Vocabulary - Exceptional English Words With Meanings 1 June 2020

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Here some exceptional English words from the newspaper ‘The Hindu’ are given with their synonyms/antonyms and usage. Hopefully, this will help you improve your vocabulary.

1. HANG FIRE (verb) – देर करना, धीमी चाल से चलना

Pronunciation: hang-fai-uh

Meaning: delay or be delayed in taking action or progressing

Synonyms: delay, hang back, hold back, hold on, stall, stop, pause

Antonyms: be quick, hurry up, hasten, make haste, speed, speed up, lose no time

Usage: The project had hung fire for several years because of lack of funds.

2. RAREFIED (adjective) – उदात्त

Pronunciation: reri-faid

Meaning: be at distance from the lives and concerns of ordinary people

Synonyms: exclusive, private, cliquish, elevated, exalted, lofty

Antonym: commonplace

Usage: Because Ann and Ted were not used to staying in luxury resorts, they were baffled by some of the rarefied facilities offered to them.

3. RAILROAD (verb) – मजबूर करना, जबरन कराना

Pronunciation: reil-road

Meaning: persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats

Synonyms: coerce, force, compel, pressure, pressurize, badger, hustle, pester

Usage: Claudia was railroaded into selling her late husband's land.

4. SNIDE (adjective) – अपमानजनक, अनादरसूचक

Pronunciation: snaid

Meaning: containing unpleasant criticism that is not clearly stated and is in an indirect way

Synonyms: disparaging, derogatory, deprecating, deprecatory, denigratory, insulting, vituperative

Antonyms: complimentary, sympathetic

Usage: He made a snide comment about her weight.

5. OSSIFY (verb) – हड्डी बन जाना; सख़्त हो जाना

Pronunciation: osi-fai

Meaning: to harden and become inflexible; turn into bone or bony tissue; stop developing

Synonyms: harden, solidify, stiffen, rigidify, petrify, indurate; fossilize, harden, rigidify, stagnate

Usage:

My father’s opinion has started to ossify so I know he won’t change his mind.
These tracheal cartilages may ossify.
It is easy for the mind to ossify.

6. LITURGICAL (adjective) – पूजा सम्बन्धी; अनुष्ठानिक

Pronunciation: lituh-jik(u)l

Meaning: relating to ritual or public worship

Synonyms: ceremonial, ritual, solemn, sacramental, hieratic

Antonym: secular

Usage: I like to listen to liturgical music.

7. INTENT (noun, adjective) – इरादा, आशय

Pronunciation: intent

Meaning: intention or purpose; determined to do something; attentively occupied with; (of a look or expression) showing earnest and eager attention

Synonyms: aim, purpose, intention, objective, goal, target; bent, determined, insistent, fixed, resolved, hell-bent; engrossed, fascinated, enthralled, enrapt, rapt

Antonyms: half-hearted, reluctant; vacant

Usage:

He is charged with possession of a gun with intent to commit a robbery. (noun)
He is intent on going to Australia. (adjective)
I was so intent on my work that I didn't notice the time. (adjective)
She had an intent look on her face. (adjective)

8. CONTENTION (noun) – विवाद, तकरार; तर्क

Pronunciation: kun-ten-sh(u)n

Meaning: heated disagreement; a forceful statement of fact/belief especially which is maintained in argument

Synonyms: disagreement, dispute, disputation, argument, variance, discord; claim, plea, submission, allegation, opinion, stand

Antonyms: agreement, harmony

Usage:

There is no contention between the two groups.
Her main contention is that staff should get better training.

9. BARON (noun) – धुरंधर; व्यवसाय-प्रमुख

Pronunciation: barun

Meaning: an important or powerful person in a specified business or industry

Synonyms: magnate, tycoon, mogul, nabob, grandee, mandarin

Antonym: small fry

Usage: Henry Ford was an automobile baron.

10. PARAPET (noun) – दीवार, रोक

Pronunciation: para-pit

Meaning: a low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge, or balcony

Synonyms: balustrade, barrier, railing, fence

Usage: Fortunately, the small child wasn’t able to climb over the parapet that encircled the balcony.

Now, choose any 2 or 3 words and try to use them in your own sentences, this way you can retain the learnt words in your memory for long time. You can share your sentences in the comment section.