Daily Vocabulary Words: List of Daily Used Words in Leading International Newspapers
Hi there. Welcome to this special section @ Wordpandit.
Our endeavour here is very simple: to highlight important daily vocabulary words, which you would come across in leading newspapers in the country. We have included the following newspapers in our selection:
• The New York Times
• The Washington Post
• Scientific American
• BBC
• The Guardian
• Psychology Today
• Wall Street Journal
• The Economist
We are putting in extensive work for developing your vocabulary. All you have got to do is be regular with this section and check out this post on a daily basis. This is your repository of words that are commonly used and essentially, we are posting a list of daily used words. Hence, this has significant practical application as it teaches you words that are used commonly in leading publications mentioned above.
Visit the website daily to learn words from leading international newspapers.
WORD-1: Eponymous
CONTEXT: That in turn was a sort of sequel to the “Willie Horton” ad, in which other Republican operatives had tried to pin the violent crimes of the eponymous African American on Dukakis, governor when Horton was released on furlough.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: When something is named after a person, like a book titled “Harry Potter” or a company named “McDonald’s,” it’s called “eponymous.” It’s like giving credit to that person by naming something important after them.
MEANING: Relating to, or being the person or thing for whom or which
something is named.
PRONUNCIATION: eh-PON-uh-muhs
SYNONYMS: named after, titled after, called after, bearing one’s name
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The restaurant’s eponymous dish was a favorite among customers.
2. She played the lead role in the eponymous film based on her life story.
3. The building is named after its eponymous founder.
4. The author’s eponymous book became a bestseller worldwide.
WORD-2: Baffling
CONTEXT: In 2019, the Tories used YouTube to publish a baffling 72-minute animation of Boris Johnson apparently reading some notes on a train, all set to chill out music (“lo fi boriswave beats to relax/get brexit done to”). More recently, the party has used X to publish ads claiming to highlight the state of Labour-run hellholes such as London and Birmingham, and which, complete with growly American voiceover, owe a direct debt to the 1988 Bush campaign.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Have you ever tried solving a puzzle that was so tricky, you couldn’t figure it out? That feeling of confusion and not understanding something is what “baffling” means.
MEANING: Confusing or puzzling, making it difficult to understand (adjective).
PRONUNCIATION: BAF-ling
SYNONYMS: puzzling, perplexing, confusing, mystifying, bewildering, confounding, incomprehensible
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The mystery of the missing keys was baffling everyone in the house.
2. The professor’s explanation was so baffling that none of the students understood.
3. It’s a baffling question that scientists have been trying to answer for years.
4. The sudden change in his behavior was baffling to his friends.
WORD-3: Disinclination
CONTEXT: Arguments that online programmes aren’t equivalent to traditional courses fall flat, given the disinclination of universities to refund students forced online during the pandemic.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine being asked to eat your least favorite food every day. You probably wouldn’t want to do it, right? That feeling of not wanting to do something is called “disinclination.”
MEANING: A lack of willingness or desire to do something (noun).
PRONUNCIATION: dis-in-kluh-NEY-shuhn
SYNONYMS: reluctance, unwillingness, hesitance, aversion, hesitation, resistance, antipathy
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. He showed a strong disinclination to participate in the team project.
2. Her disinclination to travel alone was evident from her hesitation.
3. There was a general disinclination among the students to study during the holidays.
4. Despite his disinclination, he agreed to help out of a sense of duty.
WORD-4: Premoderated
CONTEXT: Comments on this piece are premoderated to ensure discussion remains on topics raised by the writer.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Before you post something online, like a picture or a comment, some websites check it to make sure it’s appropriate. This process of checking before posting is called “premoderated.”
MEANING: Subject to prior moderation or review before being published (adjective).
PRONUNCIATION: pree-MOD-er-ay-ted
SYNONYMS: reviewed, screened, checked, vetted, censored
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The forum only allowed premoderated comments to maintain a respectful atmosphere.
2. All articles on the website are premoderated to ensure they meet quality standards.
3. The premoderated content was free from offensive language or inappropriate material.
4. Users appreciated the premoderated chat rooms for their safety and security.
WORD-5: Agonising
CONTEXT: In Cornwall, 857 children had been referred for specialised dental treatment, with an average wait of 12 weeks – often leaving them in agonising pain for months.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine having a really bad stomach ache that won’t go away. The intense pain and suffering you feel from it are described as “agonising.”
MEANING: Causing great physical or mental pain, distress, or agony (adjective).
PRONUNCIATION: AG-uh-ny-zing
SYNONYMS: excruciating, torturous, painful, unbearable, harrowing, tormenting, distressing
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The family went through agonising moments waiting for news of their missing child.
2. The patient’s condition was described as agonising by the doctors.
3. She endured agonising setbacks in her quest to achieve her dreams.
4. The memories of the accident were too agonising for him to talk about.
WORD-6: Bettering
CONTEXT: the five giants” that prevented people from bettering themselves.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: When you try to improve something, like practicing to become a better artist or student, you’re “bettering” yourself. It’s about making things better or improving them.
MEANING: Making something better or improving it (verb).
PRONUNCIATION: BET-er-ing
SYNONYMS: improving, enhancing, advancing, upgrading, ameliorating, refining, progressing
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. She was bettering her skills by attending workshops and classes.
2. The company’s focus was on bettering its customer service experience.
3. He spent years bettering himself through education and hard work.
4. The community worked together on bettering the local park for everyone to enjoy.
WORD-7: Stalking
CONTEXT: It feels as if we have gone back in time; I see these five giants stalking the land all around me.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Have you ever played hide-and-seek where someone tries to secretly follow you without being seen? That’s a bit like what “stalking” means – when someone follows or watches another person closely without their permission and often in a creepy or dangerous way.
MEANING: Following or watching someone closely and persistently, typically with unwanted attention (verb/noun).
PRONUNCIATION: STAW-king
SYNONYMS (verb): following, tracking, pursuing, shadowing, trailing, spying, surveilling
SYNONYMS (noun): pursuit, surveillance, tracking, shadowing, trailing, harassment
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. She felt uneasy knowing that someone was stalking her on social media.
2. The detective spent days stalking the suspect to gather evidence.
3. Stalking is a serious offense and can lead to legal consequences.
4. The victim reported the stalking behavior to the authorities for protection.
WORD-8: Sabotaged
CONTEXT: She regrets only the haste with which she tried to implement an economic plan that she believes was sabotaged by the establishment.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine working hard on a sandcastle at the beach, and then someone comes and kicks it down. That’s like what “sabotaged” means – when someone deliberately ruins or destroys something that someone else worked hard on.
MEANING: Deliberately damaging or destroying something, especially someone’s efforts or plans (verb).
PRONUNCIATION: SAB-uh-tajd
SYNONYMS: undermined, wrecked, ruined, disrupted, thwarted, undermined, wrecked
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The competitor sabotaged their rival’s project by spreading false information.
2. The vandals sabotaged the equipment, causing delays in production.
3. She felt betrayed when she realized someone had sabotaged her chances of success.
4. The team suspected internal sabotage when critical files went missing.
WORD-9: Flattered
CONTEXT: When Sunak was later installed as Truss’s replacement he was flattered by the contrast.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine someone saying nice things about you, like how smart or talented you are. That makes you feel happy and special, right? That’s what “flattered” means – feeling pleased and honored by compliments or attention.
MEANING: Feeling pleased and honored by compliments or attention (adjective/verb).
PRONUNCIATION: FLAT-erd
SYNONYMS (adjective): pleased, honored, gratified, delighted, complimented, appreciated, praised
SYNONYMS (verb): complimented, praised, thanked, appreciated, honored, acknowledged
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. She was flattered by the compliments on her new dress.
2. He felt flattered when his boss praised his hard work.
3. The actor was flattered by the positive reviews of his performance.
4. Don’t be afraid to show that you’re flattered by kind words and gestures.
WORD-10: Vindicated
CONTEXT: On that point, the new prime minister was vindicated. He embodied the repudiation of his predecessor, which spared him having to explain other differences between them.
SOURCE: Guardian
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do, but then someone proves you’re innocent? That feeling of being proven right and cleared of blame is what “vindicated” means.
MEANING: Proven to be correct or justified.
PRONUNCIATION: VIN-di-key-ted
SYNONYMS (verb): justified, cleared, acquitted, exonerated, validated, substantiated
SYNONYMS (adjective): justified, validated, substantiated, vindicatory, exonerated, cleared
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The evidence vindicated her claim of innocence in the case.
2. He felt vindicated when his predictions about the project’s success came true.
3. The court vindicated the defendant after new evidence was presented.
4. Her hard work and dedication vindicated her position as a valuable team member.
Vocabulary list
In navigating the seas of language learning, a ‘vocabulary list’ can often be a dependable guiding star. These collections of words serve as a focused learning tool, yet the technique of mastering a ‘vocabulary list’ effectively requires more than simple perusal. It calls for a smart, sustained approach that amalgamates understanding, memory, and application.
Exploring a ‘vocabulary list’ should be more than a one-way trip. It ought to be more like a round trip, wherein you learn the words, come back to review them, and then set out again for a new voyage. This repeated interactive way of exploring the ‘vocabulary list’ aids in solid memory retention and effective learning.
Next, while dealing with a ‘vocabulary list’, employing memory-boosting techniques can bolster your retention substantially. Here, mechanisms like spaced repetition systems and flashcards can simplify and streamline the process. Moreover, associating words on your ‘vocabulary list’ with visual cues or personal stories can help your brain make strong connections, strengthening your recall ability.
However, the most crucial aspect of learning from a ‘vocabulary list’ is active application. Conquering a list without using the words in real-world contexts might leave you with fleeting knowledge. Hence, make it a point to integrate these learnt words into your daily interactions, be it on social media, in email exchanges, or casual conversations. The regular utilization reinforces your understanding and brings the ‘vocabulary list’ to life.
Conclusively, the ‘vocabulary list’ is a treasure trove in a language learner’s quest, waiting to be unlocked strategically. Through the trinity of review, memory-enhancing techniques, and active application, one can master any ‘vocabulary list’. So, take charge of your learning journey and set sail with your ‘vocabulary list’, charting the vast and fascinating seas of language.
