25 One Word Substitution List for Competitive Exams

 

25 One Word Substitution List for Competitive Exams with Example Sentence

It is quite often seen that learners and speakers of English use lengthy sentences to express their thoughts and opinions in a conversation. This may often make their speech or conversation boring.

 

How can one overcome this drawback?

 

By developing our vocabulary of one-word substitution. In this blog, I am going to present a few answers on the subject of One-Word Substitution and we will also see 25 important one-word substitutions that will help you gain mastery over the English language.

 

Let’s get started.

 

WHAT IS ONE-WORD SUBSTITUTION?

 

When we substitute a long sentence with a single word that explains the entire sentence, it is called a one-word substitution. This way the word represents the sentence making it short and crisp.

 

For example, instead of saying - ‘Ram has the ability to do many different things.’ we can simply say - ‘Ram is versatile.’

 

We have reduced a nine-word sentence to three words. This is the power of one-word substitution.

 

WHY IS ONE-WORD SUBSTITUTION IMPORTANT IN REAL LIFE & EXAMS?

 

In an era where people are using social media platforms to express their opinions, it becomes imperative to use words that mean a sentence. People want the text to be crisp and effective giving them more and more information in fewer and fewer words. This is where one-word substitution vocabulary can come in handy.

 

Secondly, candidates taking verbal ability tests in competitive exams are required to have an understanding of these words. It helps the examiners test the candidates' grip on the language. Here the candidates are given sentences and they have to replace them with a single word that explains the sentence.

BENEFITS OF USING ONE-WORD SUBSTITUTION

 

One word substitution comes packed with numerous benefits. Here are a few:

 

a. Enables you to write your thoughts in a crisp and effective manner.

 

b. It makes you appear intelligent and someone with a good command of the language.

 

c. It makes your writing and thoughts impactful.

 

d. Using one-word substitution saves time and space helping you create an impact in a short time or on social media spaces like Twitter.

 

25 ONE-WORD SUBSTITUTIONS THAT CAN BE ASKED IN COMPETITIVE EXAMS

 

1. Ability to do something successfully that others may find difficult to do. 

One-word Substitution: Knack

Example sentence: He has a knack for cooking.

 

2. One who pretends to be what he is not. / One who promotes something but does the opposite. 

One-word Substitution: Hypocrite

Example sentence: What a hypocrite he is - lecturing others on cleanliness and himself littering the ground.

 

3. Something that is no longer useful because something better has been invented.

One-word Substitution: Obsolete

Example sentence: Mobile phones have made landlines obsolete.

 

4. Lasting forever or having no beginning or end to its existence. 

One-word Substitution: Eternal

Example sentence: Some people are eternal optimists while others are eternal pessimists. 

 

5. Someone who looks at the bright side of things.

One-word Substitution: Optimist

Example sentence: Being an optimist is baseless if you are not doing the right things that will help you achieve your goal.

 

6. One who has a very long experience of a particular job or activity.

One-word Substitution: Veteran

Example sentence: He is considered a veteran in the field of teaching.

 

7. A diverse place or a place bustling (crowded) with people from varying nationalities or states.

One-word Substitution: Cosmopolitan

Example sentence: Nowadays the cities are fast becoming cosmopolitan with people from various states deciding to make the cities their home.

 

8. Repeating something that makes it unnecessary.

One-word Substitution: Redundant

Example sentence: In the sentence ‘Can you repeat once again?’, once again is redundant as repeat means once again.

 

9. Something so unusual that it is hard to believe.

One-word Substitution: Incredible

Example sentence: The storyline of this novel is incredible.

 

10. Knowing everything or seeming to have infinite knowledge.

One-word Substitution: Omniscient

Example sentence: Trying to portray yourself as omniscient may land you in trouble sometimes.

 

11. An occasion of great importance.

One-word Substitution: Momentous 

Example sentence: Having graduated with flying colours was a momentous occasion for her and her family.

 

12. Someone showing good judgement or understanding of things. Being able to make good decisions.

One-word Substitution: Sagacious 

Example sentence: The sagacious decisions of the PM is helping the country become a world leader.

 

13. A person who questions the authenticity of something.

One-word Substitution: Sceptic

Example sentence: In today’s world if you are not a sceptic about what people promise you may get cheated. 

 

14. Someone who pays great attention to details as they like everything to be neat and in good order.

One-word Substitution: Fastidious 

Example sentence: She is very fastidious about how things should be kept in the house.

 

15. Something that cannot be put into practice.

One-word Substitution: Impracticable 

Example sentence: The proposed scheme was rejected by the people as it was too idealistic and impracticable.  

 

16. A picture of a person or a thing drawn in an exaggerated manner that causes people to laugh. It makes the appearance or behaviour funnier than actually is.

One-word Substitution: Caricature

Example sentence: Caricatures are a humorous way of looking at the world. 

 

17. Someone who believes in whatever is told / Someone who shows great readiness to believe things.

One-word Substitution: Credulous

Example sentence: Are you so credulous that you will believe whatever circulates on social media?

 

18. Someone whose mood or behaviour changes unexpectedly and is unpredictable.

One-word Substitution: Mercurial 

Example sentence: Be careful while talking to her, she has mercurial moods. You can never guess how she will be feeling the next moment.

 

19. An extravagant project that is considered useless - a waste of time and money - and is yet continued due to political motivation.

One-word Substitution: Boondoggle

Example sentence: Initially the statue was looked upon as a boondoggle but over a period of time it has proven to be worthwhile for state tourism.

 

20. A show of courage or confidence that may appear shocking or rude to others. A bold or daring quality that leaves people shocked and speechless.

One-word Substitution: Audacity

Example sentence: Success comes to people who have the audacity to do things that others find rude, shocking or impossible.

 

21. An individual or a thing that is absolutely necessary to an organization or a company.

One-word Substitution: Linchpin

Example sentence: Ensuring discipline at an early age in all areas is the linchpin of success.

 

22. The situation or the set of circumstances in which something happens that can help in explaining it.

One-word Substitution: Context

Example sentence: Before you jump to a conclusion understand the context in which the statement was made.

 

23. Someone who never makes a mistake or fails. 

One-word Substitution: Infallible 

Example sentence: If you think you are infallible you are being arrogant.

 

24. Someone who travels regularly and widely to different parts of the world for business or pleasure. 

One-word Substitution: Globetrotter

Example sentence: I dream of becoming a globetrotter someday seeking to explore the planet. 

 

25. A thing that will cure all diseases or has the capability to solve all problems and difficulties. Considered to be a universal remedy.

One-word Substitution: Panacea

Example sentence: Proper upbringing under the guidance of the right culture is the panacea of all social evils and hatred.

 

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