Daily Vocabulary Words: List of Daily Used Words in Leading Indian Newspapers
Hi there. Welcome to this special section @ Wordpandit. Our endeavour here is straightforward: highlighting daily vocabulary words that you would come across in leading newspapers in the country. We have included the following newspapers in our selection:
• The Times of India
• The Economic Times
• Hindustan Times
• Mint
• Indian Express
We are putting in extensive work to develop your vocabulary. All you have to do is be regular with this section and check out this post daily. This is your repository of commonly used words; essentially, we are posting a list of daily used words. Hence, this has significant practical application as it teaches you words that are commonly used in leading publications mentioned above.
Visit the website daily to learn words from leading Indian newspapers.
WORD-1: TEETOTALLER
CONTEXT: The CEO, known to be a staunch teetotaller, often spoke about the benefits of abstaining from alcohol in public gatherings.
SOURCE: The Times of India.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine you’re at a party where everyone is drinking juice. Now, there’s this special juice called “alcohol” that grownups drink. But a teetotaller is someone who says, “No, thank you!” to that special juice every time. They never drink alcohol.
MEANING: A person who abstains from alcohol might choose tea as his or her alternative beverage (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: teetowtuhler
SYNONYMS: abstainer, nondrinker, abstinent, temperance advocate, dry, sobersides, nondrinker
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. My uncle is a teetotaller; he has never tasted wine.
2. At the party, they served a special drink for the teetotallers.
3. She decided to become a teetotaller after attending a health seminar.
4. Being a teetotaller, he opted for fruit punch over champagne.
WORD-2: GHETTOS
CONTEXT: The city’s rapid urbanization has led to the inadvertent creation of ghettos, raising concerns about adequate infrastructure and social services.
SOURCE: Hindustan Times.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: A ghetto is like a smaller neighborhood within a big town or city where people, often from the same background or facing similar challenges, live close to one another.
MEANING: An area ofa city, especially a very poor area, where people of a particular race or religion live closely together and apart from other people (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: gettoes
SYNONYMS: slums, projects, shantytown, tenement district, enclave, quarters, sector
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. Many famous musicians have risen from the ghettos to achieve great success.
2. The city’s ghettos face various challenges, including poor sanitation.
3. The government is working on improving living conditions in the ghettos.
4. Tourists rarely visit the ghettos due to safety concerns.
WORD-3: PIOUS
CONTEXT: Amidst the festive season, the pious crowd at the temple showcased India’s deep-rooted religious sentiments.
SOURCE: Indian Express.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Pious is like when someone is very, very good and does things because they believe it’s the right thing to do, especially in following their religion closely.
MEANING: Having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations (adjective).
PRONUNCIATION: pieus
SYNONYMS: devout, religious, godly, faithful, sanctified, reverent, churchgoing
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. The pious man visited the temple every morning without fail.
2. Her pious actions earned her respect in the community.
3. The old woman led a pious life, helping others and praying regularly.
4. They listened to the pious songs during the festival.
WORD-4: INGENUITY
CONTEXT: The ingenuity of local entrepreneurs, who have developed innovative solutions to address water scarcity, has been commendable.
SOURCE: Mint.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine you have a box of toys, but you don’t have a toy car. If you create a new toy car using different pieces from that box in a smart and creative way, that’s ingenuity!
MEANING: The ability to think creatively and solve problems in clever ways (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: injuhnooihtee
SYNONYMS: creativity, cleverness, inventiveness, originality, innovation, imagination, resourcefulness
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. The child’s ingenuity was evident when she crafted a boat from waste materials.
2. Engineers showed great ingenuity in designing the new bridge.
3. Solving that puzzle requires both patience and ingenuity.
4. The tribe used ingenuity to survive in the harsh desert.
WORD-5: SKULLDUGGERY
CONTEXT: The latest political scandal has unveiled a web of skullduggery that has left the citizens questioning the integrity of their representatives.
SOURCE: The Economic Times.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Skullduggery is when someone is sneaky and does something tricky or dishonest. It’s like when someone hides your favorite toy without telling you, just to play a mean trick.
MEANING: Dishonest or sneaky actions or behavior (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: skullduhguhree
SYNONYMS: trickery, deceit, deception, dishonesty, chicanery, duplicity, underhandedness
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. There was some skullduggery involved in the election process.
2. He was known for his business skullduggery and was not trusted by many.
3. The detective was sure that the suspect was up to some skullduggery.
4. The children’s skullduggery was soon discovered when the cookies went missing.
WORD-6: STATECRAFT
CONTEXT: With rising geopolitical tensions in the region, statecraft has never been more crucial in navigating the delicate balance of power.
SOURCE: The Times of India.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Statecraft is like the art of making and managing big decisions for a country. It’s like being the captain of a huge team and figuring out how to play the best game with other teams.
MEANING: The skillful management of state affairs or government (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: statekraft
SYNONYMS: diplomacy, governance, policymaking, administration, strategy, leadership, rulership
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. The president’s statecraft was admired by leaders worldwide.
2. Statecraft requires a balance between listening and decisionmaking.
3. Many historians study the statecraft of ancient empires.
4. Her mastery in statecraft was evident in the peace treaties she negotiated.
WORD-7: PROPITIATED
CONTEXT: It seems that the recent offerings at the shrine have propitiated the deities, as locals claim witnessing miraculous events.
SOURCE: Indian Express.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Propitiated is a big word that means making someone less angry or upset by doing something they like. It’s like when you give a sorry card to your friend after you accidentally broke their toy.
MEANING: Made someone less angry or hostile, usually by doing something pleasing (verb).
PRONUNCIATION: propisheeayted
SYNONYMS: appeased, placated, mollified, soothed, pacified, calmed, conciliated
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. She propitiated her angry neighbor by replacing the broken window.
2. The offerings were made to propitiate the gods.
3. To avoid further arguments, he propitiated his friend with a heartfelt apology.
4. The villagers propitiated the spirits with a special dance ritual.
WORD-8: UNPERTURBED
CONTEXT: Despite the fluctuations in the stock market, the veteran investor remained unperturbed, reiterating his long-term investment strategy.
SOURCE: live Mint.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Unperturbed means not being worried or upset about something, even if it’s surprising or scary. It’s like when you see a big spider, but instead of screaming, you just look at it calmly.
MEANING: Not worried, upset, or disquieted/ not worried about something (adjective).
PRONUNCIATION: unperturbd
SYNONYMS: unflustered, calm, composed, unruffled, undisturbed, unbothered, steady
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. Despite the sudden rain, the coach remained unperturbed and continued the practice.
2. She was unperturbed by the rumors about her.
3. The cat sat unperturbed, even as the dog barked loudly.
4. His unperturbed demeanor during the crisis inspired confidence.
WORD-9: ERADICATION
CONTEXT: The government’s new initiative focuses on the complete eradication of child labor from the nation’s factories and industries.
SOURCE: Hindustan Times.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Eradication means completely getting rid of something, like when you clean your room so well that not a single toy or dust bunny is left on the floor.
MEANING: The act of completely removing or getting rid of something (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: ehradihkayshun
SYNONYMS: elimination, extinction, obliteration, removal, extermination, annihilation, wiping out
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. The city’s new plan focuses on the eradication of litter.
2. The eradication of certain diseases has saved many lives.
3. Conservationists are working towards the eradication of invasive species from the park.
4. The eradication of old beliefs took generations.
WORD-10: PUMMELED
CONTEXT: The coastal town was pummeled by the cyclone, leaving behind a trail of destruction and calling for immediate relief measures.
SOURCE: The Economic Times.
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Pummeled means to hit something or someone many times. It’s like when you playfully hit a pillow over and over again with your fists.
MEANING: To hit someone or something repeatedly, esp. with your fists (verb).
PRONUNCIATION: puhmeld
SYNONYMS: battered, hammered, pounded, thrashed, belted, bashed, beat
USAGE EXAMPLE:
1. The boxer pummeled his opponent in the ring.
2. The rain pummeled the roof, making a loud noise.
3. The tree was pummeled by the strong winds, causing it to fall.
4. She pummeled the dough to make it soft and fluffy.
