Top 100 One Word Substitutions

Published On: 07/01/2026

Top 100 One Word Substitutions with Meanings and Example Sentences

Top 100 One Word Substitutions : One Word Substitution (OWS) is an important topic for all competitive exams. It saves time in writing and helps a learner use the right word for a long idea. Exams like RPSC Senior Teacher, SSC CGL, CHSL, Banking, Defence, CUET and Teaching Exams ask direct questions from this list.

Table of Contents

List of Top 100 One Word Substitutions

No.	One Word	Meaning	Example Sentence
1	Amateur	A person doing something for pleasure, not for pay	He plays cricket as an amateur.
2	Ambidextrous	Able to use both hands equally well	She is ambidextrous and writes with both hands.
3	Anarchist	One who believes in no government	The anarchist protested against state rules.
4	Atheist	A person who does not believe in God	His friend claims to be an atheist.
5	Autobiography	Life story written by oneself	Wings of Fire is an autobiography.
6	Bibliophile	A lover of books	A bibliophile never gets bored.
7	Bigamy	Marrying another while the first spouse is alive	Bigamy is illegal in many countries.
8	Celibacy	State of not marrying	He took a vow of celibacy.
9	Chauvinist	Blind supporter of a group or country	A chauvinist never accepts other opinions.
10	Cosmopolitan	A citizen of the world	A cosmopolitan adapts to any culture.
11	Cynic	One who doubts human sincerity	A cynic finds fault in every act.
12	Democracy	Government by the people	India follows democracy.
13	Eccentric	Odd or strange person	His eccentric ideas shocked everyone.
14	Egoist	One who speaks only of himself	An egoist never listens to others.
15	Elixir	A magical cure-all	Education is the elixir for ignorance.
16	Emigrant	One who leaves their country	Many emigrants move for better work.
17	Immigrant	One who enters a new country	The immigrant settled in Canada.
18	Fatalist	One who believes in fate	The fatalist waited for destiny.
19	Feminist	Believer in equal rights for women	She proudly calls herself a feminist.
20	Fugitive	One who runs away	Police caught the fugitive.
21	Gourmet	A lover of good food	A gourmet enjoys fine dishes.
22	Hostility	Unkind or unfriendly behaviour	Hostility solves no problem.
23	Illegible	Not readable handwriting	His notes are illegible.
24	Incredible	Too strange to believe	The story sounds incredible.
25	Incorrigible	A person who cannot be corrected	He is an incorrigible cheat.
26	Infallible	One who never makes mistakes	No human is infallible.
27	Irreparable	Cannot be repaired	The damage was irreparable.
28	Irrevocable	Cannot be taken back	The judge gave an irrevocable order.
29	Invincible	Too strong to defeat	Truth is invincible.
30	Linguist	Student of languages	A linguist learns new languages quickly.
31	Manuscript	Handwritten document	The manuscript was preserved in a library.
32	Matriarch	Mother as the head of a family	She is the matriarch of the house.
33	Misanthrope	One who hates mankind	A misanthrope lives alone.
34	Misogynist	One who hates women	A misogynist avoids female company.
35	Monogamy	Having one spouse	Monogamy is widely accepted.
36	Monopoly	Complete control of trade	The firm had a monopoly in the market.
37	Narcotic	Drug causing sleep	The doctor gave a narcotic injection.
38	Nomadic	Moving from place to place	Nomadic tribes do not settle.
39	Optimist	One who looks on the bright side	An optimist sees hope everywhere.
40	Orphan	A child without parents	The orphan lived in a hostel.
41	Pacifist	A believer in peace	Gandhi was a true pacifist.
42	Pedestrian	A person walking on foot	Pedestrians must follow traffic rules.
43	Philanthropist	Helper of mankind	The philanthropist donated to schools.
44	Plagiarism	Copying others’ work	Plagiarism harms creativity.
45	Polyglot	One who knows many languages	He became a polyglot by travel.
46	Pseudonym	False name of a writer	Premchand wrote under a pseudonym.
47	Recluse	One who lives alone	The recluse avoids society.
48	Refugee	One who leaves country due to danger	Refugees seek a safe place.
49	Reticent	Silent and reserved	He is reticent about his plans.
50	Somnambulist	A sleepwalker	A somnambulist may roam at night.
51	Sophomore	Student in second year	He is a sophomore now.
52	Stoic	One who suffers without showing pain	Soldiers are trained to be stoic.
53	Teetotaler	One who never drinks alcohol	My uncle is a teetotaler.
54	Utopia	An ideal but imaginary place	Equality for all is a utopia.
55	Vegetarian	One who avoids meat	A vegetarian diet is healthy.
56	Omnipotent	All-powerful	Many believe God is omnipotent.
57	Omnipresent	Present everywhere	Mobile phones seem omnipresent.
58	Omniscient	All-knowing	A teacher appears omniscient to children.
59	Versatile	Able to do many things	He is a versatile student.
60	Vigilant	Watchful and alert	Guards stay vigilant at night.
61	Virtuoso	Skilled performer	He is a virtuoso guitarist.
62	Wardrobe	Collection of clothes	Her wardrobe is full of sarees.
63	Anthropology	Study of human race	Anthropology explains human origins.
64	Archaeology	Study of ancient remains	Archaeology uncovers forgotten cities.
65	Audacious	Bold and fearless	His audacious plan shocked all.
66	Marshal	Military officer of high rank	The marshal led the parade.
67	Indigenous	Native to a place	Tribes protect indigenous culture.
68	Malnutrition	Lack of proper food	Children suffer from malnutrition.
69	Philology	Study of languages	Philology connects language and history.
70	Pathology	Study of diseases	Pathology tests confirm illness.
71	Pessimist	One who sees the worst	A pessimist never hopes.
72	Protagonist	Main character in a story	Hamlet is the protagonist.
73	Nemesis	Agent of downfall	Laziness is the nemesis of students.
74	Diligent	Hardworking	A diligent learner succeeds.
75	Docile	Gentle and easy to teach	The docile child followed instructions.
76	Introvert	Quiet and shy person	An introvert avoids big crowds.
77	Extrovert	Outgoing person	An extrovert enjoys company.
78	Anatomy	Study of body structure	Anatomy is essential for doctors.
79	Dermatology	Study of skin	Dermatology treats skin diseases.
80	Genealogy	Study of family history	Genealogy traces ancestors.
81	Chronicle	Record of events	The book chronicles his journey.
82	Calligraphy	Beautiful handwriting	Calligraphy enhances letters.
83	Convalesce	Recover from sickness	He convalesced at home.
84	Tyranny	Cruel rule	People fought against tyranny.
85	Census	Official count of population	The census happens every ten years.
86	Celestial	Relating to the sky	Stars are celestial objects.
87	Prudent	Wise and careful	A prudent choice saves money.
88	Insolvent	Unable to pay debts	The firm became insolvent.
89	Ornithology	Study of birds	Ornithology is popular with nature lovers.
90	Horticulture	Science of gardening	Horticulture develops farming skills.
91	Agriculture	Farming science	Agriculture is the base of India.
92	Polyandry	Woman having many husbands	Polyandry is rare.
93	Infanticide	Killing of an infant	Infanticide is a crime.
94	Euphemism	Polite expression for a harsh word	“Passed away” is a euphemism for died.
95	Exaggeration	Making something bigger than truth	His story was full of exaggeration.
96	Inaudible	Cannot be heard	The sound was inaudible in noise.
97	Invisible	Cannot be seen	Air is invisible.
98	Portable	Easy to carry	A laptop is portable.
99	Durable	Lasting for a long time	The shoes are durable.
100	Anonymous	Without a name	The anonymous letter surprised them.