Vocabulary from Newspaper Wordlist: 27 June, 2020

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.

Shut and open: On tennis during the pandemic

Important Words from the Article

1. Word: Frenetic (अतिउत्तेजित)

• Pronunciation: fruh-net-ik/फ्रनेटिक
• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: 
  a. involving a lot of excited movement or activity
• Synonyms: delirious, ferocious, feverish, fierce, frantic, frenzied, furious, mad, rabid, violent, wild
• Antonyms: relaxed, calm, peaceful, quiet
• Usage in a sentence: After weeks of frenetic activity, the job was finally finished.

2. Word: Avalanche (हिमस्खलन)

• Pronunciation: av-uh-lanch/ऐवलैन्च
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
• Meaning:
  a. a large mass of snow, ice, etc., detached from a mountain slope and sliding or falling suddenly downward (Noun)
  b. anything like an avalanche in suddenness and overwhelming quantity (Noun)
  c. to come down in, or like, an avalanche (Verb)
  d. to come down in, or like, an avalanche (Verb)
• Synonyms: landslide, deluge, snow-slide
• Antonyms: shortage, scarceness, shortfall
• Usage in a sentence: We received an avalanche of complaints.

 3. Word: Usher (संचालन करना)

• Pronunciation: uhsh-er/अशर
• Part of Speech: Noun, verb
• Meaning: 
  a. a person who escorts people to seats in a theater, church, etc. (Noun)
  b. a person acting as an official doorkeeper, as in a courtroom or legislative chamber(Noun)
  c. a male attendant of a bridegroom at a wedding (Noun)
  d. to lead, introduce, or conduct (Verb)
  e. to attend or bring at the coming or beginning; precede or herald, usually followed by in (Verb)
• Synonyms: guide, lead, escort, conduct, accompany
• Antonyms: follow, attend, succeed
• Usage in a sentence: She ushered us into her office and offered us coffee.

4. Word: Humongous (विशालकाय)

• Pronunciation: hyoo-muhng-guh s/ह्यूमॉंगगस
• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning:
  a. extremely large
• Synonyms: gigantic, enormous, huge, immense
• Antonyms: diminutive, small, little
• Usage in a sentence: We had our picture taken in New Mexico before a humongous cactus.
  
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5. Word: Confluence (संगम)

• Pronunciation: /कान्फ्लूअन्स
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning:
  a. the place where two rivers flow together and become one larger river
  b. their place of junction of rivers
  c. a coming together of people or things; concourse
  d. a crowd or throng; assemblage
• Synonyms: junction, convergence, meeting
• Antonyms: isolation, departure, separation 
• Usage in a sentence: The change has been brought on by a confluence of factors.

6. Word: Flout (उल्लंघन करना)

• Pronunciation: flout/फ्लाउट
• Part of Speech: Verb, Noun 
• Meaning:
  a. to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at; mock (Verb)
  b. to intentionally not obey a rule, law, or custom (Verb)
  c. a disdainful, scornful, or contemptuous remark or act; insult; gibe (Noun)
• Synonyms: defy, disregard, disobey
• Antonyms: respect, obey, comply
• Usage in a sentence: Many motorcyclists flout the law by not wearing helmets.

7. Word: Stark (कठोर)

• Pronunciation: stahrk/स्टार्क
• Part of Speech: Adjective, Adverb
• Meaning:
  a. empty, simple, or obvious, especially without decoration or anything that is not necessary (Adjective)
  b. harsh, grim, or desolate, as a view, place, etc.(Adjective)
  c. means completely clear (Adjective)
  d. completely or extremely (Adverb)
• Synonyms: austere, dour, fierce, flinty, forbidding, grim
• Antonyms: benign, benignant, gentle, mild, non intimidating, tender
• Usage in a sentence: The dim halls made a stark contrast with the bright, sun-drenched apartment.

8. Word: Jeopardy (खतरा)

• Pronunciation: jep-er-dee/ जेपर्डी
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning: 
  a. hazard or risk of or exposure to loss, harm, death, or injury
  b. peril or danger
  c. Law. the danger or hazard of being found guilty, and of consequent punishment
• Synonyms: hazard, peril, risk, danger, threat
• Antonyms: safety, protection, security, immunity
• Usage in a sentence: The lives of thousands of birds are in jeopardy as a result of the oil spill.

9. Word: Lucrative (लाभदायक)

• Pronunciation: loo-kruh-tiv/लूक्रटिव
• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning:
  a. (especially of a business, job, or activity) producing a lot of money
• Synonyms: profitable, remunerative, gainful
• Antonyms: unprofitable, baneful, barren
• Usage in a sentence: The merger proved to be very lucrative for both companies.

10. Phrase: Throw to the wind (संकोच न करना)

• Pronunciation: throh-tuh-th-wind/थ्रो टू द विंड 
• Meaning:
  a. to do something without worrying about the risk or negative results
• Synonyms: to be - carefree, independent, daring
• Antonyms: overcautious, cowardly
• Usage in a sentence: I threw caution to the wind and bought the most expensive one.

11. Phrase: Full steam ahead (पूरी ऊर्जा क साथ)

• Pronunciation: full-steem-ahed/फुल स्टीम अहेड
• Meaning:
  a. with all your energy and enthusiasm
• Synonyms: at full speed, full force, full sail
• Antonyms: slow, not quick
• Usage in a sentence: Now that problem is out of the way, it's full steam ahead to get the job finished. 

'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!

• Frenetic
• Confluence
• Flout
• Throw to the wind
• Full steam ahead

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. 

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