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SSC CGL Synonyms Questions 2026 (Previous Year Words, Vocabulary & Word Meaning) — Free Chapter Wise Practice Test

One word, four options — and only one that means the same. 500 words in the exact SSC CGL and CHSL pattern: the word on its own, an underlined word in a sentence, and a blank with the word in brackets. Ten words in every test come from SSC previous year papers, and every test has the antonym and look-alike traps SSC sets. 25 questions per test, with step-by-step solutions and a memory trick for every word.

2 Difficulty Levels 25 Questions per Test 40% PYQ words CGL & CHSL pattern

Synonyms Tests — Pick a Level and Start

Tap a level to see every test in it. Level 1 is set at real SSC CGL difficulty — start there. Level 2 is pitched above the exam, with Mains-level words, look-alike traps and sentences where the context decides which meaning is right.

Level 1 SSC CGL Level Checking… View tests

Same difficulty as the real SSC CGL and CHSL paper. Every test mixes the three forms SSC uses — the word on its own, an underlined word in a sentence, and a blank with the word in brackets. Ten of the 25 words in each test have been asked in SSC CGL or CHSL previous year papers; the other fifteen are fresh words of the same level. The wrong options are the classic SSC ones: the opposite word, a word that only looks or sounds similar, or a word from the same situation that means something else.

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Level 2 Above SSC CGL Level Checking… View tests

Harder than the exam asks. Tier II and Mains-level words such as pusillanimous, trenchant, phlegmatic and venal, with more questions set inside a sentence so the meaning depends on the context. The wrong options sit closer to the answer — same field, same tone — and several are look-alike traps (munificent and magnificent, efficacious and officious). Ten words in each test come from SSC previous year papers, fifteen are new, and every question still has exactly one correct answer.

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A synonym question asks one thing: which option means the same as the given word? SSC asks it in three ways — the word printed on its own, the word underlined in a sentence, or a blank in a sentence with the word given in brackets. The answer is always a single word or a short phrase of the same part of speech.

Marks are lost in three places. The first is the opposite word — SSC almost always puts the antonym among the options, and a student who half-remembers the word picks it. The second is the look-alike: spurious next to spacious, eminent next to imminent, illicit next to elicit. The third is the wrong sense — a word with two meanings, where the sentence decides which one is being tested.

SSC CGL Previous Year Papers Free Online Test Attempt SSC CGL Mock Test 2026 Free

How Many Synonym Questions Are Asked in SSC CGL?

Synonyms are asked in almost every shift — usually one or two questions in an SSC CGL Tier I paper, a similar number in CHSL, and more in the Tier II English paper. SSC also repeats words across years, which is why every test here includes words taken from previous year papers. The forms that come up are listed below, most common first.

Form of the questionHow often
The word on its own — “Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word”The most common form
An underlined word in a sentenceCommon
A blank in a sentence with the word in bracketsRegular
A word to be picked out of a sentence (“synonym of the given word from the sentence”)Occasional

Synonyms also help in Cloze Test, Fill in the Blanks and Reading Comprehension, where knowing a word’s exact meaning decides the answer.

What You Will Practice in the Synonyms Chapter

The three SSC question forms

  • The word on its own, with four single-word options
  • An underlined word in a sentence — the options are in the same form as the word (past tense, plural, -ly)
  • A blank with the word in brackets — only the synonym fits the meaning of the sentence

The words

  • 500 different words across the chapter — adjectives, verbs, nouns and adverbs — with no word and no correct answer repeated anywhere
  • 200 words from SSC previous year papers (CGL Tier I and II, CHSL, CPO, Steno), most of them tied to a specific paper and shift
  • 300 fresh words of the same level, so the tests teach new vocabulary and do not just repeat a list

The traps SSC sets

  • The antonym placed among the options
  • Look-alike and sound-alike words (spurious / spacious, divulge / indulge, brevity / bravery)
  • Words with more than one meaning, where the sentence decides the sense
  • A word from the same situation that is related but not the same in meaning

Word roots that unlock many synonyms

RootMeaningWords it helps with
bene-good, wellbenevolent, benign, beneficial
mal- / male-bad, evilmalicious, malevolent, malign
loqu- / locu-speakloquacious, eloquent, colloquial
luc- / lum-lightlucid, luminous, elucidate
verb-wordverbose, verbatim, verbal
pug- / bell-fight, warpugnacious, belligerent, bellicose
vor-eatvoracious, carnivorous
a- / an-withoutapathy, anarchy, amoral

Every solution in the tests gives the root or a context clue for the word, so the meaning sticks.

The three mistakes that cost the most marks

  • Picking the opposite. If you half-know a word, the antonym “feels” familiar — check the direction of the meaning before you mark.
  • Going by sound. A word that looks like the given word is almost never its synonym — eminent (famous) is not imminent (about to happen).
  • Ignoring the sentence. When the word is underlined, read the whole sentence — it tells you which meaning is being tested.

Solved Examples — SSC CGL Synonyms

Q1. Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word.
Candid
(a) Secretive
(b) Frank
(c) Cunning
(d) Timid
Candid means honest and open, saying what you really think. Frank means the same. Secretive is the opposite, cunning means clever in a dishonest way, and timid means shy. Answer: (b)
Q2. Select the most appropriate synonym of the underlined word.
The new flyover is expected to mitigate the traffic jams near the station.
(a) worsen
(b) measure
(c) lessen
(d) migrate
To mitigate is to make something less severe. A flyover is built to reduce traffic jams, so lessen fits. Worsen is the opposite, and migrate only looks similar. Answer: (c)
Q3. Select the most appropriate synonym of the word given in brackets to fill in the blank.
The manager tried to __________(placate) the angry customers by offering a full refund.
(a) provoke
(b) soothe
(c) ignore
(d) praise
To placate is to calm someone who is angry. Offering a refund is a way to calm them, so soothe is the synonym. Provoke is the opposite, and ignoring or praising does not calm anyone. Answer: (b)
Q4. Select the most appropriate synonym of the underlined word.
The scientist was scrupulous in recording every reading, however small.
(a) suspicious
(b) careless
(c) painstaking
(d) scornful
Scrupulous means extremely careful and thorough. Recording every small reading shows great care, so painstaking is right. Careless is the opposite; suspicious and scornful are look-alike traps. Answer: (c)

How the Synonyms Tests Work

  • 25 questions per test, with a full question palette — answered, skipped, marked for review, not visited.
  • All three SSC forms in every test — the word on its own, an underlined word in a sentence, and a blank with the word in brackets.
  • 40% previous year words — 10 of the 25 words in every test have been asked in SSC CGL or CHSL papers; the other 15 are new.
  • Optional 15-minute timer — with the clock to build exam speed, without it while you are still building your word list.
  • Marking: +2 correct, −0.5 wrong, 0 unattempted — the same scheme as the real paper.
  • Step-by-step solutions and a memory trick open after you submit, question by question — the meaning of the word, a root or context clue, the matching option, why each wrong option fails, and the trap students fall into.
  • In English, as in the exam — English Language questions are set in English in SSC CGL and CHSL.
  • Free with a TrickySSC account — sign in once with Google or your mobile number, and every test is open to you.

How to Prepare Synonyms for SSC CGL

  1. Start with previous year words. SSC repeats vocabulary across years, so the PYQ words in these tests are the highest-value words to learn first.
  2. Learn roots, not just lists. One root — luc (light), bene (good), loqu (speak) — explains a whole family of words.
  3. Know the opposite too. Learning each word with its antonym protects you from the antonym trap in this chapter and helps in the Antonyms chapter.
  4. Read the sentence for underlined words. Decide the meaning from the context first, then look at the options.
  5. Cross out look-alikes. An option that looks or sounds like the given word is almost always a trap.
  6. Ten minutes a day beats one long session. Do one test a day, revise the words you got wrong, and check yourself on a previous year paper.

All SSC CGL Chapter Wise Tests

Every chapter below has its own free Level 1 and Level 2 tests with full solutions.

Browse all 69 chapter tests — Maths (35) · Reasoning (28) · English (6)
English Language
General Intelligence & Reasoning
Quantitative Aptitude (Maths)

SSC CGL Synonyms — Frequently Asked Questions

How many synonym questions are asked in SSC CGL?
Usually one or two in an SSC CGL Tier I shift, a similar number in CHSL, and more in the Tier II English paper. Word meaning also decides many Cloze Test, Fill in the Blanks and Reading Comprehension answers.
Does SSC repeat synonym words from previous papers?
Yes. SSC often repeats vocabulary across years and exams, which is why 10 of the 25 words in every test here (40%) are taken from SSC CGL and CHSL previous year papers. The other 15 are fresh words of the same level.
What are the three forms of synonym questions in SSC?
The word printed on its own with four options; the word underlined in a sentence; and a blank in a sentence with the word given in brackets. Every test here mixes all three.
What is the most common trap in synonym questions?
The antonym. SSC nearly always puts the opposite word among the options, and a student who half-remembers the word picks it. Look-alike words such as spurious and spacious, or eminent and imminent, are the second most common trap.
How should I learn vocabulary for SSC CGL?
Start with previous year words, learn word roots (bene = good, luc = light, loqu = speak) so one root explains a family of words, learn each word with its opposite, and practise a little every day rather than in one long session.
How many questions are in each test?
Twenty-five questions per test, with an optional 15-minute timer and the real exam marking of +2 for a correct answer, −0.5 for a wrong one and 0 for an unattempted question.
Are the tests in English or Hindi?
The synonyms tests are in English, as the English Language section is in SSC CGL and CHSL. Every solution explains the meaning of the word, gives a root or context clue, and says why each wrong option fails, in simple English.
What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2?
Level 1 is set at real SSC CGL difficulty, with Tier I words and the classic SSC wrong options. Level 2 is harder than the exam: Tier II and Mains-level words, more questions inside a sentence, and wrong options that sit closer to the answer, including look-alike traps.

More Free SSC CGL Practice

SSC CGL English Chapter Wise TestEvery English chapter, Level 1–2 English Previous Year QuestionsShift-wise SSC CGL English SSC CGL Previous Year PapersShift-wise papers with solutions SSC CGL Mock Test 2026Full-length, real sectional timing