Shape Up your Vocabulary from Newspaper Wordlist: 30th Sept'21

Vocabulary is an essential tool to ace the English section in competitive examinations. You can score better in the subject if you are able to intensify your command over Vocabulary. A regular reading habit can help you with this. With the exercise, you will come across a number of new words, whose meanings you can look up in the dictionary. This, in turn, will help you understand the context of the piece you are reading.

Reading articles from newspapers helps you in two ways: Memorising Static Facts from the Article & Enhancing your Vocabulary.

In conjunction with the above idea, we bring to you our series ‘Shape up your Vocabulary from Newspaper Wordlist’. This series aims to help you understand the different aspects of the commonly (and not so commonly) used words, ranging from their meaning and pronunciations to proper usage in sentences. 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.

Tackling the Maoists: On Left Wing Extremism

Important Words from the Article

1. Word: Insurgency (विद्रोह)

• Part of Speech: Noun
• Pronunciation: in-sur-juh n-see/इन्सर्जन्सी
• Meaning: a. an active revolt or uprising.
• Synonyms: rebellion, mutiny, revolution
• Antonyms: compliance, obedience
• Usage in a Sentence: About 10,000 people have been killed in a decade of insurgency.

2. Word: Potency (क्षमता)

• Pronunciation: poht-n-see/ पोटन्सी
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning: the power of something to influence or make an impression.
• Synonyms: power, strength, energy, capacity
• Antonyms: impotence, disability, weakness
• Usage in a sentence: The doctor prescribed me vitamins of high potency that should be taken only in the proper dosage.

 3. Word: Contraction (संकुचन)

• Pronunciation: kuhn-trak-shuhn/ कन्ट्रैक्शन
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning:
  a. a shortened form of a word or group of words, with the omitted letters often replaced in written English.
  b. Physiology. the change in a muscle by which it becomes thickened and shortened.
  c. a restriction or withdrawal, as of currency or of funds available as call money.
  d. a decrease in economic and industrial activity (opposed to expansion).
• Synonyms: compression, abbreviation, shrinkage
• Antonyms: dilation, enlargement, surge
• Usage in a sentence: The contraction of a gas on cooling depends upon a variety of external factors. 

4. Word: Proscribe (निषिद्ध करना)

• Pronunciation: proh-skrahyb/प्रोस्क्राइब
• Part of Speech: Verb
• Meaning: 
  a. forbid, especially by law.
  b. denounce or condemn.
  c. outlaw (someone).
  
• Synonyms: prohibit, ban, criticize, censure, exclude, ostracize
• Antonyms: allow, permit, include, approve
• Use in a Sentence: The Act proscribes discrimination on the grounds of race.

5. Word: Repression (नियंत्रण)

• Pronunciation: ri-presh-uh n/ रीप्रेशन
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning:
  a. the restraint, prevention, or inhibition of a feeling, quality, etc.
  b. the action of subduing someone or something by force.
• Synonyms: control, oppression, suppression, inhibition
• Antonyms: liberty, permission
• Use in a Sentence: The political repression in this country is enforced by terror.

6. Phrase: Adherent (अनुयायी)

• Pronunciation:  ad-heer-uhnt/अड्हिरन्ट
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning:
  a material that sticks to other things or a person who supports a particular party, person, or set of ideas
• Synonym– devotee, follower
• Antonym – antagonist, opponent
• Usage in a sentence: Everyone who works at that company is required to be completely adherent to all the terms of the contract.

7. Word: Insurrection (विद्रोह)

• Pronunciation: in-suh-rek-shuhn/इन्सरेक्शन
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning:
  a. an organized attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country, usually by violence
• Synonyms: rebellion, revolt, uprising
• Antonyms: obedience, compliance
• Usage in a sentence: They were plotting to stage an armed insurrection.

8. Word: Budge (हटना)

• Pronunciation: buhj/ बज
• Part of Speech: Verb
• Meaning: 
  a. make or cause to make the slightest movement.
  b. change an opinion.
• Synonyms: move, shift, stir, change
• Antonyms: stay, continue, adhere
• Usage in a Sentence: I've tried moving the desk but it won't budge.

9. Word: Skirmish (लड़ाई)

• Pronunciation: skur-mish/ स्कर्मिश
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning:
  a. Military. a fight between small bodies of troops, especially advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies.
  b. any brisk conflict or encounter:
• Synonyms: clash, battle, fight 
• Antonyms: truce, agreement, peace
• Usage in a sentence: She had a skirmish with her landlord about the rent.

10. Word: Paradigm (आदर्श)

• Part of Speech: Noun
• Pronunciation: par-uh-dahym/ पैरडाइम
• Meaning: 
  a. a typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model.
  b. a set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles.
  
• Synonyms: prototype, standard
• Antonyms: atypical example
• Usage in a Sentence:  The new paradigm will be different from the old one.

'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!

• Skirmish
• Adherent
• Insurgency
• Proscribe
• Budge
  
  

Exercise 2: Match the columns.

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