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These are the 56 vocabulary words starting with S from our free 565-word 11 plus vocabulary list, from sacred to system including 5 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.
Connected with God or religious purposes; treated with great respect
“The temple is a sacred place for worshippers.”
Synonyms: holy, divine, blessed, hallowed
Antonyms: profane, secular, unholy
To give up something valued for the sake of something else
“She had to sacrifice her free time to complete the project.”
Synonyms: give up, forfeit, surrender, relinquish
Antonyms: keep, retain, gain
Having a sound and healthy mind; reasonable and sensible
“Any sane person would refuse such a dangerous challenge.”
Synonyms: rational, sensible, reasonable, lucid
Antonyms: insane, crazy, mad
Relating to conditions that affect health, especially cleanliness
“The kitchen must meet strict sanitary standards.”
Synonyms: hygienic, clean, sterile, healthy
Antonyms: unsanitary, dirty, unhygienic
A smooth, glossy fabric with a shiny surface
“The bride wore a beautiful satin gown.”
Synonyms: silk, velvet, brocade
Small or insufficient in quantity or amount
“The evidence was scanty, making it hard to reach a conclusion.”
Synonyms: meagre, sparse, limited, insufficient
Antonyms: abundant, plentiful, ample
Insufficient for the demand; not easy to find
“Clean water became scarce during the drought.”
Synonyms: rare, limited, sparse, uncommon
Antonyms: abundant, plentiful, common
The number of points achieved in a game or test; twenty
“The final score was three to two.”
Synonyms: points, result, tally, count
Sacred writings of a religion, especially the Bible
“The priest read from scripture during the ceremony.”
Synonyms: holy text, sacred text, Bible, gospel
Protected against danger or threat; free from worry or doubt
“The documents are kept in a secure location.”
Synonyms: safe, protected, guarded, stable
Antonyms: insecure, unsafe, vulnerable
To take hold of suddenly and forcibly; to capture
“The police were able to seize the stolen goods.”
Synonyms: grab, capture, snatch, grasp
Antonyms: release, free, give
Not often; rarely
“She seldom misses her morning exercise routine.”
Synonyms: rarely, infrequently, hardly ever, occasionally
Antonyms: often, frequently, always
To cause to move or be apart; to divide into distinct parts
“The teacher asked the students to separate into groups.”
Synonyms: divide, split, part, disconnect
Antonyms: join, unite, combine
Calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil
“The lake looked serene in the early morning light.”
Synonyms: calm, peaceful, tranquil, placid
Antonyms: agitated, troubled, turbulent
A religious talk given by a preacher; a long lecture about morals
“The vicar delivered an inspiring sermon on Sunday.”
Synonyms: preaching, lecture, homily, address
The part of the body between the neck and upper arm
“He carried the heavy bag on his shoulder.”
Having sharp powers of judgement; clever and astute
“The shrewd businesswoman made successful investments.”
Synonyms: astute, clever, sharp, cunning
Antonyms: naive, foolish, gullible
A holy or sacred place dedicated to a specific deity or purpose
“Pilgrims travel far to visit the ancient shrine.”
Synonyms: sanctuary, temple, altar, chapel
To become or make smaller in size; to draw back in fear
“The jumper will shrink if you wash it in hot water.”
Synonyms: contract, reduce, diminish, recoil
Antonyms: expand, grow, enlarge
A person's name written in their own handwriting as identification
“Please put your signature at the bottom of the form.”
Synonyms: autograph, name, mark, sign
Genuine and honest; free from pretence or deceit
“His sincere apology was accepted by everyone.”
Synonyms: genuine, honest, truthful, heartfelt
Antonyms: insincere, fake, dishonest
In a sincere and genuine manner; truly
“I sincerely hope you have a wonderful holiday.”
Synonyms: genuinely, honestly, truly, earnestly
Antonyms: insincerely, falsely, dishonestly
Smooth and glossy; elegant and streamlined in appearance
“The cat had sleek black fur that shone in the sunlight.”
Synonyms: smooth, glossy, shiny, polished
Antonyms: rough, dull, unkempt
A surface that is higher on one side than the other; an incline
“The children enjoyed sledging down the snowy slope.”
Synonyms: incline, hill, gradient, slant
Antonyms: flat, level, plain
Cunning and deceitful; showing cleverness in achieving one's aims
“The sly fox crept quietly towards the henhouse.”
Synonyms: cunning, crafty, sneaky, devious
Antonyms: honest, straightforward, open
Not affected by alcohol; serious and sensible in manner
“He remained sober throughout the entire party.”
Synonyms: serious, sensible, solemn, grave
Antonyms: drunk, intoxicated, frivolous
A person who serves in an army
“The brave soldier received a medal for his courage.”
Synonyms: warrior, fighter, trooper, serviceman
Antonyms: civilian
To plant seeds by scattering them on the ground
“The farmer began to sow wheat in the spring.”
Synonyms: plant, seed, scatter, spread
Antonyms: harvest, reap, gather
Better, greater, or different from what is usual; unique
“Today is a special day because it's your birthday.”
Synonyms: unique, exceptional, distinctive, particular
Antonyms: ordinary, common, usual
Serious and strict in manner or attitude; unrelenting
“The stern teacher demanded complete silence during the exam.”
Synonyms: strict, severe, harsh, firm
Antonyms: lenient, gentle, mild
The organ in the body where food is digested; the belly
“Her stomach growled because she had skipped breakfast.”
Synonyms: belly, tummy, abdomen, gut
To bend the body forward and downward; to lower oneself morally
“She had to stoop to pick up the coin from the floor.”
Synonyms: bend, crouch, lean, bow
Antonyms: straighten, rise, stand tall
Somewhat fat or heavily built; strong and thick
“The stout man struggled to squeeze through the narrow doorway.”
Synonyms: sturdy, strong, thick, robust
Antonyms: thin, slender, weak
Mental or emotional strain from demanding circumstances; emphasis
“The stress of exams affected her sleep.”
Synonyms: pressure, strain, tension, anxiety
Antonyms: relaxation, calm, peace
Extended or pulled to become longer or wider
“The stretched elastic band finally snapped.”
Synonyms: extended, elongated, expanded, pulled
Antonyms: compressed, contracted, shrunk
Refusing to change one's mind or position; determined not to yield
“The stubborn child refused to apologize.”
Synonyms: obstinate, headstrong, determined, persistent
Antonyms: flexible, compliant, yielding
Strongly and solidly built; robust and durable
“The sturdy table could hold heavy weights.”
Synonyms: strong, robust, solid, durable
Antonyms: weak, fragile, flimsy
Quiet and rather thoughtful or depressed; softened in tone or colour
“The usually cheerful boy seemed subdued after the bad news.”
Synonyms: quiet, muted, restrained, softened
Antonyms: loud, bright, vibrant
Ready to obey others without resistance; meek and compliant
“The submissive dog rolled over at its owner's command.”
Synonyms: obedient, compliant, meek, docile
Antonyms: defiant, rebellious, assertive
To yield to the authority of another; to present for consideration
“Please submit your homework by Friday.”
Synonyms: surrender, yield, present, offer
Antonyms: resist, defy, withhold
Deceit used to achieve one's goal; a trick or deception
“The spy used subterfuge to gain access to the secret documents.”
Synonyms: deception, trickery, deceit, ruse
Antonyms: honesty, openness, directness
Existing or occurring beneath the earth's surface; underground
“The explorers discovered a subterranean cave system.”
Synonyms: underground, below ground, subsurface, buried
Antonyms: surface, aboveground, aerial
Relating to regions bordering on the tropics; nearly tropical
“The subtropical climate was perfect for growing citrus fruits.”
Synonyms: semitropical, warm, humid
Antonyms: arctic, polar, temperate
Having achieved one's aims or reached prosperity
“The experiment was successful beyond our expectations.”
Synonyms: prosperous, thriving, victorious, triumphant
Antonyms: unsuccessful, failed, defeated
To give in to pressure or temptation; to die from an illness
“She finally succumbed to the temptation of chocolate cake.”
Synonyms: yield, surrender, submit, give in
Antonyms: resist, overcome, fight
Enough; adequate for the purpose
“Do we have sufficient supplies for the camping trip?”
Synonyms: enough, adequate, ample, satisfactory
Antonyms: insufficient, inadequate, lacking
To put forward an idea for consideration; to imply or hint at
“May I suggest we take a different route?”
Synonyms: propose, recommend, advise, imply
Antonyms: demand, order, command
The highest point of a hill or mountain; the peak level of achievement
“The climbers finally reached the summit at noon.”
Synonyms: peak, top, apex, pinnacle
Antonyms: base, bottom, foot
More than is needed or wanted; unnecessary or excessive
“The extra decorations seemed superfluous in the already ornate room.”
Synonyms: excessive, unnecessary, surplus, redundant
Antonyms: necessary, essential, needed
Higher in quality, rank, or importance than others
“This brand offers superior quality at a reasonable price.”
Synonyms: better, higher, excellent, outstanding
Antonyms: inferior, worse, lower
Generally assumed or believed to be true; required or expected
“The supposed treasure turned out to be worthless.”
Synonyms: assumed, believed, expected, required
Antonyms: proven, confirmed, actual
An unexpected event; the feeling caused by something unexpected
“The party was a wonderful surprise for her birthday.”
Synonyms: shock, astonishment, amazement, wonder
Antonyms: expectation, anticipation
To believe something to be true without certain proof; to doubt
“I suspect he knows more than he's telling us.”
Synonyms: believe, suppose, think, doubt
Antonyms: trust, believe in, know
To hang something from above; to temporarily stop or delay
“The decorations were suspended from the ceiling.”
Synonyms: hang, delay, postpone, halt
Antonyms: continue, resume, support
A thing representing or standing for something else
“The dove is a symbol of peace.”
Synonyms: sign, emblem, icon, representation
An organized set of connected things or parts working together
“The solar system contains eight planets.”
Synonyms: structure, organization, network, arrangement
Antonyms: chaos, disorder, disorganization
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.