachers did not like the heterodox teaching strategies proposed by their young colleagues. There are many books with heterodox ideas were published in our country. Charvaka is categorized as an unorthodox school of Indian philosophy.

HUMDRUM An exciting trip to Goa would give me time away from my humdrum job. When I saw all my relatives sitting down at the humdrum event, I knew the evening was going to be boring. The accountant said it was the most boring day that she had ever passed.

HYPERBOLE My English Professor is a bit of a drama queen, and she uses hyperbole in almost every sentence. Little children often speak almost exclusively in hyperbole. The Tollywood release is being promoted with all the usual magnification.

ICONOCLAST The successful businessman is an iconoclast who is not afraid to introduce something new to the market. Because my neighbor’s daughters do not believe in the concept of marriage, I consider them as iconoclasts. Anyone who dares to disagree with society’s values is viewed as a critic.

IDIOSYNCRASY An idiosyncrasy is what makes you unique from everyone else. Although they are identical twins, Sita and Gita both have an idiosyncrasy which allows you to tell them apart. The little boy had a peculiarity which made him believe he could see and talk to ghosts.

IMMUTABLE When two people get married, it is with the assumption that their feelings for each other are immutable and will never alter. My medical condition is immutable and can be altered only with Yoga. Nothing in the world is fixed.

IMPECUNIOUS Plans are being developed to help the impecunious people in the city who are without housing. Even though the Mahanati, the actor earned millions of rupees during her heyday, she was impecunious and homeless when she died. The poor immigrant came to America to earn money to send home to his starving family

IMPEDE If the patient does not eat while he is sick, the lack of nutrients will impede his recovery. What are the problems that impede our progress on the project work? If we plan the event indoors, the rain will not be able to hamper our activities.

IMPETUOUS His impetuous behavior with his fellow colleagues landed him in prison. After she joined the army, Sita is less impetuous. We made a hasty decision to go swimming in a rough sea in December.

IMPETUS The lack of donations is the impetus causing many NGOs to reduce services offered to the public. The threat of their grandfather coming home is usually the only impetus needed to get my children to quickly clean their rooms.  The movement is steadily gaining momentum.

IMPOVERISH After the super cyclone, the impoverished district was unable to rebuild all of the schools that were destroyed. Although Archana is not impoverished, she uses Food coupons because she likes to save money. Heavy rain and excessive use have ruined the soil.

IMPUDENCE His impudence provoked her into slapping his face. Ravi Teza had the impudence to talk back to his teacher. Even though Mandira needed a new washing machine, the immodest attitude of the sales clerk made her decide to leave the store.

INDEMNIFY Do you think the railway is going to indemnify the expense I incurred from missing my connecting train?  If your company fails to deliver the goods according to the agreed time, it should indemnify us for all losses and corresponding expenses. The ultimate purpose of Life insurance is to compensate policyholders.

INDOLENT Because I enjoy being indolent, there is nothing I find more pleasant than relaxing in bed and watching TV. Cathrine was an indolent girl who never completed her homework. I don't want to make friends with lazy persons.

INFALLIBLE The arrogant teacher believed he was infallible on the subject of Mathematics. Although the manager was experienced, he was not infallible. People's faith in the Chief Minister was based on the myth that he was perfect.

INIMICAL Even though my spouse’s ex-wife is an inimical lady, I normally try to be nice to her. When Sarah did not receive her salary on time, she became quite inimical. We know that time has been hostile to our interests.

INNOCUOUS Because the gas was innocuous, the scientific lab staff had no need to worry about the leak. Although the fruits appear innocuous, they are really poisonous. When compared to football, tennis seems like a very safe sport.

INSCRUTABLE Spy handled the questions with the inscrutable face of a diplomat. Since I am not a computer expert, the error message on my screen is inscrutable to me. He stood silent and unreadable.

INSOLENT The captain put the insolent soldier on suspension. My strict professor does not tolerate insolent behavior in her classroom. His impolite manner really got my blood up.

INSOUCIANCE Because Alekya is insouciant and not concerned about her future, she does not worry about saving money. The insouciant waiter did not seem to care that Praneeth had to wait over an hour for his food. Indifference is an alliance failure.

INSTIGATE Because destitute people often cannot afford things they need, poverty is a factor that is known to instigate crime. Cigarette smoke and air pollution can easily instigate an asthma attack in a person who has a weak respiratory system. In 74 percent of cases it is women who now initiate divorce proceedings.

INSULAR Pakistan's insular financial system has also kept it underdeveloped. Poverty made him insular, emotionally dead, passionless and morose. Having lived in one place all his life, his views are narrow-minded.

INTRANSIGENT Because my grandfather is usually intransigent, he rarely lets my grandmother have her way. Let us not forget that the British are an intransigent people. The administrator can be inflexible and pig - headed at times.

INTRICATE The painter’s exhibit reveals his ability to create intricate pictures of urban life on canvas.  The central jail has intricate geometrical designs on several of the walls. South Indian farmers use a complex system of drainage canals.

INVEIGLE The crime investigation department could inveigle information out of the quietest suspects. The smartest and attractive conman was able to inveigle a number of wealthy women into giving him their fortunes. With patience and diplomacy, he can eventually persuade her into marrying him.

IRASCIBLE My boss is not an irascible man. Because Chalapathi Rao is very irascible, you have to be mindful of what you say to him. My neighbour’s dog is irascible and has to be kept on a leash at all times.  After my elder sister got dumped by her boyfriend, she was bad-tempered all the time.

JETTISON In order to conserve fuel, the driver was forced to jettison some of his passengers’ luggage. When I ended my awful relationship, I decided to jettison my past and start a fresh life.  The pilot was forced to throw-away the cargo and make an emergency landing.

KINDRED Telugu and Kanada are kindred languages. Nearly two-thirds of the total population are directly or indirectly engaged in agriculture and related occupations.

LACKADAISICAL After the illness, I was lackadaisical for several weeks. Archana is so lackadaisical she will not get out of bed early mornings. Our employees are annoyingly unenthusiastic and impractical.

LACONIC The poet was laconic while writing the poem and used very few words in each stanza. The popular image of the political leader as a laconic, amiable figure is not entirely accurate. April sent me a concise private message.

LASSITUDE Neither illness nor lassitude prevented Sai from going on with his work. Most of the times we feel lassitude on a hot summer day. This morning, sleepiness is preventing me from getting out of bed.

LAX He cannot be too lax with his pupils. The present government has been lax in carrying out its duties. Politicians, lawyers, and police officers are often criticized for having casual morals.

LOQUACIOUS After drinking four pegs of wine, my normally quiet wife becomes quite loquacious. There is nothing worse than having a loquacious person sit next to you on a road trip. My English teacher became over-talkative on his favorite topic.

LURID You can enjoy all the lurid details of the matter in today's discussion. The papers gave the lurid details of the affair. While the author created exciting plots, his characters were usually written in such sensational terms that his stories were not appropriate for young people.

MALEVOLENT Although it was a malevolent rumour bearing no truth, the entire school still believed Gayatri had a miscarriage at age 15.  The cobra stared at him from its corners, malevolent and unblinking. Their presence in the function was both gentle and poisonous.

MALFEASANCE In almost every section of the terrorist leader’s speech, malfeasance or illegal practices were mentioned. The financial crisis of the state provides an apparently endless opportunity for unmasking deceit, malfeasance, and corruption. Because of the company CEO’s wrongdoing, he has been dismissed from his office.

MALIGN When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me it was not nice to malign others because I would despise it if people talked unfairly about me. Parents’ behaviours should not exercise a malign influence on their children. People who defame others by telling falsehoods are usually unhappy with their own lives.

MANACLE Once the escaped convicts get out of the city, they will find someone to remove their manacle from their wrists.  If the hostage can remove the manacle chaining her to the wall, she will be able to escape her kidnappers. His hands were shackled behind his back.

MARTINET The Sanskrit teacher was a martinet who punished his pupils for the smallest offenses. Even though the our school principal does not enjoy being a martinet, she must occasionally be stern to keep her pupils in line. Our dean is an understanding counsellor, not a taskmaster.

MAVERICK As long as the company owner acts like a maverick by ignoring his advisers, he will have no well-wishers at his own business. Employee’s independence and maverick behaviour prevented any chance of promotion.  He's a trendsetter. He has his own way of thinking about things.

MENDACITY Ratnakar cannot find employment at a bank because of his mendacity. In a healthy relationship, married couple should favor truthfulness and not mendacity. So sniffer dogs may be able to sniff out bombs and drugs, but they can't pick up the smell of dishonesty.

METICULOUS Goa trip involved meticulous planning. My father was so meticulous about everything. Trainer is ultra-careful in her presentation of facts.

MITIGATE It is not clear how to mitigate the effects of tourism on the sea shore. Local governments should endeavour to mitigate distress. The doctor gave me a pill to reduce the pain.

MUNDANE The play is about the mundane existence of Laxmi Nagar slum dwellers. If you want to escape from the mundane, get out of this boring town during vacations! The list included many boring, routine tasks.

NAÏVE It's naive to think that teachers and parents are always tolerant. You're a naive little child. She is so innocent that she believes everything he tells her.

NETTLE If you nettle a dog, you should be prepared to run. I do not like to sit outside because the mosquitos always nettle me.  These bites range from a stinging needle sensation, to several hours of painful swelling.

NONCHALANCE Some people criticize her nonchalance and indifference. One should not convey arrogance, fear, resentment, conceit or too much nonchalance. Although Jagadish is always stressed out about something, he comes across as calm and without worries.

NOVELTY The sweet and sour candy bar is the chocolate maker’s latest novelty.   Hard to imagine that computers were a novelty in 1950. There's a certain modernity value in this approach.

NOVICE Novice data entry operators sometimes make fundamental errors. Knee and elbow pads are recommended for novice wrestlers. I've never driven a car before - I'm a complete beginner.

NUANCE The great painter has managed to capture every nuance of the tribal woman's expression. Because she is a chef in a five star hotel, she notices every nuance of flavour in the meal. Please be quiet so I can enjoy every shade of the romantic song!

OBDURATE Despite the defendant’s apology, the jury was obdurate and gave him a seven-year sentence. The struggle in Champaran shall be waged only against a few obdurate landlords after they have been isolated. I argued this point with him, but he was stubborn in the matter.

OBLIVIOUS She seemed oblivious to the fact that she had hurt him. The government seems oblivious to the likely effects of the GST and demonetisation. As Abdul rapidly ate his dinner, he seemed unaware to the taste of the burnt food.

OBSCURE The details of his assassination remained obscure. The meaning of the reading passage is obscure. The information was concealed by price stickers.

OBSEQUIOUS The personal assistant is exceedingly obsequious to the manager. He is an obsequious shop owner. The princess had submissive servants who showered her with attention.

OBSESSIVE The obsessive spouse is so fixated on how his wife spends her day; he is often late for work. He's becoming more and more obsessive about knowledge. Some people are addictive about cleanliness.

OBSOLETE Many people believe the Internet has made the snail mail obsolete. Internet banking may make over the - counter transactions obsolete. There is no question of making conventional computers out-dated.

OBSTINATE Rocky, a delightful little brown dog is shy, impulsive and sometimes obstinate. The obstinate protestors refused to leave the Dharana Chowk.  It is difficult to reason with a headstrong old man.

OBVIATE A peaceful solution would obviate the need to send a UN military force to Pakistant.  I obviate the need to commute to my office. We tried to prevent the necessity of beginning again.

OPULENT Most of the wealth went on supporting her opulent lifestyle. The newly married couple live an opulent lifestyle and travel all the time. Although the hotel was filled with luxurious designer furnishings, its room rates were surprisingly affordable.

OSTENSIBLE He resigned from his position on the ostensible ground of health. Because of his ostensible good will in offering to check on the house while I was on a long vacation, I felt comfortable giving him the key. Ramu’s superficial purpose for calling his uncle was to see how he was doing, but he soon figured out that he needed money again.

OSTENTATIOUS My company owners are neither aggressive nor ostentatious. They built themselves huge, ostentatious bungalow. He gave an loud yawn in the board meeting.

PAN

PANACEA The herb is supposed to be a panacea for all of the health risks in this modern world. Many people believe hot and sour chicken soup is a panacea for common cold illnesses. Does anyone know what universal-cure today’s youth can use to heal their broken hearts?

PANACHE Pravalika always wears her stylish outfits with panache. The Local Symphony Orchestra played with great panache. Each morning, the fashionable young man chooses a colorful tie to add style to one of his many suits.

PARADOX Maya is a paradox—a loner who loved to chat to strangers. The paradox is that fishermen would catch more fish if they fished less. My grandmother’s contradiction is the fact she feels younger as she ages.

PARSIMONY My father is parsimonious and never tips more than five percent. Despite his wealth, the parsimonious billionaire refused to donate any money to Ganesh Puja. A classic example comes from comedian Rajendra Prasad, famous for his miserliness.

PARTISAN He was especially concerned in promoting a non-partisan social service. Partisan fighters fought in secret against the terrorists. Without permission, I opened the door and saw him sitting on a chair, guarded by a fan.

PENURIOUS The penurious little girl could not afford to buy school lunch. Local government is extending its assistance for penurious families who cannot afford to purchase food. The single mother was poverty-stricken and hungry because she was unable to find employment.

PERENNIAL The film 'Swatimutyam' is a perennial favourite. We face the perennial problem of not having enough money. Crying is a eternal problem with young children from babyhood on.

PERFUNCTORY The beautiful actress waved so often that her greeting was simply perfunctory. They only made a perfunctory effort to set right the internet connectivity problem. They conducted a routine examination.

PETULANT Her critics say she's just being silly and petulant. My subordinate behaved like a petulant child and refused to cooperate. His performances at SAARC summits were complaining and destructive.

PIETY They were drawn to the temple not by piety but by curiosity. Out of a feeling of piety, the old man donated all of his money to the local church. As a parent, I have taught my children that even a quick bedtime prayer is an act of devotion.

PITHY A popular cricketer, Tendulkar was known for his pithy sayings. To save time, the spokes-person tried to give pithy answers to all questions of reporters. Sai Kumar’s weekly editorials are compact letters that showcase his witty viewpoint.

PLACATE I tried to placate my heart broken friend by buying him a bottle of wine. The teachers will not return to the classroom until the state government makes some effort to placate them. I tried to pacify her by offering to pay for the repairs.

PLACID While the water may appear placid during winter season, the waves were quite rough in summer. After the angry bird took the pills, it became placid and quiet. Most police and army officers have unexcitable personalities and are not disturbed by annoying people.

PLATITUDE The social activist ended his speech with a platitude about every child’s right to education. At my granny’s funeral, I heard one platitude after another. Our coach used every cliché she could think of to make us feel better after our big loss.

PLAUSIBLE She was so plausible that she conned everybody. The only plausible explanation is that he forgot the content in the session. Your business proposal would be feasible if you actually had five million dollars in the bank.

PRECARIOUS He earned a precarious living as a Telugu Teacher. The path down to the beach is very precarious in rainy season and night. Sanju had a dangerous dependence on the drug.

PRECIPITATE A slight mistake could precipitate a disaster in the workplace. An attack on the country could precipitate a war. Mental stress can precipitate or aggravate digestive disorders, and this is well - established.

PRECURSOR My itching and sneezing is the precursor of the severe allergic reaction I will soon experience. All too often, vomiting is a precursor of food poison. The play is also an excellent antecedent for Romantic drama.

PREDILECTION Charmee has always had a predilection for red - haired men. She showed a predilection for history. Since she has a sizable art collection, her fondness for art is apparent.

PREEMINENT Shankaracharya, the great saint, made preeminent contribution to the development of spirituality in India. Since you are preeminent, I want to invite you to join our discussion group. Our trainers learned a great deal from the seminar given by one of the nation’s outstanding business leaders.

PRESCIENT We could not deny the fortune teller’s prescience when his prophecies were realized. In the wake of the Gujrat riots, it would be foolish to ignore Kumar's prescient warnings. Two of Tarot card reader's prophecies seem remarkably insightful.

PREVARICATE In hopes of avoiding questions about his involvement in a scam, the politician tried to prevaricate during his interview. When school children talk to their parents about their bad grades, it is not unusual for them to prevaricate. She loudly opposes torture while his Republican colleagues beat about the bush.

PRICKLY The sweat made my skin feel all prickly. His volley ball punctured when it fell on a prickly bush. Someone who is irritable loses their temper or gets upset very easily.

PRISTINE Because there are a few tourists on the island, the beaches are still pristine and beautiful. We've just moved into our pristine new offices in Financial District. Beyond the unspoiled beaches are rain forests.

PROBITY She enjoys an exaggerated reputation for probity. The political criminal knew she could not buy the judge who was known for her probity. I have always found Laxmi to be a model of integrity in our dealings.

PRODIGAL The local government’s prodigal spending on election propaganda is going to ruin the state’s economy.  Everyone wants to know how North eastern workers can live such a prodigal lifestyle on such a small salary.  There have been rumours that he has been wasteful with company funds.

PROFICIENT She's proficient in several Indian languages. She proved to me that she was very proficient in driving a truck. She was a very skilful skier.

PROFLIGATE The company owner is well-known for her profligate spending habits. Romi is a boy who follows exotic things, beautiful woman and is somehow a little profligate. Though a man of immoderate and arrogant character, he enjoyed a great reputation as a teacher; Alexander and Napoleon are said to have been his pupils.

PROLIX The prolix verbal trainer had a habit of using complex words that most people could not comprehend. Robert’s reading skills are so poor there is no way he could read a prolix book on philosophy. Because the article was so wordy, I had to read it with a dictionary beside me.

PROPITIATE  Few religious people propitiate the gods with a sacrifice. To propitiate my dying grandmother and earn her forgiveness, I promised to look after my sisters forever. In those days people might sacrifice a goat or sheep to appease an angry god.

PROPONENT Sushma Swaraj has always been a strong proponent of women's rights. My mother is a big proponent of the concept that people need to feel cared for as much as they need food, shelter, and water. He later became a Member of Parliament and an ardent supporter of Indian independence.

PROSAIC My sister’s diary entries are filled with prosaic happenings. The furniture and interior decoration are prosaic and modern. The reality has turned out to be somewhat more unimaginative.

PROVIDENT The provident and newly married couple attended a seminar on how to budget their income.

Good harvests make men prodigal, Bad ones provident. A prudent father plans for his children's education. PUGNACIOUS The pugnacious little girl constantly talks back to her father. Unfortunately, Hari becomes pugnacious after only a few drinks. My teacher is aggressive and reprimands the class often.

QUAINT He lived more than seven thousand years ago in a quaint little town of India. My great grandmother’s quaint home is filled with knick-knacks from her childhood. The picturesque village does not appear to have changed since it was first settled in the early 2000s.

QUIRK Wearing only pink socks and underwear is Rana’s oddest quirk. Each woman in the mental asylum has a quirk that makes her unique. By a peculiarity of fate they have booked into the same hotel.

RECONCILE Kumar’s plan is to reconcile with his estranged brother whom he had not spoken to in five years. While Majnu wishes to reconcile with Laila, Laila is not willing to forgive and forget.  It's difficult to harmonize such different points of view.

REDUNDANT Please stop the speaker if she becomes redundant or boorish. My principal’s redundant speech consisted of her saying the same thing over and over again. The software tester deleted the inessential line of code that added no value to the software program.

REIN Our mother tried to rein in our excitement and curiosity. As a writer give free rein to your imagination. After I injured my foot, my husband had to take the harness the household.

RELINQUISH The enemy forces were forced to relinquish the city. The prince of England was forced to relinquish his claim to the throne after marrying a common woman. Pakistani generals know they are ruining their country, but they do not dare renounce power.

RELUCTANCE  I noticed certain reluctance among the teachers. My teenager son’s reluctance to answer my questions made me suspicious. They finally agreed to our terms with certain disinclination.

REPUDIATE Because I want to avoid the conflict between my two colleagues, I repudiate their argument.  Even though James loved his son, he chose to repudiate any fault for his crimes. Government officials were urged to reject the treaty.

REPUGNANCE After taking a big bite of the radish, the baby showed his repugnance by spitting out his mouthful.  She turned away from him in repugnance. He had a dislike of all things to do with commerce.

RESTIVE Military leaders struggled to rule over increasingly restive populations. When the pop singer was late to live concert, the audience grew restive. After just a week of summer vacation, the children were bored and became impatient, demanding new things to do.

RETICENT Sachin was reticent to do anything about the problem in the game. The teacher asked the reticent child to offer her thoughts and opinions. When asked if he broke the lamp, the child was withdrawn and refused to make eye contact.

REVERE Too many people revere the Almighty Rupee above everything else; they would probably be happier if they spent more time appreciating the simpler things in life. Most of us revere the Bhagabat Gita, but few of us read it regularly. I admire her greatly.

REVIVE Rumour has it they're trying to revive the America-China Trade War. Water should revive the dehydrated patient. Our state’s economy is beginning to revitalize.

RHAPSODY Every morning the priests and nuns of our church sing a rhapsody of praise. When the photographer took the picture, he had no idea it would become the rhapsody that would celebrate the couple’s love forever. The artist’s performance was greeted with great delight.

RHETORICAL Some audience ask rhetorical questions which can be ignored. The MP will be a great prime minister because he is big on action and low on rhetoric. As a teenager, the best way to avoid trouble is to ignore the angry verbal of your peers.

RIFE The Goa beach is rife with young people during the summer months.  According to my teacher, my report and essay was rife with mistakes and needed to be rewritten.  Dysentery and malaria are widespread in the tribal areas of Odisha.

SACRILEGIOUS It is sacrilegious to enter a temple with shoes on. In uneducated and orthodox society it is considered sacrilegious and totally unacceptable to marry outside of your caste. Burning the Bible, Gita and Quran is a sinful act.

SALUBRIOUS Fruits and vegetables are salubrious foods which provide essential nutrients. Because of his Yoga, Sairam is a very salubrious eater who eats only vegetables and fruits.  We live in the centre of the city which is not a very healthy part of metropolitan city.

SANGUINE Although the economy is looking worse, we should still be sanguine about the future.  We remain optimistic about general price inflation.

SCATHING When my bosom friend found a hair in his meal, he wrote a scathing review of the restaurant. His report was scathing about Hindu orthodox groups. Her new book is a scornful attack on Pakistan’s terror funding in J & K.

SCHISM In India, the schism caused by religion eventually led to the Civil War. The Great Schism splits the Siya and Suni mosques. The state seems to be on the brink of division.

SEDENTARY Many IT professionals become obese by overeating and living a sedentary life. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle have been linked with an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. I'm bored with desk-bound work.

SERENDIPITY The lottery and gambling are something one wins by serendipity not by design. It was only through pure serendipity that I met my girlfriend! I am hoping that coincidence will lead me to the right place.

SHAM My mother said that the product in China Bazar was a sham and didn’t work. Even though the reality shows and many TV programs are sham, we love watching them. Her love was a pretence; she only wanted his money.

SHIRK I can't believe Nadira would shirk the responsibility of her own child. Sai Kiran is such an honourable worker he refuses to shirk his duties. You can't side step, it's your duty.

SHUN Intelligent people love truth, whereas morons shun it. Saikrishna publishes poetry and short stories in traditional form only shuns  electronic book publishing. However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not avoid it and call it hard names.

SINISTER The outspoken spokesman was quick to speak out against any thing he considered to be sinister. The young actor had a sinister motive for marrying the elderly billionaire. The ruined bungalow had a ominous appearance.

SLIGHT There was a slight quake to his voice. A slight smile touched the corners of speaker’s mouth. He's got a headache and a little fever.

SOPORIFIC The principal’s boring speech was soporific and had everyone in the audience yawning. While sleeping pill is soporific and can help you sleep, it does not take away your problems.  I often have to take sedative before I go to bed.

SPURIOUS When Sita’s husband died under mysterious circumstances, spurious rumours begin to circulate about her extra marital affair. Mr Mistry had managed to create the entirely spurious impression that the company was thriving. Do not provide fake sickness certificates: these prolong the illness.

STRINGENT Many Indians are saving their money in Swiss bank because the tax laws are less stringent in that country. Already low living standards have been worsened by stringent economic reforms like GST and demonetisation. Driving licences are only granted under the strictest conditions.

STUPEFY The price of the designer clothes appeared to stupefy my tight-fisted husband. Harshad’s scandal stupefied the whole country. We sat there stun.

SUBTLE If one does not look too closely, one can easily miss the subtle flaws in the imperfect sculptor. In the puzzle, children are asked to identify the subtle differences between the similar pictures. The room was painted a ultra-fine shade of pink.

SULLEN If my friend does not get his peanut fry during alcohol consumption, he becomes a very sullen man. Police officer gave the thief a sullen glare. His daughters stared back at him with an expression of frowning resentment.

SUPERFLUOUS "Writing more than the required 300 words for this essay is superfluous," said our professor. The company is cutting out superfluous layers of managers. In the age of technology, sending letters by snail mail seems unneeded to me.

SUPINE During lower back massages, most clients recline face down instead of supine. As my husband and I lay supine on top of the hill, we realized we were in the perfect place to witness the holiday fireworks. After being sprayed with the poison, the cockroach flipped onto its back in a prone position and died.

TACIT By leaving my keys in my scooter, I am giving you tacit approval to borrow my vehicle anytime you like. He gave his tacit approval in videos to the social media. Her silence implies implied consent to these proposals.

TACITURN My mother is a taciturn woman, she replies to my questions in monosyllables. She is taciturn and unsociable, and rarely speaks to anyone. Normally patient, untalkative people can sometimes turn eccentric and short-tempered.

TARNISH The extra marital affair could tarnish the reputation of the president. Gold does not tarnish easily. The brass is nice, but it will discolour really easily.

TENUOUS Her hold on power was quite tenuous after the transfer of her manager. My identity in the office is becoming more and more tenuous. For both religions, the attachment of the soul to the body was quite negligible and temporary.

TERSE When my sister Jyothi is angry, she only gives terse responses. Email reduces face - to - face contact among colleagues and clients; terse messages further strain those relationships. He had a reputation for long silences and short comments.

THWART Harish knew now that nothing could thwart his plans of eloping with his girlfriend. Army must thwart Pakistan’s malevolent schemes. Someone built this wall with broken bottles set in the top to hinder the intrusion of outsiders.

TRANQUIL I always go to bed with a happy and tranquil mind. His private life is tranquil and happy. Since we were the only ones on the river bank, we enjoyed a peaceful day.

TRANSGRESSION The jury will decide the penalty for my transgression. No transgression is unforgivable, except pride. John went to confession to apologize for his offence.

TREPID She had too many trepid moments in her life. The film started out with an intrepid heroine, and it ended up with a trepid one. Nights are fearful moments for small children.

TRIFLING The disease of the stomach can not regard as trifling matter! Outside Hyderabad, these difficulties may seem fairly trifling. Don't let this unimportant matter affect our good relationship.

TURMOIL Our neighbouring country is in a state of political turmoil. He felt much calmer after the turmoil of recent days. The Bombay Stock Exchange is in unrest today.

UBIQUITOUS Sugar is ubiquitous in our Indian diet. Wine shops are ubiquitous in our city these days. Mr. Choudhary is one of the wealthiest, most universal media personalities in India.

UNDERMINE I had to cut down the beautiful coconut tree because the roots were beginning to undermine the compound wall. The secret organization of our country sent beautiful women to spy on senior members of the defense services and undermine their loyalty. The Prime minister's enemies are spreading rumours to weaken his authority.

UNRAVEL Clues from the crime scene may help CID unravel the mystery and solve the case. Only an intelligent person can unravel the causes. As the suspense film progresses, the threads of the plot slowly begin to unknot.

UNSCATHED She escaped unscathed from the train accident. Her parents died in the accident but she, amazingly, escaped unscathed. Despite the vase’s tumble from the shelf, it is undamaged.

UNSEEMLY It is considered unseemly in our state for women to smoke in public. Everyone in neighbourhood was shocked by her unseemly conduct. Eating salad with your fingers is considered inappropriate in most social environments.

URBANE Sairaj is urbane, witty, direct, and honest. The metro rail is part of Hyderabad's transformation to a more urbane metropolis. He was charming and sophisticated, full of witty conversation.

VENERATE The Bhagavad Gita says we should venerate our parents and our elders. People really love and venerate the Indians. Natives of this island worship the sun, moon, earth, and stars.

VERBOSE The verbose teacher took thirty minutes to give me a simple answer. The verbose speaker went well over her two-minute limit. Legal writing is often unclear and wordy.

VIABLE Electric power is now a viable alternative to oil-fired water heaters. New government scheme is economically not viable. Because the state is struggling financially, the cabinet members have devised a practicable recovery plan.

VIRULENT The worst feature was a virulent outbreak of cholera in Bengal, especially in the native states. The social media has waged a virulent hate campaign against the actor. The firemen had to wear masks that would protect them from the poisonous fumes.

WARY I'm a bit wary of driving in this fog. We must teach our children to be wary of molesters and strangers. Consumers should be cautious about these so-called special offers.