Vocabulary Word Meanings: From Peruse, Pervade to Precocious

Get top class preparation for competitive exams right from your home: get questions, notes, tests, video lectures and more- for all subjects of your exam.

Peruse

verb- read carefully, study in detail

Also used as: Perusal- noun

If you thought you were inheriting a fortune you would want to peruse the will thoroughly.

verb- to spread to every part

Also used as: Pervasiveness, pervasion- nouns; pervasive- adj; pervasively- adv

The fire was pervasive, and smoke had spread to every apartment.

noun- grouchiness; irritability

Also used as: Petulant- adj; petulantly- adv

He felt justified in his petulance, but friends began to avoid him.

adj- calm; unemotional

Anne was phlegmatic almost strongly serene during the holdup.

adj- to the point concise

Also used as: Pith, pithiness- nouns

An effective note is clear and pithy.

verb- to appease; pacify; mollify

Also used as: Placatory- adj

She was skillful at placating unhappy customers.

noun- dull, trite statement

Also used as: Platitudinous- adj; platitudinous- adv

Voters were hoping for a forceful and targeted speech, but they got the usual platitudes.

adj- believable, but not completely

Also used as: Plausibility- noun; plausibly- adv

Most of the movie seemed plausible but that ending was ridiculous.

adj- slow; weighty; labored

Also used as: Ponderously- adv

The music was heavy and ponderous, and I fell asleep.

noun- warning sign; omen; indication

Also used as: Portend- verb; portentious- adj

The full moon was a portent that the creature would soon appear.

verb- prevent; make impossible

Also used as: Preclusion- noun; preclusive- adj

The still flooded streets precluded the parade from going on as scheduled.

adj- mature at a young age

Also used as: Precociously- adv; precocity- noun

Child actors are often precocious able to seem more grown up than they are.