How to learn these words
- Cover the meaning column, and test yourself on 5 to 10 words a day.
- Write one sentence of your own for each new word.
- Test yourself again after 3 days and after 7 days. Keep the ones you forget in a separate list.
The word list
| Word | Meaning | Synonym | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abate | to become less strong | subside | The fever began to abate by morning. |
| Aberrant | different from what is normal | abnormal | Aberrant cells were found in the sample. |
| Abstain | to choose not to do something | refrain | Patients must abstain from food before the test. |
| Acute | severe and sudden; sharp | intense | He felt an acute pain in his chest. |
| Adamant | refusing to change one's mind | unyielding | She was adamant about becoming a surgeon. |
| Adhere | to stick to; to follow closely | cling | Students must adhere to the exam rules. |
| Adverse | harmful or unfavourable | negative | The drug had no adverse effects. |
| Alleviate | to make pain or a problem less severe | relieve | Rest can alleviate the symptoms. |
| Ambiguous | having more than one possible meaning | unclear | The question was ambiguous. |
| Ameliorate | to make something better | improve | New policies may ameliorate the shortage. |
| Arduous | needing great effort | strenuous | Preparing for the test is an arduous task. |
| Astute | quick to understand and judge | shrewd | An astute doctor noticed the rare sign. |
| Benevolent | kind and generous | charitable | A benevolent donor funded the clinic. |
| Candid | honest and direct | frank | She gave a candid opinion of the plan. |
| Chronic | lasting a long time | persistent | Diabetes is a chronic disease. |
| Coherent | clear and logical | consistent | His argument was coherent. |
| Compel | to force someone to do something | oblige | The rain compelled them to stay inside. |
| Concise | short and clear | brief | Write a concise summary. |
| Conspicuous | easy to notice | obvious | The sign was placed in a conspicuous spot. |
| Contagious | spreading between people | infectious | Measles is highly contagious. |
| Copious | large in amount | abundant | She took copious notes in class. |
| Deter | to discourage from acting | dissuade | High fees deter many students. |
| Diligent | careful and hard-working | industrious | A diligent student revises every day. |
| Diminish | to become smaller or less | decrease | His strength began to diminish. |
| Discern | to recognise or notice | perceive | It was hard to discern the small print. |
| Dormant | inactive for a time | inactive | The virus can stay dormant for years. |
| Eloquent | speaking clearly and persuasively | articulate | She gave an eloquent speech. |
| Elusive | hard to find or achieve | evasive | A cure has remained elusive. |
| Enhance | to improve the quality of | boost | Good sleep can enhance memory. |
| Ephemeral | lasting a very short time | short-lived | The joy of the moment was ephemeral. |
| Exacerbate | to make something worse | aggravate | Stress can exacerbate the illness. |
| Feasible | possible to do | practicable | Is the plan feasible in twelve weeks? |
| Fragile | easily broken | delicate | Old bones become fragile. |
| Frugal | careful with money | thrifty | They lived a frugal life. |
| Futile | having no useful result | pointless | It is futile to argue now. |
| Gregarious | liking company | sociable | He is a gregarious person. |
| Hamper | to slow or get in the way of | hinder | Poor roads hamper relief work. |
| Hostile | unfriendly or aggressive | antagonistic | The crowd turned hostile. |
| Immense | extremely large | huge | The task needs immense patience. |
| Impede | to delay or block progress | obstruct | Fallen trees impede traffic. |
| Inevitable | certain to happen | unavoidable | Some delay was inevitable. |
| Innate | present from birth | inborn | Some reflexes are innate. |
| Lethal | able to cause death | deadly | A lethal dose must be avoided. |
| Lucid | clear and easy to understand | clear | The teacher gave a lucid explanation. |
| Meticulous | very careful about details | thorough | Surgeons must be meticulous. |
| Mitigate | to make less harmful | lessen | Vaccines mitigate the risk of disease. |
| Novel | new and unusual | original | They proposed a novel treatment. |
| Obsolete | no longer in use | outdated | That method is now obsolete. |
| Obstinate | refusing to change | stubborn | The obstinate child refused to eat. |
| Pertinent | directly related | relevant | Ask only pertinent questions. |
| Plausible | seeming likely to be true | believable | She gave a plausible reason. |
| Pragmatic | practical and realistic | sensible | We need a pragmatic solution. |
| Prevalent | common at a given time | widespread | Malaria is prevalent in some regions. |
| Profound | very great or deep | deep | The discovery had a profound effect. |
| Prudent | careful about the future | wise | It is prudent to save some time for revision. |
| Reluctant | unwilling | hesitant | He was reluctant to answer. |
| Resilient | able to recover quickly | tough | Children can be remarkably resilient. |
| Scarce | not available in large amounts | rare | Clean water is scarce there. |
| Scrutinise | to examine closely | inspect | Examiners scrutinise each script. |
| Spontaneous | happening without planning | unplanned | The crowd gave spontaneous applause. |
| Stringent | strict and exact | rigorous | The lab has stringent safety rules. |
| Subtle | slight and hard to notice | understated | There is a subtle difference between the two. |
| Superfluous | more than is needed | unnecessary | Remove superfluous words from your essay. |
| Susceptible | easily affected | vulnerable | Infants are susceptible to infection. |
| Tedious | long and boring | monotonous | Copying notes can be tedious. |
| Tenacious | not giving up easily | persistent | A tenacious student keeps trying. |
| Trivial | of little importance | minor | Do not worry about trivial errors. |
| Ubiquitous | found everywhere | omnipresent | Bacteria are ubiquitous. |
| Vague | not clear or exact | imprecise | His directions were vague. |
| Viable | able to work or survive | workable | Only viable cells were counted. |
| Vigilant | watchful for danger | alert | Stay vigilant during an outbreak. |
| Zealous | showing great energy for a cause | passionate | A zealous volunteer worked all night. |
Beyond vocabulary
- Grammar: read our notes on grammar and lexis.
- Reading: practise reading and thinking skills.
- Writing: revise writing skills.
- Practice: take a timed English test.
Frequently asked questions
How many English MCQs are in MDCAT?
There are 9 English MCQs out of 180, which is 5% of the paper.
Is this an official MDCAT word list?
No. PM&DC does not publish a word list like this. We chose these as useful practice words of the kind that appear in exam-level reading and vocabulary questions.
How can I learn vocabulary quickly?
Learn 5 to 10 words a day, use each one in your own sentence, and test yourself again after a few days.
How should I prepare for MDCAT English?
Cover the grammar rules first, since they follow fixed patterns. Then add vocabulary and practise reading sentences carefully.
Keep reading
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