Daily Vocabulary Words: List of Daily Used Words
Hi there. Welcome to this special section @ Wordpandit.
Our endeavour here is straightforward: highlighting important daily vocabulary words, you would encounter in The Hindu. 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 a leading publication such as The Hindu.
Visit the website daily to learn words from The Hindu.
WORD-1: Flagrant
CONTEXT: Incumbents in Raj Bhavan ought to use this veto rarely, and only in flagrant instances when basic constitutional values are at stake.
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine someone doing something really bad, and they’re not even trying to hide it. They do it openly, where everyone can see. That’s what “flagrant” means. It’s like breaking a rule in a very obvious way.
MEANING: Acting in a way that is shockingly and obviously wrong (Adjective).
PRONUNCIATION: FLAY-grunt
SYNONYMS: Blatant, Glaring, Obvious, Egregious, Outrageous
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The player made a flagrant foul during the game.
2. His flagrant disregard for the rules got him in trouble.
3. She was criticized for her flagrant lies.
4. The flagrant corruption in the office was shocking.
WORD-2: Polarisation
CONTEXT: Competitive populism has been the defining theme of campaigning so far, and attempts at communal polarisation have been relatively understated.
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Think about two groups of people who have very different ideas or opinions and don’t want to agree with each other. That’s what “polarisation” means. It’s like two opposite ends that don’t meet.
MEANING: The division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs (Noun).
PRONUNCIATION: PO-luh-rise-ay-shun
SYNONYMS: Division, Separation, Dichotomy, Contradiction, Divergence
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The political debate led to further polarisation among the voters.
2. Social media often contributes to the polarisation of public opinion.
3. There’s a growing polarisation in the community on this issue.
4. The polarisation of the debate made it hard to find common ground.
WORD-3: Nascent
CONTEXT: The nascent coalition of Opposition parties has run into rough weather.
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine a tiny plant just starting to grow, or a baby bird about to hatch. “Nascent” is like that. It means something new is beginning or just starting to develop.
MEANING: Just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential (Adjective).
PRONUNCIATION: NAY-sent
SYNONYMS: Budding, Emerging, Developing, Incipient, Newborn
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The nascent technology could revolutionize energy use.
2. His nascent career in music is showing great promise.
3. There is a nascent movement forming around this issue.
4. The nascent company is attracting a lot of attention.
WORD-4: Satraps
CONTEXT: Mr. Modi remained the centre of the BJP campaign, relegating the party’s regional satraps into the shadows.
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Think of a “satrap” like a big boss or ruler in ancient times. They were in charge of a large area of land and had a lot of power over the people there.
MEANING: Governors of provinces in ancient Persian empires (Noun).
PRONUNCIATION: SAT-raps
SYNONYMS: Rulers, Governors, Viceroys, Proconsuls, Prefects
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The satraps were responsible for collecting taxes.
2. He ruled like a satrap, with absolute authority.
3. Each satrap had their own army to maintain control.
4. The ancient empire was divided among several satraps.
WORD-5: Exponentially
CONTEXT: The number of people suffering life-altering injuries in road crashes is exponentially higher even than that.
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine something growing faster and faster, like a snowball rolling down a hill and getting bigger very quickly. That’s what “exponentially” means. It’s a way of saying something is increasing really, really fast.
MEANING: Increasing or growing in an accelerating rate, often more quickly than expected (Adverb).
PRONUNCIATION: eks-poh-NEN-shee-uhl-lee
SYNONYMS: Rapidly, Dramatically, Steeply, Astronomically, Quickly
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The company’s profits grew exponentially last year.
2. The virus spread exponentially among the population.
3. Her popularity has been rising exponentially since the release.
4. Demand for the product has increased exponentially.
WORD-6: Drastically
CONTEXT: We need immediate, coordinated and evidence-based interventions to boost road safety and drastically reduce the daily human tragedies behind the alarming statistics.
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Think about changing something a lot, in a big and often sudden way. Like painting a white room all black. That’s what “drastically” means. It’s a big change.
MEANING: In a way that is severe and sudden or has very noticeable effects (Adverb).
PRONUNCIATION: DRAS-ti-klee
SYNONYMS: Significantly, Radically, Severely, Extremely, Profoundly
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. They had to drastically alter their plans due to the weather.
2. Prices have dropped drastically in recent months.
3. The landscape has changed drastically over the years.
4. He drastically improved his grades this semester.
WORD-7: Envisaged
CONTEXT: What we need is a comprehensive safe-system approach as envisaged in the UN’s the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety.
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine you’re thinking about something that could happen in the future or planning it in your mind. That’s “envisaging”. It’s like imagining or expecting something to happen.
MEANING: Contemplated or viewed mentally; anticipated (Verb).
PRONUNCIATION: en-VIZ-ijd
SYNONYMS: Imagined, Pictured, Visualized, Anticipated, Foreseen
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. She envisaged a bright future for her business.
2. They hadn’t envisaged encountering so many problems.
3. The project did not turn out as initially envisaged.
4. He envisaged a world where peace would prevail.
WORD-8: Disconcerting
CONTEXT: IIM Ahmedabad’s Right to Education Resource Center confirmed the well-known but disconcerting truth that parents lack trust in government schools .
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Imagine feeling unsure or uncomfortable because something is strange or unexpected. That’s what “disconcerting” means. It’s like being a bit worried or confused by something.
MEANING: Causing one to feel unsettled, confused, or worried (Adjective).
PRONUNCIATION: dis-kuhn-SUR-ting
SYNONYMS: Unsettling, Disturbing, Unnerving, Troubling, Disquieting
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. His sudden change in behavior was disconcerting.
2. The news had a disconcerting effect on everyone.
3. She found his silence disconcerting.
4. The eerie sounds were quite disconcerting.
WORD-9: Leveraged
CONTEXT: It has also leveraged digital technology to enhance the accountability and transparency of the system.
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Think about using something you have, like a tool or an advantage, to help you achieve something else. That’s what “leveraged” means. It’s like using what you’ve got to get something more or better.
MEANING: Used something to maximum advantage, especially a financial advantage (Verb).
PRONUNCIATION: LEV-er-ijd
SYNONYMS: Utilized, Capitalized, Exploited, Maximized, Employed
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. She leveraged her experience to get a better job.
2. The company leveraged its assets to secure a loan.
3. He leveraged his contacts to gain new clients.
4. They leveraged technology to improve efficiency.
WORD-10: Revamping
CONTEXT: the alumni community to contribute towards revamping the government schools in Odisha.
SOURCE: The Hindu
EXPLANATORY PARAGRAPH: Think about taking something old or not working well and changing it to make it better. Like fixing up an old bike to make it look new. That’s what “revamping” means. It’s like making something old new again.
MEANING: Giving new and improved form, structure, or appearance to something (Verb).
PRONUNCIATION: ree-VAMP-ing
SYNONYMS: Overhauling, Renewing, Updating, Remodeling, Refurbishing
USAGE EXAMPLES:
1. The company is revamping its image to attract more customers.
2. They’re revamping the old building into a modern office.
3. The software needs revamping to stay competitive.
4. He’s revamping his strategies to improve performance.
vocabulary games for adults
Learning new words and expanding one’s lexical range should not be confined to the four walls of a classroom nor should it be deemed an activity exclusively meant for children. Yes, we’re talking about ‘vocabulary games for adults,’ a fun and interactive way to intensify language skills and broaden intellectual horizons.
Often, people associate the term ‘vocabulary games for adults’ with something overwhelming or tedious. However, its essence is quite the opposite: to transform the otherwise mundane process of vocabulary augmentation into an engaging, enjoyable experience. Such games enable adults to step out of their comfort zone, explore the vast world of words, and become more articulate and proficient in communication.
Vocabulary games for adults are ideally designed to challenge the mind and stimulate curiosity. Rather than the constant flipping of flashcards or poring through dictionaries, these games incorporate a playful element, ensuring the learning experience is not just effective but also entertaining. They help in retaining new words better and applying them more fluidly in everyday conversation.
Ranging from online crossword puzzles, word searches to mobile applications, there are umpteen vocabulary games for adults available at the tips of your fingers, seamlessly merging learning with leisure. Not forgetting the traditional Scrabble or Boggle which not only test players’ vocabulary but also their strategic abilities.
But how should vocabulary games for adults be learned and incorporated into daily life? The key here is not to complicate it. Committing to fifteen or twenty minutes of gameplay a day, perhaps during your commute or break time, can lead to significant improvement over time. Remember, it’s not about winning; it’s about progressively expanding your diction.
In conclusion, vocabulary games for adults are not only an excellent tool for wordsmiths but also for those seeking to reinforce their linguistic competence or simply with the desire to learn. So why wait? Add a fun twist to your daily routine with vocabulary games for adults and become a wordsmith yourself!
