One word expression lists

One Word Substitution

One Word Substitution can often express the idea of a phrase or a clause and can help in writing or communicating precisely.

List of some common one-word substitutions are given below. These words are very important for MBA, SSC, Bank PO, and other Competitive and Academic Exams.

Abdicate	Renounce a throne, high office or dignity
Abolish	Do away with
Accelerate	To move faster
Accomplice	One associated with another especially in wrong-doing
Acoustics	Science of the production, transmission, reception and effect of sound
Acrobat	One who performs gymnastic feats
Adolescence	The period of life from puberty to maturity
Actuary	One who calculates insurance and annuity premium etc
Adulterate	Make impure by the addition of inferior substance
Aggression	Unprovoked attack of one country by another
Amnesty	General pardon
Abattoir	A building where animals are killed for meal (or slaughterhouse)
Ad hoc	Made for a particular purpose
Aeronautics	The science of the operation and flight of aircraft
Aesthete	A person with a highly developed sense of beauty
Agnostic	One who believes that nothing can be known about God
Agoraphobia	Fear of open spaces
Alibi	It is Latin for elsewhere. It is actually a plea of having been elsewhere at the time of commission of an act. But it is now used in the sense of an excuse. Example: He offered no alibi for his absence from duty.
Alimony	Compensatory allowance given to wife after divorce
Allergic	Allergy means, a heightened sensitivity to a substance as food, medicine etc. Allergic means having an aversion to. He is allergic to hard work.
Altruist	One who is habitually kind to others
Alumnus	A former student of a school or college
Ambivalent	The word means simultaneous attraction towards and repulsion from an object, person or action. The attitude of educated Indians to love-marriages is ambivalent
Anachronism	That which appears to be in the wrong period
Anarchy	Lawlessness and disorder caused by absence of control
Anecdote	A short interesting or amusing story
Anthology	A collection of poems or writings
Aphorism	(or maxim) A wise saying in a few words
Aphrodisiac	A medicine causing sexual excitement
Apiary	A place where bees are kept
Apprentice	A person who works under someone to learn that person’s skill
Arboreal	Those who live in trees
Armistice	(or cease-fire or truce) An agreement to stop fighting
Ascetic	One who avoids physical pleasures and comforts
Astrology	The art of understanding the influence of heavenly bodies
Astronomy	Scientific study of heavenly bodies
Aviary	A place for keeping birds
Backlog	It means an accumulation of arrears. Example: I must clear my heavy backlog of arrears.
Backwater	A Dart of a river out of the main stream, where the water does not move
Barbarian	An uncivilised person
Barbecue	A metal flame on which meat etc. is cooked over an open fire
Barometer	An instrument for measuring the air pressure
Beverage	A liquid for drinking
Bibliography	A list of writings on a subject
Biennial	Happening once every two years
Bigamy	System of two marriages
Biodata	(or resume or curriculum vitae) A short written account of one’s education and past employment
Black Hole	An area in outer space into which everything near it, including light, is pulled-
Bleach	Make white or pale by mean~ of chemicals or sunlight
Blue Blood	The quality of being a noble person by birth
Blueprint	The word originated in the engineering industry where it means the final stage of paper design. So it may mean the final plan or layout. Example: The blueprint of the Five-Year Plan is ready.
Bonsai	The art of growing a plant in a pot that is prevented from reaching its natural size
Bon Vivant	One who likes good wine and food and cheerful companions
Bookworm	(or nerd) One who is too fond of reading and study
Botany	The scientific study of plants
Bottleneck	It is a narrow passage, a place, stage or condition that checks progress. Example: We must rem o”e all bottlenecks in the swift implementation of policies.
Boulevard	A broad street having trees on each side
Bourgeois	Belonging to the middle class
Bric-a-brac	Small objects kept for decoration
Bullion	Bars of gold or silver
Bust	A piece of sculpture showing a person’s head, shoulders, and upper chest
Cabal	A small group of people who make secret plans for political action
Calligraphy	The art of beautiful writing by hand
Canine	Of a dog
Cannibal	One who eats human flesh
Cardiac	Connected with the heart
Catch-22	A situation from which one is prevented from escaping by something that is part of the situation itself
Celestial	Of the sky or heaven
Cerebral	Connected with the brain
Chalet	A wooden house with a steeply sloping roof
Charlatan	One who deceives others by falsely claiming to have a skill
Calmistry	The art of telling one’s character or future by examining one’s hands
Celibacy	One who does not indulge in carnal pleasure
Clean sweep	A complete victory
Clock-and-Dagger	Stories that deal with adventure and exciting mystery
Clot	A half-solid mass or lump formed from a liquid, especially blood
Clubfoot	A badly-shaped foot twisted out of position from birth
Coagulate	Change from a liquid into a solid by chemical action
Cold war	Severe political struggle between countries, without actual fighting
Colloquial	Suitable for ordinary, informal, or familiar conversation
Colonnade	A row of pillars supporting a roof or arches
Coma	A state of long unnatural deep unconsciousness
Combustible	(or Inflammable) That can catch fire and burn easily
Comrade	A close companion who shares difficult work
Congenital	Existing at or from one’s birth
Connotation	The feeling or ideas that are suggested by a word
Consortium	A combination of several companies, banks, etc. for a common purpose
Consul	A person appointed by a govt. to protect and help its citizens and its interests in trade in a foreign city
Contemporary	A person living at the same time as another
Contretemps	An unlucky and unexpected event, socially uncomfortable
Corinthian	Typical of the most richly decorated style of ancient Greek building
Corrigendum	Something (to be) made correct in a printed book
Counterfeit	Made exactly like something real in order to deceive
Countervailing	Acting with equal force but opposite effect
Couture	The business of making and selling fashionable women’s clothes
Cradle	A small bed for a baby
Creativity	The ability to produce new and original ideas
Criminology	The scientific study of crime and criminals
Crossroads	A point at which an important decision must be taken
Cruise	A sea voyage for pleasure
Cuisine	A style of cooking
Daredevil	One who is prepared to take dangerous risks
D-day	A day on which an important operation is to begin
Debacle	A sudden complete failure
Decanter	A container for holding alcoholic drinks, especially wine
Defeatism	The practice of thinking in a way that shows an expectation of being unsuccessful
Deficit	The amount by which something is less than what is needed
Déja vu	The feeling of remembering something that in fact one is experiencing for the first time
Depression	A long period of seriously reduced business activity and high unemployment
Designate	Chosen for an office but not yet officially placed in it
Disarmament	Reduction of weapons by a government
Dissection	Cutting up the body of a plant or animal for studying
Dividend	The money which is divided among shareholders
Dome	A rounded roof on a building
Dormitory	A large room containing a number of beds
Down-and-out	One who is suffering from lack of money, work, etc, and is unable to change the situation
Dragnet	A system of connected actions and methods for catching criminals
Dregs	Sediment in a liquid that sinks to the, bottom and is thrown away
Drudgery	Hard uninteresting work
Dutch	Of the Netherlands (Holland)
Eagle-eyed	Looking with very keen attention and noticing small details
Eaves	The edges of a roof which come out beyond the walls
Eddy	A circular movement of water, wind, dust, etc.
Elastic	Able to spring back into shape after being stretched
Electrocute	To kill by passing electricity through the body
Embargo	An official order forbidding trade with another country
Empirical	Based on practical experience of the world we see and feel
Enigmatic	That which is mysterious and very hard to understand
Entomology	The scientific study of insects
Epic	A long narrative poem
Epicurean	Lover of physical/material
Ergonomics	The study of the conditions in which people work most effectively with machines
Estuary	The wide lower part or mouth of a river
Evaporate	To change into steam and disappear
Evolution	Gradual development from simpler forms
Excise	Tax on goods produced and used inside a country
Expletive	An often meaningless word used for swearing
Expressionism	A style of painting which expresses feelings rather than describing objects and experiences
Extrovert	One who likes to spend time with others
Facet	Any of the many flat sides of a cut jewel
Faeces	The solid waste material passed from the bowels
Fallacy	A false idea or belief
Farce	A light humorous play full of silly things happening
Farrier	One who makes and fits shoes for horses
Febrile	Of or caused by fever
Felony	A serious crime such as murder or armed robbery
Fiance	(feminine fiancée) The person one is going to marry
Filament	A thin thread
Flogging	Severe beating with a whip or stick
Flora	All the plants of a particular place, country, or period
Fluvial	Of, found in, or produced by rivers
Foible	A small rather strange and stupid personal habit
Foolscap	A large size of paper, especially writing paper
Foray	A sudden rush into enemy country
Foreman	A skilled and experienced worker in charge of other workers
Fortnight	Two weeks
Fourth Estate	Newspapers and their writers, considered with regard to their political influence
Freckle	A small flat brown spot on the skin
Freight	Goods carried by ship, train. plane, etc.
Frill	A decorative edge to a piece of material
Frontispiece	A picture or photograph at the beginning of a book
Fumigate	To clear of disease, bacteria etc. by means of chemical smoke
Furrow	A long narrow track cut by a plough
Galaxy	A large group of stars
Gastronomy	The art and science of cooking and eating good food
Gelatine	A clear substance used for making jellies
Geocentric	Having the Earth as the central point
Gigolo	A man who is paid to be a woman’s lover
Glacier	A mass of ice moving very slowly down a mountain valley
Glut	A larger supply than is necessary
Goatee	A little pointed beard on the bottom of the chin
Go-Getter	One who is forceful, determined, and likely to succeed in getting what one wants
Good Samaritan	One who helps others in trouble, without thinking of oneself
Gorge	A deep narrow valley with steep sides
Graffiti	Drawings or writing on a wall
Grange	A large country house with Farm buildings
Green Belt	A stretch of land, around a town or city, where building is not allowed, so that fields, woods, etc. remain
Grunt	Short deep rough sound of a pig
Gubernatorial	Of a governor
Guinea pig	A person who is subject of some kind of test
Halitosis	A condition in which one has bad breath
Handbook	‘A short book giving all the most important information about a subject
Hangar	A big building where aircraft are kept between flights
Harpoon	A spear with a long rope, used for hunting large sea animals
Haven	A place of calm and safety
Headgear	A covering for the head
Headstrong	Determined to do what one wants in spite of all advice
Heat-stroke	Fever and weakness caused by too much heat
Heirloom	A valuable object passed on for generations
Herbivore	A plant-eating animal
Hide	An animal’s skin, when removed to be used for leather
Hinterland	The inner part of a country
Histrionics	Behaviour resembling a theatrical performance
Holocaust	Great destruction and the loss of many lives
Holster	A leather holder for a pistol
Hooligan	A noisy rough person who causes trouble
Hothead	One who does things too quickly, without thinking
Hub	The central part of a wheel
Hump	A lump on the back of a camel
Ideology	A set of ideas on which a political or economic system is based
Idolatry	The worship of idols
Illegible	Difficult or impossible to read
Immortal	That which will never die
Implacable	Impossible to satisfy, change, or make less angry
Improvident	One who does not save for the future
Incarnate	In physical form rather than in the form of a spirit or idea
Incorporeal	Without a body
Inedible	Not suitable for eating
Inflate	To fill until swelled with air or gas
Ingest	To take food into the stomach
Innate	That which one is born with
Inseminate	To put male seed into a female
Intelligentsia	Those who are highly educated and often concern themselves with ideas and new developments
Intestate	Not having made a will
Invective	A forceful attacking speech used for blaming someone
Invoice	A list of goods supplied, stating quantity and price
Irreproachable	So good that no blame at all could be given
Journal	A serious magazine produced by a specialist society
Junta	A council or assembly that deliberates in secret upon the affairs of government.
Juxtapose	To place side by side or close together
Kennel	A small hut for a dog
Kimono	A long loose garment made of silk
Knuckle	The joint between the finger and the hand
Lackey	One who behaves like a servant by always obeying
Lead Time	The time taken in planning and producing a new product
Lecher	One who continually looks for sexual pleasure
Leonine	Of or like a lion
Levee	An embankment beside a river or stream or an arm of the sea, to prevent overflow.
Levy	An official demand and collection, especially of a tax
Libertarian	One who believes that people should have freedom of expression
Lien	A legal claim or hold on property, as security for a debt or charge.
Limerick	A humorous short poem with five lines
Linchpin	An important member which keeps the whole group together
Literati	People with great knowledge of literature
Livery	Uniform of a special type for servants
Locale	A place where something particular happens
Logger V	One whose job is to cut down trees
Loom	A machine on which thread is woven into cloth
Lore	Old beliefs, not written down, about a particular subject
Lowbrow	One who has no interest in literature, art, etc.
Lullaby	A pleasant song used for causing children to sleep
Machete	A knife with a broad heavy blade
Magnum Opus	A great work of art
Malady	That which is wrong with a system
Malaise	A feeling of pain without any particular pain or appearance of disease
Malcontent	One who is dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs.
Male Chauvinist	A man who believes that men are better than women
Malign	To speak evil of, especially to do so falsely and severely.
Mane	The long hair on the back of a horse’s neck
Manual	A book giving information about how to do something
Market Forces	The free operation of business and trade without govt. controls
Mascot	Chosen as a symbol and thought to bring good luck
Massacre	The unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of human beings.
Materialism	Too great interest on in money & material etc, rather than spiritual matters
Mechanics	The science of the action of forces on objects
Megalomania	The belief that one is more important than one really is
Mercantile	Of trade and business
Meteorology	The scientific study of weather conditions
Midriff	The part of the human body between the chest and the waist
Militia	Those trained as soldiers but not belonging to a regular army
Miniature	A very small painting
Mirage	The appearing of objects which are not really there
Misnomer	A name wrongly or mistakenly applied.
Moccasin	A simple shoe made of leather
Modus Operandi	A method of doing something typical of someone
Mogul	A person of very great power. wealth, and importance
Monarchy	Rule by a king or queen
Monomaniac	One who keeps thinking of one particular idea only
Moralistic	Having unchanging narrow ideas about right and wrong
Morbid	Caused by or denoting a diseased or unsound condition of body or mind.
Motto	A few words taken as the guiding principle
Multinational	A company having operations in many different countries
Mundane means	Worldly/earthly
Mycology	The study of fungi (plural of fungus)
Namesake	A person with the same name as yours is your
Nautical	Of sailors, ships, or sailing
Necromancy	The practice which claims to learn about the future by talking with the dead
Nemesis	Just and unavoidable punishment
Newfangled	New (idea. machine etc) but neither necessary nor better
Nihilism	The belief that nothing has meaning or value
Nodding	lower and raise one’s head slightly and briefly, to give someone a signal
Acquaintance	A very slight familiarity
Nosegay	A small bunch of flowers, to be carried or worn on a dress
Notary	A public official who makes written statements official
No-win Situation	That which will end badly whichever choice one makes
Nursery	A place where small children are taken care of
Oar	A long pole used for rowing a boat
Obstetrics	The branch of medicine concerned with childbirth
Obtrude	To be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence.
Obtrusive	Tending to be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence.
Obviate	To clear away or provide for, as an objection or difficulty.
Odoriferous	Having a smell, especially a pleasant one
Off-White	White with some grey or yellow
Oligarchy	A collective government formed by a few persons
One-Upmanship	The art of getting an advantage over others without actually cheating
Ontology	The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of existence
Operational	The study of how best to build and use
Opprobrium	The state of being scornfully reproached or accused of evil.
Orderly	A soldier who attends an officer
Ornithology	The scientific study of birds
Ostentation	A display dictated by vanity and intended to invite applause or flattery.
Ostracism	Exclusion from intercourse or favor, as in society or politics.
Outcast	One who is forced from one’s home or without friends
Overhaul	Thorough examination and repair if necessary
Pacemaker	A small machine that regularises heartbeats
Palaeography	The study of ancient writing
Panacea	A remedy or medicine proposed for or professing to cure all diseases.
Panache	An admirably stylish manner of doing things effortlessly
Panegyric	A formal and elaborate eulogy, written or spoken, of a person or of an act.
Pariah	One who is not accepted by society
Parricide	Act of murdering one’s father
Parting Shot	A last remark made at the moment of leaving
Passive Smoking	The breathing in of smoke from the cigarettes that others are smoking
Patent	The right to make or sell a new invention
Paunch	A man’s fat stomach
Peanuts	Too small a sum of money
Peeping Tom	One who secretly looks at others when they are undressing
Penance	Making oneself willingly suffer for one’s wrongs
Perdition	Everlasting punishment after death
Perjury	A lie told on purpose
Persona on Grata	One who is not acceptable or welcome
Petrology	The scientific study of rocks
Phonetics	The study and science of speech sounds
Phylum	A main division of animals or plants
Pigment	The natural colouring matter of plants and animals
Pillion	A seat for a second person on a motorcycle
Pithead	The entrance to a coalmine
Placate	To bring from a state of angry or hostile feeling to one of patience or friendliness.
Plaintiff	One who brings a charge against someone in a court
Platitude	A written or spoken statement that is flat, dull, or commonplace.
Platonic	A friendly, not sexual, relationship between a man and a woman
Plebeian	Of the lower social classes
Poetaster	A writer of bad poems
Poker Face	A face that shows nothing of what one is thinking or feeling
Porcine	Of or like a pig
Pork	Meat from pigs
Portend	To indicate as being about to happen, especially by previous signs.
Post-Haste	In a great hurry
Pot-Boiler	A book of low quality produced quickly to get money
Powder Keg	Something dangerous that might explode
Précis	A shortened form of a piece of writing
Prescient	Able to imagine or guess what will probably happen
Prevaricate	To use ambiguous or evasive language for the purpose of deceiving or diverting attention.
Prey	An animal that is hunted and eaten by another
Prima Donna	The main woman singer in an opera company
Prodigal	One wasteful or extravagant, especially in the use of money or property.
Profile	A side view of someone’s head
Projection	Something that sticks out from a surface
Propellant	An explosive for firing a bullet or a rocket
Protagonist	means first actor in a play. It means one who takes the leading part in a drama, novel or any other sphere. Clearly the word is not an antonym of antagonist which means one who contends with another.
Proscribe	To reject, as a teaching or a practice, with condemnation or denunciation.
Prosody	The rules by which the patterns of sounds are arranged in poetry
Postscript (or P.S.)	A note added at the end of a letter
Pulmonary	Of or having an effect on the lungs
Punctilious	Strictly observant of the rules or forms prescribed by law or custom.
Punter	One who makes a bet on horserace results
Pus	A thick yellowish liquid produced in an infected wound
Putsch	A sudden secretly planned attempt to remove a govt. by force
Quartet	Four singers or musicians performing together
Quixotic	Trying to do the impossible, often so as to help others, while getting oneself into danger
Raconteur	One who is good at telling stories in an interesting way
Raillery	Friendly joking al someone’s weakness
Ranger	The keeper of a forest
Real Estate	Property in the form of land and houses
Real Politick	Politics based on practical facts rather than on moral aims
Rebuff	A peremptory or unexpected rejection of advances or approaches.
Recant	To withdraw formally one’s belief (in something previously believed or maintained).
Recumbent	Lying down on the back or side
Red-Handed	In the act of doing something wrong
Redundant	means exceeding what is natural, usual or necessary. The idea of too much is inseparable from it. It is not a synonym of inappropriate.
Reflation	A govt. policy of increasing the amount of money
Relic	Something old that reminds us of the past
Renaissance	A renewal of interest in some particular kind of art, literature, etc.
Renal	Of the kidneys
Requisition	An official demand or request
Rescind	To make void, as an act, by the enacting authority or a superior authority.
Resonance	Sound produced in one object by sound waves from another
Retribution	A severe deserved punishment
Revisionism	The questioning of the main beliefs of an already existing political system
Rhyme	To end with the same sound, including a vowel
Right-hand Man	One’s most useful and valuable helper
Ringleader	One who leads others to do wrong or make trouble
Riviera	A warm stretch of coast, popular with holiday makers
Rodent	A small herbivore with strong sharp long front teeth
Rolling Stone	One who.travels around a lot and has no fixed address or responsibilities
Rosary	A string of beads used for counting prayers
Roving eye	Sexual interests that pass quickly from one person to another
Rubber Stamp	One who acts only to make official the decisions already made by another
Ruling	An official decision of a court
Rung	Any of the cross-bars that form the steps of a ladder
Saboteur	One who practices sabotage
Salve	(or Ointment) An oily substance for putting on a cut, wound, etc.
Sapient	Wise and full of deep knowledge
Scaffold	A structure built up from poles and boards for workmen to stand on
Scalp	The skin on the top of the human head
Sceptical	Unwilling to believe a claim or promise.
Scraps	Pieces of food not eaten at a meal, and thrown away
Scuba	An instrument used for breathing while swimming underwater
Seam	A line of stitches ‘joining two pieces of cloth, leather, etc.
Sedentary	Done while sitting down
Seer	One who can see into the future
Seismic	Of or caused by earthquakes
Seller’s Market	Where there are not many goods for sale
Sensationalism	The intentional producing of excitement or shock
Septic	Infected with disease bacteria
Sexagenarian	One who is between 60 and 69 years old
Sexism	The belief that one sex is not as good as the other
Shaman	A priest believed to have magical powers and cure people
Shibboleth	A once-important custom which no longer has much meaning
Shoot	A new growth from a plant
Short-change	To give back less than what actually should be given back
Siamese twins	Those joined together from birth at some part of their bodies
Side Effect	An unwanted effect happening in addition to the intended one
Signatory	Any of those who sign an agreement
Sill	The flat piece at the base of a window
Singsong	A repeated rising and falling of the voice in speaking
Skyscraper	A very tall modern city building
Sleeping Partner	A partner in a business who takes no active part
Slip-up	A slight unintentional mistake.
Small Fry	A young or unimportant person
Smokestack	The tall chimney of a factory or a ship
Snippet	A short piece from something spoken or written
Socialite	A person well known for going to fashionable parties
Sociology	The scientific study of societies and human behaviour in groups
Solidarity	Loyal agreement of interests, aims, or principles among a group
Somnambulism	The habit of walking about while asleep
SOS	An urgent message from someone in trouble
Souvenir	An object kept as a reminder of something
Spatial	Connected with space
Spectacle	A grand public show or scene
Spindle	A machine part round which something turns
Splinter	A small sharp-pointed piece of wood broken off something
Sportsmanship	A spirit of honest fair play
Sprig	A small end of a stem or branch with leaves
Stallion	A fully-grown male horse kept for breeding
Standard-bearer	An important leader in a moral argument or movement
Statesman	A political leader who is respected as being wise, honourable, and fair-minded
Stellar	Of the stars
Sticking Point	Something that prevents an agreement
Stock Broker	One whose job is buying and selling shares and debentures for others
Stoic	One who is indifferent to joys/sorrows
Stooge	One who habitually does what another person wants
Stratagem	A trick to deceive an enemy
Strategist	A person skilled in planning, especially of military movements.
Stride	A long step in walking.
Strobe Light	A light which goes on and off very quickly
Subcutaneous	Beneath the skin
Sub Judice	A legal case being considered in court
Subsidy	Money paid by the govt. to make prices lower
Superannuated	Too old for work
Surety	One who takes responsibility for the behaviour of someone
Surreal	Having a strange dreamlike unreal quality
Swarm	A large group of insects moving in a mass
Sweet Tooth	A liking for sweet and sugary things
Sword of Damocles	Something bad that may happen at any time
Tactile	Of the sense of touch
Take-home Pay	Wages left after all taxes, pension payments, etc. have been paid
Tannery	A Place where animal skin is made into leather
Tarot	A set of 22 cards used for telling the future
Tautology	is redundancy, which consists of needless repetition of meaning in other words. Example: audible to the ear return back, One after another in succession.
Taxonomy	The system of putting plants and animals into various classes
Technocrat	A highly skilled specialist in charge of organisation
Teller	One who is employed to receive and pay out money in a bank
Tenure	The act, right, or period of holding land or a job
Territorial waters	The sea near a country’s coast over which it has legal control
Testamentary	Of or done according to a will
Thatch	Roof covering of straw, reeds, etc.
Thermal	Of heat
Thorax	The part between the neck and the abdomen
Thromhosis	Having a clot in a blood tube or the heart
Topiary	The art of cutting trees into decorative shapes
Touchstone	Something used as a test or standard
Tract	A short piece dealing with a religious or moral subject
Traitor	One who is disloyal to one’s country
Transient	One who or that which is only of temporary existence.
Transmogrify	To change completely as if by magic
Transpire	It does not mean to happen or occur but to become known. Example: It transpired at the meeting that he was going to be our next President.
Treatise	A serious book or article that examines a particular subject.
Tribunal	A court of people officially appointed to deal with special matters.
Troglodyte	One who lives in a cave.
Trousseau	The personal possessions that a woman brings with her when she marries.
Tunnel Vision	A condition in which one can see only straight ahead
Turf	A surface made up of earth and a thick covering of grass
Tutelage	The act of training or the state of being under instruction.
Tyrant	A ruler with complete power, who rules cruelly and unjustly
Tyro	One slightly skilled in or acquainted with any trade or profession.
Underling	A person of low rank in relation to another
Undermanned	Not having enough workers
Unguent	A thick oily substance used on the skin
Unisex	Of one type used by both male and female
Upholstery	A comfortable covering and filling for a seat
Valise	A small bag used while travelling
Vase	A decorative container used to put flowers in
Vendor	A seller of small articles that can be carried about
Vertebrate	A living creature which has a backbone
Vicissitude	A change, especially a complete change, of condition or circumstances, as of fortune.
Vinous	Of wine
Voluntary	Done willingly, without being forced
Wade	To walk through water
Walkout	Leaving a meeting as an expression of disapproval
Wardrobe	A large cupboard in which one hangs up clothes
Wasteland	Empty, unproductive, usually ugly land
Waterloo	A severe defeat after a time of unusual success
Weakling	One who lacks physical strength or strength of character
Wean	To transfer (the young) from dependence on mother’s milk to another form of nourishment.
Westher-beaten	Marked or damaged by the force of wind. sun, rain. etc.
Wheeler-dealer	One who is skilled at making profitable or successful deals
Whirlpool	A place with circular currents of water, which can pull objects down into it
Wholesale	The business of selling goods to shopkeepers
Wit	The ability to say clever and amusing things
Wizard	One who has magic powers
Word Blindness	(or dyslexia) Difficulty in seeing the difference between letter shape
Workaholic	One who likes to work too hard
Working knowledge	Enough practical knowledge to do something
Wreckage	The broken parts of a destroyed thing
Wretch	An unfortunate or unhappy person
Xenophobia	Fear of strange or foreign people, customs, etc.
Yeoman service	Great and loyal service, help, or support
Yuppie	A young person in a professional job with a high-income
Zeitgeist	The intellectual and moral tendencies that characterize any age or epoch.
Zoology	The scientific study of animals

Have you ever felt that people, who talk too much about nothing, start to irritate you after a while? In some situations, it’s possible to agree that talkative people can be too annoying! Of course, sometimes we cannot bring all the necessary nuances of some cases without a detailed story.

However, it doesn’t mean that you need to use many additional words to share your ideas. It’s easy to lose the whole essence of a conversation in the thousands of words!

Everybody knows how useful words can be! In this regard, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of one-word expressions and quotes! Even a single word of encouragement can help you to cheer up a person; while a simple word, said in a heated moment, is able to hurt a man to a core. Isn’t it powerful?

Words can be used as both a medicine and poison at the same time! Words are an efficient way to manipulate public opinion as well as each individual. That’s why you should always choose carefully what you want to say to avoid misunderstanding of any kind!

Perhaps, it sounds confusing, but one word may be enough to reach a specific goal! You’ll be surprised to hear that it’s easy to get a piece of motivation with the help of only one word! It’s not hard to remember motivational quotes, consisted only of a single word, to improve your life. Find your inspiration in the inspirational one-word quotes we’ve rounded up for you below!

What do you think of the idea to use famous one word sayings about life and love are the best ideas as captions for Instagram, Facebook, and other social networks in order to attract somebody’s attention? Sounds interesting, right? That’s why pay your attention to the following 1 word quotations.

They are simple to focus on and easy to use. You don’t need to spend a lot of time writing or reading these meaningful quotes and sayings: concise, deep, useful, universal, effective. Do you need any other reasons to save some of the great images with one word quotes to live by?

Whatever happens in your life, always remember that brevity is the soul of wit! Enjoy the following one word quotes for all occasions!

Inspirational Quotes To Show The Power Of One Word

Do you know at least one person who doesn’t need to be motivated? It’s easy to predict your negative answer. Sooner or later everybody needs to get a word of inspiration and motivation!

No matter how much purposeful and self-motivated you are, you’ll definitely face times of disappointment and tiredness on the way to your goal. In the case, you feel the lack of strength to move on, pay attention to the inspirational one word quotes! Be sure, even one word from the list below will inspire you:

• Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. – Buddha
• Everything starts with one step, or one brick, or one word or one day. – Jeremy Gilley
• I cannot take back one word or action; the past does not change for anyone. – Charles Van Doren
• Sometimes kids ask how I’ve been able to write so many books. The answer is simple: one word at a time. Which is another good lesson, I think. You don’t have to do everything at once. You don’t have to know how every story is going to end. You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. – Andrew Clements
• One word can end a fight; One hug can start a friendship; One smile can bring Unity; One person can change your entire life! – Israelmore Ayivor

Vital One Word Sayings about Life

It may seem that it’s almost impossible to tell others about your life or thoughts with the help of just one word! It’s a widespread mistake! From time to time, a single word, chosen carefully, maybe eloquent!

Why should you believe us? This is because almost all elements of our life, important for people, can be called in one word: happiness, love, family, belief, encouragement, support, etc. Who knows, maybe, these one word sayings about life will become your guiding principle:

• My biggest regret could be summed up in one word, and that’s procrastination. – Ron Cooper
• What drove me and kept me going over the decades? If I had to use a single word, it would be ‘curiosity’. –  Eve Arnold
• Opportunities – You only get few chances to change yourself. Make sure you avail the opportunity that comes your way. – Unknown
• Forgive. Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right; it makes you free. – Stormie Omartian
• The meaning of life. The wasted years of life. The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word: ‘grace.’  – Max Lucado

Powerful 1 Word Quotes for You To Live By

You have already heard how powerful one word can be. However, you may think that it’s only the myth, created for too gullible people. You have the chance to admit that you were wrong with your thoughts!

Relevant quotes with 1 necessary word are exactly what you need to live by! Let the following one word quotes be your life motto:

• All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. – Winston Churchill
• Dare. Failures are made only by those who fail to dare, not by those who dare to fail. – Lester B. Pearson
• The one word that no politician will ever speak, is ‘enough.’ Enough.  – Carl Hiaasen
• If I had to describe myself in one word, ‘Hercules.‘  – Bryce Harper
• I get paralyzingly nervous a lot of times, so I tried bravado. The way I dress and carry myself, a lot of people find it intimidating. I think my whole career can be boiled down to the one word I always say in meetings: ‘strength.’  – Lorde

Famous One Word Quotes about Everything

Every situation in our life can be defined with one word. It’s up to you to decide what word it will be! There are so many things that influence your choice of the word! Everything depends on the time, place, personal attitude, feelings, and so on.

In any case, famous one word quotes will interest you as soon as they reveal the most popular aspects of life!

• Forgive. Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right; it makes you free. – Stormie Omartian
• If someone was like, ‘Describe yourself in one word,’ I would never say, ‘Handsome.’ – Ian Harding
• Encourage. Appreciation can make a day – even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. – Margaret Cousins
• Forgive. Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right; it makes you free. – Stormie Omartian
• The one word that makes a good manager – decisiveness. – Lee Iacocca

Best One Word Quotes About Love

When people hear the word “love”, all of them associate it with something personal. As a rule, they unlikely to have the same thoughts. However, love has one meaning, common to everybody! What is love for you? Is it an innermost feeling, or a problem for you? If you still cannot define what love means exactly, don’t miss the best one word quotes about love! Isn’t it a good way to understand other people?

• One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love. – Sophocles
• The cure for all the ills and wrongs, the cares, the sorrows, and the crimes of humanity, all lie in the one word ‘love‘. It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life. – Lydia M. Child
• Be Impeccable With Your Word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. –  Don Miguel Ruiz
• Love is a special word, and I use it only when I mean it. You say the word too much and it becomes cheap. – Ray Charles
• I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant. – Martin Luther King

Universal Single Word to Use in Motivational Quotes

People are used to thinking that long texts and phrases are better to use to motivate somebody. It’s a common belief that you should make up a kind of essay to persuade a person to change his or her life, move on, reach different goals and so on.

Although a thousand words are useful, sometimes this way may be counterproductive! Do you really want to waste your precious time, trying to cheer somebody up? We don’t think so!

That’s why you’d better apply to motivational quotes with a single word! If it’s impossible to help your friend with a single word, you don’t have any chances to motivate him or her even with a thousand words!

• One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice–president, and that one word is ‘to be prepared‘. – Dan Quayle
• Action. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Fly – Don’t think what would happen if you fail! Think, what if you fly? – Unknown
• Dream – Have the courage to pursue your dreams. Live them and act on them. -Unknown
• The strong manly ones in life are those who understand the meaning of the word patience. – Tokugawa Ieyasu

Witty One Word Captions for Instagram

Don’t know how to make your page on the social net popular? Do you think that you have tried everything? That’s not entirely true! You haven’t used witty one word captions for social pages, collected in the post!

The users of Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter will become interested in the short, but creative captions, used on your page! Don’t write long posts. They make everybody bored, so people begin losing their interest in your profile. One word captions are what you need!

• Grateful. I am grateful for all of my blessings.
• Kindness. I express myself with love and kindness.
• Freedom – You’re free to go. Enjoy the air of freedom and live your life.
• Question. I ask the right questions to progress in the right direction.
• Think. I create my day and life with the thoughts I think.

Great 1 Word Quotations on Universal Images

Great images with only one word are much more attractive than the same with long text. You’re surely puzzled over this statement now, aren’t you? In fact, one word contains the kind of mystery.

People can solve it, but the truth is that the answer will be different for different people. Don’t look for the deeper meaning of the following 1 word quotations on images, enjoy them:

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What is One Word Substitution? Word Substitution simply means using a specific word to replace a wordy phrase or sentence and making it shorter, more concise and clearer to understand. This way, the word becomes identical to the sentence thus providing the same meaning as the wordy sentence. The best way to master this concept is to learn their meanings by putting them in a particular sentence or visualising them through an interesting story. One-word substitution questions frequently occur in many competitive exams such as SBI PO, UPSC, CAPF, CDS, RRB, SSC etc. Read this blog to find 100+ one-word substitutions with examples as well as practice questions and quizzes for competitive exams.

What is One Word Substitution in the English Language?

One-word substitution is the use of one word in place of a wordy phrase in order to make the sentence structure clearer and avoid lengthy sentences. The meaning, with the replacement of the phrase, remains identical while the sentence becomes shorter. 

How to Solve One-Word Substitution?

Before checking on the examples for one word substitutions, let’s see how to solve them. These can be solved by identifying its ‘root word’ or core meaning and then identifying the prefix and suffix. Many words like Anthropology come from the root word anthrōpos which means humans (Here ‘Anthro’ is the prefix and ‘ology’ is the suffix). Hence anthropology means the study of humanity. To gain mastery in understanding root words, you should be familiar with the etymology and linguistics of the words.

Why Do We Need One-Word Substitutions?

One-word substitutions are important as they make communication in the English language much more concise, lucid, and easy. People can remember words and communicate bigger meanings through simple words. For example, saying “She is someone who puts forth an idea which she herself doesn’t believe” is much harder as compared to just saying “She is a Hypocrite”. One-word substitutions make our sentences more precise and reduce complexity. These substitutions also help us to classify words based on the suffixes which makes it easy to categorize them and put similar words together.

Categories of One Word Substitution

There are different categories of One Word Substitution:

• Study-related
• Terms-related
• Group/Collection
• Government/Political Systems-related
• People/Person
• Profession/Occupation
• Science/Research
• Killing/Death-related
• Sound/Event/Spots

100+ One Word Substitutions with Examples

Here is the complete list of 100+ One Word Substitutions for competitive exams:

Study-related	One Word Substitution	Examples
Study of Stars	Astronomy	I love this book on Astronomy.
The study of statistics is known as	Demography	The demography of the whole town’s population has been mapped.
The study of ancient writing and scriptures	Palaeography	These three university professors have been immersed in the research and study of Paleography for over a decade.
The study of rocks and soil	Geology	My Geology homework is not going to be completed by the final submission date.
The ancient search for a universal panacea, and of the philosopher’s stone. The medieval version of the study of Chemistry	Alchemy	The magician wanted to learn Alchemy to master some ancient spells.
The study of the evolution of mankind	Anthropology	Anthropological research helps us trace our civilization.
The study of the Human Mind	Psychology	I am really interested in studying Psychology and how the mind works.
The practice of writing dictionaries	Lexicography	She works in the Lexicography department of the publishing house.
The study of plants	Botany	Her interest in plants motivated her to pursue this course in Botany.
The study of rocks and soils	Geology	Do I need to study Geology before going rock climbing?
The study of languages	Philology	How many languages does Philology cover?

One-Word Substitution For Government/Systems

One Word Substitutes	Government/System
A state of disorder due to the absence or non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems	Anarchy
A form of government in which power is held by the nobility	Aristocracy
A system of government by one person with absolute power	Autocracy
A self-governing country or region	Autonomy
A system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives	Bureaucracy
A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives	Democracy
A state, society, or group governed by old people	Gerontocracy
A state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens	Kakistocracy
Government by new or inexperienced hands	Neocracy
Government by the populace	Ochlocracy
A small group of people having control of a country or organization	Oligarchy
Government by the wealthy	Plutocracy
Government not connected with religious or spiritual matters	Secular
A form of government with a monarch at the head	Monarchy
A political system based on the government of men by God	Thearchy

One Word Substitution For Venue Or Spot

List of One-Word Substitutions	Venue/Spot
A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people	Archives
A large cage, building, or enclosure to keep birds	Aviary
A building where animals are butchered	Abattoir
A place where bees are kept; a collection of beehives	Apiary
A building containing tanks of live fish of different species	Aquarium
A place or scene of activity, debate, or conflict	Arena
A collection of weapons and military equipment	Arsenal
An institution for the care of people who are mentally ill	Asylum
A hole or tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, as a dwelling	Burrow
A collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place	Cache
A public room or building where gambling games are played	Casino
A large burial ground, especially one not in a churchyard	Cemetery
A room in a public building where outdoor clothes or luggage may be left	Cloakroom
A place where a dead person’s body is cremated	Crematorium
A Christian community of nuns living together under monastic vows	Convent
The nursery where babies and young children are cared for during the working day	Creche
A stoppered glass container into which wine or spirit is decanted	Decanter
A large bedroom for a number of people in a school or institution	Dormitory
The nest of a squirrel, typically in the form of a mass of twigs in a tree	Drey
A room or building equipped for gymnastics, games, and another physical exercise	Gymnasium
A storehouse for threshed grain	Granary
A large building with an extensive floor area, typically for housing aircraft	Hangar
A box or cage, typically with a wire mesh front, for keeping rabbits or other small domesticated animals	Hutch
A place in a large institution for the care of those who are ill	Infirmary
A small shelter for a dog	Kennel
A place where wild animals live	Lair
A place where coins, medals, or tokens are made	Mint
A collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition	Menagerie
A building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows	Monastery
A place where bodies are kept for identification	Morgue
A piece of enclosed land planted with fruit trees	Orchard
A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply	Reservoir
A small kitchen or room at the back of a house used for washing dishes and other dirty household work	Scullery
A close-fitting cover for the blade of a knife or sword	Sheath
A room or building for sick children in a boarding school	Sanatorium
A place where animal hides are tanned	Tannery
A large, tall cupboard in which clothes may be hung or stored	Wardrobe

One-Word Substitutes For Profession/Research

One Word Substitution	Profession/Research
The medieval forerunner of chemistry	Alchemy
A person who presents a radio/television programme	Anchor
One who studies the evolution of mankind	Anthropologist
A person who is trained to travel in a spacecraft	Astronaut
The scientific study of the physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, classification and economic importance of plants	Botany
A person who draws or produces maps	Cartographer
A person who writes beautiful writing	Calligrapher
A person who composes the sequence of steps and moves for a performance of dance	Choreographer
A person employed to drive a private or hired car	Chauffeur
A person who introduces the performers or contestants in a variety show	Compere
A keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection	Curator
The branch of biology concerned with cyclical physiological phenomena	Chronobiology
A secret or disguised way of writing	Cypher
The study of statistics	Demography
The use of the fingers and hands to communicate and convey ideas	Dactylology
A person who sells and arranges cut flowers	Florist
A line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor	Genealogy
The therapeutic use of sunlight	Heliotherapy
The art or practise of garden cultivation and management	Horticulture
One who supervises in the examination hall	Invigilator
The theory or philosophy of law	Jurisprudence
A person who compiles dictionaries	Lexicographer
The scientific study of the structure and diseases of teeth	Odontology
One who presents a radio programme	Radio Jockey
The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing	Rhetoric
The branch of science concerned with the origin, structure and composition of rocks	Petrology
One who studies the elections and trends in voting	Psephologist
An artist who makes sculptures.	Sculptor
The scientific study of the behaviour, structure, physiology, classification and distribution of animals	Zoology

Group/Collection	One Word Substitution	Examples
A group of sheep	Flock	I saw a shepherd down the hill with a flock of sheep.
A family of young animals	Brood	Mr Styles like spending hours bathing the brood of horses in the stable.
A number of people travelling together in a big van or jeep	Caravan	A caravan of hippies just passed by.
A series of stars	Constellation	This constellation looks like a burger!
A large group of people	Horde	A horde of college students was gathered around the voting booth.
A temporary police force	Posse	Jake went to arrest the criminal with his posse.
A group of cattle or sheep	Herd	Keep your herd of cows in the backyard.
A number of fish swimming together	Shoal	I saw a shoal of mackerel on that side of the river.
A group of worshippers	Congregation	The congregation will happen at St. Mary’s Church at 4pm tomorrow.

Must Read: 50 Common Difficult Idioms with Examples

Person/People	One Word Substitution	Examples
The one who loves mankind	Philanthropist	He became a renowned philanthropist after joining Buddhism.
The one who looks at the brighter side of everything	Optimist	Louis has always been the biggest optimistic person I know.
The one who looks at the negative/dark side of everything.	Pessimist	I am always on the edge of becoming a total pessimist.
The one who does not believe in God.	Atheist	I am neither an Atheist nor a religious person.
The one who eats human flesh	Cannibal	The police caught these cannibals from the jungle.
Someone who regards the world as their country	Cosmopolitan	Globalisation will give rise to more cosmopolitans.
The one who loves good food and knows a lot about it	Gourmet	I could have been a Gourmet if I liked spicy food!
Someone who lives in solitude	Recluse	I want to become a recluse after I retire.
Someone who speaks more than one language	Polyglot	I took up Turkish to become a Polyglot.
A person who boasts of one’s achievements	Egotist	She saw him as a thoughtless egotist.
People who can vote in an election:	Electorate	Last year’s electorate comprised of many first-time voters.
A person who loves himself the most	Narcissist	John is a narcissist and will never love anyone else but himself.
A person who draws maps	Cartographer	A cartographer can help you find the right way through a complex forest land through his mastery of maps.
A person who abandons his religion	Apostate	Watching his daughter die of cancer made Steve become an apostate.
A person was appointed to settle a dispute between two parties	Arbitrator	In their final judgement, the jury presented that it is necessary for the parties to have an arbitrator to reach mutual consent.
The one who knows everything	Omniscient	He is such a know-it-all but he is not an omniscient.
The one who is all powerful	Omnipotent	We often stereotype a superhero as an Omnipotent but it’s important to have some flaws to make them human.
The one who is present everything	Omnipresent	Technology has become synonymous with omnipresent nowadays.
Someone who is eighty years old.	Octogenarian	My grandpa is an octogenarian.
The one who settles in another country.	Immigrant	It isn’t easy being an immigrant in the USA.
Someone who cares about mankind.	Humanitarian	She is known for her humanitarian efforts.

Person/People	One Word Substitution	Examples
Someone trained to travel and operate a spacecraft.	Astronaut	Kalpana Chawla is one of the greatest women astronauts.
The one who makes maps or charts	Cartographer	We need a cartographer to decode these cryptic maps.
Someone who sells or grows flowers or studies or writes about flowers.	Florist	Harry is my favorite florist and I like how he gives unique facts about what every flower symbolises.
Someone with a beautiful handwriting	Calligrapher	I started as a calligrapher and then became a tattoo artist.
The supervising person during an examination	Invigilator	The invigilator is too lazy to even check the students in the back.
Someone who presents or hosts a radio show	Radio Jockey	A radio jockey needs to have brilliant communication skills.
Someone who choreographs dances attuning certain sequences of steps and movements along music	Choreographer	Can you find me a wedding choreographer?
Someone who is the custodian or the keeper of a museum	Curator	I like being a curator as I get to meet artists from different parts of the world.
A person who doesn’t like humankind devoids himself of human society	Misanthrope	Grinch wasn’t the mean-spirited misanthrope most of us took him to be.
A person who collects coins as a hobby	Numismatist	As a Numismatist, I have a huge collection of currencies from almost all the countries around the world.
Someone employed to drive a hired car	Chauffeur	The chauffeur will come by 4 pm to the venue.
Someone who walks by foot.	Pedestrian	This side of the road is for Pedestrians.
Someone who is reserved and shy.	Introvert	I like being an introvert and I am happy with a small social circle.

Also Read: 50 Difficult Phrases with Meanings!

Terms	One Word Substitutions	Example
Indefinite period of time	Aeon	Those days became boring, aeon and too long to pass.
Appreciation of beauty, by a set of principles.	Aesthetics	I found this website quite appealing especially because of its aesthetics
Spartan snowstorms with uncontrollable winds	Blizzard	On our way back to the hotel, we got caught in a blizzard.
An eccentric manner of living	Bohemian	She felt embarrassed when her friends made fun of her bohemian clothing.
Huge fire for celebration	Bonfire	The campers spent their night by the bonfire.
Dwarfed varieties of trees and shrubs in pots	Bonsai	Her room was filled with bonsai plants.
The remote regions of a country which are far away from the rivers	Hinterland	Her cottage was situated in a hinterland deprived of any beautiful scenery.
Complex situation or a mix-up	Imbroglio	The romantic imbroglio happened when he met my landlords assuming they were my parents.
Make someone feel young	Rejuvenate	This exfoliating scrub can completely rejuvenate your skin.
Not showing enough care and attention	Remiss	I realised that she was totally remiss in finishing her daily tasks.
A shelter for a Dog	Kennel	Our new pup spent all his day hiding inside the kennel.
Where wild animals live	Lair	I found a hidden lair in the forest but was too afraid to go inside it.
A place where coins are made	Mint	This industrial facility is actually a mint which manufactures coins.
Ordinary and Dull	Mundane	I am bored with the mundane life of the quarantined days.
Published after someone’s death	Posthumous	Mr Smith’s posthumous works brought him an immense number of accolades.
The profession of teaching or the approach or style of teaching	Pedagogy	It was his unique approach to pedagogy that made him every student’s favourite.
The symbols of royalty	Regalia	The queen was adorned in full regalia.
A political system solely based on the government of men by God	Thearchy	The village was ruled by the system of thearchy.
A person promises to tell the truth in court	Oath	I couldn’t disrespect the oath and thus revealed everything.
Beginning to exist and evolve	Nascent	Biotechnology bloomed from a nascent sector to a booming industry.
Ethically good behaviour one has	Virtue	Patience is seen as the virtue of a man.
Humour that describes the weaknesses	Satire	Ghasiram Kotwal is an incredibly written satire on the political scenario of Maharashtra in the early 20th century.
Changing the direction of one’s path suddenly	Veer	He veered the car in the other direction as the deer came in the way.
Enjoy something for an extended time	Savour	Don’t forget to savour this delectable wine!
Someone who is wrongly blamed for things that others have done	Scapegoat	They used him as a scapegoat to accuse him of the whole conspiracy
Space where animal hides are tanned	Tannery	The leather for this coat has been skinned in the tannery.
Determined to achieve something	Tenacious	She was tenacious enough to chase after her dream of becoming a film actor.
The sound of Parrots	Screech	I woke up to the screeching of birds by the window.
Using a word or name that is inappropriate	Misnomer	It’s quite a misnomer to call it a victory since he scored the lowest marks in the test.
A government that has a monarch as the head	Monarchy	With a king ruling the country, the Monarchy is different from a democracy.
The sound of Camels	Grunt	In the vastness of the desert, the only sound you can hear is the constant grunting of camels from far away.
Events manifested by festivities	Fiesta	Last night’s party was a total fiesta.
The ranting of a person	Whine	Aakriti is always whining about the weather.
People who are extremely poor	Destitute	Ajay grew up in a destitute existence.
Absolute freedom to act as one wishes	Carte blanche	Her mother gave her carte blanche to follow the career path she wants to.
A person who is unsure about God’s existence	Agnostic	Though he was raised in a conservative Hindu family, he remained agnostic most of his life.
Extreme physical or mental sufferings	Agony	He fell to the ground in agony.
Japanese form of self-defense with the usage of locks holds	Aikido	He has mastered Aikido and his next goal is to learn Kung fu.
A soldier who fights for the sake of money	Mercenary	You are a mercenary and you kill people with any guns!
An accolade or honour bestowed in recognition for an achievement:	Laurel	She enjoyed the laurels of her acting achievements.
A person who behaves without moral principles	Immoral	Lying is completely immoral even if it is done for a good purpose.
Charging a politician with a serious crime	Impeach	Trump was impeached recently but it didn’t really affect his position as the president.
Government instructions that limit trade in some way	Embargo	With the danger of virus hovering over the whole world, an embargo on international trade was mutually decided upon.
Believer of fate	Fatalist	I am fatalist for I believe that our destiny has already been written.
Loves being social and enjoys the company of others	Gregarious	Gurleen is a gregarious girl and we often call her the social butterfly of our class!
Trees grow without underbrush.	Grove	This garden is filled with beautiful groves that amazingly complemented the tall trees
An office with high salary but no work	Sinecure	After listening to the perks that Seema has at her office, Vishal assumes as if she works at a Sinecure.
A person who betrays and descents and organisation or country	Renegade	It is currently flashing in the news that a renegade policeman shot three innocent people.
One who is much concerned about details and accuracy	Fastidious	Virat is fastidious about his hair. He makes sure that he visits the salon at regular intervals.
A place for storage of arms and ammunition	Arsenal	The officer informed the soldier about his new posting in Arsenal.
One who is expelled from a religious community	Excommunicate	His misconduct at the previous religious gathering led to his ex-communication.
A person who eats too much	Glutton	As soon as the guests left, Riya didn’t miss a chance to call our cousin glutton.
Something which can be copied	Immitable	As the captain’s approach for the finale was imitable, he is still called a legend.

Killing-related	One Word Substitution	Examples
When someone kills their own father	Patricide	Jean was arrested for patricide.
The act of killing a king	Regicide	The monarchy fell with the regicide.
The killing of a person by another	Homicide	He went to jail on the charge of homicide.
The killing of one’s child	Filicide	The police filed a report about filicide that happened in the C block.

Top 40 One-Word Substitutions Asked in Competitive Exams

One-Word Substitution Sample Questions

Now that you have understood the concept of one-word substitution, let us sample some sample questions so that you develop a strong command over it!

Q1. An individual who is unable to express or interact easily

A) Extrovert
B) Introvert
C) Ambivert
D) None of the Above

Q2. A stream of water moving very fast

A) Current
B) Tide
C) Torrent
D) Storms

Q3. Shikha spends a lot of money on clothes. Her cousins call her a:

A) Frugal
B) Economical
C) Miser
D) Spendthrift

Q4. Asmita works really hard for the upliftment of poor children. She even donates half of her salary to NGOs. She is:

A) Philanthropist
B) Selfish
C) Tightfisted
D) None of the Above

Q5. It is impossible to see through it.

A) Translucent
B) Fragile
C) Opaque
D) Transparent

Q6. Aman is really scared of thunderstorms. He suffers:

A) Acrophobia
B) Ophidiophobia
C) Nephophobia
D) Astraphobia

Q7. She caught the robbers

A) Courageously
B) Frightened
C) Cowardly
D) None of the above

Q8. Lalit has a good knowledge of Music. His father calls him:

A) Incompetent
B) Amateur
C) Maestro
D) Beginner

Q9. After attending a career counseling session, he understood that his ____ was cooking:

A) Niche
B) Supplant
C) Replacement
D) None of the above

Q10. You can’t park your truck here. It is:

A) Lawful
B) Allowed
C) Unauthorized
D) None of the Above

Answers:

1. B
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. C
6. D
7. A
8. C
9. A
10. C

[BONUS] One Word Substitution Quiz

FAQs

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