CDS English · Vocabulary
Words for feelings, speech and persuasion
The words CDS has tested for feelings and reactions, for ways of speaking and writing, and for urging, praising and blaming.
Why this matters
A large part of the CDS synonym block describes how people feel and how they speak. The options for these words often differ only in strength or in charge, so you need the exact shade of each word, not just its rough idea.
Concept 1 of 3: Feelings and reactions
Feeling words differ in strength and in charge. Aghast is stronger than shocked; exhilarating is stronger than pleasant. The answer keeps the charge and roughly the strength of the underlined word.
Definition
Sort them:
- Shock and confusion: aghast, shocked (appalled), nonplussed (perplexed).
- Loneliness and suffering: desolated, stranded, tormented, fatigued.
- Joy, warmth and courage: exhilarating, endearment, engaging, emboldened, effusive.
- Wanting: anxious for something means keen to get it, not worried about it.
| Word | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| desolated | lonely and abandoned | deserted | 2018 (II) |
| aghast | struck with shock and horror | horrified | 2020 (I) |
| shocked | upset by something unexpected and bad | appalled | 2021 (II) |
| nonplussed | so surprised that one cannot react | perplexed | 2026 (II) |
| stranded | left helpless, with no way out | marooned | 2026 (I) |
| exhilarating | very exciting and joyful | thrilling | 2024 (I) |
| endearment | a word or act that shows love | fondness | 2022 (I) |
| tormented | caused great suffering to | distressed | 2022 (I) |
| fatigued | made very tired | exhausted | 2020 (I) |
| emboldened | given courage | encouraged | 2020 (II) |
| engaging | attractive, holding attention | appealing | 2018 (II) |
| anxious | anxious for: keen to get | eager | 2023 (I) |
| effusive | pouring out feelings without restraint | expressing approval while exhibiting strong feelings | 2026 (I) |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2020 · CDS (I) 2020 — English · Q69Moderate
Example 1 · Vocabulary · Synonyms: Feelings, Speech and Persuasion
Directions: nearest in meaning to the underlined word
The leader said, "I am aghast with the developments so far. I will take time to understand this."
Nonplussed does not mean unbothered
In casual speech some people use nonplussed to mean calm. In the exam it means perplexed: confused and at a loss. Petrified (frozen with fear) is a near-miss.
Check what the word describes
Exhilarating describes the moment (thrilling). Eager describes the person waiting for it. An option can share the mood and still describe the wrong thing.
Engaging here means attractive
An engaging classroom holds your attention, so the match is appealing. It has nothing to do with being busy or being engaged to marry.
Concept 2 of 3: Speech and writing
These words describe how much is said and how clearly. Brevity says little; tautology and verbose say too much; abstruse is hard to follow; clichéd is worn out. Place the word on one of these scales before you look at the options.
Definition
Three groups:
- Amount: brevity (few words) against verbose and tautology (too many words, or the same thing said twice). Prolixity also means too many words.
- Clarity and freshness: abstruse and recondite (hard to understand), clichéd and hackneyed (overused), conversational (informal), generic (general).
- Other: crux (the central point), exemplify (show by example), understatement (making something seem smaller), eavesdropping (listening secretly).
| Word | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| tautology | saying the same thing twice in different words | prolixity | 2019 (I) |
| brevity | the use of few words | concision | 2023 (II) |
| conversational | like everyday talk | informal | 2022 (I) |
| abstruse | hard to understand | recondite | 2026 (I) |
| clichéd | overused, unoriginal | hackneyed | 2020 (I) |
| generic | general, not specific | broad | 2020 (I) |
| crux | the central point | core | 2021 (I) |
| exemplify | show by example | demonstrate | 2021 (I) |
| understatement | describing something as smaller than it is | underplaying significance | 2026 (I) |
| eavesdropping | listening secretly to others | listening secretly | 2023 (I) |
| verbose | using too many words | exaggerate | 2024 (II) No option meant wordy. Exaggerate was the only option meaning too much. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2023 · CDS (II) 2023 — English · Q58Easy
Example 2 · Vocabulary · Synonyms: Feelings, Speech and Persuasion
Directions: word nearest in meaning to the underlined word
His speeches were models of brevity.
Verbose is about words, not size
Verbose means using too many words. Exaggerating means making something bigger than it is. Succinct and short are opposites of verbose, not synonyms.
Conversational is informal, not dialogical
Dialogical means in the form of a dialogue. Conversational language is everyday, informal language, and formal is its opposite.
Generic means general
A generic statement is broad, not about one case. Specific is the opposite and is often placed among the options.
Concept 3 of 3: Urging, praising and blaming
These words push people or judge them. Exhort and advocate push forward; provocative and incendiary push towards anger; reprimand blames; condone lets a wrong pass. The opposite, praise for blame, is the usual trap.
Definition
Group them:
- Urging: exhorted (urged), advocacy (promotion), recommend (suggest).
- Stirring anger: provocative and incendiary (both inflammatory), derisive (mocking).
- Blaming and forgiving: reprimanded (admonished), condone (overlook), betrayal (treachery).
- Reprimanded has been set twice, and the answer both times was admonished.
| Word | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| exhorted | strongly urged | urged | 2023 (I) |
| advocacy | public support for a cause | promotion | 2020 (II) |
| provocative | meant to stir people to anger | inflammatory | 2019 (I) |
| incendiary | meant to stir up anger or conflict | provocative | 2026 (II) Literally fire-starting. Of remarks, it means stirring up anger. |
| reprimanded | formally scolded | admonished | 2019 (I), 2021 (I) |
| recommend | put forward as suitable | suggest | 2018 (I) |
| condone | accept or overlook a wrong | overlook | 2018 (II) Condone means forgive or overlook. It is not condemn. |
| derisive | showing scorn, mocking | contemptuous | 2018 (II) |
| betrayal | breaking someone’s trust | treachery | 2019 (II) |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2019 · CDS (I) 2019 — English · Q16Moderate
Example 3 · Vocabulary · Synonyms: Feelings, Speech and Persuasion
Directions: nearest in meaning to the underlined word
The authorities have reprimanded the subordinate officer for violating the protocol.
Condone is not condemn
To condone an act is to forgive or overlook it. To condemn it is to declare it wrong. The two look alike and mean nearly the opposite; punish is a trap for the same reason.
Advocacy is support
Advocacy comes from the same root as advocate (a lawyer who speaks for someone). In these sentences it means active support or promotion, and opposition is the opposite.
Recommend is suggest, not advise
To recommend a name is to put it forward as suitable. Advise and counsel mean to give guidance to a person, which does not fit 'recommend his name'.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Feelings and reactions13 rows
| Word | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| desolated | lonely and abandoned | deserted | 2018 (II) |
| aghast | struck with shock and horror | horrified | 2020 (I) |
| shocked | upset by something unexpected and bad | appalled | 2021 (II) |
| nonplussed | so surprised that one cannot react | perplexed | 2026 (II) |
| stranded | left helpless, with no way out | marooned | 2026 (I) |
| exhilarating | very exciting and joyful | thrilling | 2024 (I) |
| endearment | a word or act that shows love | fondness | 2022 (I) |
| tormented | caused great suffering to | distressed | 2022 (I) |
| fatigued | made very tired | exhausted | 2020 (I) |
| emboldened | given courage | encouraged | 2020 (II) |
| engaging | attractive, holding attention | appealing | 2018 (II) |
| anxious | anxious for: keen to get | eager | 2023 (I) |
| effusive | pouring out feelings without restraint | expressing approval while exhibiting strong feelings | 2026 (I) |
Speech and writing11 rows
| Word | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| tautology | saying the same thing twice in different words | prolixity | 2019 (I) |
| brevity | the use of few words | concision | 2023 (II) |
| conversational | like everyday talk | informal | 2022 (I) |
| abstruse | hard to understand | recondite | 2026 (I) |
| clichéd | overused, unoriginal | hackneyed | 2020 (I) |
| generic | general, not specific | broad | 2020 (I) |
| crux | the central point | core | 2021 (I) |
| exemplify | show by example | demonstrate | 2021 (I) |
| understatement | describing something as smaller than it is | underplaying significance | 2026 (I) |
| eavesdropping | listening secretly to others | listening secretly | 2023 (I) |
| verbose | using too many words | exaggerate | 2024 (II) No option meant wordy. Exaggerate was the only option meaning too much. |
Urging, praising and blaming9 rows
| Word | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| exhorted | strongly urged | urged | 2023 (I) |
| advocacy | public support for a cause | promotion | 2020 (II) |
| provocative | meant to stir people to anger | inflammatory | 2019 (I) |
| incendiary | meant to stir up anger or conflict | provocative | 2026 (II) Literally fire-starting. Of remarks, it means stirring up anger. |
| reprimanded | formally scolded | admonished | 2019 (I), 2021 (I) |
| recommend | put forward as suitable | suggest | 2018 (I) |
| condone | accept or overlook a wrong | overlook | 2018 (II) Condone means forgive or overlook. It is not condemn. |
| derisive | showing scorn, mocking | contemptuous | 2018 (II) |
| betrayal | breaking someone’s trust | treachery | 2019 (II) |
Watch out for (9)
- Nonplussed does not mean unbothered→ Feelings and reactions
- Check what the word describes→ Feelings and reactions
- Engaging here means attractive→ Feelings and reactions
- Verbose is about words, not size→ Speech and writing
- Conversational is informal, not dialogical→ Speech and writing
- Generic means general→ Speech and writing
- Condone is not condemn→ Urging, praising and blaming
- Advocacy is support→ Urging, praising and blaming
- Recommend is suggest, not advise→ Urging, praising and blaming
Test yourself on Vocabulary
20 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 20 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.