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: Align
CONTEXT: To have a spouse, to be a parent, to entrust and to align are some of the most basic needs of a human being.
SOURCE: Indian Express
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine you have toy cars and you want to put them in a straight line. When they are all perfectly in that line, they are “aligned.” It’s like making things straight and in order.
MEANING: To arrange or place in a straight line; or, to support or be in agreement with (verb).
PRONUNCIATION: “uhLINE”
SYNONYMS: Arrange, straighten, adjust, line up, position, order, organize.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. Please align the chairs before the meeting starts.
2. Their interests align with ours.
3. Align the two marks to make sure it’s straight.
4. The planets will align tonight.
WORD-2: Entrust
CONTEXT: To have a spouse, to be a parent, to entrust and to align are some of the most basic needs of a human being.
SOURCE: Indian Express
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine giving your favorite toy to your best friend to keep it safe. You “entrust” them because you believe they’ll take good care of it.
MEANING: To give someone the responsibility of doing something or caring for someone or something (verb).
PRONUNCIATION: “enTRUST”
SYNONYMS: Commit, confide, delegate, hand over, charge with, rely on, pass on.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. I entrust you with this secret, so don’t tell anyone.
2. Parents entrust teachers with their children’s education.
3. He was entrusted with the company’s finances.
4. She felt honored to be entrusted with the task.
WORD-3: Queerness
CONTEXT: The nature of queerness was the next foray, and the Court found that it had sound Indian roots, and was neither urban nor elite.
SOURCE: Indian Express
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Think about something that seems a bit different or unusual, like a polkadotted zebra. That difference or unusual thing is its “queerness.”
MEANING: The quality of being strange or unusual; or, the state or characteristic of being LGBTQ+ (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: “KWEERness”
SYNONYMS: Oddity, strangeness, peculiarity, uniqueness, difference, rarity.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The queerness of the story made everyone curious.
2. She embraced her queerness with pride.
3. The movie celebrates the queerness and diversity of life.
4. The queerness of the design caught everyone’s attention.
WORD-4: Shelling
CONTEXT: Many of those killed or injured had sought shelter there to escape from Israeli shelling elsewhere.
SOURCE: Times of India
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine you’re at the beach, and you see a lot of shells. Picking them up is like “shelling.” Or, imagine big guns shooting at something; that too can be “shelling.”
MEANING: The act of removing shells from something; or, the act of firing shells as weapons (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: “SHELLing”
SYNONYMS: Bombarding, firing, blasting, shooting, pelting, battering.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. We spent the morning shelling peas.
2. The town endured heavy shelling during the war.
3. Shelling continued throughout the night.
4. They went to the beach for some shelling.
WORD-5: Besieged
CONTEXT: As Israel blames Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas blames Israel for the explosion, and different countries line up behind one account or the other basis their strategic calculations, one thing clear in the fog of war is how utterly besieged people are in Gaza.
SOURCE: Times of India
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine a castle surrounded by many knights who want to get inside. The castle is being “besieged.” It’s like when something or someone is surrounded or overwhelmed.
MEANING: Surrounded by military forces; or, overwhelmed with requests or demands (verb).
PRONUNCIATION: “bihSEEJD”
SYNONYMS: Surrounded, encircled, overwhelmed, swamped, inundated, flooded, attacked.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The town was besieged by enemy troops.
2. She was besieged with interview requests.
3. The castle was heavily besieged but did not fall.
4. The support team was besieged with calls.
WORD-6: Despairingly
CONTEXT: Hamas’s October 7 actions have made things despairingly worse. But Israel can make it still worse, for them and for itself.
SOURCE: Times of India
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine feeling really, really sad, like when your ice cream falls to the ground. If you look at it with a super sad face, you’re looking “despairingly.”
MEANING: In a way that shows a complete loss of hope (adverb).
PRONUNCIATION: “dehSPAIRinglee”
SYNONYMS: Hopelessly, despondently, forlornly, desolately, woefully, miserably.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. She looked despairingly at the broken vase.
2. He spoke despairingly of the future.
3. “Why did this happen?” she asked despairingly.
4. The child gazed despairingly at the empty candy box.
WORD-7: Acquitted
CONTEXT: Pandher has been acquitted in all cases against him and will walk free after 17 years, but Koli will remain in prison in a separate case, where his conviction and life sentence remain unaffected.
SOURCE: Times of India
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine someone saying you took a cookie, but you didn’t, and everyone believes you and says you’re not in trouble. You’ve been “acquitted,” which means they think you didn’t do anything wrong.
MEANING: To declare not guilty of a crime or offense (verb).
PRONUNCIATION: “uhKWITted”
SYNONYMS: Exonerated, cleared, absolved, discharged, released, vindicated.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. He was acquitted of all charges.
2. The jury acquitted her after a short deliberation.
3. She was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
4. After a long trial, he was finally acquitted.
WORD-8: Conviction
CONTEXT: Pandher has been acquitted in all cases against him and will walk free after 17 years, but Koli will remain in prison in a separate case, where his conviction and life sentence remain unaffected.
SOURCE: Times of India
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine you really, really believe that chocolate is the best ice cream flavor. That strong belief is your “conviction.” Or, it can mean someone deciding you did something wrong.
MEANING: A strong belief or opinion; or, a formal declaration that someone is guilty of a crime (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: “kunVIKshun”
SYNONYMS: Belief, certainty, confidence, determination, sentence, verdict.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. She spoke with conviction about saving the environment.
2. His conviction for theft was a shock to everyone.
3. It’s my personal conviction that honesty is the best policy.
4. The jury returned a guilty conviction.
WORD-9: Perhaps
CONTEXT: We cannot claim to know the answer to this but we can offer our experience over the last five months to perhaps further this debate.
SOURCE: Indian Express
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: When you’re not sure about something, like maybe you’ll go to the park or maybe you won’t, you say “perhaps.” It’s a way of saying “maybe” or “it’s possible.”
MEANING: Possibly, maybe (adverb).
PRONUNCIATION: “perHAPS”
SYNONYMS: Maybe, possibly, potentially, conceivably, it could be, perchance, might.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. Perhaps we’ll go to the movies tomorrow.
2. I haven’t decided, but perhaps I’ll join you later.
3. “Will it rain today?” “Perhaps.”
4. Perhaps it’s best to wait a little longer.
WORD-10: Unanimously
CONTEXT: After all, the parties that have unanimously passed this legislation have fielded only 6.11 percent to 9 percent women from 1999 to 2019.
SOURCE: Indian Express
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Think of a group of friends all wanting to eat the same flavor of ice cream. If they all agree without anyone disagreeing, they’ve chosen “unanimously.” It’s when everyone says “yes” to the same thing.
MEANING: In a way that is agreed upon or shared by everyone involved (adverb).
PRONUNCIATION: “yooNANihmouslee”
SYNONYMS: Collectively, as one, in agreement, unitedly, without exception, in unison, concertedly.
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The committee unanimously approved the proposal.
2. They voted unanimously to adopt the resolution.
3. All members were unanimously in favor.
4. The decision was made unanimously by the board.
vocabulary cards
In the realm of language learning, an individual’s arsenal is incomplete without the essential tool of ‘vocabulary cards.’ Vocabulary cards, also known as flashcards, are a potent method to imprint new words, phrases and their meanings into our memory. They have been used for centuries for their effective learning approach and cognitive retention benefits.
Vocabulary cards are typically designed with a term on one side, and its meaning or translation on the other. This learning tool engages our brain’s active recall, a vital process in long-term memory imbibing. However, these vocabulary cards should not just be seen as standalone pieces of paper; they are keys to unlocking the treasuries of new languages.
To harness the best results from vocabulary cards, one must follow a planned method. Firstly, the words and phrases should be relevant to the learner’s requirement. Niche words about the user’s profession or daily life activities are particularly profitable choices. Secondly, incorporate these flashcards into regular study routine to ensure consistent revising. It is suggested to do short, multiple study sessions throughout the day, rather than one long session.
Another significant factor in learning vocabulary cards is the Leitner System, an age-old method of spacing the revision of cards based on the learner’s proficiency. The cards that are difficult to remember should be reviewed more frequently than the ones that are easier.
Utilizing vocabulary cards provides a hands-on approach, reinforcing knowledge with each use. It helps learners to interact with the language, promoting better understanding and long-term retention. As such, vocabulary cards are far more than simple learning aids; they provide a comprehensive system for enhancing vocabulary, setting learners on the fast track to language proficiency.
In conclusion, vocabulary cards’ value should not be underrated. Explore these smart flashcards and begin your journey towards linguistic mastery consistently and effectively.
