Master these essential words to excel in your 11+ English and Verbal Reasoning exams
Written by
Sam D.
Definition:
Having the usual qualities of a particular type of person or thing
“It was a typical Monday morning.”
Definition:
Occurring or appearing at a given rate, often repeated or encountered.
“She made frequent visits to her grandmother.”
Definition:
Situated next to or near something else, often without touching
“The shop is adjacent to the library.”
Definition:
Coming after, less important than, or resulting from something else of main importance
“Price is a secondary concern for quality.”
Definition:
Adequate for the purpose, enough to meet a need or requirement
“We have sufficient food for everyone.”
Definition:
Extremely funny, arousing great laughter
“The comedy show was hilarious.”
Definition:
Check that something is true or accurate
“Please verify your email address.”
Definition:
Likely to be true or to happen, supported by evidence but not certain
“It is probable that it will rain tomorrow.”
Definition:
Enough in quantity, or good enough in quality for a particular purpose
“The meal was adequate but not special.”
Definition:
Capable and qualified to do a task properly
“She is a competent teacher.”
Definition:
Breathtakingly beautiful or remarkable
“She wore a stunning dress to the gala.”
Definition:
Charming or attractive, so much that it is almost magical
“The enchanting garden was full of flowers.”
Definition:
Extremely disgusting
“The smell was repulsive.”
Definition:
A false front that hides what is really there
“It was all a facade.”
Definition:
Visually attractive, especially in a quaint way
“The village was picturesque.”
Definition:
Ugly or unnatural in a way that causes disgust
“The sculpture was grotesque.”
Definition:
Pure and gentle in nature or appearance
“The child had an angelic smile.”
Definition:
Naturally looking good when photographed
“She is very photogenic.”
Definition:
Wonderfully crafted and stunningly lovely
“The jewellery was exquisite.”
Definition:
Physically attractive
“The sunset was beautiful.”
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Definition:
Impressively grand and beautiful in a royal way
“The majestic castle overlooked the valley.”
Definition:
Extremely beautiful or impressive
“The palace was magnificent, with gold decorations everywhere.”
Definition:
Impressive and magnificent beauty on a large scale
“The palace had great grandeur.”
Definition:
Beautiful, tasteful, and stylish in appearance or manner
“She wore an elegant dress to the ball.”
Definition:
Heavenly and almost too perfect for this world
“She had an ethereal quality.”
Definition:
Stare at someone in a threatening way
“She glowered at him across the room.”
Definition:
Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty
“The room had a pleasing aesthetic.”
Definition:
Attractive or tempting in a mysterious way
“The alluring scent of fresh bread drew customers into the bakery.”
Definition:
Sternness or plainness in appearance, or economic strictness
“The country adopted austerity measures during the crisis.”
Definition:
Attractive or appropriate
“The blue dress was very becoming on her.”
Definition:
The forward-facing part or a false appearance
“The house had an impressive front entrance.”
Definition:
Attractive in appearance
“He was a handsome young man.”
Definition:
Having a shiny or glossy appearance
“Her lustrous hair shone in the sunlight.”
Definition:
Clothing, especially formal or elegant clothes
“The queen wore magnificent raiment for the coronation.”
Definition:
Attractive and impressive through being richly colourful
“The queen looked resplendent in her jewelled crown and gown.”
Definition:
Providing beautiful views of nature
“They took a scenic route through the mountains.”
Definition:
Dull, dreary and uninteresting to look at
“The drab walls needed painting.”
Definition:
Dim, sad and without cheer
“The gloomy castle looked haunted.”
Definition:
To set something on fire, to light, arouse or inspire
“The speech kindled hope in everyone.”
Definition:
Shining brightly, giving off light
“The luminous stars lit up the sky.”
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Definition:
Give out small flashes of light
“The diamond glinted in the sunlight.”
Definition:
Give out steady light without flame
“The embers continued to glow in the dark.”
Definition:
Bright, luminous or happy in appearance
“She looked radiant on her wedding day.”
Definition:
Brighten with light or make clearer to understand
“The streetlights illuminate the road.”
Definition:
A space that is huge, dark and empty, like a cave
“The hall was cavernous.”
Definition:
Menacing, foreboding, sinister
“The ominous clouds suggested a storm was coming.”
Definition:
Dark, gloomy and depressing; causing sadness
“The weather was dismal all week.”
Definition:
Full of shadows or partially obscured by darkness
“A shadowy figure appeared in the alleyway at midnight.”
Definition:
To explain something and make it clearer to understand
“The teacher elucidated the complex theory.”
Definition:
To send out or release something such as light, heat or sound
“The factory emits harmful gases.”
Definition:
A very small and subtle difference in meaning or detail
“She understood the nuances of the language.”
Definition:
To feed on grass or other vegetation; to lightly touch or scrape the surface of something
“The cattle grazed peacefully in the meadow.”
Definition:
The appearance of objects in light or to influence
“Red is my favourite colour.”
Definition:
Extremely bright or impressive
“The fireworks display was absolutely dazzling.”
Definition:
Not bright or clear
“The dim light made it hard to read.”
Definition:
Light rain falling in very fine drops
“A gentle drizzle fell throughout the afternoon.”
Definition:
When one celestial body obscures another, or to surpass
“Her achievements eclipsed those of her competitors.”
Definition:
To delight or fill with wonder
“The magical performance enchanted the children.”
Definition:
A bright flash of light in the sky during a storm
“The lightning lit up the night sky.”
Definition:
Dark or dull in colour or tone, or serious
“The funeral had a sombre atmosphere.”
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Definition:
The soft light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon
“They walked home in the twilight after the sun had set.”
Definition:
A good, moral or ethical person, a person of good standing
“She lived a virtuous life helping others.”
Definition:
The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles
“She was known for her integrity in business.”
Definition:
Morally right or justifiable
“She fought for righteous causes.”
Definition:
Morally corrupt or wicked
“The villain had a depraved mind.”
Definition:
Making a show of being morally superior
“His sanctimonious speech annoyed everyone.”
Definition:
A person's moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one's behaviour.
“His conscience troubled him.”
Definition:
Something designed for a particular purpose
“This device makes life easier.”
Definition:
To accept behaviour that is morally wrong
“The school does not condone bullying in any form.”
Definition:
A standard or principle by which something is judged
“Neatness was an important criterion for the art competition.”
Definition:
Moral corruption or wickedness
“The novel depicted the depravity of life in the criminal underworld.”
Definition:
Not conforming to accepted standards of morality
“Stealing is immoral and against the law.”
Definition:
Concerned with principles of right and wrong behaviour
“It is our moral duty to help those in need.”
Definition:
Feeling morally superior to others
“The self-righteous student looked down on others for small mistakes.”
Definition:
Having no moral principles
“The unscrupulous businessman cheated his customers.”
Definition:
Immoral behaviour or a bad habit
“Laziness was his only vice.”
Definition:
Behaviour showing high moral standards
“Honesty is an important virtue.”
Definition:
Terribly poor in quality
“The test results were abysmal.”
Definition:
Offensive, rude
“His vulgar language offended everyone.”
Definition:
Having bad manners
“It is impolite to interrupt.”
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Definition:
A tough choice between two options
“She faced a moral dilemma.”
Definition:
A ruler who has total power and controls everything
“The dictator ruled the country with an iron fist.”
Definition:
Bad-tempered, grumpy and difficult to deal with
“The cantankerous old man complained about everything.”
Definition:
Bad-tempered and not wanting to talk or smile
“He gave a sullen response to the question.”
Definition:
Causing harm or damage to something
“Smoking is detrimental to your health.”
Definition:
To secretly plan with others to do something wrong
“The group conspired to overthrow the government.”
Definition:
Awful, dreadful, terrible, contemptible
“The weather was atrocious all week.”
Definition:
Awful, ghastly
“The morbid story gave me nightmares.”
Definition:
Not harmful to the environment
“We switched to eco-friendly cleaning products.”
Definition:
A real or imagined wrong causing resentment
“The workers aired their grievances about working conditions.”
Definition:
Disrespectful or scornful
“His insulting remarks upset everyone.”
Definition:
Used or spent badly or wastefully
“He regretted his misspent youth playing video games all day.”
Definition:
Fame for a bad quality or deed
“The criminal gained notoriety for his crimes.”
Definition:
A response that proves a statement or theory is wrong
“The lawyer prepared a strong rebuttal to the accusation.”
Definition:
Deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed
“He felt remorse after lying to his parents.”
Definition:
Fortunate discoveries made by accident
“By serendipity, she found her lost ring.”
Definition:
Bad-tempered and unfriendly
“The surly shopkeeper barely acknowledged customers.”
Definition:
Better or greater than any other
“Her skill at chess was unsurpassed in the school.”
Complete guide for 11+ success
Essential vocabulary list
Master word relationships
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A strong vocabulary and word meaning skills is the foundation of success in both CEM and GL Assessment 11+ grammar school exams (CEM and GL Assessment). These carefully selected 100 words represent the most important vocabulary you need to master for English comprehension and Verbal Reasoning and comprehension sections.
Each word has been chosen because it:
💡 Pro Tip: Don't just memorize definitions! Learn how to use these words in context by reading the examples and creating your own sentences.

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For effective 11+ preparation, aim for 5-15 new words per week depending on how far from the exam. Start with 5-10 words weekly 12+ months before exams, increasing to 10-15 words as the exam approaches. Consistent daily practice with 11+ Vocab Master makes this manageable and effective.
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11+ Vocab Master provides clear definitions with example sentences for every word.
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