Vocabulary plays a very important role in enhancing your communication skills, be it written or spoken. As you glance through the newspaper every day, you come across a number of new words. Your reading exercise is impeded if you do not understand the meaning of a word, or its meaning in a given context. Such challenges could be overcome by inculcating a sound habit of reading. The habit lets you encounter something new every day in the form of words, the meaning of which you were unaware of.
Nobody can cram all the meanings of the words in one go. To help you out in this, we are providing you with the series, ‘Newspaper Wordlist’ which solely aims to enhance your vocabulary. The series will present the words used in newspaper editorials with the appropriate meanings, synonyms, antonyms, pronunciation, usage in the sentences, etc.
Today's article is from "The Hindu" newspaper. Understand the gist of the article using the meaning of the words are given below and practice questions at the end of this article.
Happy Reading!
Back in the game: Quad and India-U.S. ties
Important Words from the Article
1. Word: Leverage (लाभ उठाना)
- Pronunciation: lev-er-ij/लीवरिज
- Part of Speech: Noun
- Meaning:
a. power or ability to act or to influence people, events, decisions, etc.; sway - Synonyms: advantage, authority, supremacy
- Antonyms: inferiority, poorness, weakness
- Usage in a Sentence: We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.
2. Word: Resuscitate (पुनर्जीवित करना)
- Pronunciation: ri-suhs-i-teyt/रिससिटेट
- Part of Speech: Verb
- Meaning:
a. revive (someone) from unconsciousness or apparent death.
b. make (something) active or vigorous again. - Synonyms: reinvigorate, revive
- Antonyms: euthanize, obstruct
- Usage in a Sentence: Doctors managed to resuscitate him.
3. Word: Aftermath ( परिणाम)
- Pronunciation: af-ter-math/ऐफ्टर्मैथ
- Part of Speech: Noun
- Meaning: the consequences or after-effects of a significant unpleasant event.
- Synonyms: outcome, effect, eventuality
- Antonyms: cause, reason, beginning
- Use in a Sentence: In the aftermath of the typhoon, many people's homes were destroyed.
4. Word: Bottleneck (मार्गावरोध)
- Pronunciation: bot-l-nek/ बाटल्नेक
- Part of Speech: Noun
- Meaning:
a. the neck or mouth of a bottle.
b. a narrow section of road or a junction that impedes traffic flow.
c. a situation that causes delay in a process or system. - Synonyms: obstruction, impediment, constriction, hindrance
- Antonyms: allowance, disposal, management
- Usage in a Sentence: There's always going to be a bottleneck because only two people review all the applications.
5. Word: Albeit (यद्यपि)
- Pronunciation: awl-bee-it/ऑल्बीइट
- Part of Speech: Conjunction
- Meaning:
a. although; even if - Synonyms: although, though, even though
- Antonyms: so, due to, according to
- Usage in a sentence: The evening was very pleasant, albeit a little quiet.
6. Phrase: Hesitancy (हिचकिचाहट)
- Pronunciation: hez-i-tuhn-see
- Part of Speech: Noun
- Meaning: the failure to do something immediately or quickly because you are nervous or not certain
- Synonyms: uncertain, unsure, reluctant
- Antonyms: certain, sure, decisive
- Usage in a sentence: Her hesitancy to become class captain hinted at her lack of confidence.
7. Phrase: Confluence (संगम)
- Pronunciation: kon-floo-uhns/ कान्फ्लूअन्स
- Part of Speech: Noun
- Meaning:
a. a body of water formed by the flowing together of two or more streams, rivers, or the like.
b. a coming together of people or things; concourse.
c. a crowd or throng; assemblage. - Synonyms: junction, merging, conflux
- Antonyms: isolation, divergence, divide
- Usage in a sentence: St. Louis is at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
8. Word: Coercion (ज़बरदस्ती)
- Pronunciation: co-ar-shun/कोअर्शन
- Part of Speech: Noun
- Meaning – the action or practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats
- Synonyms- force, compulsion, constraint, duress, oppression, enforcement
- Antonyms- encouragement, urging, prompting, persuasion
- Usage in a sentence -If no coercion was used then it can not be said slavery.
9. Phrase: Apex (चोटी)
- Pronunciation: ey-peks/ एपेक्स
- Part of Speech: Noun
- Meaning: the top or highest part of something, especially one forming a point.
- Synonyms: peak, acme, zenith
- Antonyms: nadir, bottom, base
- Usage in a sentence: He was at the apex of his career.
10. Word: Optimal (सर्वोत्कृष्ट)
- Pronunciation: op-tuh-muhl/ आप्टमल
- Part of Speech: Adjective
- Meaning:
a. most desirable possible under a restriction expressed or implied - Synonyms: ideal, excellent, perfect
- Antonyms: mediocre, imperfect, basic
- Usage in a sentence: Advice regarding the individual optimal dosage schedule of antidiabetic drugs cannot be given.
'Writer's Corner'
Based on the description of the words, we have some practice questions for you. Answer these questions in the comments section. Our team will review them at the earliest!
Exercise 1. Make your own Sentences.
Here are some of the words from the above article. Try to frame sentences from them in your own words and share them with us in the comments section!
- Hesitancy
- Leverage
- Bottleneck
- Apex
- Optimal
Exercise 2: Match the columns.
| SR No. | Word | Synonym |
| 1 | ideal | zenith |
| 2 | obstruction | revive |
| 3 | peak | impediment |
| 4 | reinvigorate | eventuality |
| 5 | outcome | perfect |
Share your answers in the comment section.
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