CDS English · Vocabulary
Underlined phrases, idioms and definition-style options
What to do when the underlined part is a whole phrase or an idiom, and when the options are short definitions instead of single words.
Why this matters
Some CDS synonym questions underline a whole phrase, such as an idiom, and some give definitions as options instead of single words. The same method works, but you read the phrase as one unit and define the word yourself before you look at the options.
Concept 1 of 3: Prepositional phrases and phrasal verbs
A phrase such as 'in consonance with' or 'dispense with' works as one unit. Its meaning is not the sum of its words, so learn it whole and swap it whole.
Definition
- A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition: in consonance with, for want of.
- A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word that changes its meaning: dispense with (do without), keep pace with (move at the same rate).
- Replace the whole underlined phrase with each option, and read the sentence again.
| Phrase | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| in consonance with | in agreement with | in harmony with | 2017 (II) |
| for want of | because something is missing | for lack of | 2017 (II) |
| dispense with | do without; end | terminate | 2017 (II) |
| keep pace with | move forward at the same rate as | to move at the same speed as | 2017 (II) |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2017 · CDS (II) 2017 — English · Q109Easy
Example 1 · Vocabulary · Synonyms: Phrases and Idioms
Directions: nearest meaning of underlined expression
I could not go up in life for want of proper guidance.
The small word changes the meaning
To dispense medicine is to give it out. To dispense with something is to do without it. Read the verb and its small word together.
Close is not nearest
In consonance with means in harmony with. In accordance with and in tune with are close, but harmony is what consonance means, so it is the nearest.
Concept 2 of 3: Idioms: read the picture, not the words
An idiom paints a picture. Read the picture, then ask what it means in a person's life. An option that takes the words literally is almost always the trap.
Definition
- Die in harness: a working horse wears a harness, so dying in harness means dying while still at work, before retirement.
- Scapegoat: in an old ritual a goat was sent away carrying the people's sins, so a scapegoat is blamed for others' faults.
- Harbinger: a messenger sent ahead to announce someone's coming; now, a sign of what is coming.
| Idiom | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| died in harness | died while still at work | died before retirement | 2017 (II) |
| made a scapegoat for | blamed for the faults of others | blamed without reason for | 2017 (II) |
| harbinger | a sign of what is coming | advance messenger | 2022 (II) |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2017 · CDS (II) 2017 — English · Q107Moderate
Example 2 · Vocabulary · Synonyms: Phrases and Idioms
Directions: nearest meaning of underlined expression
The institution decided to give Mrs. Roy's job to her son not because she was a social worker, but because she had died in harness.
Blamed is not suspected
A scapegoat is blamed without reason for what others did. Suspected of causing and severely punished for are near-misses: the idiom is about unfair blame, not suspicion or punishment.
A harbinger comes before
A harbinger is an advance messenger: it arrives before the thing it announces. An option about looking back (regressive) or an ancestor gets the direction wrong.
Concept 3 of 3: When the options are definitions
Sometimes the options are short definitions, not single words. Long options feel harder, but they give you more to check. Define the word yourself first, then look for the option that says the same thing.
Definition
The method:
- Cover the options and define the word in your own words.
- Find the option that matches your definition. Check every part of it, not just one word.
- Strike options that match only part of the meaning (too narrow) or add an idea the word does not have.
- Watch the direction: a long option can describe the opposite in many words.
Worked example
Choose the option nearest in meaning: The speech was full of hyperbole. (a) exaggeration for effect (b) quiet humour (c) careful facts (d) repeated questions
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (II) 2026 — English · Q11Easy
Example 3 · Vocabulary · Synonyms: Phrases and Idioms
Directions: In the following items a sentence or a phrase is given with a word that is underlined, followed by four words or groups of words. Select the option that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
As a child she displayed a precocious talent for music.
Too narrow is still wrong
An option can be true of the word but cover only part of it. Greed for money is part of pleonexia; greed to grab everything for oneself is the whole of it. Choose the option that covers the full meaning.
Every part of the option must fit
Effusive praise is warm and strong. An option that keeps the approval but makes it calm (dispassionate, tranquil) gets only half right, and half right is wrong.
Do not pick the opposite in long words
A business that floundered struggled. 'Glided through' and 'floated through' sound gentle and sensible, but they describe the opposite. Check the direction of a long option as you would a short one.
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 (2)
Prepositional phrases and phrasal verbs4 rows
| Phrase | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| in consonance with | in agreement with | in harmony with | 2017 (II) |
| for want of | because something is missing | for lack of | 2017 (II) |
| dispense with | do without; end | terminate | 2017 (II) |
| keep pace with | move forward at the same rate as | to move at the same speed as | 2017 (II) |
Idioms: read the picture, not the words3 rows
| Idiom | Meaning | Nearest option | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| died in harness | died while still at work | died before retirement | 2017 (II) |
| made a scapegoat for | blamed for the faults of others | blamed without reason for | 2017 (II) |
| harbinger | a sign of what is coming | advance messenger | 2022 (II) |
Watch out for (7)
- The small word changes the meaning→ Prepositional phrases and phrasal verbs
- Close is not nearest→ Prepositional phrases and phrasal verbs
- Blamed is not suspected→ Idioms: read the picture, not the words
- A harbinger comes before→ Idioms: read the picture, not the words
- Too narrow is still wrong→ When the options are definitions
- Every part of the option must fit→ When the options are definitions
- Do not pick the opposite in long words→ When the options are definitions
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.