Real questions: TNPSC previous year questions (Group 2 2022, Group 2 2024 and Group 4 2025 as marked in the PYQ bank; Group 2/2A Prelims 2025 official answer ticks; 2025 official tentative key). Word list, meanings and practice questions: ArivArk Academy.
The basics
Synonym = a word with the same (or nearly the same) meaning: brave = courageous.
Antonym = a word with the opposite meaning: brave x cowardly. (In this PDF, = means synonym and x means antonym.)
First, read the question word. Is it asking for a synonym or an antonym? Many wrong answers come from missing this one word.
How much can a word list give you? Recent TNPSC papers asked 22 questions on synonyms and antonyms (all printed in this PDF). As the video said, 9 of them are answered by the word list alone. Part A of the table below also adds the other words those papers tested, so learning Part A covers 13 of the 22. The rest need the four methods. Study plan: learn 10 words a day from the table, the PYQ words first.
Four methods to crack any synonym or antonym question
| Method | What you do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prefix | Look at the start of the word: un-, dis-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, mis-, non- often make the antonym. | loyal x disloyal; regular x irregular |
| 2. Root word | Break the word into parts you already know. | bene = good, so benevolent = kind; viv = life, so vivacious = lively |
| 3. Context clue | Read the whole sentence; it often tells you the meaning. | a spoilt child of affluent parents: affluent = wealthy |
| 4. Elimination | For an antonym, strike out every option that means the SAME as the word. | unison: agreement, alliance, unity are all "together", so disunity |
Prefix rules: antonyms made with a prefix
| Prefix | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| un- | the most common "not" | lucky x unlucky, popular x unpopular, sympathetic x unsympathetic |
| dis- | "not", "the opposite of" | loyal x disloyal, obedience x disobedience, believe x disbelieve |
| in- | "not" | eligible x ineligible, consistent x inconsistent, definite x indefinite |
| im- | in- becomes im- before b, m, p | perfect x imperfect, moderate x immoderate, polite x impolite |
| il- | in- becomes il- before l | legible x illegible, liberal x illiberal, legal x illegal |
| ir- | in- becomes ir- before r | regular x irregular, reverent x irreverent |
| mis- | "wrongly", "badly" | understand x misunderstand, fortune x misfortune |
| non- | "not" (often with a hyphen) | violence x non-violence; but embark x disembark (never "nonembark") |
Trap: in- does not always mean "not".
infamous = well known for something BAD (not "not famous"). The antonym of famous is unknown, obscure.
invaluable = priceless, very valuable. inflammable = easily set on fire (the same as flammable).
Some in- / im- words are not negative at all: incarcerate = imprison, inundate = flood.
Root words
| Root | Meaning | Words |
|---|---|---|
| bene | well, good | benediction = a blessing; benevolent = kind, wishing good |
| mal, male | bad, badly | malediction = a curse; malady = an illness |
| dict | say | bene + dict = to say good things (blessing); male + dict = to say bad things (curse) |
| viv | life | vivacious = lively; vivid = bright, full of life |
Prefix questions from real papers
What is the negative case of consistent? What is the negative case of embark?
Answer: (B) inconsistent, disembark (official key). Unembark, inembark and nonembark are not words.
[TNPSC PYQ 2025] Which prefix makes the opposite of imitable? Answer: in-, inimitable (impossible to copy) (official key).
Word list: 75 exam-important words
Our own selection, most exam-relevant first. Every pair was checked in a standard dictionary. Meaning is a simple explanation in our words; = synonyms; x antonyms. PYQ = the word came in a real TNPSC paper.
A. Words that came in real TNPSC papers
| Word | Meaning | Synonyms (=) | Antonyms (x) |
|---|---|---|---|
| affluent PYQ | having a lot of money | wealthy, rich, prosperous | poor, destitute, needy |
| agile PYQ | able to move quickly and easily | nimble, quick | clumsy, awkward |
| brisk PYQ | quick and full of energy | quick, lively, active | slow, sluggish, dull |
| cautious PYQ | careful to avoid danger | careful, wary | rash, reckless |
| concentrate PYQ | to give all your attention to one thing | focus | distract |
| delight PYQ | great pleasure | joy, pleasure | sorrow, misery |
| desperate PYQ | having lost almost all hope | hopeless | hopeful, confident |
| dilate PYQ | to become wider | widen, expand | contract, narrow |
| garrulous PYQ | talking too much | talkative, loquacious | taciturn, silent, reserved |
| gaunt PYQ | very thin, as if ill or hungry | thin, bony, lean | fat, portly, plump |
| infinite PYQ | without any end or limit | endless, boundless | finite, measurable |
| initiate PYQ | to make something begin | begin, start, commence | conclude, end |
| innate PYQ | present from birth | inborn, natural | acquired, learnt |
| insolence PYQ | rude and disrespectful behaviour | rudeness, impudence | respect, politeness |
| mendacious PYQ | not telling the truth | untruthful, lying, false | truthful, honest |
| pitcher PYQ | a large jug for water | jug | (no common antonym) |
| plaintive PYQ | sounding sad | sad, mournful | happy, cheerful |
| praise PYQ | to say good things about someone | applaud, commend | criticise, censure, condemn |
| unison PYQ | together, as one (in unison) | agreement, harmony, unity | disunity, discord |
| unkempt PYQ | untidy, not looked after | untidy, messy | clean, neat, tidy |
| vivacious PYQ | lively and full of spirit | lively, spirited | lethargic, dull |
B. Character and behaviour
| Word | Meaning | Synonyms (=) | Antonyms (x) |
|---|---|---|---|
| brave | not afraid of danger | courageous, bold, daring | cowardly, timid |
| callous | not caring about others' pain | hard, unfeeling, indifferent | tender, caring, concerned |
| cordial | warm and friendly | friendly, warm, hearty | cold, unfriendly |
| crafty | clever in a dishonest way | cunning, sly | artless, simple, ingenuous |
| cruel | happy to cause pain | savage, ruthless, vicious | kind, gentle, benevolent |
| diligence | steady, careful hard work | industry, perseverance | idleness, laziness |
| frank | open and honest in speech | candid, open | secretive, reserved |
| generous | happy to give | liberal, magnanimous | stingy, miserly, mean |
| greedy | wanting more than you need | avaricious, grasping | generous, content |
| haughty | proud and looking down on others | arrogant, proud | humble, modest |
| indolent | not willing to work | lazy, slothful, lethargic | active, energetic, diligent |
| lenient | not strict in punishing | mild, tolerant | strict, stern |
| loyal | always supporting a person or cause | faithful, devoted | disloyal, treacherous |
| obedient | doing what you are told | docile, submissive | disobedient, rebellious |
| reluctant | not wanting to do something | unwilling, hesitant | willing, eager |
C. Feelings and mood
| Word | Meaning | Synonyms (=) | Antonyms (x) |
|---|---|---|---|
| abhor | to hate very strongly | hate, loathe, detest | love, like, admire |
| apprehensive | worried about what may happen | anxious, uneasy | composed, calm, confident |
| aversion | a strong dislike | dislike, hatred | liking, affinity |
| despondent | sad and without hope | dejected, hopeless | cheerful, hopeful |
| felicity | great happiness | happiness, bliss | sorrow, misery |
| jolly | happy and cheerful | merry, jovial | gloomy, sad |
| pathetic | making you feel pity | pitiful, touching | cheery, joyous |
| tranquil | calm and quiet | calm, peaceful, serene | agitated, noisy, disturbed |
| excited | full of strong, eager feeling | thrilled, stirred | calm, composed |
D. Money, luck and hard times
| Word | Meaning | Synonyms (=) | Antonyms (x) |
|---|---|---|---|
| adversity | a time of trouble | misfortune, hardship, distress | prosperity, good fortune |
| auspicious | showing good luck to come | favourable, lucky, propitious | ominous, inauspicious, unlucky |
| dearth | a lack of something | scarcity, shortage, lack | plenty, abundance |
| extravagant | spending too much | lavish, wasteful | thrifty, economical, frugal |
| lucrative | bringing a lot of money | profitable, paying | unprofitable |
| meagre | too small in amount | scanty, small | plentiful, abundant |
| opulence | great wealth and luxury | wealth, riches, luxury | penury, poverty |
| prosperous | rich and successful | wealthy, thriving | poor, unsuccessful |
| replenishment | filling something up again | refilling, restocking | depletion |
| surplus | more than is needed | excess | deficit, shortage |
E. Size, time and change
| Word | Meaning | Synonyms (=) | Antonyms (x) |
|---|---|---|---|
| abridge | to make a text shorter | shorten, curtail, condense | lengthen, expand |
| accelerate | to make faster | hasten, speed up | retard, slow down |
| accumulate | to collect over time | collect, gather, amass | distribute, scatter |
| antique | old and valuable | ancient, old | modern, new |
| dwindle | to become smaller little by little | decrease, shrink | grow, increase |
| gigantic | very big | huge, colossal, enormous | tiny, minute, small |
| incessant | never stopping | unceasing, continuous | intermittent, occasional |
| inevitable | certain to happen | unavoidable, certain | avoidable, preventable |
| obsolete | no longer in use | outdated, out of date | modern, current |
| transient | lasting only a short time | temporary, fleeting, brief | permanent, lasting |
F. Truth, secrecy and fame
| Word | Meaning | Synonyms (=) | Antonyms (x) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ambiguous | having more than one meaning | vague, unclear | clear, definite |
| authentic | real, not a copy | genuine, true | spurious, fake, false |
| conspicuous | easy to notice | noticeable, obvious | inconspicuous, hidden |
| covert | secret, hidden | hidden, secret | overt, open |
| credible | easy to believe | believable, plausible | incredible, unbelievable |
| famous | known to many people | well known, renowned | unknown, obscure (not infamous) |
| indigenous | belonging to a place from the start | native, local | foreign, alien |
| notorious | well known for something bad | infamous | reputable, respected |
| persuade | to make someone agree by talking | convince, urge, induce | dissuade |
| sacred | holy, connected with God | holy, consecrated | profane, unholy |
Corrections: mistakes often seen in printed word lists (this PDF prints the correct form)
famous x infamous is wrong: infamous means famous for something bad. Correct: famous x unknown, obscure.
Spellings: Death → Dearth (scarcity); Scared → Sacred (holy); lenient = Milk → Mild; pathetic x Cherry → Cheery; crafty x Ingenious → Ingenuous (innocent); Irrigation → Irritation; distruction → destruction; perusable → persuade (persuade x dissuade); Brisky → Briskly; frenzied x calf → calm; succeeding x proceeding → preceding.
Wrong pairs: antique x uncertainly → antique x modern; dilate x concentrated → dilate x contract; translucent = opaque → translucent lets some light through, so translucent x opaque; pristine = ancient → pristine = fresh, unspoiled; justly = push roughly → that word is jostle.
Merged row: coerce = compel, force (no antonym); compassionate = sympathetic, merciful x merciless, cruel are a separate word.
TNPSC PYQs: all 22 synonym and antonym questions
He was the spoilt child of Affluent parents.
Answer: (D) Wealthy. Context clue: a spoilt child usually has rich parents. Affluent = wealthy. Poor is the antonym, a trap.
Ramayya's heart was in a Flutter.
Answer: not given. No answer printed. "In a flutter" means in a state of nervous excitement; none of the four options means that, and the answer in circulation (Flab) does not fit the dictionary sense.
I will need to learn Quickly.
Answer: (A) Slowly. Quickly x slowly. Rapidly is a synonym, so it is struck out first.
She shouted intuitively.
Answer: not given. No answer printed. Intuitively = by instinct, without thinking; the answer in circulation (Artificial) is doubtful by the dictionary sense. (Option (A) is printed "Apparant" in the paper.)
Lessons repeated in Unison.
Answer: (D) Disunity. In unison = together, as one. Agreement, alliance and unity all mean coming together; only disunity is the opposite.
(a) Initiate (b) Delight (c) Unkempt (d) Infinite
1. Sorrow 2. Measurable 3. Conclude 4. Clean
Answer: (D) 3 1 4 2. initiate x conclude (3), delight x sorrow (1), unkempt x clean (4), infinite x measurable (2). All four pairs are in the word list.
Fill all the bowls, tubs, pails and pitchers with fresh water.
Answer: (B) jugs. A pitcher is a large jug for pouring water.
(a) Affluent (b) Dilate (c) Smacks (d) Summit
1. Widen 2. Spire 3. Wealthy 4. Drive
Answer: (C) 3 1 4 2. affluent = wealthy (3), dilate = widen (1), summit = spire (2, the highest point); smacks goes with drive (4), the one left.
Answer: (C) Distract. This is the question from the video. To concentrate is to keep your attention on one thing; to distract is to take it away.
(a) brisk (b) desperate (c) plaintive (d) praise
1. happy 2. criticize 3. hopeful 4. dull
Answer: (B) 4 3 1 2. brisk x dull (4), desperate x hopeful (3), plaintive (sad-sounding) x happy (1), praise x criticize (2).
(a) Mourn (b) Veil (c) Crown (d) Quest
1. Pinnacle 2. Search 3. Anguish 4. Conceal
Answer: (B) 3 4 1 2. mourn: anguish (3), veil = conceal (4), crown = pinnacle, the highest point (1), quest = search (2). (Official key.)
(a) Champing (b) Perplexing (c) Thronging (d) Hearkening
1. Confusing 2. Listening, heeding 3. Munching, chewing 4. Crowding
Answer: (A) 3 1 4 2. champing = munching (3), perplexing = confusing (1), thronging = crowding (4), hearkening = listening (2). (Official key. The paper prints "heading"; heeding is meant.)
"Chuck is mendacious about his vegetarianism."
Answer: (A) Untruthful. Mendacious = not telling the truth. (Official key.)
The driver known for his cautiousness was surprised by the road traffic. As his talent was innate, he had to drive slowly.
(a) Gloomy, active (b) Dim, retain (c) Recklessness, acquired (d) Subtle, intolerant
Answer: (B) (c). cautiousness x recklessness; innate (present from birth) x acquired (learnt later). Only pair (c) has both, and (c) is option (B). (Official key.)
(1) Gregarious: a person who walks unsteadily (2) Glutton: a person who eats too much (3) Groggy: a person who likes to be with others (4) Gourmet: a person who enjoys food
Answer: (B) (1) and (3). The meanings of (1) and (3) are swapped: gregarious = liking to be with others; groggy = weak and unsteady.
(a) dissonance (b) esoteric (c) lampoon (d) idiosyncrasy
1. abnormality 2. mockery 3. abstruse 4. discord
Answer: (B) 4 3 2 1. dissonance = discord (4), esoteric = abstruse, hard to understand (3), lampoon = mockery (2), idiosyncrasy = an odd habit (1).
(a) strife (b) endure (c) vain (d) accents
1. futile 2. disagreement 3. undergo 4. emphasise
Answer: (C) 2 3 1 4. strife = disagreement (2), endure = undergo (3), vain = futile (1), accents = emphasise (4).
Ram is a (1) robust person born to (2) affluent parents. His (3) odious behaviour and habits had an effect on his physical and mental (4) agility which made him to look (5) gaunt.
(a) Pleasant (b) Awkwardness (c) Portly (d) Weak (e) Poor
Answer: (C) (1)(d) (2)(e) (3)(a) (4)(b) (5)(c). robust x weak, affluent x poor, odious x pleasant, agility x awkwardness, gaunt x portly. Gaunt x portly alone picks (C).
Answer: Fixed. Yanked = pulled open suddenly and hard. (Official key.)
Answer: Lethargic. Viv = life: vivacious = lively; lethargic = slow, without energy. (Official key.)
Answer: Rudeness. Insolence = rude, disrespectful behaviour. (Official key.)
Answer: Talkative. Garrulous = talking too much. (Official key.)
Practice MCQs
Why? Short explanations
| No. | Why | No. | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (B) | To abhor is to hate strongly: hate, loathe, detest. | 11 (B) | A tranquil lake is calm and still. |
| 2 (C) | Abridge means to shorten a text; shorten and curtail are its synonyms. | 12 (C) | Transient means lasting a short time; permanent lasts for ever. |
| 3 (B) | Adversity is a time of trouble; prosperity is its antonym. | 13 (D) | Indolent means lazy; the other three are its synonyms. |
| 4 (C) | Auspicious shows good luck to come; ominous shows bad luck to come. | 14 (C) | Infamous means famous for something bad, so it is not the opposite. |
| 5 (B) | Covert means secret; overt, its antonym, means open. | 15 (A) | Replenishment is filling up again; depletion is using up. |
| 6 (A) | A cordial welcome is warm and friendly. | 16 (C) | Indigenous means native to a place. |
| 7 (C) | Diligence is steady hard work; idleness is doing no work. | 17 (C) | Reluctant means unwilling. |
| 8 (C) | Bene means good, so a benevolent person is kind. | 18 (C) | Before l, in- becomes il-: illegal. |
| 9 (A) | A lucrative job brings a lot of money. | 19 (B) | Eligible takes in-: ineligible. |
| 10 (D) | Opulence is great wealth; penury is extreme poverty. | 20 (C) | Before r, in- becomes ir-: irreverent. |
More practice: search SYNONYM on arivark.com for this PDF, and follow t.me/arivarkacademy for daily questions.
