The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Mar 19, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense

Logjam - A difficult situation in which you cannot make progress easily because there are too many
things to do
Deadlock - A situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
Backsliding - A failure to maintain a higher state
Allegation - A formal accusation against somebody (often in a court of law)
Sort out - resolve a problem or difficulty
Diaspora - The movement of people away from their own country
Ripple effect - The effect of an event setting off other events in an unexpected way, or in unexpected
areas
Inevitable - An unavoidable event
For long - for a long time
Amplify - Increase in size, volume or significance
Clamour - Loud and persistent outcry from many people
Evade - Avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
Span - To cover or extend over an area or time period
Arbitrariness - not seeming to be based on a reason, system or plan and sometimes seeming unfair
Collusion - Secret agreement
Betray - Reveal unintentionally
Impunity - Exemption from punishment or loss

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Mar 18, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Hostage - A person given or held as security for the fulfillment of certain conditions or
terms, promises, etc., by another
Scrutiny - The act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
Incumbent - Currently holding an office
Dispose of - Deal with or settle
Aggrieved - Angry or resentful due to unfair treatment
Allege - Make an accusation or assertion without any proof
At the threshold - at the beginning of something or very close to something (such as a new
condition, an important discovery, etc.)
Gubernatorial - Relating to a governor
Constrain - Compel to behave in a certain way
Tactic - A plan for attaining a particular goal
Stall - Deliberately delay an event or action
Acute - Of critical importance and consequence
Boycott - Refuse to sponsor; refuse to do business with
Discourteous - Showing no courtesy; rude
Assent - Agreement with a statement or proposal to do something
Pronouncement - An authoritative declaration
A race to the bottom - a situation characterized by a progressive lowering or deterioration of standards,
especially (in business contexts) as a result of the pressure of competition

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Mar 17, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Dynamics - Behaviour
Nuanced - With a subtle difference in attitude
Exuberant - Growing in extreme abundance
Outflow - something that flows out
Falter - Weaken
Gloom - An atmosphere of depression
Infuse - Fill, as with a certain quality
Dispel - Force to go away
Slump - Fall heavily or suddenly; decline markedly
Vulnerability - the quality of being vulnerable (able to be easily hurt, influenced, or attacked)
Scramble - An unceremonious and disorganized struggle
Rein in - to limit or control (someone or something)
Benign - Pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence
Spell - A period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition
Contractionary (economics) - a period of economic decline or negative growth
Streak - An unbroken series of events
Insulate - protect
Curb - Lessen the intensity of
Constrict - Compress
Nimble - with quickness and lightness and ease
Dither - be undecided; be uncertain
Rejig - Put into a new order or arrangement

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Mar 16, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Contagion - The communication of an attitude or emotional state among a number of people
Déjà vu - The experience of thinking that a new situation had occurred before
Redux - Brought back
Make a beeline for - hurry directly to
Haven - A shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary
Alacrity - Liveliness and eagerness
Bolster - Support and strengthen
In concert with - Acting jointly
Resilient - Recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
Glean - Learn a little information, esp. with difficulty or in small pieces
Distress - A state of adversity (danger, affliction or need)
A run on - a situation in which a lot of people want to buy something at the same time
Can’t see the wood for the trees - to be unable to understand a situation clearly because you are
too involved in it
Predicate - Affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of
Countercyclical - Against the economic cycle
On guard - careful and looking out for danger

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Mar 15, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Legitimise - Make legal
Apprehension - Fearful expectation or anticipation
Encroach - Advance beyond the usual limit
Decriminalise - Make legal
Heteronormative - Regarding heterosexual relationships as normal or preferred
Solemnisation - The public performance of a sacrament or solemn ceremony with all appropriate ritual
Stigma - A symbol of disgrace or infamy
Insurmountable - Not capable of being overcome
Invoke - resort to
Futile - Producing no result or effect
Sacrament - A formal religious ceremony
Remedy - the legal means to recover a right or obtain redress for a wrong
Cede - Give over

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Mar 10, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Scramble - To move hurriedly
Predicate - Affirm or declare as an attribute or quality of
Say - The chance to speak
Purport - Have the often specious appearance of being, intending, or claiming
Scandalous - very shocking or wrong
Saddle - seat
Defection - Withdrawing support
Downward Spiral - If an amount or level spirals downwards, it falls quickly and at an increasing rate.
Patriarchal - Characteristic of a form of social organization in which the male is the family head and
title is traced through the male line
Extortion - the act of extorting, or getting money, etc. by threats, misuse of authority, etc.
Stalemate - A situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
Elusive - difficult to catch
 The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Mar 3, 2023
Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Seep - Permeate; pass through
Prime to prepare (something); - make ready
Pre-eminent - Greatest in importance, degree, significance or achievement
Incentive - A positive motivational influence
Consolidate - Unite into one
Unnerve - Disturb the composure of
Stand In good stead - to be useful to, esp. in a critical situation
Gain a foothold - a strong first position in a market, industry, etc. from which further progress can be made
Falter - Be weak
Pale - dim or feeble
Sceptical - Marked by or given to doubt
Warm up - Become more friendly or open
Rule out - Dismiss from consideration

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Feb 28, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Subaltern - Inferior in rank or status
Plenary - attended by all participants
Outline - Describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
Paradigm shift - a complete and important change in the usual or accepted way of doing or thinking about
somebody/something
Woo - Seek someone’s favour
Fold - any group or community sharing a way of life or holding the same values
Adherence - Faithfully following a program, regime, party or religion
Mitigate - lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
Inequity - lack of fairness; an instance of somebody being treated unfairly
Spur - Incite or stimulate
Bank on - base one’s hopes or confidence on something
Timidity - fear of making decisions

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Feb 27, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Settle score - to punish someone for something wrong that they did to you in the past and that you
cannot forgive
Partisan - Devoted to a cause or party
Unsavoury - Morally offensive
Cavalier - not careful
Denounce - classify or describe as disgraceful
Assertion - A declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
Outraging - to cause someone to feel very angry, shocked, or upset
Egregious - extremely bad in a way that is very noticeable
Thwart - Hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
Disconcerting - Causing an emotional disturbance
Insinuation - the action of suggesting, without being direct, that something unpleasant is true
Hit a nerve - provoke a reaction by referring to a sensitive topic
Sly - deceiving people in a clever way to get what you want
Strident - having a loud, rough and unpleasant sound
Seldom - Not often
Playbook - A scheme or set of strategies for conducting a business campaign or a political campaign
Flouting - to intentionally not obey a rule, law, or custom
Haul up - to force someone to go somewhere or see someone in order to be punished or to answer
questions about their behaviour

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Feb 22, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Disorderly - In utter disorder
Leg - A section or portion of a journey or course
Black out - A suspension of radio or tv broadcasting
Allegedly - According to what has been declared but not proved
Cry foul - Protest that a rule has been broken or claim an injustice
Interject - To insert between other elements
Inversion - The reversal of the normal order
Expunge - Remove by erasing
Travesty - something that does not have the qualities or values that it should have, in a way that is
often shocking or offensive
Obfuscate - Make obscure or unclear

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Feb 20, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Altercation - Noisy quarrel
Scuttle - cause to fail
Shoot down - Thwart the passage of
Brazen - Unrestrained by convention or propriety
Untenable - incapable of being defended or justified
Acrimony - A rough and bitter manner
Perverse - showing a deliberate and determined desire to behave in a way that most people think
is wrong, unacceptable or unreasonable
Vindicate - Show to be right by providing justification or proof
Protagonist - A person who backs a politician or a team etc.
Plague - Annoy continually or chronically
Tussle - Disorderly fighting
Hit home - reach an intended target

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Feb 13, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Bailout - A rescue, esp. a rescue from financial difficulties
Pin one’s hope on - to hope very much for a good outcome from (something or someone) especially
when other options are not available or are not pursued
Stave off - Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening; to protect from or to keep away
anything undesirable; to ward off
Tranche - A portion of something (especially money)
Blackout - The failure of electric power for a general region
Balance of payment - A system of recording all of a country’s economic transactions with the rest of
the world over a period of one year
Debilitating - Impairing the strength and vitality
Weigh on - Be oppressive or disheartening to
Perilous - very dangerous
Notwithstanding - Regardless of
Proximate - nearest in time, order, etc. to something
Preponderant - Having superior power and influence
Meddle - Intrude in other people’s affairs or business; interfere unwantedly
Forebode - Make a prediction about; tell in advance
Bleak - Offering little or no hope

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Feb 10, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
State of affairs - The general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
Articulate - Express or state clearly
Rhetoric - Using language effectively to please or persuade
Autocracy - A political system governed by a single individual
Pitch - Promotion by means of an argument and demonstration
Legacy - Heritage
Lay bare - Make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people
or that was meant to be kept a secret
Resolutely - Showing firm determination or purpose
Grind on - to continue for a long time- used to describe something unpleasant
Endgame - The final stages of an extended process of negotiation
Cut out - to suit or equip for
Guardrail - a railing guarding usually against danger
 The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Feb 9, 2023
Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Bigotry - the fact of having and expressing strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people
who have different beliefs or a different way of life
Opaque - Hard or impossible to understand
Epitomise - be a typical example of
Portend - Be a sign of something to come, esp. something important or bad
Unabashed - Not embarrassed
Dispatch - The property of being prompt and efficient
Perennial - Lasting an indefinitely long time; suggesting self-renewal
Denounce - Accuse or condemn openly or formally; classify or describe as disgraceful
Render - Cause to become
Dispense - Give or provide in small portions
Flag - to draw attention to (something)
Affiliation - The act of becoming formally connected or joined
Scrutiny - The act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary– Feb 6, 2023

Difficult Word/ Phrase - Contextual Sense
Gambit - A tactic or manoeuvre intended to gain an advantage
Mandarin - a person who has a very important job in the government, and who is sometimes
considered to be too powerful
Sum up - Give a summary
Deem - Keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view
Medley - a mixture of different things
Propensity - An inclination to do something
Conspicuous - Obvious to the eye or mind
Alluring - Highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire
Nuance - A subtle difference in meaning, opinion or attitude
Embedded - attached
Prudent - Careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment
Cope - Succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate
means available
Leg-up - an act of helping someone or something to improve their situation
Con - Deprive of by deceit
Nudge - something that encourages or persuades someone to do something in a gentle way
Penury - A state of extreme poverty or destitution