Are you stuck inside your home because of some lockdown kind of situation? If yes, this is the perfect time to upgrade your vocabulary. Not only do you get a lot of time to learn new words & their meanings, but you also get a lot of time to revise the word meanings you have already learnt. Lots of exams are still on their way and the English Language section is inevitably indispensable in all these exams and to give a good boost to your overall score, you should prepare well for this section. What English Language section checks can be divided into 3 parts:
Here, we will be focusing on how you can improve your vocabulary part. On a daily basis, we publish the analysis of The Hindu Editorial where we earmark the difficult words used in the editorial and put their contextual meanings next to it. Please note that a word may have an array of connotations. At times, while referring to the dictionary you might find it difficult to pinpoint the exact meaning which is why in these analyses, we provide you with only the contextual meaning.
Going through these editorials on a regular basis will definitely help you in boosting your vocabulary.
For your quick revision, we have been publishing the compilation of the words used in The Hindu Editorial on a monthly basis. This month, we have compiled all the words used in the month of April in an easy-to-use PDF format.
Download Hindu Editorial Word Lists of Previous Months here.
Difficult Word/ Phrase | Contextual Meaning |
Tortuous | full of twists and turns |
Spectacle | a visually striking performance or display |
Overrun | continue beyond or above an expected or allowed time or cost |
Agonisingly | To suffer mental anguish or worry about something |
Staggered | arrange (events, hours, etc.) so that they do not occur at the same time |
Opaque | not transparent |
Tilting | move or cause to move into a sloping position |
Spike | a sharp increase in the magnitude of something |
Exponentially | more and more rapidly |
Pale | seem less impressive or important |
Curtail | impose a restriction on |
Factor | to include or admit as something that actively contributes to the production of a result |
Vial | a small container, typically cylindrical and made of glass, used especially for holding liquid medicines |
Bound | the greatest possible degree of something |
Contamination | the action or state of making or being made impure by polluting or poisoning |
Fragile | (of an object) easily broken or damaged |
Exponential | (of an increase) becoming more and more rapid |
Logistics | the detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities, or supplies |
Ancillary | providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization, institution, industry, or system |
Rollout | to make something new available for the first time |
Deploy | move equipment into position |
Dither | be indecisive |
Stand | a position taken in an argument |
Two-fold | twice as great or as numerous |
Mobilise | make (something) movable or capable of movement |
Generically | relating to medical drugs which are not sold or made under a particular brand name |
Faltering | losing strength or momentum |
Kernel of truth | a very small part of something that is true, wise etc |
Assertion | a confident and forceful statement of fact or belief |
Ravage | the severely damaging or destructive effects of something |
Peddle | promote (an idea or view) persistently or widely |
Beat off | to succeed in winning or gaining something from an opponent |
Incendiary | tending to excite |
Mercurial | (of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind |
Trumpeter | a person who plays a trumpet |
Elegiac | expressing sad feelings, especially about the past or people who have died |
Off the grid | not using any of the services, such as bank accounts, public utilities, etc, that allow a person’s activities to be monitored by the authorities |
Hulking | large, heavy, or clumsy |
Make the cut | to be among the players allowed to continue playing |
Time loop | in books and films, a situation in which a period of time is repeated, sometimes several times, so that the characters have to live through a series of events again |
Green | relating to the protection of the environment |
Greenhouse gas | any gas that has the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat energy) emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiating it back to Earth’s surface, thus contributing to the greenhouse effect |
Per capita | the average per person |
Shake off something | to get rid of something bad |
Envisage | contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event |
Open source | software or other projects with source code that can be viewed, modified, or upgraded by anyone |
Decarbonise | reduce the amount of gaseous carbon compounds released in or as a result of (an environment or process) |
Net zero emission | an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere |
Recalcitrance | the quality of being determined not to do what other people, especially people in authority, want or expect to be done |
Anew | in a new or different and typically more positive way |
Tribunal | any person or institution having an authority to judge, adjudicate on, or to determine claims or disputes |
Adjudicatory | relating to making an official decision about who is right in a dispute |
Interim stay | the temporary order of injunction passed by the court while the suit is still pending |
Spell out | explain something in detail |
Hazardous | risky; dangerous |
Conservation | carefully using valuable natural substances that exist in limited amounts in order to make certain that they will be available for as long a time as possible |
Be shorn of something | to have something valuable or important taken away from you |
Stint | a person’s fixed or allotted period of work |
Wryly | in a way that expresses dry, especially mocking, humor |
Salutary | (especially with reference to something unwelcome or unpleasant) producing good effects; beneficial |
Conviction | a formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense, made by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law |
Manslaughter | the crime of killing a human being without malice aforethought, or otherwise in circumstances not amounting to murder |
Clarion call | a strongly expressed demand or request for action |
Erstwhile | former |
Fanned | to make fiercer, more ardent, etc |
Frontrunner | the contestant that is leading in a race or other competition |
Fan the flames | Intensify or stir up feelings |
Laden | heavily loaded |
Pitfall | a hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty |
eschew | deliberately avoid using |
Upheaval | a violent or sudden change or disruption to something |
Scale up | increase |
Inoculate | treat (a person or animal) with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease |
Tie up | to preempt the use of |
Surface | Become known |
Liberalise | remove or loosen restrictions |
Avert | prevent or ward off (an undesirable occurrence) |
Foresight | the ability to predict or the action of predicting what will happen or be needed in the future |
Pragmatism | a reasonable and logical way of doing things or of thinking about problems that is based on dealing with specific situations instead of on ideas and theories |
Hype | extravagant or intensive publicity or promotion |
Vulnerability | the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally |
Diamantaire | diamond dealer |
Extradition | the act of officially sending back somebody who has been accused or found guilty of a crime to the country where the crime was committed |
Sour loan | an unsecured loan whose payment is 90 days or more overdue |
Cognisance | knowledge, awareness, or notice |
Bear the brunt of | Put up with the worst of some bad circumstance |
Skew | suddenly change direction or position |
Germane | relevant to a subject under consideration |
Lament | express regret or disappointment about something |
Malady | a disease or ailment |
Parlance | a particular way of speaking or using words, especially a way common to those with a particular job or interest |
Prognosis | the likely course of a disease or ailment |
Peninsula | a piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out into a body of water |
Sowing | plant (seed) by scattering it on or in the earth |
Correspond | match or agree almost exactly |
Rainfed | Of or relating to farming that relies on natural rainfall rather than irrigation |
Dynamic | characterized by constant change, activity, or progress |
El Niño | a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean |
Dipole | a pair of equal and oppositely charged or magnetized poles separated by a distance |
Incorporate | include |
Pullout | a withdrawal, especially from military involvement |
Insurgents | a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government |
Coalition | a group formed when two or more militaries agree to work together temporarily in a partnership to achieve a common goal |
Roadblock | a barrier or barricade on a road, especially one set up by the authorities to stop and examine traffic |
Shaky | unstable |
Precarious | dangerously likely to collapse |
Stalemated | having reached a situation in which further action or progress by opposing or competing parties seems impossible |
Overrun | spread over or occupy (a place) in large numbers |
Verge | an extreme limit beyond which something specified will happen |
Ominous | giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen |
Implicate | show (someone) to be involved in a crime |
Espionage | the practice of spying or of using spies, typically by governments to obtain political and military information |
Annal | historical records of the activities of an organization |
Grave | giving cause for alarm; serious |
Malicious | intending or intended to do harm |
Set in motion | start or trigger a process or series of events |
Persuasive | good at persuading someone to do or believe something through reasoning or the use of temptation |
Resist | withstand the action or effect of |
Shoot down | dismiss someone by forcefully criticizing or arguing with them |
Impediment | a hindrance or obstruction in doing something |
Put off | postpone something |
On the crest of a wave | If you say that you are on the crest of a wave, you mean that you are feeling very happy and confident because things are going well for you. |
Cohort | a group of individuals having a statistical factor (such as age or class membership) in common in a demographic study |
Cluster | a group of similar things or people positioned or occurring closely together |
Onus | used to refer to something that is one’s duty or responsibility |
Rollout | an occasion when a new product or service is gradually made available to more people after it has first been tested in a particular area |
In the pipeline | in the process of being planned or developed |
Unwavering | continuing in a strong and steady way |
Envisage | contemplate or conceive of as a possibility or a desirable future event |
Regulatory | serving or intended to regulate something |
Emancipation | the fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions |
Giant leap | important progress that has been made |
Push the envelope | testing limits and trying out new, often radical ideas |
Antediluvian | extremely old-fashioned |
Foetal anomaly | unusual or unexpected conditions in a baby’s development during pregnancy |
Keep a watchful eye | to watch (someone or something) closely |
Nosedive | to suddenly fall in value, quickly and by a large amount |
Stop short of | not go as far as (some extreme action) |
Dramatis personae | people who figure prominently in something |
Jagged | having a harsh, rough, or irregular quality |
Salvaging | to try to make a bad situation better |
Rein in | to limit or control |
Exuberance | the quality of being full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness |
Nascent | just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential |
Hobble | to limit something or control the freedom of someone |
Scale up | If you scale up something, you make it greater in extent than it used to be |
Staggered working hours | When the staff work a set number of hours during the day, but at different times |
Inscrutable | impossible to understand or interpret |
Silver bullet | something that acts as a magical weapon especially : one that instantly solves a long-standing problem |
Curb | a check or restraint on something |
Multilateral | agreed upon or participated in by three or more parties, especially the governments of different countries |
Traverse | travel across or through |
Assert | state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully |
Manoeuvre | a large-scale military exercise of troops, warships, and other forces |
Dispose of | settle |
Grapple | to fight, especially in order to win something |
In line with | in alignment or accordance with |
Belligerence | aggressive or warlike behavior |
Chart out | to outline a plan for something |
Quad | The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) is an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India that is maintained by talks between member countries. |
Strain | to experience pressure |
Bilateral | involving two parties, especially countries |
Free trade agreement | a pact between two or more nations to reduce barriers to imports and exports among them |
Avenue | possibility |
Divergence | a situation in which two things become different, or the difference between them increases |
Preface | serve as an introduction |
Derisive | expressing contempt or ridicule |
Optics | (typically in a political context) the way in which an event or course of action is perceived by the public |
On the same page | to have the same kind of understanding about a situation |
Raise eyebrow | show surprise or mild disapproval |
Resurrect | to bring back something into existence that had ended |
Protract | lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual |
Explicit | stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt |
Fillip | something which acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity |
Revanchist | a policy of seeking to retaliate, especially to recover lost territory |
Culminate | reach a climax or point of highest development |
Conspire | make secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act |
Plaintiff | a person who brings a case against another in a court of law |
Commission | give an order for |
Adduce | cite as evidence |
Zero-sum | relating to or denoting a situation in which whatever is gained by one side is lost by the other. |
Convene | come or bring together for a meeting or activity; assemble |
Mire | involve someone or something in (a difficult situation) |
Energy poverty | lack of access to modern energy services |
Drought | an event of prolonged shortages in the water supply |
Clamour | a loud and confused noise, especially that of people shouting vehemently |
Green technology | any technology intended to reduce the impact of humans on the environment |
Underpin | support, justify, or form the basis for |
Deforestation | the action of clearing a wide area of trees |
Run-up | the period preceding a notable event |
Accommodative | intended to stimulate economic activity by lowering interest rates |
Drop its guard | to stop being careful to avoid danger or difficulty |
Upsurge | an increase |
Dampen | make less strong or intense |
Cloud | make or become less clear |
Efficacy | the ability to produce a desired or intended result |
Ramp up | increase the level of something sharply |
Rebounding | recover in strength after a decrease or decline |
Remit | an item referred to someone for consideration |
Across the board | applying to all |
Mayhem | violent or damaging disorder |
Junta | a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force |
Call for | publicly ask for or demand something |
Stop short of | not go as far as (some extreme action) |
Attaché | a person on the staff of an ambassador, typically with a specialized area of responsibility |
Gun down | shoot someone and kill or injure them |
Bloodshed | the killing or wounding of people, typically on a large scale during a conflict |
Unperturbed | not worried or anxious |
Coup | a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government |
Usurp | take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force |
Walk-back | retract a statement or reverse an action or decision |
Articulate | express (an idea or feeling) fluently and coherently |
Garner | gather or collect (something, especially information or approval) |
Proclamation | a public or official announcement, especially one dealing with a matter of great importance |
Titan | a person or thing of very great strength, intellect, or importance |
Clampdown | a severe or concerted attempt to suppress something |
Unwinding | undo or be undone after winding or being wound |
Dogma | a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true |
Allude | suggest or call attention to indirectly; hint at |
Ethos | the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations |
Demigod | a being with partial or lesser divine status |
Undimmed | not diminished or lessened |
Twirl | spin quickly and lightly around, especially repeatedly |
Swagger | walk or behave in a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive way |
Hallmark | a typical characteristic or feature of a person or thing |
Motion capture | the process or technique of recording patterns of movement digitally, especially the recording of an actor’s movements for the purpose of animating a digital character in a film or video game |
Foray | an initial and often tentative attempt to do something in a new or different field or area of activity |
No show | a person who has made a reservation, booking, or appointment but neither keeps nor cancels it |
Legion | a vast host, multitude, or number of people |
Disservice | an unfair or harmful action |
Terse | using few words and often not seeming polite or friendly |
Quinquennium | a specified period of five years |
Centrepiece | an issue intended to be a focus of attention |
Lockstep | close adherence to and emulation of another’s actions |
Apposite | apt in the circumstances or in relation to something |
Bedrock | the fundamental principles on which something is based |
Devastating | highly destructive or damaging |
Precarity | a state of persistent insecurity with regard to employment or income |
Trajectory | the way in which a process or event develops over a period of time |
Unwavering | steady or resolute; not wavering |
Peg | fix (a rate) at a particular level |
Prune | to reduce the number or amount of something |
Status quo | The existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social or political issues |
Defer | postpone |
Inadvertently | without intention; accidentally |
Flurry | a sudden, short period of activity |
Tenure | The term of holding something |
Extant | still in existence |
Clinching | embracing |
Jibe | an insulting or mocking remark; a taunt |
In the forefront | In a leading position |
Reiterate | say something again or a number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity |
Spike | a sharp increase in the magnitude of something |
On the horizon | likely to happen soon |
Catastrophic | involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering |
Skyrocket | of an amount) increase very steeply or rapidly |
Inoculate | treat (a person) with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease |
Bear down | move directly towards someone or something in a purposeful or intimidating manner |
Pressing problem | something which has to be dealt with immediately |
Tides and ebbs | fluctuations |
We hope that the above PDF will be helpful to augment your word power.
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