Vocabulary Exercise – 24
English Skill Building – 24
Words and phrases that you need to write well
Fledgling
Meaning 1 – A small immature entity. Some 38 years ago, Infosys was a fledgling IT start-up with just $250 as its capital. Now, its revenue stands at a whopping USD 12 billion.
Meaning 2 – It means a small bird that has just developed its wings. The vet examined the fledgling with great tenderness to see if it had been injured in any way.
Pale [as verb]
In the last general election, the performance of the Congress Party pales into insignificance when compared to that of the BJP.
Gin up
It means increasing something bad by crooked ways. Just a handful of BJP leaders ginned up anti-minority feelings to win votes, but Prime minister Modi has avoided such tactics.
Eke out
The farmers in tribal areas are in great distress due to falling income from their lands. They are fleeing to cities in search of work to eke out a living.
Thwart
It means to prevent something from happening. With moral support from some major European powers, Iran is trying hard to thwart U.S. sanctions.
Loathe
It means to dislike anything intensely. The Moghul rulers loathed the practice of idol worship by the Hindus, but kept their disgust under wraps for practical reasons. Aurangzeb couldn’t restrain himself, and triggered the fall of the empire.
Maelstrom
Meaning 1 – It means a whirlpool of water. The young swimmer jumped into flooded river for thrill, but soon got sucked into a maelstrom never to surface again.
The Muller report kicked up a maelstrom in U.S. politics that President Trump is finding hard to rein in.
Rookie
It means a new recruit with little experience.
The rookie soldier trembled in fear after hearing the first artillery fire of the enemy.
Moribund
It means something on the point of death. The Congress Party needs a charismatic leader to lift it from its moribund state. Overture… It means a signal or initial sign. The Pakistani Prime minister, Imran Khan has made some peace overtures towards India. Mr. Modi will surely weigh them seriously with help from the new External Affairs minister, Mr. Jayshankar.
Cavalcade
It means a formal procession of followers. – Napoleon strode into Rome with his cavalcade of generals, civil servants and the gentry.
Spurn
It means to reject something with anger. – Sita spurned the marriage offer of Ravana.
Tumult
It means a state of confusion – The tumult in front of the BJP headquarters died down as soon as Amit Shah rose to speak.
Interlocutor
An official person who facilitates dialogue. – The interlocutor appointed by the central government in Kashmir has sadly not made much progress.
Exigency
It means an urgency – The government may buy relief materials directly from the market without tendering in case of exigency.
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