Source The Hindu Editorial Page: Words of the day

Source The Hindu Editorial Page: Words of the day

1) Epitaph

Meaning: A short piece of writing or a poem about a dead person, especially one written on their gravestone.

Sentence: The wanderer realized this was not just a monument but also a grave, and the inscription was an epitaph.

Synonyms: Memorial, Eulogy

Antonyms: Dishonourable, Abusive

2) Trenchant

Meaning: Severe, expressing strong criticism or forceful opinions.

Sentence: His most trenchant criticism is reserved for the party leader, whom he describes as “the most incompetent and ineffectual the party has known”.

Synonyms: Sarcastic, Scathing

Antonyms: Bland, Frivolous

3) Squally

Meaning: A sudden strong wind or short storm.

Sentence: Violent squalls signalled the approach of the hurricane.

Synonyms: Blustery, Gusty

Antonyms: Calm, Peaceful

4) Persecution

Meaning: To treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long period of time because of their race, religion, or political beliefs, or to annoy someone by refusing to leave them alone.

Sentence: Ever since the news broke about her divorce, she has been persecuted by the tabloid press.

Synonyms: Expulsion, Ill-Treatment

Antonyms: Happiness, Succour

5) Placated

Meaning: To stop someone from feeling angry.

Sentence: Outraged minority groups will not be placated by promises of future improvements.

Synonyms: Pacify, Mollify

Antonyms: Agitate, Incite

6) Piquant

Meaning: Interesting and exciting, especially because of being mysterious.

Example: More piquant details of their private life were revealed.

Synonyms: Pungent, Spicy

Antonyms: Bland, Mild

7) Pittance

Meaning: A very small amount of money, especially money received as payment, income, or a present.

Example: He works hard but he’s paid a pittance.

Synonyms: Mite, Scarp

Antonyms: Plenty, Lot

8) Placid

Meaning: Having a calm appearance or characteristics.

Example: a slow-moving and placid river.

Synonyms: Serene, Still

Antonyms: Excited, Fierce

9) Plaintive

Meaning: Used to describe something that sounds slightly sad.

Example: The plaintive sound of the bagpipes.

Synonyms: Mournful, Woeful

Antonyms: Joyful, Mirthful

10) Placatory

Meaning: Trying to avoid making someone angry.

Example: The tone of the letter was placatory.

Synonyms: Pacific, Irenic

Antonyms: Bellicose, Hostile

11) Deaden

Meaning: To make something less painful or less strong.

Example: Morphine is often used to deaden the pain of serious injuries.

Synonyms: Diminish, Quiet

Antonyms: Allow, Advance

12) Boondocks

Meaning: Any area in the country that is quiet, has few people living in it, and is a long way away from a town or city.

Example: She lives way out in the boondocks in some tiny town.

Synonyms: Hinterland, Backwoods

13) Lancet

Meaning: A small knife with two cutting edges and a sharp point that a doctor uses when cutting the skin.

Example: Medical & surgical equipment.

Synonyms: Dagger, Bayonet

14) Dissuade

Meaning: To persuade someone not to do something.

Example: I tried to dissuade her from leaving.

Synonyms: Prevent, Discourage

Antonyms: Assist, Encourage

15) Writhe

Meaning: To experience a very difficult or unpleasant situation or emotion, such as extreme embarrassment

Example: He and four other senators were writhing in the glare of unfavourable publicity.

Meaning: To make large twisting movements with the body.

Example: The pain was so unbearable that he was writhing in agony.

Synonyms: Struggle, Suffer

Antonyms: Straighten

16) Apocryphal

Meaning: An apocryphal story is probably not true although it is often told and believed by some people to have happened.

Example: It’s a good story but I dare say it’s apocryphal.

Synonyms: Fictitious, Mythical

Antonyms: True, Doubtless

17) Ingenuous

Meaning: Honest, sincere, and trusting, sometimes in a way that seems silly.

Example: It has to be said it was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to take care of his luggage.

Synonyms: Candid, Innocent

Antonyms: Deceitful, Dishonest

18) Scurrilous

Meaning: Expressing unfair or false criticism that is likely to damage someone’s reputation.

Example: A scurrilous attack on his integrity.

Synonyms: Obscene, Insulting

Antonyms: Decent, Polite

19) Boorish

Meaning: A person who is rude and does not consider other people’s feelings.

Example: Boorish behaviour.

Synonyms: Barbaric, Churlish

Antonyms: Mannerly, Delicate

20) Extricate

Meaning: To remove something or set something free with difficulty.

Example: It took hours to extricate the car from the sand.

Synonyms: Detach, Differentiate

Antonyms: Attach, Connect

21) Allude: Suggest or call attention to indirectly; Hint at.

Elude: Escape from or avoid (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skilful or cunning way.

22) Cite: refer to (a passage, book, or author) as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement, especially in a scholarly work;praise (someone, typically a member of the armed forces) in an official report for a courageous act.

Site: An area of ground on which a town, building, or monument is constructed.

23) Canvass: Solicit votes from (electors or members).

Canvas: A strong, coarse unbleached cloth made from hemp, flax, or a similar yarn, used to make items such as sails and tents and as a surface for oil painting.

24) Curb: A check or restraint on something.

Kerb: A stone edging to a pavement or raised path.

25) Idyll: An extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque period or situation, typically an idealized or unsustainable one.

Idle: (of a person) avoiding work; Lazy.

Idol: An image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.

Ideal: Satisfying one’s conception of what is perfect; most suitable.

26) Drive-by: Used to refer to something that someone does while driving past in a vehicle.

27) Spacewalk: An act of moving around in space outside a spacecraft but connected to it.

28) Lift-off: The action of a spacecraft or rocket leaving the ground.

29) Splashdown: A landing by a spacecraft in the sea.

30) Free press: If a country has a free press, its newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations are able to express any opinions they want, even if these criticize the government and other organizations.