Synonyms and Antonyms for SSC CGL 2026: How to Prepare
SSC CGL Tier 1 English usually has one or two synonym and one or two antonym questions per shift, and CHSL and MTS follow a similar pattern. The words are mostly formal, exam-style vocabulary such as perfidious, nebulous, erudite, garrulous and querulous. The fastest way to prepare is to learn each word with its meaning, one synonym and one antonym together, and to use root words and elimination for unknown words.
Key takeaway: Learn word families, not single words. For a synonym question, first decide whether the word is positive or negative; for an antonym, look for the option with the opposite tone. Options that mean the same as each other are usually both wrong. Revise the 120-word table below in four sets of 30.
The meanings follow standard English dictionaries, and words were chosen because they are typical of SSC-level vocabulary questions. Pair this note with one word substitution for SSC CGL and idioms asked in SSC CGL, because the same word families repeat across those question types.
How Synonym and Antonym Questions Are Asked in SSC
| Format | Example | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Select the most appropriate synonym | NEBULOUS: vague / precise / obvious / clear | Precise, obvious and clear mean nearly the same, so the odd one (vague) is the answer |
| Select the most appropriate antonym | ERUDITE: scholarly / uninformed / learned / intellectual | Three options are synonyms of the word; the remaining one is the antonym |
| Word in a sentence (underlined) | "His verbose reply bored the panel." | Use the sentence to judge tone before choosing |
Elimination Trick for Synonyms and Antonyms
- Decide the tone of the given word: positive (praise), negative (blame) or neutral.
- In an antonym question, cross out options with the same tone as the given word.
- If three options are near-synonyms of each other, the fourth is the answer in an antonym question, and they are all wrong in a synonym question unless one of them is the word's meaning.
- Break the word into a root and prefix (below) when you do not know it.
- Watch for look-alike words (eminent vs imminent, venal vs venial, credible vs credulous).
Root Words That Unlock Synonyms and Antonyms
| Root / prefix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| bene- | good | benevolent, benign, benefactor |
| mal- / male- | bad | malevolent, malicious, malign |
| magn- | great | magnanimous, magnify |
| loqu- | speak | loquacious, eloquent, soliloquy |
| luc- | light | lucid, elucidate, pellucid |
| cred- | believe | credulous, credible, incredulous |
| ver- | true | veracity, verify, verdict |
| amb- | both | ambiguous, ambivalent |
| a- / an- | without | apathy, amoral, anarchy |
| ab- | away from | abstain, abnegate, abrogate |
120 Important Synonyms and Antonyms for SSC CGL (Set 1: A to C)
| Word | Meaning | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abate | to lessen | subside | intensify |
| Abhor | to hate deeply | detest | adore |
| Abnegate | to give up, renounce | renounce | claim |
| Abrogate | to repeal a law | annul | enact |
| Abstain | to hold back from | refrain | indulge |
| Acrimony | bitterness | rancour | goodwill |
| Adamant | refusing to change | unyielding | flexible |
| Admonish | to warn or scold | reprimand | praise |
| Adroit | skilful | deft | clumsy |
| Affluent | wealthy | prosperous | poor |
| Alacrity | eager readiness | eagerness | reluctance |
| Alleviate | to ease pain | relieve | aggravate |
| Altruistic | unselfish | selfless | selfish |
| Ambiguous | having two meanings | equivocal | clear |
| Ameliorate | to make better | improve | worsen |
| Amiable | friendly | genial | hostile |
| Animosity | strong dislike | enmity | friendship |
| Apathy | lack of interest | indifference | enthusiasm |
| Arduous | very difficult | laborious | easy |
| Audacious | bold, daring | fearless | timid |
| Austere | severe, plain | stern | luxurious |
| Benevolent | kind, generous | charitable | malevolent |
| Benign | gentle, harmless | kindly | malignant |
| Blatant | very obvious (in a bad way) | flagrant | subtle |
| Brevity | shortness | conciseness | verbosity |
| Callous | unfeeling | heartless | compassionate |
| Candid | frank, honest | outspoken | evasive |
| Capricious | changing mood suddenly | fickle | steady |
| Castigate | to criticise severely | rebuke | commend |
| Cogent | convincing | compelling | weak |
Set 2: C to I
| Word | Meaning | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commend | to praise | applaud | criticise |
| Complacent | self-satisfied, careless | smug | concerned |
| Concur | to agree | assent | differ |
| Conspicuous | easily seen | noticeable | inconspicuous |
| Copious | plentiful | abundant | scarce |
| Cordial | warm, friendly | affable | unfriendly |
| Credulous | believing too easily | gullible | sceptical |
| Cryptic | mysterious | obscure | plain |
| Dearth | shortage | scarcity | abundance |
| Debilitate | to weaken | enfeeble | strengthen |
| Deference | respect | regard | disrespect |
| Deleterious | harmful | damaging | beneficial |
| Diligent | hard-working | industrious | lazy |
| Discreet | careful in speech | prudent | indiscreet |
| Dismal | gloomy | dreary | cheerful |
| Docile | easily controlled | submissive | unruly |
| Eminent | famous, respected | distinguished | unknown |
| Encomium | high praise | eulogy | criticism |
| Ephemeral | short-lived | transient | permanent |
| Eradicate | to remove completely | eliminate | establish |
| Erudite | learned | scholarly | ignorant |
| Exonerate | to free from blame | acquit | convict |
| Extol | to praise highly | exalt | belittle |
| Fallacy | false belief | misconception | truth |
| Fervent | passionate | ardent | indifferent |
| Frugal | thrifty | economical | extravagant |
| Futile | useless | vain | effective |
| Garrulous | very talkative | loquacious | taciturn |
| Gregarious | sociable | outgoing | unsociable |
| Hamper | to hinder | obstruct | help |
Set 3: H to P
| Word | Meaning | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haughty | arrogant | proud | humble |
| Hostile | unfriendly | antagonistic | friendly |
| Impeccable | faultless | flawless | defective |
| Impede | to block progress | obstruct | facilitate |
| Incessant | non-stop | ceaseless | intermittent |
| Indolent | lazy | idle | industrious |
| Inept | lacking skill | incompetent | skilful |
| Jovial | cheerful | jolly | morose |
| Laconic | using few words | terse | verbose |
| Lethargic | sluggish | listless | energetic |
| Lucid | clear | intelligible | confusing |
| Magnanimous | generous in forgiving | big-hearted | petty |
| Malevolent | wishing harm | malicious | benevolent |
| Meticulous | very careful | thorough | careless |
| Mitigate | to make less severe | lessen | aggravate |
| Morose | sullen, gloomy | sulky | cheerful |
| Munificent | very generous | lavish | stingy |
| Nebulous | vague | hazy | clear |
| Negligent | careless | remiss | careful |
| Obscure | not well known; unclear | unknown | well-known |
| Obstinate | stubborn | headstrong | docile |
| Opulent | rich, luxurious | lavish | poor |
| Ostracise | to exclude from a group | banish | welcome |
| Pacify | to calm | appease | provoke |
| Paucity | scarcity | lack | plenty |
| Pellucid | very clear | transparent | murky |
| Perfidious | disloyal | treacherous | loyal |
| Pragmatic | practical | realistic | idealistic |
| Prudent | wise, careful | judicious | rash |
| Puissant | powerful | mighty | feeble |
Set 4: Q to Z
| Word | Meaning | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Querulous | complaining | peevish | contented |
| Reticent | not revealing thoughts readily | reserved | talkative |
| Sagacious | wise | shrewd | foolish |
| Scanty | too little | meagre | ample |
| Servile | too eager to obey | obsequious | assertive |
| Sporadic | occasional | irregular | frequent |
| Squander | to waste | dissipate | save |
| Taciturn | silent by nature | uncommunicative | garrulous |
| Tenacious | holding firmly | persistent | irresolute |
| Timid | shy, fearful | timorous | bold |
| Tranquil | calm | serene | turbulent |
| Trivial | unimportant | trifling | significant |
| Ubiquitous | found everywhere | omnipresent | rare |
| Vacillate | to waver | dither | decide |
| Venerate | to respect deeply | revere | despise |
| Veracity | truthfulness | honesty | falsehood |
| Verbose | using too many words | wordy | concise |
| Vigilant | watchful | alert | careless |
| Vindictive | wanting revenge | vengeful | forgiving |
| Vivid | bright, clear | graphic | dull |
| Wane | to decrease | decline | wax |
| Wary | cautious | careful | rash |
| Zeal | great enthusiasm | fervour | apathy |
| Zenith | highest point | peak | nadir |
| Abundant | plentiful | ample | scarce |
| Accord | agreement | harmony | discord |
| Ambivalent | having mixed feelings | uncertain | decisive |
| Assiduous | hard-working, careful | sedulous | negligent |
| Belligerent | aggressive, warlike | combative | peaceful |
| Enmity | hostility | animosity | amity |
Commonly Confused Words in Synonym Questions
| Pair | Difference |
|---|---|
| Eminent / imminent | eminent = famous; imminent = about to happen |
| Credible / credulous | credible = believable; credulous = too ready to believe |
| Venal / venial | venal = open to bribery; venial = minor, forgivable (sin) |
| Ingenious / ingenuous | ingenious = clever; ingenuous = innocent, naive |
| Prosecute / persecute | prosecute = take legal action; persecute = treat cruelly |
| Elicit / illicit | elicit = draw out; illicit = illegal |
Synonyms and Antonyms Practice Questions for SSC CGL
- Synonym of PERFIDIOUS: (a) honest (b) faithful (c) treacherous (d) loyal. Answer: (c) treacherous.
- Antonym of PERFIDIOUS: (a) betraying (b) faithless (c) loyal (d) treacherous. Answer: (c) loyal.
- Synonym of ABNEGATE: (a) demand (b) accept (c) renounce (d) support. Answer: (c) renounce.
- Antonym of PUISSANT: (a) feeble (b) robust (c) powerful (d) strong. Answer: (a) feeble.
- Synonym of NEBULOUS: (a) vague (b) precise (c) obvious (d) clear. Answer: (a) vague.
- Antonym of ERUDITE: (a) scholarly (b) uninformed (c) learned (d) intellectual. Answer: (b) uninformed.
- Antonym of ENCOMIUM: (a) panegyric (b) praise (c) castigation (d) tribute. Answer: (c) castigation.
- Synonym of ABROGATE: (a) institute (b) enact (c) repeal (d) approve. Answer: (c) repeal.
- Antonym of GARRULOUS: (a) talkative (b) loquacious (c) quiet (d) chatty. Answer: (c) quiet.
- Synonym of PELLUCID: (a) vague (b) clear (c) obscure (d) ambiguous. Answer: (b) clear.
- Synonym of QUERULOUS: (a) contented (b) complaining (c) cheerful (d) pleasant. Answer: (b) complaining.
- Antonym of VERACITY: (a) falsehood (b) truth (c) accuracy (d) authenticity. Answer: (a) falsehood.
Practise more in the SSC CGL English Comprehension Sectional Mock Test 03 and SSC CHSL English Language Sectional Mock Test 03.
Synonyms and Antonyms FAQs
How many synonym and antonym questions come in SSC CGL?
Usually two to four in total (one or two synonyms and one or two antonyms) in each Tier 1 shift; the number varies by shift.
How can I learn synonyms and antonyms quickly?
Learn each word with its meaning, one synonym and one antonym together, group words by roots (bene-, mal-, loqu-, luc-), and revise in small daily sets.
What is the best trick for antonym questions?
Find the tone of the given word and remove options with the same tone. If three options mean nearly the same thing, the remaining one is usually the antonym.
Are SSC synonym words repeated?
Many words of the same difficulty level repeat across years and across SSC exams, so a focused list like the one above covers a large share of questions.
Which book is good for SSC vocabulary?
Use a standard dictionary for meanings and a word list built around SSC-style words, then test yourself with sectional mocks rather than only reading lists.
Practice Next
- New SSC CGL practice: SSC CGL Synonyms and Antonyms Mock Test 02.
- Mock tests: SSC CGL English Comprehension Sectional Mock Test 04 and SSC CHSL English Language Sectional Mock Test 04.
- New SSC topic tests: SSC CGL Synonyms and Antonyms Mock Test 01 and SSC CHSL Synonyms and Antonyms Mock Test 01.
- Related notes: spelling errors for SSC CGL, one word substitution for SSC CGL, phrasal verbs for SSC CGL, idioms asked in SSC CGL and homophones for SSC CGL, plus reading comprehension tricks for bank exams, analogy questions for SSC CGL.
- Exam details: SSC CGL 2026 and SSC CHSL 2026.
- Browse all study notes.