| Artless: Simple and natural; without cunning or deceit |
| He beguiled everyone with his artless air and his charming smile. |
| Bogus: Fraudulent |
| She was fooled by his bogus identity card. |
| Delve: Turn up, loosen, or remove earth |
| He delved into his rucksack and pulled out a folder. |
| Denote: Be a sign or indication of |
| His frown denoted his increasing impatience. |
| Negligible: So small as to be meaningless; insignificant |
| Managers are convinced that the strike will have a negligible effect. |
| Nutritive: Of or providing nourishment |
| Pomegranate has a lot of nutritive value. |
| Propriety: Correct or appropriate behaviour |
| They questioned the propriety of the corporation’s use of public money. |
| Sanction: Give authority or permission to |
| The President could not enact laws without the sanction of the parliament. |
| Stunted: Inferior in size or quality |
| There were miles and miles of stunted thorn trees on the way. |
| Advent: Arrival that has been awaited |
| The advent of war led to austerity. |
| Allude: Make a more or less disguised reference to |
| He did not allude to the remarks made by the previous speaker. |
| Blasé: Very sophisticated especially because of surfeit |
| The blasé travellers referred to the mountains as hills. |
| Diversity: The condition or result of being changeable |
| The cultural diversity of India is magnificent. |
| Frenetic: Excessively agitated |
| The pace of life in metros is very frenetic. |
| Gratuity: A relatively small amount of money given for services rendered |
| The porter expects a gratuity for the hard work he has put in. |
| Maim: Injure or wound seriously and leave permanent disfiguration or mutilation |
| The hunter was maimed for life. |
| Manifest: Provide evidence for; stand as proof of |
| The buildings in Rome manifest a high level of architectural sophistication. |
| Quandary: A situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one |
| They were in a quandary where to go because of the landslide. |
| Roster: A list of names |
| He put himself on the roster for domestic chores. |
| Substantiate: Establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts |
| There is no actual evidence to substantiate their claims. |
| Ameliorate: To make better |
| Nothing can be done to ameliorate the situation. |
| Artifice: A deceptive maneuver |
| His photographs are full of artifice. |
| Atrophy: Any weakening or degeneration |
| If you let your mind stagnate, your talent will atrophy. |
| Begrudge: Be envious of; set one's heart on |
| They begrudged every penny spent on him, as he was adopted. |
| Callous: Emotionally hardened |
| They were callously indifferent to the suffering of others. |
| Capricious: Changeable |
| A capricious summer breeze was blowing. |
| Comely: Very pleasing to the eye |
| She was a comely girl with a mass of dark brown hair. |
| Ennui: The feeling of being bored by something tedious |
| He suffered from ennui whenever he was alone. |
| Expedient: Serving to promote your interest |
| It is not expedient to pay him what he has asked. |
| Expurgate: Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate |
| The work was heavily expurgated for the second edition. |
| Impious: Lacking due respect or dutifulness |
| He was impious towards his parents. |
| Insidious: Beguiling but harmful |
| He insidiously worked his way up in the organisation. |
| Potpourri: A collection containing a variety of sorts of things |
| He had a potpourri of short stories and humorous verses. |
| Proffer: Present for acceptance or rejection |
| He proffered the children a box of chocolates. |
| Qualm: Uneasiness about the fitness of an action |
| He had a sudden qualm that all might not be well. |
| Raucous: Unpleasantly loud and harsh |
| The raucous cries of the sea-birds were harsh on the ears. |
| Replenish: Fill something that had previously been emptied |
| She replenished his glass of wine. |
| Requisite: Anything indispensable |
| She filled in the requisite paperwork. |
| Shibboleth: A favourite saying of a sect or political group, a commonplace idea or saying. |
| In English, the Hebrew word ‘shibboleth’ now sometimes refers to clichés or tired slogans. |
| Spate: A sudden forceful flow |
| There was a sudden spate in the river water due to the heavy rain. |
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