Why Synonyms are Important for CAT
Synonyms play a crucial role in the CAT exam, especially in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section.
✅ Importance:
- Improve reading comprehension speed
- Help in understanding passages easily
- Boost vocabulary strength
- Useful in para-jumbles and sentence correction
- Enhance spoken and written English
👉 Strong vocabulary = Higher CAT score 🔥
List of 100 Synonyms (Table Format)
| Word | Synonym |
|---|---|
| Abandon | Leave |
| Ability | Skill |
| Accurate | Correct |
| Admit | Accept |
| Angry | Furious |
| Big | Large |
| Brave | Courageous |
| Calm | Peaceful |
| Clever | Smart |
| Danger | Risk |
| Decide | Determine |
| Easy | Simple |
| End | Finish |
| Fast | Quick |
| Fear | Terror |
| Happy | Joyful |
| Hard | Difficult |
| Help | Assist |
| Honest | Truthful |
| Idea | Thought |
| Important | Essential |
| Increase | Rise |
| Job | Work |
| Kind | Generous |
| Lazy | Idle |
| Look | See |
| Make | Create |
| Need | Require |
| Old | Ancient |
| Quick | Rapid |
| Rich | Wealthy |
| Safe | Secure |
| Small | Tiny |
| Start | Begin |
| Strong | Powerful |
| Talk | Speak |
| Try | Attempt |
| Use | Utilize |
| Want | Desire |
| Wrong | Incorrect |
| Ask | Inquire |
| Buy | Purchase |
| Endure | Tolerate |
| Explain | Clarify |
| Famous | Renowned |
| Funny | Humorous |
| Gift | Present |
| Help | Aid |
| Idea | Concept |
| Improve | Enhance |
| Kill | Destroy |
| Love | Adore |
| Move | Shift |
| Near | Close |
| Offer | Propose |
| Plan | Strategy |
| Quiet | Silent |
| Right | Correct |
| Show | Display |
| Think | Consider |
| Understand | Comprehend |
| Weak | Fragile |
| Win | Triumph |
| Angry | Irritated |
| Bad | Poor |
| Begin | Commence |
| Bright | Brilliant |
| Clean | Neat |
| Dark | Dim |
| Deep | Profound |
| Early | Initial |
| Empty | Vacant |
| Exact | Precise |
| Fail | Collapse |
| Fair | Just |
| Friend | Companion |
| Give | Provide |
| Grow | Expand |
| Honest | Sincere |
| Idea | Notion |
| Jump | Leap |
| Keep | Maintain |
| Large | विशाल (Big) |
| Mistake | Error |
| New | Recent |
| Old | Obsolete |
| Quick | Swift |
| Right | Proper |
| Sad | Unhappy |
| Stop | Cease |
| Strong | Robust |
| True | Accurate |
| Use | Employ |
| Weak | Feeble |
| Work | Labor |
| Young | Youthful |
Synonyms with Examples
👉 Learning with examples improves retention:
- Big → Large
👉 This is a large building. - Happy → Joyful
👉 She felt joyful after success. - Quick → Rapid
👉 He made rapid progress. - Help → Assist
👉 She assisted her friend.
Commonly Confused Words
These are very important for CAT:
- Accept vs Except
Accept = receive
Except = exclude - Affect vs Effect
Affect = influence (verb)
Effect = result (noun) - Advice vs Advise
Advice = noun
Advise = verb
Practice Questions
📝 Q1:
Choose the synonym of “Brave”
a) Weak
b) Courageous
c) Lazy
👉 Answer: b
📝 Q2:
Choose the synonym of “Quick”
a) Slow
b) Rapid
c) Late
👉 Answer: b
📝 Q3:
Choose the synonym of “Honest”
a) Truthful
b) Clever
c) Angry
👉 Answer: a
Tips to Remember Synonyms
🔥 Smart Techniques:
- Use in sentences daily
- Learn 10 words per day
- Revise regularly
- Use flashcards
- Group similar words together
🚀 Final Tip for CAT Students
Consistency is key. Practice synonyms daily and apply them in reading and speaking to improve both exam performance + English fluency.
Here is a list of 100 synonyms that you can use to enhance your vocabulary for the CAT test or IIM MBA entrance:
Acquire – Obtain
Adequate – Sufficient
Analyze – Examine
Ascertain – Determine
Assess – Evaluate
Attain – Achieve
Augment – Increase
Authentic – Genuine
Benefit – Advantage
Cease – Stop
Comprehend – Understand
Conclude – Infer
Conduct – Perform
Consistent – Reliable
Contradict – Dispute
Deficient – Inadequate
Demonstrate – Show
Derive – Obtain
Diminish – Reduce
Dispute – Argue
Elaborate – Expand
Emphasize – Highlight
Enhance – Improve
Establish – Set up
Evaluate – Assess
Examine – Scrutinize
Exceed – Surpass
Explicate – Explain
Facilitate – Aid
Fathom – Understand
Forecast – Predict
Foster – Promote
Generate – Create
Identify – Recognize
Implement – Execute
Imply – Suggest
Inquire – Ask
Integrate – Incorporate
Interpret – Analyze
Justify – Validate
Lament – Mourn
Magnify – Amplify
Maximize – Optimize
Minimize – Reduce
Modify – Alter
Observe – Notice
Obtain – Acquire
Oppose – Resist
Opt – Choose
Outline – Summarize
Perceive – Understand
Ponder – Contemplate
Postulate – Hypothesize
Precede – Come before
Predominant – Dominant
Prohibit – Forbid
Promote – Encourage
Propose – Suggest
Quantify – Measure
Rationalize – Justify
Reconcile – Resolve
Refute – Disprove
Regulate – Control
Reinforce – Strengthen
Replicate – Duplicate
Request – Ask for
Reside – Dwell
Retain – Preserve
Revise – Modify
Simulate – Imitate
Substantiate – Verify
Sustain – Maintain
Synthesize – Combine
Terminate – End
Transform – Change
Utilize – Use
Validate – Confirm
Verify – Authenticate
Warrant – Justify
Abate – Decrease
Absorb – Engage
Ameliorate – Improve
Avert – Prevent
Bolster – Strengthen
Consolidate – Combine
Curtail – Reduce
Delineate – Describe
Diminish – Decrease
Disperse – Scatter
Enrich – Enhance
Escalate – Increase
Evoke – Prompt
Fortify – Strengthen
Illuminate – Clarify
Inhibit – Restrict
Mitigate – Alleviate
Optimize – Maximize
Pacify – Calm
Refine – Improve
Substantiate – Support