Advanced Vocabulary 10

1. RETRIBUTION: Revenge, punishment

  • When the tribes refused to pay tribute to their emperor, the romans sacked and destroyed their villages in retribution.
  • Fanatic militants coax innocent young boys to avenge retribution.
  • Rahim Khan couldn’t marry the one he loved, so he swore retribution towards the whole society.
  • You feeling of retribution is understandable but you should consider compassion and forgiveness.
  • Retribution is never going to bring back what you have lost.

2. RUE: To regret

  • Ruth rued the day when her man went away.
  • I rue the decision to start another company.
  • I rue the day I decided to marry you.
  • He didn’t listen to anyone before deciding to quit his job. Now, he rues it everyday.
  • I rue the fact that I didn’t become disciplined earlier. I could have accomplished so much more.

3. PLAUSIBLE: Believable

  • Although I didn’t go to the concert myself, it is plausible that the band received a lot of applause after its performance.
  • It is plausible but not very probable.
  • This idea might be a great one but it’s not very plausible.
  • You should try to give more plausible examples.
  • Your new theory is quite plausible, but it’s still a theory.

4. RUSTIC: Of or pertaining to the countryside.

  • The rusty old car in the front yard marred the otherwise picture perfect rustic scene.
  • He offered me rustic warm bread, whipped cream and water.
  • I want to leave this rustic life and travel the world.
  • Only now can I fully understand how rustic that old office must have been for you.
  • I own a house in the village,its quite rustic but beautiful.

5. QUANDARY: A state of uncertainty or perplexity, dilemma

  • John is in a quandary over his laundry and is wondering why he always loses a sock at the end of the cycle.
  • I am in a quandary over what to wear at the party.
  • Making students apply what they learn poses a quandary for the teachers.
  • The new government is in quandary over changing policies of the old government.
  • After reading the book I was left in a quandary on the subject.


6. PRAGMATIC: Practical, Sensible

  • Most of the people think that its more practical and pragmatic to drive an automatic car.
  • We need to quickly find a sensible and a pragmatic solution to our problem.
  • Pragmatic people are often found to take decisions quickly.
  • You are a pragmatic person, how can you let this happen?
  • I gave him a pragmatic advice but he didn’t follow it and now he is in trouble.

7. RECLUSE: A person who shuns society, a hermit

  • A recluse closes himself from everybody.
  • He became a recluse and went to a quiet hill station.
  • I am a recluse when I work, I don’t need a babbling companion at that time.
  • He has returned from the forest but he is still a recluse at heart.
  • I attend only a few parties just to make everyone believe that I am not a recluse.

8. ARDUOUS: Hard, difficult, exhausting

  • A task that is arduous is difficult for us.
  • It was an arduous hike, it took every bit of strength I had.
  • If you are highly motivated, even the arduous tasks become easy.
  • He made an arduous journey across the desert.
  • There is an arduous task that you have to undertake.

9. BOORISH: Offensive, Rude

  • I believe that fans who do nothing but boo are boorish.
  • He is a boorish husband, and is rude to her all the time.
  • I only behave boorishly with boorish people.
  • Boorish behaviour has become a matter of pride for some people.
  • You should keep away from the time wasters at the cost of sounding boorish.

10. PRETENTIOUS: Acting in a superior or conceited manner.

  • Pretentious people like to pretend that they are better than everyone else.
  • I hate it when people walk into my office with a pretentious attitude.
  • I want to learn how to deal with pretentious people.
  • If you are a pretentious person, if you think you are superior than others, then you are a fool.
  • There is no one here who is pretentious. All of us respect each other very much.