Shape Up your Vocabulary from Newspaper Wordlist: 22nd Sept'21

By Nilanjan Paul|Updated : September 22nd, 2021

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.

In keeping with the idea of learning and scoring better in English, we bring to you our series, ‘Shape up your Vocabulary from Newspaper Wordlist’. A daily dose of this article acquaints you with commonly (and not so commonly) used English words. The series tries to feature every such word, with its meaning, contextual usage, pronunciation, synonym, antonym, proper use in sentences, etc., that could save you from sitting with a dictionary while reading. Ultimately, it facilitates smooth reading and better intake of the newspaper article.

Given below is an important editorial from the newspaper ‘The Hindu’. Read it, understand the context and go through the meanings of words to boost up your learning.

Happy Reading!

Done and dusted: On the National Register of Citizens process

Important Words from the Article

1. Phrase: Done and dusted (परिष्कृत)

  • Pronunciation: डन एंड डस्टेड
  • Meaning: (of a project) be completely finished or ready.
  • Synonyms: completed, finished, finalised, settled
  • Antonym: not ready
  • Usage in a sentence: All the arrangements need to be done and dusted before the National Honey Show. 

2. Word: Lull (शांत करना)

  • Pronunciation: luhl/लल
  • Part of Speech: Verb, Noun
  • Meaning: 
    a. to put to sleep or rest by soothing means (Verb)
    b. to soothe or quiet (Verb)
    c. to give or lead to feel a false sense of safety; cause to be less alert, aware, or watchful (Verb)
    d. to quiet down, let up, or subside (Verb)
    e. a temporary calm, quiet, or stillness (Noun)
    f. a soothing sound (Noun)
  • Synonyms: becalm, calm, compose, lullaby, quiet
  • Antonyms: agitate, discompose, disquiet, disturb
  • Usage in a sentence: The absence of attacks for such an extended period had lulled the nation into a false sense of security.

 3. Word: Saga (गाथा)

  • Pronunciation: साग/sah-guh
  • Part of Speech: Noun
  • Meaning: a long, involved story, account, or series of incidents.
  • Synonyms: pic, chronicle, legend, narrative
  • Antonyms: truth, reality, deed
  • Use in a Sentence: She has written a huge and compelling family saga.

4. WordQuasi (अर्ध-)

  • Pronunciation: kwey-zahy/ क्वासी
  • Part of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning:
    a. apparently but not really; seemingly.
    b. being partly or almost.
  • Synonyms: apparently, supposedly, seemingly, allegedly, partlypartially, almost
  • Antonyms: entire, total, whole
  • Usage in a sentence: The quasi-legal operation grew and soon became untenable.

5. Word: Indigenous (स्वदेशीय)

  • Pronunciation: in-dij-uh-nuhs/ इन्डिजनस
  • Part of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native
  • Synonyms: native, domestic, aboriginal, natural
  • Antonyms: foreign, alien, exotic, immigrant
  • Usage in a Sentence: Many of the indigenous insects are needed to pollinate the local plants.

6. Phrase: Crux (कठिन बात)

  • Part of Speech: Noun 
  • Pronunciation: kruhks/क्रक्स
  • Meaning: 
    a. the decisive or most important point at issue.
    b. a particular point of difficulty.
  • Synonyms: essence, puzzle, basis
  • Antonyms: exceptional, triviality
  • Use in a Sentence: The crux of the difficulty lay in the lack of material.

7. Phrase: Excruciating (कष्टदायी)

  • Pronunciation: ik-skroo-shee-ey-ting/ इक्स्क्रूशीएटिंग
  • Part of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: 
    a. intensely painful
    b. very embarrassing, awkward, or tedious
  • Synonyms: agonizing, painful, harrowing, tormenting
  • Antonyms: painless, comfortable, bearable, pleasant
  • Usage in a sentence: I have an excruciating headache.

8. Word: Petition (आवेदन)

  • Pronunciation: puh-tish-uhn/ पिटिशन
  • Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
  • Meaning:     
    a. a formal written request, typically one signed by many people, appealing to authority in respect of a particular cause. (Noun)
    b. present a petition to (an authority) in respect of a particular cause. (Verb)
  • Synonyms: request, appeal, entreaty, application
  • Antonyms: order, command, instruction
  • Usage in a Sentence: They collected 2,000 signatures on a petition demanding that women be allowed to join the club.

9. WordColossal (भारी)

  • Pronunciation: Col-o-sal
  • Part of speech: Adjective
  • Meaning: extremely large or great
  • Synonyms: immense, huge, gargantuan
  • Antonyms: little, minute, minuscule
  • Usage in a sentence: It took twelve men to carry the colossal pie to the pie festival.

10Word: Gargantuan (विशाल)

  • Pronunciation: गार्गैन्चूअन/gar-gan-choo-un
  • Part of Speech: Adjective
  • Meaning - extremely large 
  • Synonyms - Huge, enormous, gigantic
  • Antonyms - tiny, insignificant
  • Usage in a sentence - Although the woman started her business inside of a garage, her company is now a gargantuan firm in the international community.

 

'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!

  • done and dusted
  • lull
  • saga
  • quasi
  • indigenous

Exercise 2: Match the columns.

SR No.WordAntonym
1HugeOrder
2AppealForeign
3AgonizingAgitated
4CalmPainless
5NativeTiny

Share your answers in the comment section. 

More from us:

For practice, attempt the quiz based on this daily wordlist from the link below to enhance your exam preparation: Vocabulary Quiz, Click here to attempt!

You can also check the wordlist articles for the previous days from the link below: Shape Up your Vocabulary from Newspaper Wordlist

That was your Vocabulary dose for the day. 

from BYJU'S Exam Prep

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