Daily Vocabulary from ‘The Hindu’: May 16, 2024

Daily Vocabulary Words: List of Daily Used Words
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WORD-1: Exceptionalism

CONTEXT: I had characterised the grant of remission to the 11 gang-rape and murder convicts in the Bilkis Bano case as an ‘injustice of exceptionalism’.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Imagine if someone thought they were super special and different from everyone else in a good way, like having superpowers that no one else has. That idea is called “exceptionalism.” It’s when people believe they are unique or better than others because of who they are or where they come from.

MEANING: The belief that something is exceptional, especially the belief that a
country or culture is superior (noun).

PRONUNCIATION: ek-sep-SHUH-nuh-liz-um

SYNONYMS: uniqueness, superiority, distinctiveness, specialness, singularity

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. American exceptionalism is a topic often discussed in political debates.
2. He has a sense of personal exceptionalism that makes him confident in his decisions.
3. The idea of exceptionalism can lead to national pride.
4. Critics argue that exceptionalism can foster unhealthy attitudes towards other countries.

WORD-2: Pervades

CONTEXT: the exceptional nature of injustice that pervades Bilkis Bano’s struggle, the Supreme Court is rightfully being lauded for upholding the rule of law.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Think about when you spray a little perfume and soon the smell spreads all over the room. That’s what “pervades” means. It’s when something spreads to every part of something else, like a smell filling up a whole room.

MEANING: To spread through and be noticeable in every part of something (verb).

PRONUNCIATION: per-VAYDZ

SYNONYMS: permeates, infuses, saturates, fills, imbues

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. A sense of excitement pervades the crowd at the concert.
2. The fragrance of flowers pervades the entire garden.
3. Fear pervades the atmosphere of the haunted house.
4. Happiness pervades their home during the holidays.

WORD-3: Reformative

CONTEXT: Prison is a State subject. As a result, prison rules of each State identify certain reformative and rehabilitative activities that the prisoners can undertake in order to earn remission in the form of days.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Imagine you have a toy that’s broken, and you try to fix it so it’s even better than before. When you make something better by changing it, that’s being “reformative.” It’s like improving or fixing things to make them good again.

MEANING: Intended to make improvements or corrections to something, usually referring to systems or policies (adjective).

PRONUNCIATION: re-FOR-muh-tiv

SYNONYMS: corrective, improving, rectifying, ameliorative, remedial

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. The reformative policies helped improve the education system.
2. He played a reformative role in the community service organization.
3. Their approach is highly reformative, aiming to change old methods.
4. The new laws were seen as reformative steps toward greater fairness.

WORD-4: Recurrence

CONTEXT: These include examining whether the offence is an individual act of crime without affecting the society at large; chance of recurrence of crime; whether the convict has lost their potentiality in committing crime

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Imagine if every Friday, you eat pizza for dinner. That’s a “recurrence.” It means something happens again and again, usually in a pattern or at certain times.

MEANING: The act of occurring again, either periodically or repeatedly (noun).

PRONUNCIATION: ree-KUR-ens

SYNONYMS: repetition, return, reappearance, repeat, comeback

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. There was a recurrence of the event due to its popularity.
2. Doctors try to prevent the recurrence of the illness with medication.
3. The annual festival is a cherished recurrence in the community.
4. She hoped for the recurrence of the favorable circumstances.

WORD-5: Confining

CONTEXT: there is any fruitful purpose of confining the convict any more; and socio-economic condition of the convict’s family.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Think about when you build a small fort with cushions and blankets, and it’s just big enough for you. Being in that small space is “confining.” It means something that keeps you in a small or restricted area, where you can’t move around much.

MEANING: Restricting movement, space, or freedom (adjective).

PRONUNCIATION: kun-FYN-ing

SYNONYMS: restricting, limiting, narrow, cramped, binding

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. The small room felt confining after several hours.
2. He found the rules of the organization too confining.
3. The cast on her leg was confining and uncomfortable.
4. Confining spaces can be challenging for people who are claustrophobic.

WORD-6: Incarceration

CONTEXT: States in India today have remission policies that completely deny remission opportunities to certain categories of offenders or have significantly longer periods of incarceration for certain offences before consideration of remission.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Imagine if someone breaks a rule, like not sharing toys, and they have to sit in a timeout corner. “Incarceration” is like a very long timeout for grown-ups who break bigger rules. It means being kept in a place like a jail, where they can’t leave as a punishment.

MEANING: The act of putting someone in prison or another place from which they cannot escape (noun).

PRONUNCIATION: in-kahr-suh-RAY-shun

SYNONYMS: imprisonment, confinement, detention, custody, internment

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. Incarceration is used as a punishment for serious crimes.
2. The movie explored the effects of long-term incarceration on individuals.
3. There are debates about the effectiveness of incarceration in preventing crime.
4. Alternatives to incarceration are being considered in some regions.

WORD-7: Compassion

CONTEXT: the aggressive aspects of Lord Rama are not as emphasised by Tulsidas as are his sobriety, calmness and compassion.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Imagine seeing someone fall down and feeling like you want to help them because they might be hurt. That feeling is called “compassion.” It’s when you care about others and feel sad for them when they are in trouble or pain.

MEANING: A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering (noun).

PRONUNCIATION: kum-PASH-un

SYNONYMS: empathy, care, concern, sensitivity, sympathy

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. She showed compassion to the lost child by helping him find his parents.
2. Compassion is essential in nursing and healthcare professions.
3. Acts of compassion can make a big difference in someone’s life.
4. The community came together with compassion to support the affected family.

WORD-8: Obeisance

CONTEXT: Recognising the entire creation as full of Siya and Rama, I make obeisance to them with joined palms.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Think about when you see someone bow a little when meeting a queen or king in movies. That little bow is called “obeisance.” It’s a way to show respect or honor to someone important by bowing or doing something similar.

MEANING: A gesture expressing deferential respect, such as a bow or curtsy (noun).

PRONUNCIATION: oh-BAY-suhns

SYNONYMS: homage, deference, respect, submission, reverence

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. The knight paid obeisance to the queen.
2. Obeisance is often shown in traditional ceremonies.
3. He made a slight obeisance as he accepted the award.
4. Cultural traditions dictate the type of obeisance made to elders.

WORD-9: Exaggeration

CONTEXT: It would not be an exaggeration to state that for many, Lord Rama was incomplete without Siya.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Imagine you catch a small fish, but when you tell your friends, you say it was HUGE! That’s called an “exaggeration.” It’s when you make a story sound much bigger or more important than it really is.

MEANING: A statement that represents something as better or worse than it really is (noun).

PRONUNCIATION: eg-zaj-uh-RAY-shun

SYNONYMS: overstatement, embellishment, hyperbole, amplification, enlargement

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. His story about the trip was full of exaggeration.
2. She had a habit of exaggeration that made her tales entertaining.
3. Exaggeration is common in advertising to attract attention.
4. They laughed at the obvious exaggeration in his description of the event.

WORD-10: Indignities

CONTEXT: They also feel that Hindus must become assertive to bury the long centuries of indignities.

SOURCE: The Hindu

Explanatory Paragraph: Imagine someone making fun of you in front of your friends, and you feel really embarrassed and sad. Those bad feelings are called “indignities.” It means feeling humiliated or treated without respect.

MEANING: Treatment or circumstances that cause one to feel shame or to lose
one’s dignity (noun).

PRONUNCIATION: in-DIG-nih-tees

SYNONYMS: insults, humiliations, affronts, slights, disrespect

USAGE EXAMPLES:

1. He suffered many indignities during his capture.
2. The indignities of old age can be difficult to bear.
3. She endured the indignities of the job because she needed the work.
4. The prisoners faced numerous indignities that violated their human rights.