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These are the 50 vocabulary words starting with P from our free 565-word 11 plus vocabulary list, from paid to purpose including 7 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.
Past tense of pay; having received money for work or goods; given money in exchange
“She paid for the groceries with her credit card.”
Synonyms: compensated, remunerated, rewarded, reimbursed
Antonyms: unpaid, owed, owing
Done with great care and thoroughness; involving much careful effort and attention to detail
“The restoration of the painting was a painstaking process that took years.”
Synonyms: meticulous, careful, thorough, diligent
Antonyms: careless, hasty, sloppy
A scientist who studies fossils and prehistoric life forms to understand the history of life on Earth
“The palaeontologist discovered a new species of dinosaur in the desert.”
Synonyms: fossil expert, prehistoric scientist, fossil hunter
Extending in the same direction and remaining the same distance apart; similar or corresponding in nature
“The railway tracks run parallel to the main road.”
Synonyms: similar, comparable, corresponding, equivalent
Antonyms: perpendicular, divergent, different
The supreme legislative body of a country, especially the UK; a formal assembly for discussion
“The bill was passed by Parliament after months of debate.”
Synonyms: legislature, assembly, congress, government
Accepting what happens without active response or resistance; not participating actively
“He took a passive role in the discussion, listening but rarely speaking.”
Synonyms: inactive, submissive, unresisting, docile
Antonyms: active, assertive, aggressive
Land covered with grass suitable for grazing animals; to put animals to graze in a field
“The cows grazed peacefully in the green pasture.”
Synonyms: meadow, field, grassland, grazing land
Antonyms: desert, barren land
The pointed top of a mountain; the highest point or level of something; to reach the maximum
“The climbers reached the peak of the mountain at sunrise.”
Synonyms: summit, top, pinnacle, apex
Antonyms: bottom, base, nadir
Strange or unusual; different from what is normal or expected; belonging uniquely to a person or place
“There was a peculiar smell coming from the old cupboard.”
Synonyms: strange, odd, unusual, curious
Antonyms: normal, ordinary, common
To become aware of something through the senses; to understand or interpret something in a particular way
“She perceived a change in his attitude towards her.”
Synonyms: sense, detect, notice, observe
Antonyms: miss, overlook, ignore
Serious and immediate danger; exposure to the risk of harm or loss
“The sailors faced great peril during the storm.”
Synonyms: danger, risk, hazard, jeopardy
Antonyms: safety, security, protection
Full of danger or risk; extremely hazardous
“The perilous mountain path was only for experienced climbers.”
Synonyms: dangerous, hazardous, risky, treacherous
Antonyms: safe, secure, harmless
To die, especially in a violent or sudden way; to decay or deteriorate
“Thousands perished in the earthquake.”
Synonyms: die, expire, decay, rot
Antonyms: survive, live, thrive
To allow or give permission for something; an official document giving authorization
“The teacher permitted the students to leave early.”
Synonyms: allow, authorize, sanction, licence
Antonyms: prohibit, forbid, ban
Completely puzzled or confused; unable to understand something
“She looked perplexed when asked to solve the riddle.”
Synonyms: confused, puzzled, baffled, bewildered
Antonyms: clear, understanding, certain
To convince someone to do or believe something through reasoning or argument
“She persuaded her parents to let her go to the concert.”
Synonyms: convince, influence, sway, coax
Antonyms: discourage, dissuade, deter
Relating to the body rather than the mind; relating to things that can be seen, touched, or measured
“Regular physical exercise is important for good health.”
Synonyms: bodily, corporeal, material, tangible
Antonyms: mental, spiritual, emotional
The treatment of disease, injury, or disability through physical methods such as exercise and massage
“After the surgery, she needed months of physiotherapy to walk again.”
Synonyms: physical therapy, rehabilitation, bodywork
A substance that gives colour to something; natural colouring matter in living things
“The artist mixed pigments to create the perfect shade of blue.”
Synonyms: colour, dye, tint, colouring
A person who is among the first to explore or develop something new; to be the first to develop
“Marie Curie was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity.”
Synonyms: innovator, trailblazer, founder, explorer
Antonyms: follower, imitator
Calm and peaceful; not easily upset or excited; tranquil
“The placid lake reflected the mountains like a mirror.”
Synonyms: calm, peaceful, tranquil, serene
Antonyms: agitated, turbulent, stormy
A solemn promise or undertaking; to commit to giving or doing something
“The politician made a pledge to reduce taxes.”
Synonyms: promise, vow, oath, commitment
Antonyms: denial, refusal, betrayal
A long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers; a cloud of smoke or steam rising into the air
“The peacock displayed its magnificent plume of feathers.”
Synonyms: feather, quill, cloud, column
To steal goods using force, especially during war or civil unrest; the violent seizure of property
“The pirates plundered the merchant ship.”
Synonyms: loot, pillage, rob, raid
Antonyms: protect, guard, return
To jump or dive quickly and energetically; to decrease suddenly and dramatically
“She plunged into the cold swimming pool.”
Synonyms: dive, drop, fall, descend
Antonyms: rise, climb, ascend
The state of having two opposite qualities, tendencies, or poles; the direction of magnetic or electric force
“The polarity of the debate showed how divided opinions were.”
Synonyms: opposition, contrast, dichotomy, duality
Antonyms: unity, similarity, agreement
Self-important and excessively dignified; showing an inflated sense of one's own importance
“His pompous speech bored everyone at the conference.”
Synonyms: arrogant, self-important, conceited, pretentious
Antonyms: humble, modest, unassuming
Domestic birds kept for eggs or meat, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese
“The farm raises poultry for the local market.”
Synonyms: fowl, birds, chickens, domestic birds
Not securely held or in position; dangerously unstable; dependent on uncertain circumstances
“The vase was in a precarious position on the edge of the shelf.”
Synonyms: unstable, insecure, uncertain, risky
Antonyms: stable, secure, safe
A preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience; unfair treatment based on such opinions
“We must fight against racial prejudice in all its forms.”
Synonyms: bias, discrimination, intolerance, bigotry
Antonyms: tolerance, fairness, impartiality
A gift; the current time; being in a particular place; to give or show something formally
“She opened her birthday presents with excitement.”
Synonyms: gift, current, here, introduce
Antonyms: absent, past, future
A special right or advantage available only to a particular person or group; an honour
“Having access to quality education is a privilege not everyone enjoys.”
Synonyms: advantage, right, benefit, honour
Antonyms: disadvantage, burden, obligation
Almost certainly; as far as one knows or can tell; in all likelihood
“It will probably rain tomorrow according to the forecast.”
Synonyms: likely, presumably, perhaps, possibly
Antonyms: unlikely, improbably, definitely not
To announce officially or publicly; to declare openly and proudly
“The king proclaimed a national holiday.”
Synonyms: announce, declare, broadcast, pronounce
Antonyms: conceal, hide, suppress
To obtain something, especially with care or effort; to acquire or secure
“The company procured materials from sustainable sources.”
Synonyms: obtain, acquire, secure, get
Antonyms: lose, forfeit, give away
A paid occupation requiring specialized education and training; the body of people in such an occupation
“She chose medicine as her profession.”
Synonyms: career, occupation, vocation, field
Antonyms: hobby, pastime
Financial gain; the money made after subtracting costs; to gain benefit or advantage
“The company made a profit of two million pounds last year.”
Synonyms: gain, earnings, return, benefit
Antonyms: loss, deficit, expense
A planned series of events or activities; a broadcast on television or radio; to arrange or schedule
“The school introduced a new reading programme for struggling students.”
Synonyms: plan, schedule, show, broadcast
To formally forbid by law, rule, or authority; to prevent or make impossible
“Smoking is prohibited in all public buildings.”
Synonyms: forbid, ban, outlaw, bar
Antonyms: allow, permit, authorize
Important or well-known; easily visible; sticking out or projecting
“She is a prominent figure in the world of fashion.”
Synonyms: famous, notable, distinguished, conspicuous
Antonyms: unknown, obscure, inconspicuous
To support or encourage; to advance to a higher position or rank; to advertise or publicize
“The charity works to promote education in developing countries.”
Synonyms: advance, support, encourage, advertise
Antonyms: demote, discourage, hinder
Done without delay; quick to act; to cause or encourage an action; a cue or reminder
“We appreciate your prompt response to our enquiry.”
Synonyms: quick, swift, immediate, encourage
Antonyms: slow, delayed, late
The way in which a word or language is spoken; the act of producing the sounds of speech
“Her pronunciation of French words was impeccable.”
Synonyms: articulation, enunciation, diction, accent
A part or share of a whole; the relationship of one thing to another in terms of size or amount
“A large proportion of the budget goes towards education.”
Synonyms: ratio, percentage, share, fraction
Antonyms: disproportion, imbalance
Successful, flourishing, or thriving, especially financially; bringing wealth and success
“The prosperous merchant owned several ships.”
Synonyms: successful, thriving, wealthy, affluent
Antonyms: poor, struggling, failing
To stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion; to deliberately annoy or anger someone
“His comments provoked an angry response from the audience.”
Synonyms: annoy, irritate, anger, incite
Antonyms: calm, soothe, pacify
Of or concerning the people as a whole; open to or shared by all; the community or people in general
“The park is open to the public seven days a week.”
Synonyms: common, communal, shared, open
Antonyms: private, personal, secret
Arriving or doing something at the expected or agreed time; prompt and on time
“She is always punctual for meetings and never keeps anyone waiting.”
Synonyms: prompt, on time, timely, reliable
Antonyms: late, tardy, delayed
A small hole made by a sharp object; to make a hole in something; to deflate suddenly
“The cyclist had to repair a puncture in his tyre.”
Synonyms: hole, pierce, perforate, prick
Antonyms: seal, mend, repair
The reason for which something is done or created; a person's sense of resolve or determination
“The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the new project.”
Synonyms: aim, goal, objective, intention
Antonyms: aimlessness, purposelessness
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.