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Why strong vocabulary is essential for 11+
Strong vocabulary is the foundation of success in the 11+ exam. Whether it’s understanding complex texts in comprehension, expressing ideas in creative writing, or tackling verbal reasoning questions, a rich vocabulary gives children the confidence to perform at their best.
This handpicked list of 50 powerful words is just a glimpse of how we help learners prepare with purpose and clarity. Use these words in your descriptive writing or refer to the example sentences as context clues to understand their meanings.
🧠 Set 1: Core Verbs & Emotions
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence | Synonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abandon | To leave behind or give up | She had to abandon the puzzle halfway through dinner. | Leave, desert |
| Accurate | Free from error; correct | His answers in the maths test were completely accurate. | Precise, exact |
| Ambition | A strong desire to achieve something | Her ambition was to become a published author. | Goal, aspiration |
| Anxious | Worried or nervous | He felt anxious before the big test. | Nervous, uneasy |
| Approve | To agree with or support | His parents approve of his love for music. | Accept, support |
| Argue | To express disagreement | The children began to argue about who would go first. | Disagree, quarrel |
| Astonish | To surprise greatly | The magician astonished the audience. | Amaze, shock |
| Attempt | To try to do something | She made another attempt to solve the tricky riddle. | Try, effort |
| Avoid | To stay away from | He tried to avoid walking through the muddy path. | Escape, dodge |
| Boast | To talk with pride (sometimes too much) | He boasted about his high score. | Brag, show off |
🎨 Set 2: Descriptive Adjectives
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence | Synonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benevolent | Kind and generous | The benevolent teacher helped every child. | Kind, caring |
| Brilliant | Very clever or bright | She had a brilliant idea for her story. | Bright, smart |
| Cautious | Careful to avoid danger | He was cautious when crossing the road. | Careful, alert |
| Certain | Sure about something | She was certain she left her keys on the table. | Sure, confident |
| Confident | Believing in yourself | He was confident he’d win the spelling bee. | Self-assured |
| Courage | Bravery in the face of fear | It took courage to perform on stage. | Bravery, boldness |
| Delight | Great joy or pleasure | The gift brought her great delight. | Joy, pleasure |
| Determined | Firm in purpose | She was determined to finish her painting. | Resolute, driven |
| Disastrous | Causing great harm | The storm had a disastrous effect on the garden. | Devastating, terrible |
| Doubt | A feeling of uncertainty | He had doubt about his answer. | Uncertainty, suspicion |
✏️ Set 3: Learning & Growth
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence | Synonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eager | Excited or keen to do something | She was eager to start her new class. | Enthusiastic |
| Encourage | To give support or hope | The coach encouraged the team to keep going. | Support, inspire |
| Essential | Absolutely necessary | Water is essential for life. | Vital, important |
| Familiar | Well known from experience | The song sounded familiar to him. | Known, recognized |
| Furious | Extremely angry | She was furious when her book got wet. | Enraged, livid |
| Generous | Willing to give or share | He was generous with his time. | Kind, giving |
| Grateful | Thankful | She felt grateful for her friend’s help. | Thankful, appreciative |
| Honest | Truthful and sincere | He gave an honest answer. | Truthful, frank |
| Humble | Not proud or boastful | Despite winning, he remained humble. | Modest, meek |
| Improve | To make better | He improved his handwriting by practising daily. | Enhance, develop |
🌈 Set 4: Mindsets & Reactions
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence | Synonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interrupt | To stop someone speaking | Please don’t interrupt during the story. | Disturb, cut in |
| Jealous | Feeling envy of others | She was jealous of her sister’s new shoes. | Envious |
| Loyal | Faithful and supportive | Dogs are known for being loyal pets. | Faithful, devoted |
| Mischief | Playful trouble or behavior | The puppy caused mischief in the garden. | Naughtiness |
| Mysterious | Hard to explain or understand | The book had a mysterious ending. | Puzzling, strange |
| Nervous | Worried or afraid | He was nervous before his turn. | Anxious, uneasy |
| Obvious | Easy to see or understand | The answer was obvious to everyone. | Clear, plain |
| Peculiar | Strange or unusual | The sky had a peculiar shade of green. | Odd, weird |
| Predict | To say what will happen | She predicted rain by looking at the clouds. | Forecast |
| Reluctant | Unwilling or hesitant | He was reluctant to join the game. | Hesitant, unwilling |
🧩 Set 5: Challenge & Action
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence | Synonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collapse | To fall down suddenly | The tower of blocks collapsed. | Fall, crumble |
| Confuse | To make unclear | The directions confused me. | Puzzle, bewilder |
| Describe | To give details | Can you describe the scene? | Explain, portray |
| Discover | To find something new | They discovered a hidden room. | Find, uncover |
| Hesitate | To pause before acting | She hesitated before answering. | Pause, delay |
| Ignore | To pay no attention to | He ignored the warning sign. | Overlook, dismiss |
| Improve | To get better | Practice helped him improve. | Enhance, develop |
| Support | To help or back up | The friends supported each other. | Help, assist |
| Solve | To find the answer | She solved the mystery. | Resolve, figure out |
| Understand | To grasp meaning | He finally understood the poem. | Comprehend |
How HUNARly can supports your child?
At HUNARly, we go beyond rote learning. Through live interactive lessons with our expert tutors, children naturally build comprehension and creative writing skills in a joyful, meaningful way. YR4 & YR5 Enrol here for enquiry: https://hunarly.com/enroll-me-in/ whatspp:07393129963