Improve Your Vocabulary from Newspaper Wordlist: 02nd July 2020

Our series, ‘Improve Vocabulary from Newspaper Wordlist’ aims to help you completely understand the commonly used words with their meanings, pronunciations, synonyms, antonyms, proper use in sentences, etc.

Here is an important editorial for you from ‘The Hindu’, followed by important words from the same, to help you strengthen your vocabulary. Read it, understand the context and go through the meanings of words to boost up your learning.

Legitimate concern: on law and order in Nagaland

Important Words from the Article

1. Word: Gauntlet (हस्त-त्राण)

• Pronunciation: gawnt-let/गॉन्ट्लट
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning: 
  a. go through an intimidating or dangerous crowd or experience in order to reach a goal
  b. an armored glove
  c. the part of a glove covering the wrist
  d. a severe trial
• Synonyms: glove', mitten, suit of armor
• Usage in a sentence: She had to run the gauntlet of male autograph seekers.

2. Word: Blatant (प्रबल/स्पष्ट )

• Pronunciation: /ब्लेटन्ट
• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning:
  a. noisy especially in a vulgar or offensive manner
  b. completely obvious, conspicuous, or obtrusive especially in a crass or offensive manner
  c. completely lacking in subtlety; very obvious
• Synonyms: caterwauling, clamorous, obstreperous, conspicuous
• Antonyms: subtle, quiet, silent, humble
• Usage in a sentence: The whole episode was a blatant attempt to gain publicity.

 3. Word: Extortion (धमकी देकर मांगना)

• Pronunciation: ik-stawr-shuhn/इक्स्टॉर्शन
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning: 
  a. an act or instance of extorting
  b. oppressive or illegal exaction, as of excessive price or interest
  c. the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority
• Synonyms: blackmail, coercion, force
• Antonyms: reparation
• Usage in a sentence: He was found guilty of extortion.

4. Word: Tout (प्रचार करने वाला)

• Pronunciation: tout/टाउट
• Part of Speech: 
• Meaning:
  a. to advertise, talk about, or praise something or someone repeatedly, especially as a way of encouraging people to like, accept, or buy something
  b. to repeatedly try to persuade people to buy your goods or services
  c. to solicit support for importunately (Verb)
  d. to describe or advertise boastfully; publicize or promote; praise extravagantly (Verb)
  e. a person who solicits business, employment, support, or the like, importunately (Noun)
• Synonyms: boast, bluster, brag, vaunt
• Antonyms: conceal, belittle, admonish
• Usage in a sentence: The minister has been touting these ideas for some time.
  
  

5. Word: Insurgent (राजद्रोही)

• Pronunciation: in-sur-juhnt/इन्सर्जन्ट
• Part of Speech: Noun, Adjective
• Meaning:
  a. a person who rises in forcible opposition to lawful authority, especially a person who engages in armed resistance to a government or to the execution of its laws; rebel (Noun)
  b. a member of a section of a political party that revolts against the methods or policies of the party (Noun)
  c. of or characteristic of an insurgent or insurgents (Adjective)
  d. surging or rushing in (Adjective)
• Synonyms: rebel, revolutionary, dissident, rioter
• Antonyms: obedient, loyal, compliant
• Usage in a sentence: All approaches to the capital are now under the control of the insurgents.

6. Word: Herald (घोषणा करना)

• Pronunciation: her-uhld/हेरल्ड
• Part of Speech: Verb, Noun
• Meaning:
  a. to be a sign that something important, and often good, is starting to happen, or to make something publicly known, especially by celebrating or praising it (Verb)
  b. to announce or signal that something is approaching (Verb)
  c. a sign that something will happen, change (Noun)
• Synonyms: presage, precursor, portend, announce
• Antonyms: adopt, accompany, attend
• Usage in a sentence: The president's speech heralds a new era in foreign policy.

7. Word: Knotty (जटिल)

• Pronunciation: not-ee/नाटी
• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning:
  a. complicated and difficult to solve
  b. involved, intricate, or difficult
• Synonyms: complex, complicated, intricate, difficult
• Antonyms: simple, easy, facile, untangled
• Usage in a sentence: It was a very knotty problem.

8. Word: Usurp (हड़पना)

• Pronunciation: yoo-surp/यूसर्प
• Part of Speech: Verb
• Meaning:
  a. to take control of a position of power, especially without having the right to
  b. to use without authority or right; employ wrongfully
• Synonyms: seize, take, grab, expropriate
• Antonyms: forfeit, relinquish, surrender
• Usage in a sentence: Local control is being usurped by central government.

9. Word: Accord (संधि)

• Pronunciation: uh-kawrd/अकॉर्ड
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
• Meaning:
  a. (a formal) agreement(Noun)
  b. proper relationship or proportion; harmony (Noun)
  c. to treat someone specially, usually by showing respect (Verb)
  d. to give officially something desirable (Verb)
• Synonyms: agreement, harmony, deal
• Antonyms: disagreement, discord, deny
• Usage in a sentence: Both parties signed an accord last week in Geneva that may finally bring an end to the conflict.

10. Word: Interlocutor (संभाषी)

• Pronunciation: in-ter-lok-yuh-ter/इन्टर्लाक्यटर
• Part of Speech: Noun
• Meaning:
  a. someone who is involved in a conversation
  b. the man in the middle of the line of performers in a minstrel troupe, who acts as the announcer and banters with the end men
  c. a person who questions; interrogator
• Synonyms: speaker, conversationalist, questioner
• Usage in a sentence: Abraham was able to act as interpreter and interlocutor for our group.

11. Phrase: Siphon off (खाली कर देना)

• Pronunciation: sahy-fuh n- off/साइफन ऑफ
• Meaning:
  a. to dishonestly take money from an organization or other supply, and use it for a purpose for which it was not intended
• Synonyms: drain, draw, suck
• Usage in a sentence: He lost his job when it was discovered that he had been siphoning off money from the company for his own use.

'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!

• Tout
• Siphon Off
• Blatant
• Herald
• Interlocutor

Exercise 2: Match the columns.

Share your answers in the comment section. 

Read Improve Your Vocab Article Here

Practice Daily Vocab Quizzes Here 

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