content
/kənˈtent/adjectiveSatisfied and happy with what one has; at peace
“The cat looked content sleeping in the sunshine.”
Synonyms: satisfied, pleased, happy, fulfilled
Antonyms: dissatisfied, unhappy, discontented
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These are the 69 vocabulary words starting with C from our free 565-word 11 plus vocabulary list, from calamity to custom including 8 advanced words of the kind that separates top verbal reasoning scores. Each entry shows the meaning, synonyms, antonyms and an example sentence — the exact skills tested in GL and CEM verbal reasoning, comprehension and cloze questions. You can also download the full list as a free PDF or practise these words with our free vocabulary games.
A serious disaster or misfortune causing great damage or distress
“The earthquake was a terrible calamity for the region.”
Synonyms: disaster, catastrophe, tragedy, misfortune
Antonyms: blessing, fortune, success
A person who is applying for a job or competing for a position
“Three candidates were interviewed for the teaching position.”
Synonyms: applicant, contender, nominee, hopeful
Moving swiftly and in an uncontrolled way
“The shopping trolley went careering down the hill.”
Synonyms: rushing, hurtling, speeding, racing
Antonyms: crawling, creeping, plodding
A group of things sharing similar characteristics; a class or division
“This animal belongs to the category of mammals.”
Synonyms: class, group, type, division
A waterproof substance used to fill gaps and seal joints
“The builder applied caulking around the window frame.”
Synonyms: sealant, filler, putty
Care taken to avoid danger or mistakes; a warning
“She approached the stray dog with caution.”
Synonyms: care, carefulness, warning, vigilance
Antonyms: recklessness, carelessness, rashness
To come or bring to an end; to stop
“The rain finally ceased in the afternoon.”
Synonyms: stop, end, halt, finish
Antonyms: begin, start, continue
A place where dead people are buried; a graveyard
“They visited the cemetery to pay respects to their grandparents.”
Synonyms: graveyard, burial ground, churchyard
Complete disorder and confusion
“The classroom was in chaos when the teacher left.”
Synonyms: disorder, confusion, turmoil, mayhem
Antonyms: order, harmony, peace
Burnt and blackened by fire
“The charred remains of the building stood in silence.”
Synonyms: burnt, scorched, blackened, singed
Antonyms: unburnt, fresh
A person who creates and arranges dance movements
“The choreographer taught the dancers their routine.”
Synonyms: dance director, dance designer
Mercy; leniency in punishing someone
“The prisoner appealed for clemency from the judge.”
Synonyms: mercy, leniency, compassion, forgiveness
Antonyms: harshness, severity, cruelty
Rough in texture; lacking refinement or politeness
“The coarse sand scratched her feet.”
Synonyms: rough, scratchy, crude, unrefined
Antonyms: smooth, fine, refined
To gently persuade someone to do something
“She coaxed the frightened kitten out from under the bed.”
Synonyms: persuade, cajole, wheedle, entice
Antonyms: force, compel, discourage
An educational institution for higher learning or specialised training
“She plans to study medicine at college.”
Synonyms: university, academy, institute, school
The property of things that is produced by light reflecting off them, such as red, blue, or green
“Her favourite colour is purple.”
Synonyms: hue, shade, tint, tone
A mixture or joining of different things together
“The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is delicious.”
Synonyms: mixture, blend, mix, union
Antonyms: separation, division
To begin or start something
“The concert will commence at seven o'clock.”
Synonyms: begin, start, initiate, launch
Antonyms: end, finish, conclude
To carry out an action; to pledge or dedicate oneself to something
“She decided to commit herself to learning the piano.”
Synonyms: dedicate, pledge, perform, carry out
Antonyms: neglect, abandon, ignore
A group of people appointed to make decisions or manage something
“The school committee met to discuss the new uniform.”
Synonyms: board, panel, council, group
To share or exchange information, news, or ideas with someone
“Dolphins communicate using clicks and whistles.”
Synonyms: convey, share, express, transmit
Antonyms: withhold, suppress, conceal
A group of people living in the same area or sharing common interests
“The community came together to clean up the park.”
Synonyms: neighbourhood, society, group, population
A person or animal who accompanies or spends time with another
“Her dog has been a faithful companion for years.”
Synonyms: friend, partner, comrade, associate
Antonyms: stranger, enemy
A business organisation; the presence of another person or people
“Her father works for a large technology company.”
Synonyms: business, firm, corporation, companionship
Antonyms: solitude, loneliness
To force or strongly urge someone to do something
“The evidence compelled the jury to reach a verdict.”
Synonyms: force, oblige, pressure, coerce
Antonyms: discourage, deter, prevent
A contest in which people or teams try to win against each other
“She entered the spelling competition and won first place.”
Synonyms: contest, tournament, championship, rivalry
Antonyms: cooperation, collaboration
Totally; in every way or as much as possible
“I completely forgot about the meeting.”
Synonyms: totally, entirely, fully, wholly
Antonyms: partially, partly, incompletely
Made up of many different parts; difficult to understand
“The human brain is incredibly complex.”
Synonyms: complicated, intricate, elaborate, involved
Antonyms: simple, straightforward, easy
The way something is put together; a piece of writing or music
“The composition of the soil affects plant growth.”
Synonyms: structure, arrangement, essay, piece
To understand something fully
“It took me a while to comprehend the instructions.”
Synonyms: understand, grasp, perceive, fathom
Antonyms: misunderstand, confuse, miss
A companion who shares activities or experiences; a fellow member
“The soldiers were loyal comrades throughout the war.”
Synonyms: companion, colleague, friend, ally
Antonyms: enemy, opponent, rival
To hide or keep something secret
“She tried to conceal her disappointment with a smile.”
Synonyms: hide, cover, disguise, mask
Antonyms: reveal, expose, show
Excessively proud of oneself; vain
“The conceited actor thought he was better than everyone.”
Synonyms: vain, arrogant, egotistical, proud
Antonyms: humble, modest, unassuming
Focused intensely; made stronger by removing water or other substances
“She made a concentrated effort to improve her grades.”
Synonyms: focused, intense, strong, undiluted
Antonyms: diluted, weak, scattered
To bring to an end; to reach a decision or judgement
“The meeting will conclude at five o'clock.”
Synonyms: finish, end, decide, determine
Antonyms: begin, start, commence
The end of something; a judgement or decision reached by reasoning
“The conclusion of the book was very surprising.”
Synonyms: ending, finish, result, judgement
Antonyms: beginning, start, introduction
To express strong disapproval of; to sentence to punishment
“The world leaders condemned the act of violence.”
Synonyms: criticise, denounce, censure, sentence
Antonyms: praise, approve, commend
Discussed something to reach a decision; granted an honour or title
“The judges conferred before announcing the winner.”
Synonyms: discussed, consulted, granted, bestowed
Antonyms: withheld, denied, refused
To keep within limits; to restrict or imprison
“The illness confined her to bed for a week.”
Synonyms: restrict, limit, imprison, enclose
Antonyms: free, release, liberate
An inner sense of what is right and wrong that guides behaviour
“Her conscience told her to return the lost wallet.”
Synonyms: morals, principles, ethics, inner voice
Aware of and responding to one's surroundings; deliberate and intentional
“The patient remained conscious throughout the procedure.”
Synonyms: aware, awake, alert, deliberate
Antonyms: unconscious, unaware, oblivious
Permission or agreement to do something
“She gave her consent for the photos to be published.”
Synonyms: permission, agreement, approval, authorisation
Antonyms: refusal, denial, objection
To protect something from harm or destruction; to use carefully to prevent waste
“We must conserve water during the drought.”
Synonyms: preserve, protect, save, maintain
Antonyms: waste, destroy, squander
Careful thought about something; thoughtfulness for others
“After much consideration, she chose the blue dress.”
Synonyms: thought, deliberation, regard, thoughtfulness
Antonyms: disregard, neglect, thoughtlessness
To be made up or composed of certain parts or elements
“The team consists of twelve players.”
Synonyms: comprise, contain, include, be composed of
Antonyms: exclude, lack
To make secret plans together, usually to do something harmful
“The villains conspired to rob the bank.”
Synonyms: plot, scheme, plan, collude
Happening continuously; remaining the same and not changing
“The constant noise from the building site was annoying.”
Synonyms: continuous, unchanging, steady, persistent
Antonyms: changing, variable, intermittent
To eat, drink, or use up something
“Teenagers consume large amounts of food during growth spurts.”
Synonyms: eat, devour, use, expend
Antonyms: conserve, save, preserve
Living or occurring at the same time; belonging to the present day
“The gallery displays contemporary art.”
Synonyms: modern, current, present-day, recent
Antonyms: ancient, old-fashioned, historical
A feeling that someone or something is worthless; scorn
“She looked at the mess with contempt.”
Synonyms: scorn, disdain, disrespect, derision
Antonyms: respect, admiration, regard
Satisfied and happy with what one has; at peace
“The cat looked content sleeping in the sunshine.”
Synonyms: satisfied, pleased, happy, fulfilled
Antonyms: dissatisfied, unhappy, discontented
A competition in which people try to win; a struggle for victory
“She won the talent contest with her amazing dance.”
Synonyms: competition, tournament, match, championship
Antonyms: cooperation
A formal written agreement between two or more parties
“The footballer signed a five-year contract.”
Synonyms: agreement, deal, pact, arrangement
A striking difference between two things when compared
“The contrast between the two paintings was remarkable.”
Synonyms: difference, distinction, opposition, dissimilarity
Antonyms: similarity, likeness, resemblance
To give something to help achieve a goal or be part of something
“Everyone contributed money to the charity collection.”
Synonyms: give, donate, provide, supply
Antonyms: withhold, take, receive
Following traditional or accepted customs and practices
“They had a conventional wedding ceremony.”
Synonyms: traditional, standard, normal, typical
Antonyms: unconventional, unusual, innovative
To change something into a different form or purpose
“They converted the garage into a home office.”
Synonyms: change, transform, turn, alter
Antonyms: maintain, preserve, keep
To transport or communicate something from one place to another
“Words cannot convey how grateful I am.”
Synonyms: communicate, express, transport, carry
Antonyms: conceal, withhold, suppress
To declare someone guilty of a crime in a court of law
“The jury took three days to convict the defendant.”
Synonyms: condemn, sentence, find guilty
Antonyms: acquit, clear, exonerate
To persuade someone that something is true or to do something
“She convinced her parents to let her go to the party.”
Synonyms: persuade, influence, assure, satisfy
Antonyms: discourage, dissuade, deter
Free from error; true and accurate
“All her answers were correct.”
Synonyms: right, accurate, true, exact
Antonyms: incorrect, wrong, inaccurate
Not openly shown or acknowledged; secret
“The spy carried out a covert operation.”
Synonyms: secret, hidden, concealed, undercover
Antonyms: overt, open, public
To want something greatly, especially something that belongs to someone else
“She coveted her neighbour's beautiful garden.”
Synonyms: desire, want, crave, yearn for
Antonyms: reject, spurn, dislike
Pretending to be shy or modest; reluctant to give information
“She gave a coy smile when asked about her secret.”
Synonyms: shy, modest, bashful, reserved
Antonyms: bold, forward, open
Recognition for an achievement; the ability to buy now and pay later
“She deserves credit for her hard work.”
Synonyms: recognition, acknowledgement, praise, trust
Antonyms: blame, criticism, debt
To prepare land for growing crops; to develop or improve something
“The farmer cultivated the fields each spring.”
Synonyms: grow, develop, nurture, foster
Antonyms: neglect, ignore, abandon
Having skill in achieving one's aims through deceit or cleverness
“The cunning fox outsmarted the hunters.”
Synonyms: clever, crafty, sly, shrewd
Antonyms: naive, innocent, honest
To control or limit something; to keep in check
“He tried to curb his temper.”
Synonyms: control, limit, restrain, restrict
Antonyms: encourage, release, free
A traditional practice or usual way of behaving
“It is a custom to shake hands when meeting someone.”
Synonyms: tradition, practice, habit, ritual
The interactive word list adds British audio pronunciation, memory tips and progress tracking for every word — and our 6 free vocabulary games turn revision into play.