Core 11+ Vocabulary Words (50+)
Mastering strong vocabulary is essential for success in the 11+ English exam.
The following collection of 50+ words has been carefully chosen for their frequency and importance.
For each entry, you will see:
- The essence of the word (what it really conveys)
- A simple definition
- An example sentence in context
- A quick practice question
Reviewing these words will build your confidence and improve both comprehension and writing skills.
abate
to die down
reduce in intensity or amount
Example: The storm began to abate by evening.
Which sentence uses abate correctly?
candid
frank, honest
truthful and straightforward
Example: She gave a candid answer to the question.
Candid is closest in meaning to…
diligent
hard‑working
showing care and effort in one’s work
Example: He is a diligent student who studies daily.
Which habit shows diligence?
frugal
careful with money
economical; avoiding waste
Example: They lived a frugal lifestyle, saving each month.
The opposite of frugal is…
lucid
clear, easy to follow
expressed clearly; easy to understand
Example: Her explanation was so lucid that everyone understood.
Lucid most nearly means…
amiable
friendly
having a pleasant and good‑natured personality
Example: He was an amiable host who welcomed all his guests warmly.
Amiable is best described as…
benevolent
kind‑hearted
well‑meaning and kindly
Example: The benevolent teacher always encouraged her pupils.
Benevolent is closest to…
impartial
fair, unbiased
treating all equally; not favouring one side
Example: The judge remained impartial during the trial.
Which is an impartial action?
meticulous
very careful
showing great attention to detail
Example: She kept meticulous notes of all her research.
Meticulous notes are…
succinct
brief
clearly and concisely expressed
Example: He gave a succinct summary of the report.
A succinct response is…
ephemeral
short‑lived
lasting for a very short time
Example: The rainbow was beautiful but ephemeral.
Which is ephemeral?
ubiquitous
found everywhere
present or found everywhere
Example: Smartphones are ubiquitous in modern society.
Ubiquitous most nearly means…
laconic
using few words
using very few words
Example: His laconic reply suggested he was annoyed.
A laconic answer is…
arduous
difficult
involving a lot of effort
Example: Climbing the mountain was an arduous task.
Arduous most nearly means…
astute
clever
having sharp judgement and insight
Example: She made an astute observation about the problem.
Astute is closest to…
boisterous
rowdy
noisy, energetic, and cheerful
Example: The children were boisterous after the party.
Boisterous behaviour is…
concur
agree
to be of the same opinion; agree
Example: I concur with your analysis of the issue.
To concur means to…
copious
plentiful
abundant in supply or quantity
Example: She took copious notes during the lecture.
Copious most nearly means…
credulous
gullible
too ready to believe things
Example: The credulous child believed the tall tale.
A credulous person is…
dauntless
fearless
showing determination and courage
Example: The dauntless knight faced the dragon.
Dauntless most nearly means…
obstinate
stubborn
stubborn; refusing to change your mind
Example: He was too obstinate to accept any help.
Obstinate most nearly means…
placid
calm
calm and not easily upset
Example: The placid lake hardly rippled in the breeze.
Placid most nearly means…
robust
strong
strong and unlikely to break or fail
Example: The bridge was built with a robust design.
Robust most nearly means…
reluctant
unwilling
not willing; slow to do something
Example: She was reluctant to speak in front of the class.
The opposite of reluctant is…
trivial
unimportant
not important or serious
Example: They argued over a trivial matter.
Trivial most nearly means…
wary
cautious
careful because you think something might be dangerous or a problem
Example: Be wary of emails from unknown senders.
Wary most nearly means…
meagre
small in amount
small in amount; not enough
Example: They survived on a meagre supply of food.
Meagre most nearly means…
lenient
not strict
not strict; allowing more freedom
Example: The teacher was lenient about late homework.
Lenient most nearly means…
prudent
wise and careful
acting with care and thought for the future
Example: It is prudent to save a little money each month.
Prudent most nearly means…
raucous
loud and harsh
loud and harsh-sounding
Example: The crowd grew raucous after the goal.
Raucous most nearly means…
solemn
serious
serious and dignified
Example: The ceremony was solemn and respectful.
Solemn most nearly means…
jovial
cheerful
cheerful and friendly
Example: Her jovial mood made everyone smile.
Jovial most nearly means…
tedious
boring
boring and too long
Example: Copying the notes by hand was tedious.
Tedious most nearly means…
nimble
quick and light
quick and light in movement or action
Example: The nimble cat leapt onto the fence.
Nimble most nearly means…
ample
enough and more
enough or more than enough
Example: There was ample time to finish the test.
Ample most nearly means…
bewildered
very confused
very confused and unsure
Example: He looked bewildered by the tricky question.
Bewildered most nearly means…
scarce
in short supply
not enough of something; hard to find
Example: Fresh water is scarce in the desert.
The opposite of scarce is…
vivid
bright and clear
bright, clear, and full of detail
Example: She has a vivid memory of her first day at school.
Vivid most nearly means…
deft
skillful
skilful and quick
Example: With a deft move, she caught the falling cup.
Deft most nearly means…
feeble
very weak
very weak
Example: After the illness, he felt feeble for days.
The opposite of feeble is…
hinder
make difficult
to make it difficult for something to happen
Example: Heavy traffic can hinder emergency services.
Hinder most nearly means…
rectify
make right
to correct something
Example: The company promised to rectify the mistake.
Rectify most nearly means…
appease
calm someone
to calm or satisfy someone by giving them what they want
Example: They tried to appease the angry customer with a refund.
Appease most nearly means…
bolster
support
to support or strengthen
Example: Extra facts will bolster your argument.
Bolster most nearly means…
evade
avoid
to avoid or escape from something
Example: He tried to evade the question.
Evade most nearly means…
entice
attract
to attract by offering something pleasant
Example: The smell of cake can entice customers into the shop.
Entice most nearly means…
flourish
grow well
to grow or develop well
Example: Plants flourish in the warm greenhouse.
Flourish most nearly means…
commence
begin
to begin
Example: The show will commence at seven o’clock.
Commence most nearly means…
cease
stop
to stop doing something
Example: The noise did not cease until midnight.
Cease most nearly means…
persuade
convince
to make someone agree to do or believe something
Example: I will persuade him to join the team.
Persuade most nearly means…
Teaser Practice (try these)
1) Choose the synonym for candid
A) secretive B) honest C) wild D) noisy
2) Which sentence uses abate correctly?
A) The wind will abate after midnight.
B) I will abate my homework.
3) frugal is closest in meaning to…
A) wasteful B) careful with money C) generous
4) Fill in the blank:
Her explanation was so ____ that everyone understood.
(amiable / lucid / erratic)
5) Opposite of impartial is…
A) biased B) careful C) cordial
FAQ
Quick answers to common questions.