IELTS Vocabulary Part – 182

procrastinate: to keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring.

Sentence – You know, that same force that whispers in our ears with convincing arguments on why we should delay action and (forever) procrastinate.

prosaic: without interest, imagination, and excitement.

Sentence – Reports are commonly prosaic, dull, pompous and patronising and written with selfish disregard for the reader.

prosperity: the state of being successful and having a lot of money.

Sentence – He is very skilled in martial arts, and his prosperity has won many awards too.

provocative: causing thought about interesting subjects.

Sentence – She said that Advani and Joshi made provocative speeches that were a major factor in the mob’s behaviour.

prudent: careful and avoiding risks.

Sentence – I believe a lengthier engagement would be prudent, excellent weather notwithstanding.

querulous: often complaining, especially in a weak high voice.

Sentence – That might seem to be precisely the sort of querulous argument which the Left has familiarly been scorned for posing.

rancorous: having or showing a feeling of hate and continuing anger about something in the past.

Sentence – The rancorous case has been a political and emotional flashpoint for the city and a barometer of race relations in New York.

reclusive  – living alone and avoiding going outside or talking to other people.

Sentence – They are reclusive and idiosyncratic, dwelling in exquisite mansions far from each other with their families and a select band of retainers.

reconciliation: a situation in which two people or groups of people become friendly again after they have argued.

Sentence – He has called a meeting of all parties tomorrow, with a view to forming a national reconciliation government.

renovation: the act or process of repairing and improving something, especially a building.

Sentence – Agency heads have been instructed to work within existing budgets and no extra funds have been granted for energy-saving equipment and renovation.

restrained: acting in a calm and controlled way.

Sentence – The man lost his temper and had to be restrained from violence by neighbors who held his arms.

reverence: a feeling of respect or admiration for someone or something.

Sentence – For all his reverence for Hugh of Lincoln Richard had always been determined that other bishops should not be like him.

sagacity: the quality of having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments.

Sentence – When we were in difficulties his sagacity and sangfroid were beyond doubt, as was his kindliness to his colleagues.

scrutinize: to examine something very carefully in order to discover information.

Sentence – Selden had retained her hand, and continued to scrutinize her with a strange sense of foreboding.

spontaneous: happening or done in a natural, often sudden way, without any planning or without being forced

Sentence – With such spontaneous performances the players clearly enjoying themselves – the pieces are easy to enjoy.

spurious: false and not what it appears to be, or (of reasons and judgments) based on something that has not been correctly understood and therefore false .

Sentence – However, both arguments are spurious, for there is a very loose connection between tense and time.

submissive: allowing yourself to be controlled by other people or animals.

Sentence – Some children may be submissive to this approach while others fight back and will not have their willpower broken.

substantiate: to show something to be true, or to support a claim with facts.

Sentence – Though the standard of evidence we demand to substantiate extraordinary claims is high, it is not impossibly high.

subtle: not loud, bright, noticeable, or obvious in any way.

Sentence – Contemporary Hollywood movies often make subtle genuflections to the great film-makers of the past.