Civil Service Review Vocabulary

Commonly Used Words in Examinations

1. abdicate – to give up a throne or right, power, or claim in a formal manner.
Sample Sentence: Edward VIII abdicated his throne to be with the woman he loved.
2. candor – the quality of being frank, sincere, and honest
Sample sentence: Everyone was surprised by the candor of his speech because he usually evades
questions.
3. connive – to conspire; to secretly help someone do something dishonest
Sample Sentence: Two thieves connived with a bank employee and robbed the bank before it
closed yesterday.
4. eloquent – showing the ability to use the language clearly and effectively
Sample Sentence: Ninoy Aquino’s eloquent and lively speeches was one of the reasons why he
always spoke at the end of every event.
5. forsake – to quit or abandon entirely
Sample Sentence: Disability should not be the reason why you should forsake your dreams.
6. inhibit – to restrain or prohibit; to keep someone from doing something
Sample: The presence of CCTV did not inhibit the driver from beating the red light.
7. modicum – small amount or portion
Sample Sentence: He did not even show a modicum of guilt after saying lots of bad things to
everyone.
8. nuance – small difference
Sample Sentence: The nuances in our beliefs shouldn’t be a hindrance to keep us united.
9. penchant – a strong liking or inclination
Sample Sentence: I have a penchant for classical music; Pavarotti was one of my favorite
classical singers.
10. zenith – the highest point or state
Sample Sentence: The zenith of the human mind is around at age 30. After that, it begins to
decline.
11. boisterous – noisy, rough, and energetic
Sample Sentence: The sound of her boisterous laughter was disturbing everyone.
12. camaraderie – a feeling of friendship to a group; good-fellowship
Sample Sentence: One of the most valuable things you learn in school aside from academic
lessons is camaraderie.
13. conundrum – a difficult problem having only a guess as an answer; a riddle or puzzle
Sample Sentence: The origin of the universe has always been a conundrum to humankind.
14. divergent – to follow to different directions; deviates from the standard
Sample Sentence: My business partners and I have divergent ideas on how to run our company.

15. foster – to help grow or develop

Sample Sentence: The UN has helped foster peace and equality among all the nations in the
world.
16. intuitive – having to know or understand by means of feelings (and not by facts)
Sample Sentence: Most people have the intuitive knowledge of right and wrong.
17. mundane – worldly, common, ordinary
Sample Sentence: His mundane desires make people think that he is a shallow person.
18. opulent – expensive and luxurious
Sample Sentence: Before he went bankrupt, he had an opulent lifestyle.
19. procrastinate – to delay to do something because it is boring; to delay doing something out
of laziness
Sample Sentence: Even if you procrastinate, you will still make a decision, so I suggest that you
make up your mind once and for all.
20. spontaneous – done or said without lots of thoughts and planning
Sample Sentence: My friend has a habit of spontaneous visiting even in late hours of the
evening.
21. arid – with very little rain or moisture, extremely dry
In the recent climate change, in some countries, the farmers could not grow anything on
the lands that had become arid. In some countries, though, it has been raining and flooding a lot.
22. conformist – a person who complies or follows tradition and usual practices (manners,
religion, dress, etc.).
Being a conformist is good most of the time. But sometimes you must learn how to take risks.
23. deleterious – harmful, can cause injury
The rapid increase of factories and cards made the air more deleterious than ever.
24. elucidate – clarify, explain, make clear
Maybe he will elucidate his actions later. Don’t judge him just yet.
25. ephemeral – short lived, lasting for a short time
Sometimes, the ephemeral fame and the lack of investment of movie stars make them poor later
in their life.
26. intrepid – brave, courageous, fearless
Christopher Columbus’ intrepid explorations made him discover America.
27. jeopardy – exposure to harm; danger of injury, loss, death
Nobody ever wins in wars. They just put everyone in jeopardy: even children.
28. prudent – careful, exercising good judgement, cautious
Even though his boss yelled at him, he gave a prudent reply.
29. subtle – not obvious, mysterious, something that requires discernment
My absence during the meeting was a subtle protest to the management’s new implemented
rules.
30. tactful – kind, considerate to others, someone who thinks of other people’s feelings
He is a very tactful young man. It’s hard to find such nowadays.
31. affable – friendly, easy to talk to
Sample Sentence: He is a very good person, always welcoming, always affable.
32. docile – easily taught, obedient, ready to learn
Sample Sentences
I am glad I have found a docile dog.
His students are docile and hardworking.
33. enthrall – to captivate or charm, to hold the attention of someone by being exciting or
interesting
Sample Sentence: I was entirely enthralled by listening to her song that I lost track of time.
34. fraud – a deception or trickery
Sample Sentence: A lot of people fall into different online fraud and lose a lot of money.
35. lucrative – money making, profitable
Sample Sentence: Online selling has become a lucrative business since the invention of social
media websites such as Facebook.
36. reclusive – a person who lives alone and withdrawn from society
Sample Sentence: Some persons become as reclusive as monks. They just do not want others to
get in their lives.
37. refurbish – to make neat or clean, to renovate, to restore
Sample Sentence: I bought this sofa from a second hand furniture shop and refurbished it. It
looks like its new!
38. shatter – to break something into pieces
The glass window shattered after a strong earthquake.
Even a fatal illness such as cancer did not shatter his dreams to win the Nobel Prize.
39. sycophant – a person who uses flattery to win favor
Sample Sentence: In our country, some people look at politicians as saviors, others look at them
as sycophants.
40. vindicate – to clear from accusation, blame, or suspicion and the like
Sample Sentence: Through the DNA technology, several prisoners were vindicated for the
supposed crimes that they did not commit.
41. brusque – unfriendly, rude, rough
Sample Sentence: Even some educated people cannot hide their brusque manner sometimes.
42. deprive – to take something away, to withhold something from the enjoyment or possession
Sample Sentence: Many parents deprive their kids of junk foods until the age of 10.
43. exploit – a notable deed or heroic act (noun), to utilize especially for profit (verb), to use
selfishly for one’s own gain (verb).
Sample Sentences
The exploits of Achilles is known to many people, not just the Greeks.
Many companies exploit their employees because they know that it is hard to find a job
nowadays.
44. endeavor – to attempt with effort, to strive to achieve or reach
Sample Sentence: He endeavored to learn Kanji characters for 3 years in order to read Japanese
manga.
45. grumble – to complain about something, to utter complain in a low voice
Sample Sentence: She always grumbles when you tell her to do something.
46. insatiable – incapable of being satisfied
Sample Sentence: His insatiable appetite for power and money made him sacrifice all of his
loved ones.
47. meddle – to involve in a matter without right or invitation, to change or handle something in
a way that is unwanted or harmful
Sample Sentence: If people just don’t meddle with other people’s business, this world will be a
better place to live in.
48. obese – very fat, overweight
Sample Sentence: Most of the things that can be bought in fast food chains today can make
you obese.
49. presumptuous – to be confident in a way that is rude
Sample Sentence: I would not be so presumptuous, 18 hours after being named, to speak
knowledgeably about inside.
50. tantalize – to tempt, to cause someone to feel interest or excitement
Sample Sentence: The President tantalized him to a position in the board and now he has
abandoned his principles.
51. diligent – hardworking; constant in effort to accomplish something
Sample Sentence: That student is very diligent. He always submits his homework on time and
does extra work.
52. emulate – to try to equal or excel; to surpass
Sample Sentence: Many tenor singers nowadays are trying to emulate Pavarotti, but I think we
only have one Pavarotti in this generation.
53. haughty – proud, snobbish, arrogant
Sample Sentence: His haughty attitude makes everyone hate him.
54. incompatible – not to be able to exist together without conflict; not able to be used together
Sample Sentences: Many stories tells how incompatible a prince and a pauper, but who cares
about status anyway.
This plug is incompatible with the socket. Kindly buy another one.
55. novice – a person who has just started doing something
Sample Sentence: For novice boxers, head gears are needed.
56. orator – an eloquent public speaker; a person who can make speeches and is very good in
making them
Sample Sentence: Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest orators of his time.
57. prosperity – the condition of being successful especially financially
Sample Sentence: “I wish you good luck, happiness, and prosperity in your newfound life.”
58. resilient – recovering readily from illness, depression, etc.
Sample Sentence: He was resilient enough to cope up with the tragedy that happened to his
family.
59. submissive – obedient
Sample Sentence: During the feudal times in Japan, the women were expected to be totally
submissive to their husband.
60. substantiate – to establish proof or complete evidence
Sample Sentence: There were many allegations of corruption against him, but no one was able
to substantiate their claims.
61. bias – the action of supporting/opposing a particular person or thing in an unfair way.
Sample Sentence: Good judges must be objective about their decisions and must uphold the law
without bias.
62. contradiction – a disagreement between two things which means that both cannot be true;
inconsistency
Sample Sentence: How can anybody believe him? His statements are full of contradictions.
63. debris – the remains of something broken or destroyed; rubble, ruins
Sample Sentence: After the earthquake, two cars were hit by falling debris from a 21-story
building.
64. elicit – to draw or bring out, to get or produce something (especially information)
Sample Sentence: If you ask questions, you will surely elicit answers.
65. mediocre – ordinary, of moderate quality
Sample Sentence: In our country, there are many blockbuster movies whose quality is less
than mediocre.
66. mendicant – someone who asks people whom they do not know for money
Sample Sentence: I am a spiritual person, but I do not really favor mendicants on the streets
preaching with their donation pouches displayed beside them.
67. nuisance – someone or something that is annoying
Sample Sentence: In my country, when you do not have money and you run for elections, they
call you a nuisance candidate.
68. provocative – serving to provoke, incite, or excite
Sample Sentences: In hostage situations, the hostages are advised to refrain from
making provocative actions that will anger the hostage takers.
Some believe that one of the causes of rape are the women’s provocative outfits.
69. redundant – unnecessary repetition
Sample Sentence: “Kindly edit this article. Many of the sentences are redundant.”
70. sporadic – happening sometimes, not regularly
Sample Sentence: Ten kids died this month because of the sporadic cases of a new strain of
influenza.
71. affliction – state of pain, distress, or grief
Sample Sentence: We must not abandon our brothers and sisters in the time of their affliction.
72. cajole – to persuade someone to do something or to give you something by making promises
or saying nice things
Sample Sentence: Anna, the favorite daughter in the family, cajoled her father to buy her a new
computer.
73. drought – a long period of dry weather
Sample Sentence: Many crops were damaged because of the 5-month drought.
74. dumbfounded – so shocked that you cannot speech
Sample Sentence: Maria was dumbfounded when her boyfriend proposed to her in front of so
many people.
75. extol – to praise highly
Sample Sentence: His first movie was extolled by critics for its profound originality and musical
scoring.
76. illicit – not legally authorized; not allowed
Sample: A teacher and student relationship in the same school is an illicit affair.
77. harangue – a scolding or a long verbal attack; a long and passionate speech
Sample Sentence: He delivered his speech in a harangue: full of passion, vehemence, and
discourse.
78. reverberate – to continue in a series of repeated sounds
Sample Sentence: The sound of his voice reverberates across the room.
79. succumb – to give away to a superior force; to yield to disease, or wounds (die)
Sample Sentence: After 3 years of suffering, she finally succumbed to cancer.
80. vehement – strongly emotional, passionate, zealous
Sample Sentence: Despite the vehement protest of the employees, the company did not give in to
increasing their salary or other benefits.
81. belligerent – angry and aggressive; feeling or showing readiness to fight
Sample Sentence: I don’t like the belligerent tone of his speech.
82. convergent – tending to come together; tending to move toward one point
Sample Sentence: Most of the speakers have convergent views toward the use of contraceptives.
83. delusion – belief in something that is not true
Sample Sentence: I think you are living in a delusion that you are better than everyone else.
84. gullible – too willing to believe everything that other people say; easy to deceive or trick
Sample Sentence: I think the voters now are wiser. Unlike before, many people are
so gullible that they believe almost every promise of any politician.
85. juxtapose – to put things that are not similar next to each other
Sample Sentence: The exhibit juxtaposed M.C. Escher’s earlier artworks and his later
masterpieces.
86. maxim – a short statement about a general truth; a saying
Sample Sentence: It is a common maxim that “a book should not be judged by its cover.”
87. nullify – to cause something to have no value or effect; to declare to be legally void
Sample Sentence: The court did nullify their marriage because it was discovered that his husband
was married to another woman.
88. odyssey – a long journey which is usually marked by notable experiences, adventures, and
hardships
Sample Sentence: Billy Beane has indeed an exciting odyssey before he became a well-known
baseball manager.
89. pacify – to bring or restore to a state of peace; to cause someone who is angry to be calm or
quite
Sample Sentence: A charming airline attendant came out to pacify the crowd of people who were
complaining about the delayed flight.
90. recant – to announce in public that the past beliefs or statements were wrong and that you do
not agree with them anymore
Sample Sentence: After too much pressure from his family, he recanted his former statements
favoring the law on abortion.
91. appease – to ease, to calm, to satisfy
To appease the angry passengers due to a 5-hour flight delay, the airline gave them free meals.
92. coerce – to force someone to do something by threat, intimidation, or authority
He was just coerced to sign the document, so the court did not honor the document as evidence.
93. confidante – somebody entrusted with secrets
Jean is my only confidante. She is the only one who understands my problems.
94. demure – shy, modest, reserved
She was not chosen by the panel because she was so demure during the interview. She didn’t
look confident.
95. erudite – characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly
After one audience asked an interesting question, the speaker gave a 10-minute erudite lecture
about it.
96. fabricate – to make or build; to fake or forge
The parts of many products are fabricated in first world countries but they are usually assembled
in developing countries.
They try to fabricate a story in order to sell their magazine.
97. jubilant – showing great happiness, joy, or triumph
The jubilant coach ran around and shout loudly after his team won the championship game.
98. nadir – lowest point, point of greatest adversity or despair
The nadir of his career was the time when he was caught having an affair with his cousin.
99. parody – a piece of writing, music, etc. that imitates someone else in a funny or an amusing
way
The students made a parody of how their teacher teach in a play.
100. vex – to annoy or irritate
My boyfriend keep on vexing me about getting married. I’m too young for that!
101. Abate – verb.
lessen, decrease, reduce, subside
Example: Mario waited for the storm to abate before leaving the town.
102. Bilk – verb
to defraud, cheat, to illegally obtain money by deception
Example: A case was filed against the previous treasurer for bilking the company.
103. Chagrin – noun
distressed or humiliated, disappointment
Example: Justin felt nothing but chagrin after being rejected by his crush.
104. Dank – adjective
clammy, musty, unpleasantly moist or humid
Example: Being stuck on the middle of a dank rain forest was the worst experience for me.
105. Emulate – verb
copy, imitate
Example: One of the judges at the pageant says that they’re going to choose the one who’s
worth emulating.
106. Filch – verb
steal (esp. something of small value)
Example: Mrs. Miller’s kids were scolded for filching their neighbors’ guavas.
107. Garrulous – adjective
excessively talkative, chatty, loquacious, wordy
Example: Aunt Nanette is the most garrulous lady I’ve ever known. She can speak for hours
without getting tired.
108. Humdrum – adjective
monotonous, dull, boring
Example: Nestor quit his job because of his humdrum work routine.
109. Incessant – adjective
uninterrupted, continuing without pause
Example: The incessant flow of blood was from her would was the reason of her death.
110. Jaunt – noun
short journey, trip
Example: Last week, we had a quick jaunt to Baguio.
111. Knave – noun
Untrustworthy person, rogue, scoundrel, unscrupulous man
Example: The knave is usually suspicious of everyone around him.
112. Laggard – adjective
Slow, sluggish, dilatory
Example: Jimmy, a laggard, always makes his friends late too.
113. Marred – adjective
Damaged, disfigured, scarred
Example: It took me all day to scrub the walls marred by graffiti.
114. Nadir – noun
Lowest point
Example: The nadir of humanity is when the time comes that it does not care anymore about life.
115. Ornate- adjective
Excessively or elaborately decorated, flowery
Example: The ornate ice carving won the first prize in the last Ice Festival in Sapporo.
116. Pariah – noun
Outcast, castaway
Example: Persons with leprosy were treated as social pariahs.
117. Quell – verb
Put down, extinguish, put an end, suppress
Example: The government is now planning on to quell the rebellion.
118. Rapacious – adjective
Excessively greedy
Example: The rapacious loan shark stripped the tenants with all their possessions.
119. Sham – verb
Pretend, fake
Example: Lucia shammed her sickness to avoid going to the dentist.
120. Tether – verb
Tie with a rope, attach
Example: Before leaving the farm, we make sure to tether the cows and goats to prevent them
from wandering.

Reference: http://civilservicereview.com/english/