Civil Service Exam Vocabulary Review 15

This is the PCSR 15th vocabulary reviewer.

1. Abridge – verb
Shorten, diminish, curtail

Because my time was limited, I just watched the abridged version of the movie.

2. Blunder – noun
Error, careless mistake, blooper

The criminal’s blunder led to his capture.

3. Cacophonous- adjective
Discordant, loud noise

I did not sleep well last night because of the cacophonous sound upstairs.

4. Deadlock-noun
Standstill, dead end, stalemate

Because the negotiations had reached a deadlock, the team leader decided to take a recess.

5. Ensconce-verb
Settle, establish

After her retirement, the old maid ensconced on her rest house by the beach.

6. Fervent-adjective
Ardent, hot

After attending a retreat, Allison suddenly felt a fervent desire to change herself.

7. Gibe-verb
Mock, jibe, slam, taunt

The mean girls at school consistently gibed at Minna, teasing her about her old clothes.

8. Heinous-adjective
Atrocious, hatefully bad

Most of the senators voted to bring back the death penalty, but for heinous crimes only.

9. Incorrigible-adjective
not correctable

The effect of the drugs on the youth makes them incorrigible; they will just keep on justifying their wrongdoings.

10. Insipid-adjective
Lack of flavor, dull

Grandma prepared us an insipid cookie. We pretend that it was sweet so that grandma’s feelings won’t get hurt.