Free tool · OAR Reading Comprehension
OAR vocabulary list
The 28 words in the OAR Prep verbal flashcard deck, each with its part of speech, meaning and an example sentence. Hide the meanings to test yourself.
28 words, A to Z.
abateverb
To lessen, reduce or subside.
“The storm began to abate by morning, and the ship returned to port.”
Opposite: intensify
arduousadjective
Requiring great effort; difficult and tiring.
“The candidates finished an arduous ten-mile march in full gear.”
Opposite: easy
benevolentadjective
Kind, generous and well-meaning toward others.
“A benevolent donor paid for the new training center.”
Opposite: malevolent
candidadjective
Honest, frank and straightforward.
“Her candid feedback showed exactly where the plan was weak.”
Opposite: evasive
conciseadjective
Expressing much in few words; brief but clear.
“The orders were concise: two sentences, no room for confusion.”
Opposite: wordy
deterverb
To discourage or prevent someone from acting, usually through fear or doubt.
“Bright lighting helps deter theft from the parking lot.”
Opposite: encourage
diligentadjective
Showing careful, persistent effort.
“A diligent student reviews her missed questions every evening.”
Opposite: careless
eloquentadjective
Fluent, persuasive and expressive in speech or writing.
“The admiral gave an eloquent speech at the commissioning ceremony.”
Opposite: inarticulate
ephemeraladjective
Lasting a very short time; fleeting.
“The calm between the two squalls was ephemeral.”
Opposite: lasting
frugaladjective
Economical and thrifty; careful not to waste money or resources.
“A frugal crew made the supplies last the whole deployment.”
Opposite: wasteful
futileadjective
Incapable of producing a useful result; pointless.
“Bailing with a cup was futile once the hull had cracked.”
Opposite: effective
gregariousadjective
Sociable and fond of the company of others.
“He was gregarious and knew half the base by the end of the first week.”
Opposite: solitary
impartialadjective
Fair and unbiased; not favoring one side.
“An impartial board reviewed every application the same way.”
Opposite: biased
indifferentadjective
Having no particular interest or concern; apathetic.
“The cat seemed indifferent to the noise of the drill.”
Opposite: concerned
lucidadjective
Clear and easy to understand; also, thinking clearly.
“The instructor gave a lucid explanation of how pulleys work.”
Opposite: confusing
meticulousadjective
Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.
“Her meticulous preflight check caught a loose panel.”
Opposite: sloppy
mitigateverb
To make less severe or serious; to lessen the impact of something.
“Sandbags helped mitigate the flood damage.”
Opposite: worsen
novicenoun
A person new to and inexperienced in a job or situation; a beginner.
“Even a novice can learn to tie the basic knots in an afternoon.”
Opposite: expert
obscureadjective
Not clearly expressed or easily understood; also, little known.
“The answer was hidden in an obscure footnote.”
Opposite: clear
placateverb
To calm or soothe someone, especially by making concessions.
“The manager offered a refund to placate the angry customer.”
Opposite: provoke
pragmaticadjective
Dealing with problems in a practical, realistic way.
“With no spare parts, the crew found a pragmatic fix.”
Opposite: idealistic
prudentadjective
Acting with care and good judgment about the future.
“It is prudent to check the weather before setting sail.”
Opposite: reckless
reluctantadjective
Unwilling and hesitant.
“He was reluctant to speak first, but his idea won the vote.”
Opposite: eager
scrutinizeverb
To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
“Inspectors scrutinize every weld before the hull is approved.”
Opposite: skim
substantiateverb
To provide evidence that supports or proves a claim.
“The logbook entries substantiate the captain’s account.”
Opposite: disprove
tenaciousadjective
Holding firmly to a purpose; persistent.
“A tenacious swimmer, she finished the test despite the cold water.”
Opposite: yielding
verboseadjective
Using more words than necessary; wordy.
“The verbose report took ten pages to say what fit on one.”
Opposite: concise
zealousadjective
Showing great energy and enthusiasm for a cause or goal.
“The zealous new ensign volunteered for every extra watch.”
Opposite: apathetic
How vocabulary helps on the OAR
The OAR’s Reading Comprehension Test is built on short passages. When a passage or an answer choice turns on a word like mitigate,impartial or substantiate, knowing it exactly is the difference between the right answer and a near miss. Wrong choices often use a word that looks related but means something else.
Study tips
- Learn opposites together: frugal and wasteful, verbose and concise.
- Watch for words with two meanings, such as obscure (unclear, or little known) and lucid (clear, or thinking clearly).
- Then practice reading with the reading comprehension practice test.
Test yourself: an OAR-style question
Which word is closest in meaning to “meticulous”?
- careless
- hasty
- thorough
- loud
Show answer
C. thorough
Meticulous means showing great attention to detail, so thorough is the closest match. Careless and hasty are close to its opposite.
Questions like this come up on the Reading Comprehension section of the OAR. The 2,604 questions in the app each come with a written explanation.
FAQ
- Is there a vocabulary section on the OAR?
- The OAR’s verbal subtest is Reading Comprehension: short passages with questions about them. Vocabulary isn’t tested on its own there, but knowing words like these lets you read passages faster and pick the answer that matches their exact meaning.
- How do I learn vocabulary quickly?
- Learn words in context, not as bare definitions: read the example, then write your own sentence. Test yourself with the meanings hidden, and come back to the ones you miss a day later.
- Where do these words come from?
- They are the verbal cards from the OAR Prep flashcard deck. The app also has 2,604 practice questions, including synonym, analogy and sentence-completion questions that use words like these.
Sources
Words and definitions from the OAR Prep flashcard deck, with original example sentences. Not a list of OAR test items. For OAR preparation only; not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Navy.