| Newspaper Vocabulary |
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| Umesh Arya Senior Lecturer, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology Hisar-125001
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Aback — (bak) - shocked, surprised
Everybody was taken aback when the Babri Masjid was demolished.
Abandon — (abandn) - to leave permanently
The young child was abandoned by the parents.
Abdicate — (abdikat) - to give up, renounce
The government was accused by the opposition of abdicating its moral responsibility of protecting the minorities.
Abduct — (abdukt) - to kidnap
The boy was abducted by the criminals at gunpoint.
Abet — (abatt) - to encourage in wrongdoing
The media accused the neighbouring country of aiding and abetting terrorism.
Abeyance — (abeyunce) - a state of not being used for a period of time, stop temporarily, being suspended
The decision to increase the foodgrain prices was kept in abeyance by the outgoing government.
Abhor — (abho) - to hate very much
A civilized society should abhor cruelty and violence.
Abide — (abyde) - to accept without complaint, to obey
A citizen is supposed to abide by the rules and regulations of the country.
Abjure — (ab-jur) - to promise publicly to give up something wrong
The militants should abjure violence first and then come to the negotiations.
Ablaze — (ab-lez) - burning strongly
The office of the Mayor was set ablaze by the mob.
Abode — (abod) - home, safe place of shelter
Foreign countries prove to be safe abode for the criminals.
Abolish — (abolish) - to bring to end
The racism should have been abolished long ago.
Due to the heavy budget deficit, the finance ministry decided to abolish the posts and put a ban on the fresh recruitment.
Abominate — (a-bominut) - to hate very much
Every citizen of the country should abominate the racial discrimination and untouchability.
Abort — (abot) - to make unsuccessful
The assassination attempt on the minister's life was aborted by the security personnel.
Abreast — (abresst) - to be familiar with the recent developments
With the growth of media, it is very easy to keep abreast with the latest development.
Abridge — (abriz) - to make short by removing some part, make condense
Due to shortage of time, the speaker presented an abridged version of his speech.
Abrogate — (abrogat) - to officially end (a law, agreement)
The Parliament abrogated several century old laws.
Abscond — (ab-scond) - to run away from law
The culprit in the murder case absconded to neighbouring state.
The Police are trying hard to arrest the absconding criminals.
Absolve — (abjolv) - to declare innocent
John was absolved of all charges by the lower court.
Abstain — (abstane) – to remain away
The youth should abstain from smoking.
Absurd — (ab-surd) - not logical and sensible
The plan to arrest terrorists by bombing the building looked absurd to the army.
Abundant — (abndunt) - more than enough, plenty
Although the country has abundant natural resources but they won't last forever.
Abysmal — (abizmul) - bottomless
The country is being slowly engulfed by the whirlpool of abysmal corruption.
Accelerate — (axelrate) - to increase the speed
The economic reforms in the country should be accelerated for speedy development.
Access — (akcess) - means of entering
The only means of access to the building is along a muddy track.
Common man finds it difficult to access the authorities for his grievances.
Accomplice — (akmplic) - partner in illegal work
The thief was arrested along with his accomplice.
Accomplish — (akmplish) - successful completion of work
The mission against the terrorists was accomplished by the army.
Accord — (akhod) - 1. a formal agreement between two organizations
The Palestine and Israel signed a historic peace accord saying no to the war.
2. to give
The government has accorded top priority to the infrastructure development.
Accountable — (akauntble) - answerable, responsible
The commission recommended in its report that the bureaucracy should be made accountable.
Accrue — (acru) - to increase over a period of time
Big advantages accrued to the opposition parties form the infighting in the government.
Accumulate — (aqumulat) - to gather or collect in very large ammount
The enquiry commission was surprised to see how the income tax officer could accumulate so much of property.
Accuse — (a-quz) - to charge with doing wrong
The media accused the government of restricting the freedom of press.
Accustom — (acustum) - to make used to
Every new coalition government gets accustomed to the repeated threats of withdrawal of support by its allies.
Acquaint — (akwaint) - to provide with information
The person acquainted the police with vital clue of criminals.
I acquainted myself with the latest developments in science.
Acquit — (a-quit) - to declare innocent
The accused in murder case was acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.
Acrimony — (acrimny) - bitterness, angry feelings
The acrimony ended and a new phase started in the bilateral relations of the two countries.
Actuate — (a-kchuate) - to move or incite to action
The death of the young man in custody actuated the violent protest in the city.
Adage — (adaje) – wise saying of forefathers, proverb
Adages are used to embellish the article in a newspaper.
Adamant — (adament) - who doesn't change his mind after much persuasion
The victims accused the authorities of being adamant.
Adhere — (adhiea) - stick strongly to something
The drivers must adhere to the traffic rules.
Ad-hoc — (adhok) - special arrangement which is not planned in advance
The workers demanded that the ad hoc appointments should be regularised in the company.
Adieu — (adiya) - goodbye
The communist countries are bidding adieu to communism and shifting to democracy.
Adjourn — (ajaan) - to put off, to postpone a meeting
The house was adjourned after the shouting of slogans by parliamentarians.
Admonish — (admonesh) - to warn in a light way
The teacher admonished the student for his mistake.
Ad nauseam — (adnojium) - to do or say something again and again so that it becomes very boring
The newsreader repeated the same news ad nauseam.
Adore — (ado) - to love very much
Every common man adores the peaceful living atmosphere.
Adroit — (adroat) - skillful, clever
The young adroit police officer dispersed the angry crowd.
Advent — (ad-vent) - arrival or coming
With the advent of Internet, access to information has become easy.
Adverse — (ad-vers) - unfavourable
A determined person does his job even in adverse circumstances.
Adversary — (advesry) - opponent
The government was accused of harassing its adversaries.
Advisable — (adwizble) - good and sensible idea
It would be advisable on the part of the government to cut its non-planned expenditure.
Advocate — (a-dvcat) - speak publicly in favour
Social reformers have advocated for equal rights for men and women.
Affinity — (afiniti) - strong feeling of liking
The emerging media have the affinity for new communication technologies.
Affirm — (a-ffm) - to state firmly and publicly
Let us affirm our faith in democracy.
Afflict — (aflikt) - to harm or affect in an unpleasant way
The tragedy of civil war has afflicted most of the African countries.
Affluent — (a-floount) - having a lot of money
Some economists believe that liberalization has only served the interest of an affluent section of society.
Afoot — (a-foot) - being planned
The plan is afoot to reduce the fiscal deficit by half in the next financial year.
Aftermath — (aa-ftma) - bad results after a situation
Painful memories emerged as the aftermath of communal riots.
Aggravate — (agrawait) - to make worse
The situation in the flood affected area aggravated after heavy rains.
Aggrieve — (agriv) - suffering from unfair treatment
The aggrieved party filed an appeal in the court against the municipal corporation.
Aggression — (ag-reshun) - violent attack by one country against another country
The Army should be prepared to answer any attempt of aggression by the enemies.
Agitate — (ajitet) - to argue strongly in public for or against some social or political changes
The trade unions agitated against the retrenchment of some of their colleagues.
Agony — (agny) - great pain of mind or body
The poverty generated great agony among the social workers.
The agony of the starving people in Orissa is unbearable.
Akin — (akhin) - having the same appearance or character
The enquiry committee found that the new case of money mismanagement in the department was akin to the earlier one.
Alacrity — ele-kriti - great enthusiasm and zeal
The rebels accepted the government's offer with alacrity.
Alibi — eleby - evidence that proves that a person was at other place at the time of crime, excuse
All the suspects of murder had the alibi for the day of murder.
Alienate — eliyenate - to make somebody feel that they don't belong to a particular group
The supporting parties alienated when the government didn't accept their demands.
Allay — alay - to make less strong, to calm
After purchasing the government's share in the factory, the private company allayed the fears of the workers regarding cut in the jobs.
Allege — a-lej - to state without giving proof
The opposition alleged that there is large scale corruption in the government.
The newspaper published a news regarding a person who allegedly murdered his own child.
Alleviate — aliviate - to reduce pain or difficulties for a short time
The company's financial problems alleviated after the rise in sale of its products..
Alliance — ala-unce - an agreement or union
The two parties forged alliance to fight the election together.
Allocate — eloket - to set apart for a particular purpose
The animal department has been allocated 20 crores rupees for research and development for this year.
Alter — olte - to make changes
The army altered its plan when it came to know that the enemy has got wind of its strategy.
Altercation — oltekeshun - a noisy argument or disagreement
There was scene of altercation between the ruling members and the opposition parties in the parliament.
Amass — emes - to collect money, goods in great amount over a long period
The relatively new investor amassed a good fortune in the stock market business with in a short time.
Amaze — amez - to cause wonder, great surprise
The loss of life was amazing when the earthquake struck the country.
Ambience — embiunce - atmosphere of a place
The peaceful ambience of the hilly areas refreshes a burdened mind.
Ambiguous — embig-U.S. - having more than one meaning or interpretation
This report has some ambiguous remarks.
Ambit — embit - range of authority, influence
With the implementation of Information Technology act, the cyber crimes falls within the ambit of law.
Ambush — em-bush - to attack from a hidden place
The terrorists ambushed the army personnel killing one officer and two soldiers.
Ameliorate — amiliorate - to make less bad, improve
Donations from the International funding agencies ameliorated the economic condition of poor countries.
Amend — amend - to make changes in the law or document in order to correct mistakes, improve
The constitution has been amended many times to suit the social change in the country.
Amicable — amekibul - done in a friendly way
Some persons convinced the opponents to sit together and find an amicable solution of their dispute.
Amid — a-mid - in the middle of something
The Governor read his opening speech of the session amid big noise.
The resolution in the parliament was passed amid strong noise from the opposition benches.
Amnesia — em-nezia - loss of memory
By not learning from the previous mistakes, the government is often accused of amnesia.
Amnesty — emnesti - pardon
The government announced amnesty to hundreds of prisoners on the occasion of republic day.
Ample — emphul - enough, sufficient
The police had ample evidences of the culprit's wrongdoings.
Analogy — e-nalaji - similarity in two things or processes by comparison
The army draws an analogy between the large number of militants and increased violence.
An analogy can be drawn between the Bombay blasts and attack on World Trade Centre.
Anarchy — eneki - state of disorder, lawlessness
Violence and religious disputes spread anarchy in the country.
Anathema — enethma - an idea you hate because you don't believe in it.
The anathema of bloody riots poses a serious threat to the brotherhood and national unity of a country.
Anchor — enke - to fix something strongly so that it can not move
Our constitution is anchored to the philosophy of democracy and secularism.
Anguish — engvish - pain, suffering
The anguish of the rich people was unbearable who lost everything in the earthquake.
Animosity — enimositi - a strong feeling of anger, opposition
Talks between the rival groups can bring to an end their animosity.
Annals — anaals - historical records
In the annals of development, the newspapers have contributed a lot by bringing social change in the country.
Annex — enex - take control of a territory or country by force
The neighbouring country deployed heavy forces along the border in order to annex the territory of the other country.
Anomaly — a-nomli - different from what is expected, abnormality
The business community urged the government to rectify the anomalies in the tax structure.
Anonymous — anonmus - unknown, whose name is not known
An anonymous person informed the police about the bomb in the plane.
Ante — enti - increase the level of demand for money
The researcher didn't up his ante while submitting the financial requirements for the new project.
Antecedent — enticeedent - any past history
The immigration officials found the suspected person of unknown antecedents.
Anticipate — entici-pate - to expect in advance
The country is anticipating gold medal for Indian team in Olympics.
Anticlimax — enti-clymax - not as exciting as expected
In an anticlimax, the government changed its stand in the court on the issue of banning the old vehicles .
Antidote —enti-dyot - which prevents the bad effect of poison or disease
The self employment scheme is an antidote to the nation's unemployment problem.
Antithesis — entithsis - the opposite of something
The result of the strike was antithesis of the worker's expectations.
Anvil — en-vil - about to happen or come
The authorities said that a comprehensive strategy was on the anvil for improving the infrastructure in the country.
Anxiety — en-ziatee - excessive worry for some bad expectation
There is lot of anxiety among the employees about the possible job losses.
Apathy — e-pethi - lack of interest, indifference, unwillingness
The government's apathy towards the Handicraft industry was criticized by the business community.
Apex — e-pex - highest part of something
The apex court delivered the historic judgement on the disputed structure.
Apparent — aperent - 1. easily understood or evident
The humiliation of the ruling party was apparent to everybody who lost on every seat.
2. seem to be real but not always necessarily.
The victims were dissatisfied with the police's apparent lack of interest in arresting the dacoits.
Appease — a-peeze - to make somebody calmer or less angry by giving him or her what they want
The police often find tough to appease the angry demonstrators.
Applaud — ap-load - to show approval for a person, performance, idea etc. by clapping
The audience in the hall applauded the actor's performance.
Apprehend — eprhend - to take into police custody
After much efforts the police apprehended the culprits.
Apprise — a-pryze - inform, tell
The Prime Minister apprised the President of the financial condition of the country.
Approbation — aprebe-shun - approval or agreement
The new financial reforms have won approbation form the economists.
Appropriate — apro-priyet - suitable, acceptable for a particular circumstance
Words should be used appropriately while writing an article.
Arbitrary — rbitri - use of power without considering its effect on other people, not based on reasoning
The arbitrary attitude of the company angered many of its loyal customers.
Arbitrate — r-bitrate - to act as a judge in an argument especially at the request of both sides
A person was nominated by the government to arbitrate between the Management and employees.
Archaic — aake-ak - very old and no longer used
Some sections of the law have become archaic and need immediate review.
Archive — aa-ky-v - collection of historical documents or records
The government's archive can yield some very useful and secret information.
Ardent — aa-dent - showing strong desires
After many difficulties, the ardent women parliamentarians managed to present the bill on women reservation in elections.
The democratic party found it difficult to deal with the ardent supporters of communism.
Arduous — aa-juas - requiring hard and continuous effort, difficult
Arriving at a consensus is an arduous job.
Arena — areena - an area of activity, field of competition
The availability of skilled professionals in the field of Information Technology has build India's image in the international arena.
Ascertain — ecertane - to discover the truth or fact, to make certain
The investigative agency ascertained the truth behind the false story of murder within two days.
Aspersion — es-purr-zun - to express doubt about something
Nobody can cast aspersions on Lal Bahadur Shashtri's honesty.
The consumer rights forum cast aspersion on the ability of the new construction company.
Asphyxiate — suffocate, feel difficulty in breathing, to die or become unconscious
Due to the high budget deficit, the country's economy is asphyxiating.
Aspire — to make effort for some important aim or goal
The young doctor aspired to become famous in the city.
Assail — to attack violently (physically or by words)
The miscreants assailed the shopkeepers and looted the cash. The government was assailed by the opposition over the issue of women's reservation bill.
Assassinate — to murder an important person (VIP)
It is believed that Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE.
Assent — official agreement or approval
The new bill on the terrorism got the Presidential assent.
The President gave assent to the new bill on terrorism.
Assert — to state or declare forcefully
He asserted that he would always work for the upliftment of the poor.
Assiduous — hardworking, requiring lot of work
The police found it assiduous to keep an eye on such a large population of the capital.
It is an assiduous job to lay underwater fibre optic cable between two countries.
Assign — to give some work or responsibility
The government assigned the job of economic development to the eminent economists.
Assimilate — to digest the food, to understand and use properly
The students assimilated the lecture on "new trends in advertising".
Assuage — to make an unpleasant feeling less severe
The mediators assuaged the anger between the fighting groups and the peaceful atmosphere was restored.
Astonish — to cause great surprise, amaze
Everybody is astonished at the magical effects and applications of computers.
Atrocity — atrociti - cruelty, excesses
Feudal landlords have committed lot of atrocities on poor farmers.
Attenuate — a-ten-uat - to become weak or less effective
The voice of protest from striking workers attenuated when the management announced more incentives for them.
Attribute — atribute - to say that something is a result of a particular thing
The newspaper attributed its success to the its sensible readers.
Attrition — atrishun - processing of destroying slowly by continuous and repeated attacks
The militants are accused of waging a war of attrition in Kashmir.
Audacious — odeshush - daring, bold to extreme degree
It was an audacious attempt by the soldiers to chase and attack hardcore militants.
Augment — o-gment - increase
The experiments have shown that newspaper reading can augment a student's vocabulary.
Augur — o-gaa - sign of something in the future, a pre indication
The good rainfall augurs well for the agricultural production in the country.
Auspicious — o-spish-sh - showing a sign that something would be successful in future
The Chief Minister announced several schemes for the poor on the auspicious occasion of Independence Day.
New newspaper made an auspicious start.
Austere — o-stia - extremely simple, without comfort
The monks lead an austere life in the mountains.
Authentic — o-thentik - genuine, true, deserving to be trusted
The news that the culprit is nabbed is authentic.
Avalanche — evelanch - the fall or sliding of a mass of snow down a mountain-slope, something in very big numbers
The new communication technologies are providing an avalanche of information to the audience.
Avenue — e-ven-u - way, opportunities
The Information Technology has opened may jobs avenues.
Avenge — avenz - to take revenge
The rebels took to arms and decided to avenge the injustice done to them.
Averse — a-vs - opposed to something
All the striking employees present in the meeting were averse to have confrontation with the government.
Avert — avaat - avoid, prevent
Tactful handling by the government averted the oil crisis.
Avow — avaa-o - declare openly
Every government avows itself as a greatest protector of the poor's interest.
Awful — o-ful - shocking, very bad, unpleasant
The economic condition of the country is really awful.
B
Back — bek - to support
The opposition parties backed the government in projecting a unified view before the international community.
Backdrop — bek-drop - the general conditions in which an event takes place
Riots started against the backdrop of the communal tension in the city.
Backlash — baklesh - strong negative reaction shown by people
The administration had to face the backlash of destroying the temple.
Baffle — bffle - confuse to the limit of inaction
The never ending list of problems baffled the government.
Bag — baag - to win a prize, contract etc.
The newspaper bagged the award for the best story and editorial writing.
Bail out — bale - rescue somebody from a difficult situation
The ailing public sector companies need to be bailed out by the government's funding.
Bait — bet - a thing which attracts but is very harmful
A self reliant country should not fall prey to the bait of excessive foreign loans.
Banal — benaal - lacking new ideas and originality
To ensure success, the banal ideas should be replaced with the creative ones.
Bane — ben - cause of problem/trouble
The death of emotional feelings and sensitivity in people is the bane of the modern society.
Banish — bnish - to get rid of something, make something go away
The young minister vowed to banish the poverty and drought from his state.
Bank — bnk - to rely on something, put hopes on something
Since no single party could get majority in the elections so the largest seats winning party is banking upon the support of small parties to form government.
Bar — baa - stop somebody from doing something
The weaker sections of the society alleged that they were barred from casting their votes in the elections.
Barely — be-lii -only a short time before, hardly
The stage is set for a biggest trade show for which barely a week is left.
Barge — baaj - enter a place rudely and without permission
The protesting crowd barged into the Chief Minister's residence.
Barter — ba-ta - to exchange something with another thing
While sharing the seats for the elections, political parties often resort to a barter system.
Bash — to beat severely
The suspected thieves were bashed by the police to extract information about the stolen goods.
Battered — bsh - badly damaged, not in a very good condition
After the renewed violence, the peace efforts look battered.
Afghanistan was left battered by a decade long civil war.
Beckon — bekun - to give a signal to call somebody, to call and make somebody follow you
Liberalisation and globalisation are the two factors which beckon foreign investors in a country.
Bedevil — bidevil - to cause a lot of problem for something over a period of time
The main factor bedeviling the safety performance in railway accidents may be the manipulation of accident statistics.
Bedlam — bedlum - a scene of full disorder and noise
The opposition created a bedlam in the house over the issue of reduction in subsidy.
Beef up — biif ap - increase, enhance
After the threats, the security near the Prime Minister's residence was beefed up.
Befit — bifit - to be suitable and fit for something
The entertainment material published in the newspapers should be befitting to the interest of the readers.
Behest — behest - command, order
At the behest of some external powers, terrorists are waging proxy war against India.
Behove — bhoove - something necessary or right to do
It behoves the journalist to report the events impartially and correctly.
Beleaguer — b-liga - to surround so as to prevent escape, to lay siege
The terrorists were beleaguered inside the building.
The beleaguered Prime Minister resigned in the parliament.
Belittle — bilitul - to treat an achievement as unimportant, valueless
The government accused the opposition of belittling its tremendous achievements.
Belligerent — bligirunt - aggressive, ready to fight
The belligerent militant organisations gave sleepless nights to the government.
Benchmark — benchmaak - a standard against which other things can be compared
The development in the western countries can be a benchmark for our development.
Beneath— Below, under something
Every government seems to put the issues of national importance beneath the carpet and doesn't deal with them seriously.
Benevolent — bnevelunt - kind, gracious, helpful to others
The victims of natural calamities have benefited and will continue to benefit from the benevolent acts of some people in the society.
Benign — be-nyn - kind and gentle, not causing any harm
The social work has always enjoyed a benign image in every part of the world.
Benumb — binaam - to stun, take away feelings
The father was benumbed by the tragic death of his son in the accident.
Bereaved — breeve - state of sorrow of family members on the death of their member
The Prime Minister expressed sympathy to the bereaved family members of the victims who died in a bomb blast.
Bereft — deprived of, devoid of
With the growth of telecommunications, no part of the world has remained bereft of the communication facilities.
Besiege — biseej - to surround
The police besieged the dacoits inside the building.
Bespeak — bispeek - to speak
The delay in the implementation of necessary reforms bespeaks lack of concern on the part of the government.
Bestial — besti-al -height of cruelty, inhuman
Freedom fighters were meted out the bestial treatment in the jail.
Bestow — bistaao - to give as a mark of respect
The government thought over the idea of taking away the awards bestowed upon the corrupt players.
Bete noir — bete-nova - person or thing which annoys and irritates
The minister proved to be bete noir for the militants and they refused to talk to him.
Betray — bitre - to be dishonest, disloyal
The government was accused of betraying the trust of the people.
Bicker — bika - to argue over unimportant things
Almost every political party is the victim of internal bickering among its leaders.
Bid — biid - attempt, an offer of price
Many reputed private companies are bidding for the new contracts of bridge construction.
The army officer escaped the bid on his life.
Bigotry — big-e-tre - religious blindness, unreasonable high thinking of one's religion, views, ideas etc.
Bigotry doesn't find place in our secular social system.
Bilateral — by-lateral - between two groups only
Kashmir problem is a bilateral issue, no other country should mediate.
Bizarre — bizaaa - strange, odd
A bizarre situation was created when not even a single vote was cast in the terrorism affected area.
Blare — ble -ye - harsh, unpleasantly loud sound
Earlier, the election campaigns used to blare the politician's speech but it has stopped now a days.
Blasphemy — blasphmy - criticism of God
The fundamentalists termed the speaker's remark as blasphemy.
Blatant — bletnt - done without caring of people's objection
The newspapers alleged that fresh appointments are blatant violation of the court orders.
Bleak — bleek - dull, cheerless, not hopeful
The businessmen were worried that their future would be bleak as the earthquake destroyed all their business establishments.
Blemish — blemish - black spot, a thing which spoils reputation
The outgoing government was congratulated for completing its term without blemish.
Blitz — plits - sudden heavy attack
The companies are resorting to a heavy media blitz in order to capture the market.
Blunt — blunt - sharp
The opposition was quite blunt in describing the misdeeds of the government.
Boisterous — boys-turus - noisily cheerful and rough
The beautiful dance show was marred by some boisterous persons in the hall.
Bolster — bol-sta - to support or strengthen
Large number of taxpayers will definitely bolster the public exchequer.
Bombard — bom-baad - 1. to attack a place by firing continuously
The continuous bombardment by the enemies completely destroyed the border villages.
2. to attack somebody with a lot of questions, criticism etc
The complaint office was bombarded with the letters of complaints.
Bombastic — bombaastic - superfluous, important sounding (hi-fi) but with little meaning
It is advisable not to use the bombastic language in public speech.
Bonafides — evidence of somebody's honesty
The police doubted the bonafides of suspected Pakistani tourists.
Bonhomie — bonomii - state of cheerful friendship
The bonhomie between India and America is a big jump in bilateral relations.
Boomerang — boomerang - to get hurt in the process of harming others
Due to the faulty planning, the opposition's plan to embarrass the government boomeranged.
Boost — boost - to make something increase or better
The world trade agreements have boosted the International export business.
Booty — booti - stolen valuable things
The police tried to catch the thief but he escaped with the booty under the cover of darkness.
Bother — boda - to cause worry, trouble or annoyance to anybody
The increasing crime rate is continuously bothering the law enforcement agencies.
Bottleneck — something which slows down or stops the growth
Because of the bottleneck of high taxes, the small industry is not able to grow.
Bow — boov - bend the head before somebody
The opposition accused the government of bowing to the pressure of market forces.
Brew — bru - something bad likely to happen soon
Resentment was brewing among the party workers over expulsion of some senior members.
Brace — to prepare for something difficult or unpleasant
During training, the rescue workers braced themselves for the troublesome rescue missions in the future.
Brag — brag - to say big things about oneself
The student bragged about his minor success in the examination.
Breach — breech - to break an agreement, contract or rule
Leakage of the President's speech by the press before the scheduled time was termed as a breach of trust by the government.
Bridge — briz - fill the gap
There is lot of communication gap between teachers and students; we will have to bridge this gap.
Brigand — brigund - thief with arms, usually a band of thieves living in jungles and mountains
Special task force raided the hideout and killed the notorious brigand.
Brink — brink - on the edge of
The defence analysts pointed out that the earth is on the brink of nuclear disaster.
Brisk — bris - quick and active
There is a brisk demand in the market for electronic products.
Brisk walk is good for health.
Broker — brroka - to act as a middleman
The newspapers published a story on the misdeeds of power brokers who took money from the companies and got their work done by the minister.
The United Nations brokered a peace plan in the countries affected by civil war.
Brutal — brootul - very cruel, lack of kindness or human feelings
Animal lovers protested against the brutal treatment given to animals in the laboratories.
Buckle — bakul - to bend, to get crushed under something
The government refused to buckle under the opposition's demand of reducing the oil prices.
Bulwark — bool-vk - anything that gives security or defence
The heavy deployment of security forces along the border is a bulwark against the cross border terrorism.
Bumpy — bumpee - uncomfortable, having lots of bumps, filled with troubles
With numerous problems before it, the new government will be walking on the bumpy road.
Bungle — bungul - which is done badly and causes problem, not done skillfully
The inefficient candidate bungled his last opportunity of job.
The lack of coordination between the security agencies bungled the rescue plan of the hostages.
Buoyant — bo-yunt -ability to recover quickly from disappointment, return to high level after temporary slump
There is a buoyant market for small cars in India after the announcement of new automobile policy by the government.
A buoyant attitude helps tide over difficult times.
Burgeon — ba-zun - to begin to grow rapidly
There is a burgeoning demand for the computers in the market after reduction in the import duty on computer hardware.
Bust — bast - 1. to enter a place and arrest somebody
The infamous interstate gang was busted by the police.
2. failed because of lack of money
The sick company went bust because of faulty policies of the management.
Buttress — support, protect
The accused presented some more evidence to buttress his claim of innocence.
Buzzword —buzwaa - a word which has become popular and fashionable
Convergence is the latest buzzword in the career in Information Technology.
C
Cadre — caaa-daa - a small group of people chosen for a particular purpose
The ruling party tried to maintain the harmony among its cadres.
Caliber — quality and ability of a person
Journalism requires caliber.
Callous — k-lus - unsympathetic, unkind
The callous officials refused to help the victims of train accident.
Camaraderie — kemeraa-d-ri - friendship and trust among colleagues
Camaraderie in the army has to be maintained at every cost in order to protect the borders of the country.
Camouflage — keme-flaash - colour, shape similar to that of surrounding, so as to make detection difficult
The soldiers camouflaged themselves with green leaves in order to befool the enemies.
Canard — k-naad - a false report, rumour
The stock markets are highly sensitive to the canards about the companies and government's policies.
Candid — Ken-did - frank, truthful, honest
The officer candidly admitted his mistake before the inquiry commission.
Cap — kh-p - limit
There is no cap on the number of licenses to be issued for Internet services.
Capitalize — kepitalyze - to take advantage of something
The opposition parties capitalized on the infighting in the ruling party and brought down the government.
Capricious — kprishus - changing suddenly and quickly , unstable
The situation in the country is looking capricious, as a result foreign investment may fall this year.
Captive — keptive - kept as a prisoner
Two foreigners were held captive by the terrorists who demanded the release of their fellow militants.
Carnage — kaa-nez - killing in very large numbers especially in war
Mankind must decide not to repeat the carnage which took place in the two world wars.
Cascade — kes-ked - to fall over something in large ammount
The corruption is cascading on the Public like a monster.
Cast — khaast - 1. put
Rise in the prices of essential commodities casts shadow on the poor man's life.
Limited people cast their votes these days.
Opposition parties often cast aspersions on the government's style of functioning.
2. to present somebody in a particular way
The arrested persons cast themselves as innocent victims.
Casualty — k-jualti - loss of life in accident or battle
The enemy suffered heavy casualties in the Kargil war.
Catastrophe — k-tes-truphi - sudden unexpected event which causes great suffering
The famine was a major catastrophe which caused heavy loss of life.
Categorical — ketegorikul - made without any doubt in the mind, unconditional.
The senior bureaucrat immediately issued a categorical denial of his involvement in the scam.
Cease — cees - to stop an activity
The operation against the militants was ceased following the announcement of ceasefire by the government.
Ceiling — ceeling - highest limit
The government raised the ceiling on the quota of newsprint import by the newspapers.
Cement — ciment - to make strong/firm
The Prime Minister's visit has cemented our relations with the foreign countries.
Censure — senshia - to criticize somebody severely and publicly for his wrongdoing
The court censured the administration for its failure to provide basic amenities to the public.
Cessation — cece-shun - stopping of something, pause
The cessation of all subsidies by the finance minister reduced the budget deficit considerably.
Chagrin — shegrin - disappointment caused by unfulfilled desires or hopes
Much to their chagrin, the result was a big zero.
Chalk — chok - to draw a plan for dealing with a difficult situation
The administration chalked out a detailed plan to tackle the drought problem in the state.
Chaos — ke-yos - state of total confusion and disorder
Because of the improper planning of the event, there was chaos all around.
Chart — chaat - to design a plan to deal with some problem
The party charted out a strategy to win the support of the people who had been alienated in the past.
Chauvinist — shovinist - 1. unreasonable proud belief of one's own country
Saddam Hussain was termed as a chauvinist by the American media.
2. person who believes that the gender (male) to which he belongs is better than the other (female)
The latest attempt of the male members to block the women reservation bill in the parliament was termed by the women as "perfect example of male chauvinism".
Checkmate — chek-mate - control, defeat somebody completely
The dismissal of the party's general secretary was seen as the move to checkmate the rebels' activities.
Chequered — che-kud - which contains both successful as well as unsuccessful periods
Indian industry has gone through a chequered past before settling to a comfortable position.
Chide — chaa-id - to criticize severely for some wrongdoing
The supreme court chided the state governments for not implementing the welfare schemes for the poor in their respective states.
Christen — kristun - to give a name to something
The new employment scheme was christened as "Sab ke liye Rojgar" or "employment for everybody".
Chronic — kronic - of a disease, lasting for a long time
Some victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy died after chronic illness.
The chronic problems of sewer and waterlogging during the monsoon are giving sleepless nights to the authorities.
Chronology — kronolozi - the order in which a series of events happened
The newspaper gave a chronology of violent attacks by the terrorists.
Chunk — chunk - large amount of something
A big chunk of the population still lives below the poverty line even after fifty years of independence.
Churn — chhun - to produce something quickly in large amount
Various institutes churn out thousands of Information Technology professionals every year still the country is facing the manpower shortage.
Circumspect — surcum-spect - think very carefully before doing
The police should be circumspect before opening fire at the demonstrations.
Citadel — citedul - fort, stronghold, area of dominant influence
West Bengal is regarded as the citadel of communists.
Cite — cyte - to mention something as a support for what you are saying
The editor cited the heavy cost of newspaper production as the reason for high rates of advertising.
Clamp — klemp - Impose or inflict forcefully
The government clamped a heavy fine on the polluting industries.
Clandestine — klendestin - done secretly
The rebels held a clandestine meeting to chalk out their offensive strategy against the army.
Clash — k'lash - fight
Twelve people were hurt in the clash between police and the mob.
Cleanse — klens - to clean completely
The removal of corruption can definitely cleanse our social system.
Clinch — klinch - to succeed in winning something
Public sector companies have clinched many lucrative deals from the foreign countries in the today's era of liberalisation.
Clout — klaut - power and influence
With the nuclear explosions and the Information Technology revolution, India's clout in the internationl fora has increased considerably.
Club — k'lub - 1. to hit a person with heavy object
The dacoits clubbed two persons to death in the high security area.
2. to join so as to make one
The court clubbed the two cases and decided to hear them together.
Clumsy — klumzi - without skill, awkward
The inexperienced diplomat handled the sensitive diplomatic affair too clumsily.
Clutches -- khluch - net, control
The police rescued the young girls from the clutches of middleman who sell the girls as prostitutes.
Coalition — ko-lishun - two or more groups joined together
The political analysts feel that the coalition government doesn't last long.
Coerce — ko-us - to force somebody to do something by using threats
The police inspector was accused of coercing the man into giving confessional statement.
Cognizance — kogniznce - take into consideration, law to take notice of
The Chief Justice took cognizance of misrepresentation of the case by authorities.
Cohesion — koheezun - the state of sticking together, unity
The cohesion of joint family system is fast coming to an end in favour of nuclear family.
Indian culture is proud to have remarkable cohesion of bonds among family members.
Cohort — kohot - group of people with common interest
The militants discussed the government's proposal with their cohorts and surrendered before the army.
Coincide — koincidunce - to take place at the same time
The budget session of the parliament coincided with the visit of neighbouring country's President.
Collapse — k'leps - to fall down
The economists warned that the economy of the country is on the verge of collapse.
Collude — kolude - to work secretly to harm somebody
Pakistan's army colluded with militants in Kargil war against India.
Colossal — klosul - extremely large
The company suffered colossal losses due to the cancellation of orders from the clients.
Combat — ko-mbet - fight, stop the unexpected things from happening
The new government decided to combat the rising unemployment.
Commemorate — kmemrate - to remind an important person or special event from the past
The nation commemorated the fifty years of Independence.
Commendable — k'mendebul - deserving praise
The government has done a commendable job in spreading literacy programmes in tribal areas.
Commensurate — kemensuat - equal to, matching in size
The army pointed out that the deployment of the forces would be commensurate with the operational requirements.
The company mentioned in the advertisement that the salary of the candidate would be commensurate with his talent.
Commission — kmishun - to start function
The power company declared that the electricity projects would be commissioned after five years from now.
Commotion — kmoshun - sudden noise and confusion
The opposition raised commotion over the rising incidents of attacks on minorities.
Compassion — kumpeshun - sympathy for suffering of others in order to help them
Social workers have great compassion for the downtrodden people.
Compatible — kumpetibul - able to exist together due to harmony
The joint venture failed because the goals of both the companies were not compatible.
Competent — kompitunt - having enough knowledge and skill to do something very well
The educated ministers are quite competent to do their job efficiently.
Complacent — kumplaycunt - self-satisfied, have no worry even though one should
The educationist stressed that the students should not be complacent in acquiring knowledge.
Comply — kump-ly - to obey
Everybody has to comply with the court's order.
Comprehensive — komperhensiv - detailed, elaborate, which includes almost everything concerned
The inquiry commission came out with a comprehensive report on the causes of train accidents.
Compute — kum-pyut - to calculate
The delay in the construction of dams has escalated their earlier computed cost.
Conceal — kun-sil - to hide
The raid on the premises of industrialists revealed that a huge income is concealed from the income tax department in order to avoid payment of tax.
Concede — kun-ceed - accept, admit something as true
The government conceded to the demands of industrialists to reduce the excise duty on certain products.
Conceive — kun-ceev - to form an idea, imagine, think of
The reputed political analyst said that an efficient government conceives the idea and implements it too.
Concerted — konsutd - planned and combined work done together
The poverty eradication needs concerted efforts by the government.
Conclave — kon-klev - meeting to discuss something
The government decided to organize a conclave of Non Resident Indians to promote investment.
Concoct — kunkokt - to make a false story, excuse
The army officer blamed the investigative agency to concoct stories to prove him a spy.
Concomitant — kunkomitnt - happening at the same time with other thing as both are related to each other
The liberalisation has taken place with the concomitant rise in the executive's income manifold.
Concurrence — kunka-runce - consent, agreement
My business partner didn't seek my concurrence and sold off the factory.
Condemn — kundem - to express strong disapproval
The educated people must condemn the dowry system.
Conducive — kundyuciv - helping to happen, favourable
This rain is conducive for good yield of the crop.
Conduit — kondit - a person/organization which is used to pass things/information to other person/places.
The police tried to trace the conduits through which the smugglers were operating in the area.
Confer — kun-faa - to give honour, bestow upon
Noted presonalities in different fields were conferred upon the awards by the President.
Confidant — konfident - trusted friend
The young worker became confidant of the minister in a very short period of time.
Confide — kunfy-d - to trust somebody in telling secret information
The person confided in the journalist by giving top secret proof of corruption in the income tax department.
Confine — konfyne - keep something inside some limit
The web of communication technologies has removed the boundary confinements between countries.
A student should not confine his knowledge upto the text books only.
Confiscate — konfisket - to seize, to officially take away something
The police confiscated a big consignment of smuggled goods from a private godown.
Conflict — kon-flikt - 1. disagreement, fight
Seven persons were injured in the conflict over the ownership of the land.
2. serious disagreement/argument
There is conflict between Western culture and Indian culture.
Confluence — konfluance - two or more things becoming one
Thousands of devotees took a dip in the holy water at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati River.
Conform — kun-fom - to follow the generally accepted rules
The psychologist predicted that non-conforming people are not respected by the society.
Confound — kun-faa-und - confuse and surprise
The complicated issues relating to country's economy often confound the government.
Confront — kunfunt - to deal with and to be faced by
The minister had to confront many embarrassing questions in the TV talk show.
Confrontation — konfunteshun - to confront
Confrontation has to be avoided in dealing with the sensitive issues.
Congenial — kungeene-ul - pleasant, good
The new education policy aims to provide the congenial study atmosphere in the schools and colleges.
Congregate — kong-gut - to come in a group
Many people congregated at the temple to worship Lord Ganesh.
Conjecture — kunjekcha - forming opinion, guess or judgement based on incomplete information
The politician said that the idea of his party's defeat in the coming elections is based on conjecture.
Connive — kny-v - conspire
The jail authorities connived with the VIP prisoners and helped them in escaping from the bars.
Connotation — knoteshun - an idea that is implied or suggested
The World Bank's suggestions on budget to the central government bears a different connotation in light of its increasing interference in the country's internal affairs.
Conquer — konka - to defeat somebody in fight/contest
The stronghold of the ruling party was conquered by the opposition party in the last elections.
Conscience — konshuns - inner sense that is conscious of the moral rightness or wrongness
The deputy commissioner told his boss that his conscience didn't allow him to do injustice with the poor people.
Consecutive — kunseketiv - following one after another in a series
The session of the parliament was adjourned for nine consecutive days.
Consensus — kunsensus - general agreement
We will have to reach a consensus on the issue of subsidy.
Consent — kunsent - permission to do something
The new bill on the right to information was presented before the parliament with the prior consent of speaker.
Consequence — konsequnce - bad result
The decision to release the militants will have serious consequences.
Consistency — kunsistunci - having the same opinion, idea etc
There is lack of consistency in the theories of origin of universe.
Consolidate — kunsolidet - to become solid/strong
The new ministers consolidated their positions in the Government.
Consortium — kunso-ti-um - a group of people/companies who are working on the common project
The high taxes were ciritized by the consortium of steel industry.
Conspire — kunspaaya - to secretly plan something bad
Anti social elements have conspired to spread hatred in the country.
Consternation — konsteneshun - feeling of great shock, surprise and anxiety
The decision of allowing the entry of foreign media created much consternation in Indian media.
Constitute — konstichyute - to form or make up
It is believed by the people that the dishonest persons constitute a political party.
Constrict — kuns-trikt - to become narrow and tight
The education should be aimed at broadening the constrict thinking.
Construe — kunstru - to understand the meaning of something in a particular way
The implementation of the law on every citizen should not be construed as the harassement tool for the minorities.
Contagious — kunte-zus - which spreads from person to person by touching each other
The corruption is spreading like a contagious disease in our society.
Contemplate — kontumplet - think deeply and thoughtfully
We contemplated on the issue and finally reached the solution.
Contempt — kuntempt - lack of respect for something
A sensible citizen should not show contempt for minorities.
Disobeying the court orders is a contempt of court.
Contention — kun-tenshun - arguing or struggling between people
The issue of Ram Mandir is no longer a matter of contention.
Contentment — kuntentmnt - satisfaction, happiness
The favourable judgement by the court filled everybody with contentment.
Contingent — kuntinjunt - dependent on something uncertain
The doctors said that the survival of the soldier is contingent upon the recovery signals in next twenty four hours.
The employee's job security is contingent upon the outcome of the departmental enquiry on the charges of bribe against him.
Contradict — kontrdikt - to say opposite of what has been said earlier
The Prime Minister contradicted his minister's statement on tax concession.
Controversy — kuntrovsy - dispute, disagreement
Much controversy was created over the nude scenes in the new film.
Conundrum — knondrum - a question or problem which is difficult to solve
The religious disputes are proving to be a conundrum for the government.
Convene — kunveen - to arrange for people for coming together
All party meeting was convened by the government to evolve a consensus on the issue of foreign policy.
Converge — kunvaaz - to move from different directions and meet at central point
Thousands of people converged on the auditorium to listen to their favorite leader.
Conviction — kunvikshun - strong belief
The United Nations has the conviction that the negotiations can solve any dispute on the earth.
Copious — ko-pius - in large ammount
A theory must be supported by copious evidences.
Cordial — kodiul - friendly and pleasant
The government enjoys the cordial relations with the neighbouring countries.
Core — ko - central part , most important part of something
The core issue eluded discussion during the debate in the parliament.
Cornucopia — konukopia - which contains large amount of something, storehouse
The newspaper is the cornucopia of the general knowledge.
Corroborate — korob-ret - to give information in support of a statement, confirm
The charges of corruption against the officer were corroborated in the raid at his house where large ammount of cash and property documents were found.
Cosmopolitan — kosmopolitun - 1. showing broadminded outlook, having experience of different places and world
The educated youth must have a cosmopolitan outlook of life.
2. existing in most parts of the world
Corruption seems to be a cosmopolitan disease.
Coterie — ko-t-ri - a group of people with shared interests (negative sense)
The opposition alleged that the Prime Minister is often surrounded by the coterie who misguides him.
Cough up — khuff up - to forcibly accept an unpleasant thing
The company had to cough up financial losses due to the slump in the export market.
Counter — kan-ta - response to somebody that opposes his idea
The issue of appointment of two more election commissioners was seen as a counter to the chief election commissioner.
Counterfeit — kantefit - not genuine, fake
The police seized a big haul of counterfeit currency notes from the foreign tourists.
Coup — kuu - sudden illegal change of government
The democratically elected government was thrown out in a military coup.
Coveted — ka-vet - much desired by everybody
India deserves the coveted post of permanent membership of United Nations.
Crack down — krak daun - severe action taken to restrict the activities of criminals and antisocial elements
The police's crack down on the gangs of smugglers led to the fall in smuggling from across the border.
Cradle — kre-dul - place of origin
China is the cradle of the art of acupuncture.
Credentials — kredenshi ul - qualities, experience which makes somebody suitable for something
Despite doubts in the public's mind, the new government proved that it had all credentials to run the country successfully.
Credible — kredibul - which can be believed or trusted
The big claims made by the government sounded incredible to the public.
Cripple — kripul - weaken or damage seriously
The rise in the price of crude oil has crippled economies of many developing countries.
Crisis — krysis - time of great trouble/difficulty
By withdrawing the support, the allies put the government in crisis.
Crisp — krisp - fresh, firm, recently produced
People like to read the crisp news in the morning newspapers.
Crony — kro-ni - friend (especially in the position of power)
The politicians are fond of showing undue favour to their cronies.
Crop — krop - to occur unexpectedly
The idea of starting a new course in computers cropped up in the meeting.
Crow — kro - to talk proudly what you have achieved, boast
The opposition members termed the minor success of ruling party as nothing to crow about.
Crucial — kru-shul - extremely important because it can affect other things
The investigative agency told the court that the investigation in hawala racket has reached a crucial stage.
Crumble — krumbul - break into small pieces
The business of Internet companies finally began to crumble in absence of any sound business strategy.
The hopes of the rescuce workers began to crumble when the entire building started burning furiously.
Crunch — krunch - acute shortage
The country is facing foreign exchange crunch due to the heavy import bill of oil.
Crusade — kru-sade - a long and determined struggle
The freedom is the result of long crusade carried out by our freedom fighters.
Crux — krukx - most difficult part of a problem
Only after lengthy meetings, the organisers of the function reached the crux of the matter.
Cue — q - to copy what somebody else does as an example of how to behave
Taking a cue from Prime Minister's speech, the opposition leader raised the issue of women reservation in the parliament.
Culminate — kul-minate - to rise up to the highest point
The freedom movement ultimately culminated into the freedom of India.
Culpable — kulpbul - deserving blame
It is a culpable act on the part of Intelligence agencies that they could not predict the attack on parliament.
Cultivate — kul-tivate - to develop/grow/prepare
One must cultivate the habit of reading newspaper daily.
Curb — kaab - control, check
The government should curb the non plan expenditure in order to reduce the budget deficit.
Curious — q-rius - eager to know
The panchtantra has said that curiousity is the most important quality of a student.
Curtail — ktale - to cut off or cut short
The audit committee recommended that the excessive expenditure by the government should be curtailed.
Cyber — sybaa - Internet or networks related
With the spread of use of Internet, cyber crimes are increasing day by day.
Cynosure — sinejiva - object of everybody's attention
The Information Technology has become cynosure in modern society.
D
Dampen — dampun - to frustrate the enthusiasm
The repeated failures cannot dampen the spirit of a determined person.
Damp squib — total failure, disappointing
The protest organised by the opposition parties proved to be a damp squib as it failed to get support of the public.
Daunting — donting - to make nervous and less confident about doing something
To keep the information rate under check is a daunting task for the government.
Dawn — don - 1. to begin
With the dawn of Information Technology age the world is witnessing tremendous job opportunities.
2. sunrise
The construction on the site started at dawn.
Dealt — to deal
The law enforcement agencies strictly dealt with the offenders.
Dearth — dath - shortage of something, not enough
The new government reiterated that the dearth of money would not be a problem in the country's development.
Debacle — dibaakul - a sudden complete failure
The debacle in elections forced the party to introspect and take remedial measures.
Debilitate — dbilitet - to make weak through hunger, illness etc.
The mountaineer's group was debilitated by the steep height and hunger.
Debunk — dibunk - to show an idea as false/less important
Proposal for purchase of computers was debunked by the government.
A new theory on the origin of universe debunked the old ones.
Decadence — dekedunce - fall in standards of moral values, attitudes etc
The decadence of society is taking place in the modern era of technology.
Decamp — dekam - to leave suddenly and secretly
The finance companies promised attractive returns on the deposit and finally decamped with the money.
Deceive — di-seev - to show dishonesty
The property dealer deceived me into buying a disputed piece of land.
Decipher — di-syphaa - to succeed in finding the meaning of something that is difficult to read or understand
The finance minister deciphered the complexity of the tax system and came out with simplified procedures.
The historians have not been able to decipher the wall writing on the houses of indus valley civilization.
Decimate — decimet - 1. to kill in large numbers
The earthquake decimated the entire population of the city.
2. severely damage or make something weaker
It is feared by the economists that the cheaper imports will decimate the domestic industry.
Decline — dik-ly-n - 1. refuse politely to accept something
The government declined the opposition's demand of resignation.
2. a continuous decrease in number, quality
Due to recession, the country is facing a sharp economic decline.
Decrepit — dekrepit - weak condition from old age or hard use
Most of the decrepit buildings were completely damaged by the earthquake.
Decry — di-kry - to criticize, to disapprove
The peace efforts by the United Nations were decried by some of the militants group.
Defer — difaa- to postpone
The car makers have deferred their plans of introducing new models.
Deficit — defisit - when less money is coming and more is going, loss
The recent budget projected a heavy deficit, as a result extra taxes were imposed to fill the gap.
Defray — difray - to give somebody back (the money) they have spent on something
The state governments asked the central government to defray the entire cost of education imparted to aged people.
Defunct — difunkt - no longer existing or used
The defunct state electricity boards should be reconstituted in order to streamline the power system.
Defuse — difyuz - to stop a dangerous situation from happening
The police are trying to defuse the tension between the rival groups.
The anti bomb squad of the army defused the bomb lying near the building.
Defy — di-fa-e - to disobey
Defying the court's order is considered as a contempt of court and a punishable act.
Degrade — digrade - to treat as if it has no value, decline
The education minister expressed concern over the degrading education system in the country.
Deja vu —deja voo - the experience of thinking that a new situation had occurred before
The financial markets had a sense of deja vu during the last stock market crash.
Delegate — dlegate - to give one's power/right/authority to somebody else for a small period
The President is going abroad that's why he has delegated his authority to the Vice President.
Deliberate — dlib-rut - 1. intentional
The attacks on minorities were seen as a deliberate attempt by the antisocial elements to harm the country's reputation in the eyes of international community.
2. discuss thoughtfully
Let us deliberate upon the positive and negative points of this project.
Deliberation — dlibreshun - discussion
The solution of some problems is always the outcome of long deliberations.
Delineate - describe in detail
The action plan was delineated to smash the terrorists' hideouts.
Deluge — deluze - large numbers of things happening or coming simultaneously.
The foreign minister was deluged with the questions from the journalists.
Demolish — dimo-lish - to break the building
The unauthorised construction was demolished by the authorities.
Denigrate — deni-grate - criticize unfairly
The chairman denigrated the idea of his subordinate.
Denounce — dinounc - criticize strongly
The government's functioning was denounced by the opposition parties.
Dent — dent - hole
The government's failure on the international front has made a dent in its image.
Deplete — dipleet - to disappear gradually
The natural resources are depleting fast due to the increasing population.
Deplore — dip-lo - to show pity, criticize
The Chief Minister deplored the functioning of government departments.
Deploy — diploye - arrange for action
The security forces were deployed in the terrorism dominated area.
Deport — dipot - to send back the illegal immigrant to his own country
America deported the illegal immigrants to their own countries.
Depose — dipoz - 1. to appear before a court for some evidence, questioning etc, declare under oath
The court ordered some renowned mediapersons to depose in Bofors scandal case.
2. to remove a ruler from power
The democratically elected President of the country was deposed by the army officers.
Depreciate — dipreshi-et - to become less in value
The rupee depreciation puts heavy burden on the government because it has to pay the higher cost of imports.
Deprive — di-pyv - prevent somebody from having something
The children shouldn't be deprived of their basic right of education.
Depute — de-pyut - to give somebody else the authority to represent you
The army chief was deputed to talk to the Kashmiri militant groups and persuade them to surrender.
Dereliction — dere-likshun - non seriousness, negligence
The police are often accused of dereliction of duty.
Deride — di-ryd - ridicule, make a mockery of something
Don't deride the performance which someone has shown after tremendous hard work.
Desecrate — dese-kret - to damage or treat a holy thing without respect
The antisocial elements desecrated the holy shrine with meat and wine.
Deserted — dijatid - having no people around
The markets remained deserted during the curfew.
Designate — dezignut - 1. to choose the name of somebody for a particular job
The low profile worker of the political party was designated as its new President.
2. to mark something officially
The area having communal tension was designated as "highly sensitive" by the military.
Desist —dizist - to stop doing something
The government asked the opposition to desist from disinformation campaign against its ministers.
Desolate — desolut - very sad due to the loss of hope/friends/money
The widows of the dead soldiers were left desolated by the war.
Despair — dispeye- utter hopelessness and despondency
The falling share prices of Information Technology companies was seen as despair in the stock market.
Desperate — des-purut - 1. suffering from anxiety or loss of hope
The drug addict always feels desperate for the drugs.
2. full of danger
It was a desperate attempt to save the victims of earthquake from the rubble.
3. very difficult and dangerous
The economy seems to be in a very desperate state.
Despondent — dis-pondnt - sad, without much hope
The humiliating defeat in the elections left the party workers despondent.
Destitute — destichyut - without food, money and shelter, lacking basic facilities of life
The social workers aim to help the destitute people.
Deteriorate — ditirioret - to become worse
The rust has deteriorated the condition of refrigerator.
Living conditions of Afghanistan's people deteriorated further after the war.
Devious — divi-us - path which is not straight and has many changes in direction
The devious bureaucratic policies have put hurdles in the progress of the country.
Devastate — devestet - to destroy completely
The earthquakes have brought large-scale devastation on the earth.
Deviate — diivi-ut - to get off the path, to do something different from usual or expected
The forward-looking government should not deviate from the path of liberalization.
Devoid — divoyd - completely lacking in something
The Information Technology is devoid of moral and emotional values.
Devolution — divo-lyu-shun - to give power at the lower level
The panchayati raj is a sincere attempt in the direction of devolution of power to the local bodies.
Dialogue — dayalog - spoken conversation
The militant groups should stop violence and come forward for a dialogue with the government.
Diaspora — daa-usp-ra - people of a country scattered in other countries
The Diaspora feels that there are not enough job opportunities in their native countries.
Diatribe — daya-tryb - long and angry criticism
Imposition of heavy taxes by the government evoked a bitter diatribe from the industry representatives.
Dictum — diktum - order, an authoritative declaration
The government has issued the dictum that tax evasion will be strictly taken note of.
Diffident — diffidunt - lacking in confidence, hesitant, shy
Keeping in mind the forthcoming elections, the government feels diffident in putting more taxes on the common man.
Dilemma — di-lema - state of not being able to arrive at any decision because of having two difficult choices
The government is in dilemma over the removal of excess staff.
Diligent — diligunt - hardworking
The successful people have a diligent track record.
Diligent students never give up hope and succeed finally.
Dilly dally — dili dely - wastage of time because of indecisiveness
The government's dilly-dally on the project is deplorable.
Dilute — dalyut - to weaken
The leader's influence was further diluted when he lost the election.
Diminish — diminish - to become weak/less
The number of tigers is diminishing day by day.
Diminutive — diminutiv - act of reduction in something
The hostile neighbouring country couldn't gather much support form the international community thus it was reduced to a diminutive figure.
Dint — dint - by means of
The leader won the election by dint of his good image and development work done in his constituency.
Dire —daya - extreme (needs and dangers)
The cash strapped industry is in dire need of money.
The country will have to face the dire consequences of neglecting education.
Directive — drektiv - official instructions
The Supreme Court issued fresh directive on the contempt of court by the government.
Disarmament — disamamunt - principle of having no arms by countries
India is pursuing the policy of disarmament.
Disarray - - the state of confusion and lack of organisation
The ruling party lost the election despite the opposition being in total disarray.
Disband — dis-bend - to terminate as organization
The department of the border tax collection was disbanded and the employees were adjusted in other departments.
Disburse — disbaas - distribute or pay out
The banks are disbursing the housing loans at small rate of interest.
Discern — di-sun - to know, understand that thing which is not very clear
The new government's hidden agenda gradually became discernible to everybody.
Disclose — dis-kloz - to give information which was previously secret
The police didn't disclose the name of the culprit seeing threat to his life.
Disconcerting — diskunsating - to make feel confused, anxious and embarrassed
The situation in the violence affected area is disconcerting.
Discord — dis-kord - disagreement, dispute
Kashmir is a matter of discord between India and Pakistan.
Discourse — diskos - long and serious discussion on a subject
The parliament witnessed a lively discourse on the issue of women reservation.
Discriminate — diskrminut - to unfairly treat a person, better or worse than other person
The South African government used to discriminate between blacks and whites.
Disdain — dis-den - to disregard, show no respect
The people from upper cast were accused of showing disdain for the lower section of the society.
Disengage — disingej - to free from
The president urged the party workers to disengage themselves from infighting.
Disgrace — disgres - loss of people's respect and approval
The supreme court's adverse remarks brought disgrace to the government.
Disgruntle — disgruntul - annoyed and disappointed because of not getting anything which one should have got
Many of the politician's supporters were disgruntled as their expectations were not fulfilled.
Disguise — disgys - to change the appearance for hiding the truth
The criminal escaped from the police custody by disguising as security guard.
Disillusion — disilyujun - disappointment caused because of the nonfulfillment of hopes
The people were disillusioned with the new government very soon.
Disinformation — disinfomeshun - false information which is given deliberately
The percentage of economic growth announced by the finance minister was termed as disinformation by the opposition party.
Dismal — dizmul - sad, miserable, unsuccessful
The government is continuing with the policy of free grains to the poor despite its dismal success rate.
The performance of the outgoing government remained dismal on every front.
Dismantle — dismentul - to gradually bring an end to something
The government intends to dismantle the public sector units in phased manner.
Disparity — dispereti - difference because of unfair treatment
The disparity between rich and poor should be minimised to maintain the social harmony.
Dispel — dis-pel - to make a feeling go away, disappear
The government convened the meeting of its ministers to dispel the doubts about unity in the party.
Dispense — dispens - to give to many people
Following the customer's complaints, the telephone exchange opened the counter to dispense telephone bills on the spot.
Displace — disples - to remove somebody from his/her home to another place
The dam construction has displaced many people form their ancestral land.
Disposal — dispo-zul - 1. on your own wish
The court left it on the disposal of the administration to chalk out a relief plan for cyclone hit people.
2. act of getting rid of something
The police called the bomb disposal squad to defuse the time bomb.
Dispose — dispos - to get rid of something
The backlog of lacs of cases pending in the courts, needs to be disposed off as soon as possible.
Disproportionate — disprporshenut - too large or too small when compared with something else
The government officials are often accused of accumulating wealth disproportionate to their known source of income.
Dispute — dispyut - argument, disagreement, quarrel
Kashmir is still regarded as a disputed territory by some countries.
The religious disputes need careful handling.
Disrupt — disrupt - disturb, to make something difficult to continue in a normal way
The normal life remained disrupted due to the daylong strike by the city's transporters.
Disseminate — disseminet - to spread the news/ideas/thoughts
The newspapers disseminate the information on variety of subjects.
Dissent — disent - dissatisfaction, to express disagreement
The party workers expressed their strong dissent over the issue of unfair distribution of tickets in the elections.
Dissipate — disipet - to use foolishly, waste
The finance department dissipated all the reserves of foreign exchange in the bad business deals.
Dissuade — disu-ed - to advice against something
The chief of investigative agency complained that the influential people are trying to dissuade him from conducting fair investigation.
Distinct — distinkt - separate, clearly different
The rupee depreciation and heavy loan burden are not distinct issues but related to each other.
Distort — distot - to twist the true meaning
The media are sometimes accused of presenting the facts in a distorted manner.
Distraction — distrekshun - a thing which disturbs the concentration
The noise proved to be the distraction in the teaching.
Distraught — distrot - anxious and troubled up to the point of madness
The distraught farmers committed suicide as they were not able to repay their debts.
Distress — distres - great suffering or worry
The long traffic jam caused great distress among the passengers.
Dither — di-tha - state of indecisiveness
A few members of parliament are dithering in extending their support to the newly elected government.
Diversify — dyversi-fy - to move into other areas
The media companies are diversifying their business thus providing services in other fields also.
The Cable TV culture and high income have diversified our social horizon.
Divulge — dyvul-z - to tell
The police didn't divulge the identity of the suspect keeping in view, the threat to his life.
Doctor — dok-ta - to falsify, to change in order to mislead somebody
The opposition members alleged the railway minister of producing doctored statistics of the train accidents before the parliament.
Doctrine — dok-trin - set of belief
The non-ahimsa doctrine is the only way to peaceful life.
Dogmatic —dogmatik - uncompromising, who thinks that his ideas and beliefs are true and people should accept them without question
The people started complaining about the dogmatic views of fundamentalists.
Doldrums — d-oldum - state of sadness, lack of activity
Due to the financial crunch, the new development projects seem to be in doldrums.
Doom — dooom - unavoidable destruction, a terrible fate
Many ambitious projects have doomed due to lack of finance.
Draconian — drconi-un - extremely harsh and severe, just like devil
The newspapers argued heavily against the draconian foreign exchange act.
Drag - draag - to pull with great force
Don't drag your feet once you have decided to fight with the enemy.
Drastic — drestik - complete and severe
Some drastic changes are required in the century old laws.
Dreaded — dre-did - which causes great fear
The health programme of the government aims to eradicate all dreaded diseases.
Drubbing — drubing - easy defeat, disgrace
Because of the careless attitude towards country's security, the government's image has received a severe drubbing.
Dub — dub - to give something a particular name in a humorous or critical way
The reports of split in the party were dubbed as media speculation by the party president.
Dubious — dyu-bi-us - doubtful
The police's role seems dubious in this case of murder.
Duo —dyu-o - two (persons)
The duo reached a point of agreement after long discussion.
Dupe — dyup - to make a fool or deceive somebody
Fake finance companies duped the investors to the ammount of several crore rupees.
Duress — dyu-ress - compulsion, threat
The person told the judge that he was made to sign the property documents under duress.
Dwell — dual - to speak or right a lot on something
The speaker dwelt at length on the topic of Information Technology.
Dwindle —dwindul - to become few/small
The tiger population in the country has dwindled in the past few years.
Dynamic — dy-namic - full of activity, motivated, forceful
The country needs dynamic leaders who can do well for the nation.
E
Eager — eega - very excited and interested
The employees waited eagerly for some tax concessions in the annual budget.
Earnest — aa-nest - serious and sincere
The poor countries requested the donor countries earnestly for funds.
Echelon — eshelon - rank, position in an organization
The vigilance department found that there is widespread corruption at the higher echelons of the government.
Echo — e-ko - to reflect
The speech of the environment minister echoed the government's concern to reduce pollution.
Ecstasy — ekstsi - feeling of great happiness
The winning party was invited to form the government, as a result there was widespread ecstasy in the party workers.
Efficacy — efiksi - ability to produce the desired results
The judge of Supreme Court commented that the efficacy of the law should not be doubted.
Egalitarian — egeliterian - a belief that everybody is equal, having equal rights
For decades, social reformers have fought for the egalitarian society.
Elated — ilet - extremely happy
Business community was elated over several tax benefits in the new budget.
Elegant — elegunt - attractive and graceful
The premiere of the movie was quite elegant.
Elicit — elisit - to get reaction/information
The speaker elicited good response form the audience.
Eliminate — eliminet - to remove/finish
The computer has eliminated the need of typewriter in the offices.
Elude — elyud - to avoid or escape from something
The police department's records say that some notorious criminals elude the police for years.
Elusive — elyusiv - difficult to find or achieve
The solution of the Kashmir problem is still elusive.
Emanate — emenate - to come from
Hippie culture emanated from America.
Emancipate — emensipet - to free somebody from social and political restrictions
Fifty years of efforts to emancipate the superstitious section of the society have not been fully successful.
Emasculate — imes-q-lut - to make somebody less powerful/effective
The poor countries are left emasculated by the heavy debt burden.
Embargo — embaago - ban, sanctions
The Indian exports were hit hard due to the embargo put by the developed nations.
Embark — embaak - to engage in something new and different
For the past one or two decades, the least developed countries have also embarked on the path of development.
Embed — imbed - fixed deeply inside something
Spiritual values are embedded in our social system.
Embellish — embelish - to make beautiful by decoration
The writing gets embellished with the use of quotations between the sentences.
Embezzle — embezzul - to steal or misuse the money of the employer
The accountant was convicted on the charges of embezzlement of the government's money.
Embitter — em-bitaa - to make somebody feel angry or disappointed over a period of time
A long battle for the disputed area has left both the countries embittered.
Embody — im-bodi - to include or contain
Indian constitution embodies the right to free speech and expression.
Embrace — imbres - to accept with interest
The society must embrace Information Technology for speedy growth.
Emerge — ee-muj - 1. to come out
By winning over the rebel ministers, the Prime Minister has emerged stronger.
2. to become known
The clear picture of the murder didn't emerge as there was absence of any concrete evidence.
Eminent — eminunt - famous and respected
Many eminent journalists were present at the conference on the topic of "Media Ethics".
Empathy — em-pthi - ability to see other person's feelings/thoughts by putting yourself in his situation
Empathy is the most important element in effective communication.
Emphasis — emfesis - stress, force
The curriculum in the schools should lay emphasis on moral values in the students.
Emphasize — emfesize - to stress, to give special importance to something
The eminent mediapersons emphasized the importance of accountability of media.
Emphatic — imfatik - strong and forceful
The opposition party claimed an emphatic victory in the coming elections.
Emulate — em-u-late - to try to do the same as other person whom you admire
Computer engineers seem to emulate Bill Gates in achieving big heights in their career.
En route — on the way
The plane crashed en route from Canada to America.
Enact — in-act - to pass a law
The cyber laws have been enacted by the parliament and implemented too.
Encompass — in-cumpus - to include, surround
The Guru Jambheshwar university encompasses great talent in the form of students.
Encounter — in-kowntaa - 1. mutual violent attack
The police killed nine militants in the encounter.
2. to meet and share experiences
The women delegation of social workers had a brief encounter with the President.
Endeavour — in-devaa - effort, attempt
The success of the function is the result of endeavour of its organizers.
Endorse — in-doss - confirm, support
The opposition parties endorsed the employee's demand for higher salaries.
Endure — to bear unpleasant things without complaint
The government can't endure such a huge budget deficit.
Enforce — in-fos - to make sure that people obey rules/law
The Supreme Court reprimanded the police for its failure to enforce the law.
Engulf — ingulf - to surround or cover something completely
The building was engulfed in flames which took seven hours to extinguish.
The monster of excessive debt is engulfing many poor countries as they have to pay a big amount as interest.
Enhance — inhans - to increase or improve
The availability of skilled computer engineers has enhanced our country's image abroad.
Enigma — enig-ma - mysterious, difficult to understand
The source of the cricketer's wealth was an enigma for the investigative agencies.
Enjoin — en-joy-n - prohibit
The professional ethics enjoin the media not to report anything which can cause religious hatred.
Enlighten — enlytun - to give somebody information so that they understand something better, to give knowledge
The newspaper enlightened its readers by publishing a comprehensive article on vedic mathematics.
Enlist — enlist - to persuade somebody to help you in doing something
The rebel leader enlisted the support of some more dissatisfied leaders.
Enormous — e-nomus - very large, huge
The environmentalists have warned quite often that the earth can't feed the enormous population.
Ensconce — inskons - comfortable and safe in the place or position
The fundamental rights of a citizen are ensconced in the constitution.
Enshrine — in-shry-n - included in written form
The fundamental rights are enshrined in our constitution.
Ensue — en-syuu - to follow, to happen after as a result of another event
The economists feared that the economic reforms would lose their track in the ensuing years.
Entail — intale - to involve something which cannot be avoided
The job of eradication of poverty entails a great hardwork and determination by the government.
Entice — in-ty-s - to tempt, attract
The offer of the salary in five figures is quite enticing for a young MBA graduate.
Entity — en-titi - something having its separate identity
India got freedom in 1947 and after that it became a separate entity.
Entrench — intrench - so firmly fixed that it can't be replaced
Interpersonal bonding is deeply entrenched in our social system and culture.
Entrust — intrust - to make somebody responsible for taking care of something or doing something
The court entrusted the investigation to the crime branch.
Enumerate — en-u-murate - to count
The government the took services of several enumerators in the last census.
Enunciate — enunsi-et - to express clearly
The role of computers in our daily life is enunciated in my research paper.
The communication ministry enunciated the Information Technology policy in November 98.
Envisage — inveezez - imagine the happening of the future
After signing the WTO, The government envisaged 500% growth in the exports.
Ephemeral — efemerul - lasting for a short time
The jubilations over the newly constructed bridge proved to be ephemeral as it collapsed within a month.
Epitome — epitmi - a perfect example of something
The new agriculture minister being a farmer is an epitome of modern farmer.
Equation — ikve-zun - a situation in which several important things are considered
The joining of the hands by two superpowers definitely changes the equation in the international arena.
Equilibrium — ikvilibri-um - state of balance between opposing forces
The violence and religious hatred upset the equilibrium in the society.
Era — eera - a period of time in history which is different from other periods because of some important events
The newspaper's responsibility has increased even in the modern era of Information Technology.
Erode — erod - to gradually destroy something, decline
The moral values are eroding very fast in this highly materialistic world.
Err — aa -to make mistake
The erring students should be guided carefully by the teachers.
Erratic — erretik - irregular, unpredictable
The soldiers were complaining of erratic supply of ration.
Erroneous — erroni-us - incorrect
The audit team objected to erroneous entries of the cash in the company's accounts.
Erupt — eerupt - to start happening suddenly and violently
The communal violence erupted in the state after the demolition of disputed structure.
Escalate — es-kalet - to become greater, worse
The violence escalated in the town after the clashes between Hindu and Muslims.
The dam projects are suffering form cost escalations.
Eschew — eschyu - to avoid intentionally
The militants should eschew violence and join the mainstream.
Espionage — espionaash - to get information about other country's political/military information
The police charged seven people of espionage.
Espousal — is-paozul - to support a belief/policy etc.
The philosophy of democracy is gradually winning espousal from many communist countries.
Essence — esens - gist, most important quality of a thing
The brotherhood is the essence of every religion.
Estrange — is-trenz - (of wife) not living with the husband anymore
The estranged wife of the diplomate filed a criminal case against her husband.
Eternal — ete-nul - continuing forever, without an end
The eternal clashes between minority groups are giving sleepless nights to the government.
Ethnic — ethnik - of racial or tribal groups
Thousands of people were killed in ethnic violence in Rwanda.
Ethos — ethos - set of ideas or beliefs
Divorce is against our social ethos.
Modernity must keep pace with the social ethos.
Evacuate — e-ve-q-et - to take persons/things away from one place to another, vacate
The village was evacuated after heavy floods.
Evade — ee-ved - to avoid while using deception
The culprits tried to evade the police but in vain.
The Prime Minister evaded the controversial questions.
Evanescent — evenesunt - short lived, disappearing quickly
The agreement to stop violence was evanescent as militants again started killing innocent people.
Eventuality — even-chu-ye-leti - a possible unpleasant event or result
There is little chance of war but the government is well prepared for any eventuality.
Evident — evidunt - clear/obvious/easily seen
It was evident from the results that opposition party is going to get absolute majority.
Evince — evins -to show clearly (a feeling)
The newspapers have evinced keen interest in the adoption of new communication and printing technologies.
Evolve — evolv - to develop gradually by a long process
Despite a long discussion, no solution to the problem was evolved.
Human beings have evolved from apes in a long period of evolution.
Exacerbate — igjese-bet - to aggravate, make worse
The recent rains have exacerbated the flood situation.
Exaggerate — igje-jrate - to make larger than it really is
The outgoing government exaggerated its achievement in the last five years.
Exasperate — igjes-prate - to make somebody extremely annoyed by testing his patience
The industry department's delay in granting permission exasperated the company.
Excavate — xkevet - to uncover by digging
The remnants of Indus Valley civilization were excavated in different parts of India.
Exchequer — x-cheka - treasury of public money
The opposition blamed the government for cheating the public exchequer.
Execute — xeequte - to do practically, perform
Task of rescuing the people from the flood needs to be executed immediately.
Exemplary — igjem-plri - suitable to be copied as an example
India has done exemplary work in social development in the past ten years.
Exempt — igjempt - to free from duty, service
The election commission exempted the disabled from the election duty.
Exercise — xe-sa-iz - to use your power and rights in order to achieve something
The government was urged to exercise control over the overpricing by drug manufacturing companies.
Exhaustive — eg-jostiv - looking at every detail, comprehensive/ thorough
The newspapers give an exhaustive description of the country's political and economic situation.
Exhibit — igjibit - to show
The people showed the exhibits of the violence to the police.
The Industry is exhibiting signs of improvement after the new industrial policy of the government.
Exhilarate — igjil-rate - to make cheerful and excited
The aeroplane's joyride exhilarated all of us.
Exhort — igjot - to motivate
The teacher exhorted the students to work hard.
Exigency — xi-junci - an urgent need or situation to deal with
Every prudent government must keep in mind the economic exigencies.
Exodus — xodus - leaving in large numbers, migration
India is witnessing exodus of IT engineers to western countries.
The civil war resulted in exodus of refugees to neighbouring countries.
Exonerate — igjonrate - to free a person from blame, acquit
The enquiry committee on aeroplane's crash exonerated the pilot.
Exorbitant — igjobitunt - of (prices, costs), unreasonably high, more than what is expected
The luxury cars come for a exorbitant price.
Expatriate — x-petri-yut - - a person living in country that is not his own
The investigation revealed that rebels receive huge funding from expatriates based in foreign countries.
Expedite — x-pe-dy-t - to make fast ( a proposal/plan)
Economic reforms should be expedited for the economic growth of a country.
Explicable — iks-pli-ke-bul - which can be explained
Every point in the annual budget was simplified and explicable to the common man.
Explicit — x-plisit - clearly expressed (of statement/rule/instructions)
There are explicit orders from the government to maintain law and order in the district at any cost.
Exponential — x-p-nen-shi-ul - becoming faster and faster with the time
The Prime Minister praised the scientists for the exponential growth in their research on missile technology.
Exterminate — x-tur-mi-net - to kill in large numbers
The fumigation exterminated all the pests in the agriculture field.
Extinct — x-tinkt - no longer existing
Many rare species of plants and animals are fast becoming extinct.
Extol — x-tol - to praise very much
The United Nation's chief was extolled for his serious peace efforts.
Extort — x-tot - to ask for money while using threat
The underworld is often accused of extorting money from the businessmen and film stars.
Extract — x-trekt - to obtain information from somebody who is unwilling to give it
Petrol and diesel are extracted from the crude oil.
The police couldn't extract anything substantial from the hardcore criminal.
Extraneous — x-treni-us - irrelevant
The extraneous arguments disrupted the discussion on national security in the parliament.
Extravagant — xtra-vacant - wasteful
The government should not be extravagant in spending the public money.
Extricate — x-tri-ket - to free oneself from a situation that is difficult to escape.
The body of the driver was extricated from the vehicle after much efforts.
The suspect of the murder told a lie to the police and extricated himself from the criminal case.
Exude — eg-jyu-d - to flow out slowly and spread
The supporters of the party were exuding confidence.
Eyewash — i-vosh - an action done only to deceive people
The public alleged that the police's effort to arrest the corrupt minister is only an eyewash.
F
Fabricate — feb-i-ket - to invent false information to deceive people
The opposition party alleged a large-scale fabrication of criminal cases against its workers.
Facilitate — f-sili-tet - to make a process easier
The computer professionals feel that the cyber laws will facilitate the identification and arrest of cyber criminals.
Faction — fak-shun - a group within a large group
Different factions emerged in the political party over the issue of expulsion of corrupt minister.
Fighting is continuing between different factions in Afghanistan for the last thirty years.
Fait accompli — fet-akump-li - something already done which you cannot change
The separation of India and Pakistan is a fait accompli and harmony should prevail between them.
Fallacy — fele-si - false idea that people think is true
The Prime Minister said that it is a fallacy that subsidy on the fertilizers would be increased.
Fanatic — f-natic - who shows unreasonable support/keenness for a religion/political party etc
The report said that the temple was demolished by the religious fanatics.
Fantabulous — fente-byu-lus - fantastic + fabulous
The glossy editions of the newspapers are quite fantabulous.
Farce — faas - absurdly futile proceedings, pretence
The security arrangements along the border were a farce.
Fastidious — festidi-us - difficult to please
He is a very fastidious about the facilities at his place of work.
Fathom — faa-dum - 1. to measure
The applications of Information Technology to solve the problems are unfathomable.
2. to understand
It is hard to fathom the agony of the mother whose child has died an unnatural death.
Faux pas — fo-pa - a remark or action which causes embarrassment because it is not socially correct
By expressing disgust over rituals, the visiting foreign delegate committed a faux pas.
Feign — fe-en - to pretend that you are tired/ill
The student feigned illness to avoid the school.
Fend — fend - to look after oneself
The children whose parents died in the earthquake, were left by the relatives to fend for themselves.
Ferocious — furo-shi-us - fierce, extremely violent
The army carried out a ferocious attack on the enemy.
Ferry — ferry - to carry
The transport department decided to provide more buses to ferry the employees to the offices.
Fetch — fech - to bring
The sale of the government owned companies is not likely to fetch good price in the market.
Feud — few-d - angry and bitter argument for a long time
Family feuds are more common in joint family system.
Feudal — few-dul - giving land to the people and demand work/fight in return
The feudal mentality is the root of every social problem in some of the most backward states of our country.
Fiasco — fi-us-co - complete failure
Because of the worldwide recession, the company's plans ended in fiasco.
Fickle — fikul - changing suddenly without any reason
The government was accused of fickle mindedness on the issue of internal security.
Weather at hills is quite fickle natured.
Fictitious — fik-ti-shus - portrayed as true but not actually true
The director of the controversial film clarified that all the characters used in the film were fictitious.
Fidelity — fi-dele-ti - loyalty, faithfulness
Army's fidelity for the nation is beyond all doubts.
Fierce — fi-us - highly violent and powerful
A fierce attack by the militants killed five army personnel.
Finesse — fi-ness - delicate skill
The police handled the mob by using great finesse.
Fillip — filip - boost, sudden improvement or increase in something, encouragement
The liberalization has given fillip to the country's export industry.
Filth — filth - dirt or waste matter
The municipal corporation launched a special drive to remove filth.
The consumer forum expressed its anger over the filthy songs in the films.
Finale — fi-na-li - last part of a show/situation, an end of something
The splendid function ended with the superb finale.
Fiscal — fis-kul - related to government's money
The increasing fiscal deficit is proving to be worrisome for the government.
Fizzle — fi-zul - to fail or end after a good start
The hot issue of hike in price of oil fizzled out soon.
Flabbergast — fle-be-gaast - to surprise shockingly, amaze
Such a heavy toll of life in the flood left the rescue workers flabbergasted.
Flair — fle-ya - natural ability to do something special
A journalist must have a flair for writing.
Flank — flenk - to be on the side of somebody
The Prime Minister flanked the President in the meeting .
Flaunt — flont - to show as proud to the people
The newspapers criticized the government for flaunting the minor achievements.
Flaw — flo - mistake/deficiency which hampers growth
There are serious flaws in century old laws of our country.
Fledgling — flej-ling - a young bird
The eminent journalist shared his experiences with the fledgling reporters in the seminar.
Flee — fli - to run away
The police shot dead the fleeing robber.
Fleece — flees - to charge too much
The consumers alleged that they were fleeced by the shopkeepers.
Flimsy — flim-zi - thin and weak
The license issuing authority was accused by the export firm of cancelling its license on flimsy grounds.
Flock — flok - to get together in large numbers
The press reporters flocked the press conference of the new Prime Minister.
Flounder — fla-u-ndaa - to lose control on doing something
The speaker floundered the speech thus resulting in hooting from the audience.
Flux — flax - continuously moving and changing
The country's economy is in the state of flux . A little stability is required for growth.
Flush — flush - to remove the dirt and bad things
The militancy should be flushed out from the society for peaceful atmosphere.
Foil — fo-yul - to prevent form succeeding
Attempt to take over the company was foiled by the board of directors.
Folly — foli - stupidity, lack of good judgement
Many people fell prey to the folly of administration which made no wise action plan against the floods.
Foray — fo-re - a short attempt to be active in a field which is not related to one's usual activity
His foray into the export business proved to be unsuccessful.
The software engineer made a foray into the philosophical side of the internet.
Forfeit — fo-fit - to take back what has been given to you
The freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right which cannot be forfeited.
Forge fo-oj - 1. to make an illegal document in order to deceive somebody
The police impounded the vehicle having forged documents.
2. to make/form
The alliances are forged by the political parties to win more seats in the elections.
Formative — fo-m-tiv - the time at which formation of something can start
The education ministry decided to spend more money on the primary education because this is the formative stage of the children.
Formidable — fo-mid-bul - difficult to accomplish, fearful
The militants carried out a formidable attack on the army.
Fortify — foti-fy - to strengthen a place against attack by making walls
In light of the militant's threat, the police fortified the VIP area.
Fortuitous — fo-chyu-a-sus - happening by chance
The kidnapped businessman had a fortuitous escape from the kidnapper's custody.
Foster — fostaa - to help to grow and develop (feeling, idea)
The teacher must try his best to foster the humanity in his students.
Fraudulent — fo-ju-lunt - relating to fraud
The police must take strong action against the fraudulent practices.
Fragile — fa-jy-il - weak, easily broken
His fragile health proved a big hurdle in the way of going abroad.
Fragment — fe-ge-munt - to break into small pieces
The leaders alleged that the rival political parties are trying to fragment their party.
Frame - frem - create and develop
The court found enough evidences to frame the charges against the corrupt official.
Framework — frem-wak - structure of a particular system
India has said time and again that the solution of the Kashmir problem has to be under the framework of shimla agreement.
Frantic — fentik - uncontrollably anxious/afraid/excited
The police heard the frantic cries of hostages from a deserted building.
Fraternity — fre-tur-niti - association of people in the same work/ business trade etc.
The doctor fraternity protested on receiving the threat to one of their colleagues.
Fraught — fro-ot - full of unpleasant things
The road to success is fraught with difficulties.
Fray contest, fight, competition
Two candidates are in the fray for the President's post.
Frenzy — fren-zi - uncontrollable state of great violent activities
The killing of the minister plunged the country into frenzy of violence.
Frequency — fri-qun-si - the rate at which something is repeated
The frequency of intrusion attempts on the border has increased in the past few months.
Frivolous — fri-vul-us - unnecessary, not to the point
The judge got angered on listening to the frivolous arguments of the advocate.
Frown — fra-un - to get very much angry, offend
The employees frowned at the management's decision of job cuts.
Fructify — fruc-ti-fy - to succeed, bear fruit
The dream of separatists to divide the country won't fructify.
Fruition — fru-a-shun - successful result of a plan
With the successful launch of the space satellite, the scientists' plans came to fruition.
Fuel — few-l - to increase, to make something stronger
The terrorism fuelled by religious extremism is threatening the fabric of democratic societies.
Furious — few-ri-us - 1. very angry
The dogs became furious when they saw the stranger entering the house.
2. with great energy
Furious battle is going on between the companies to sell their products.
Furnish — faa-nish - to provide/supply
The intelligence network furnished important details regarding the militant's activities to the committee on national security.
Furore — few-rori - great anger and disapproval shown by people
The controversial law passed by the parliament created a furore among the minority community.
Futile — few-ty-l - in vain, unsuccessful
The ruling party members made futile attempts to save the government which fell ultimately.
G
Gag — geg - to put cloth in the mouth to stop somebody from speaking
The government is often accused of gagging the press.
Galaxy — gele-k-si - gathering of eminent and clever people
Galaxy of mediapersons was present at the inauguration ceremony of the seminar.
Gallant — gall-ent - brave, valorous, courageous
The country won the two wars because of its gallant soldiers.
Galore — g-lo - in plenty/large numbers
The Non Resident Indians send money galore to their country which helps increase the foreign exchange reserves.
The police found the evidences galore to pursue the case against the mafia don.
Gambit — gem-bit - a thing done at the beginning of the situation to take some advantage
The ruling party's promise to cut the taxes was criticized by the opposition as a pre election gambit.
Gamut — ge-mut - complete range of something
The advances in Information Technology will provide gamut of computer services to the public.
Garble — gaa-bul - to tell in a confused way thus giving false idea of the subject
The company's executive garbled his presentation and spoiled the opportunity of getting the contract.
Garner — gaa-naa - to obtain, collect
The newly launched political party was trying its best to garner the support of dissatisfied voters.
Garrulous — gere-lus - extremely talkative
Some garrulous people waste their time as well as others'.
Gauge — ge-e-j - to calculate, to make a judgement on something
The newspapers helped the government to gauge the effects of violence against the minorities.
Gear up — gi-aa - to prepare yourself for action in advance
The Municipal Corporations are gearing up for the danger of flood in the monsoon.
Generous — jene-rus - kind in treating people
Social workers have to be generous by nature in order to help the needy people in a better way.
The business community proved to be a generous donator to the relief fund for the cyclone victims.
Genesis — jene-sis - origin
The West Bengal is the place of genesis of naxalite problem.
Gesture — jes-chaa - expression/action done to show feelings
American government asserted that Pakistan should show some friendly gestures towards India.
Ghastly — gaas-tli - terrible, causing great fear
Ghastly crimes have rocked the capital these days thus giving sleepless nights to the police.
Giant — jaa-unt - very large and powerful
The growing economies of the Asian countries have earned the name of Asian giants.
Gibberish — jibrish - meaningless sound/talk/writing
The speaker of the state assembly commented that the quality of debate is reduced because of the gibberish speeches by the members.
Gigantic — jy-gen-tik - extremely big, stupendous
The problems before the mankind are becoming gigantic day by day.
Gimmick — gee-mik - dishonest tricks to catch people's attention The political parties are often accused of employing gimmicks to get the votes.
Gist — jist - the main point or main idea of the subject
The newspaper published the gist of the Prime Minister's speech on the occasion of Independence day.
Glance — glaa-ns - have a quick look at something
Because of the shortage of time, the minister had a glance at the report.
Glaring — gle-ring - very easily noticeable (of bad things)
The election commission wanted an explanation for the glaring mistakes in the voter's list.
Glimpse — glimps - a look for a very short time
The audience caught a glimpse of their favourite star at the function.
Glitter — gli-taa - to sparkle/shine
All that glitters is not gold.
Gloom - glooom - dark, sadness
It was a gloomy day for the investors as the stock markets worldwide fell sharply.
weather is so gloomy today.
Gory — go-ri - full of extreme violence
The TV documentary presented a gory description of the massacre.
Grace — gre-s - 1. kindness
With the grace of God, the mountaineers completed their everest mission successfully.
2. splendor
The Prime Minister's oath taking ceremony was quite graceful.
Graft — graa-ft - use unfair method (bribery) to gain advantage
The vigilance department held the clerk for taking the graft.
Grandiose — gren-di-os - very big (of claims/ideas/thoughts) (negative sense)
The district administration's grandiose claims on compensation to the victims were pleasant to ears but the fact was something else.
Grapevine — grep-vy-n - rumour
A grapevine transpired about the bad health of Prime Minister.
Grapple — gre-pul - to take a firm hold and struggle with it, to try hard to find solution to a problem
The nation builders must grapple with the difficult situations on national as well as international front.
Gratitude — greti-chude- feeling of being grateful towards somebody
The visiting foreign dignitaries expressed their gratitude for the courtesy extended to them by the host country.
Grave — grev - needing urgent attention, very serious
With the enemy crossing borders, the situation turned grave.
Gravitate -— gre-vi-tet - to be attracted and move gradually towards something
The new journalist joined print media first but eventually gravitated towards electronic media.
Grievance — gri-vun-s - complaint
The electricity board has set up a counter for customer's grievances.
Grieve — gree-v - to feel sorrow
The war widows are grieving for their dead husbands.
Grill — gril - to question somebody heavily
Interview is a friendly discussion not grilling.
The police officer grilled the suspect.
Grim — grim - causing great fear or anxiety
The finance minister projected a grim picture of the economy.
Grimace — grimes - to make the face unnatural to show anger/ annoyance/pain
The officer grimaced when he noticed the mistakes in the file.
Grip — grip - to hold tightly
The present government has a firm grip over the economic affairs.
Grope — grop - to try to find something by hands in a place where one can't see
The police are groping in the dark to nab the criminals.
Gross — gross - obvious and unacceptable
The accident happened because of the driver's gross negligence.
The High Court took note of gross injustice done to the employees by the government.
Grudge — graj - to have ill feelings for somebody
Some newspapers are believed of having grudge against some political parties.
Gruelling — groo-ling - very difficult and tiring
The eradication of poverty is proving to be a gruelling task for the U.N.O.
Gruesome — groo-sum - highly shocking (normally related to suffering or death)
Everybody in the office was terrified after the gruesome murder of their colleague.
Grumble — grum-bul - to complain, to express dissatisfaction in a quiet but ill mannered way
The teachers grumbled about the non payments of the revised pay scales before the principal.
Guise — gaa-is - outer appearance intended to deceive
The criminal escaped from the police's eye under the guise of coolie.
Gullible — gali-bul - easily fooled or persuaded in believing something
The people termed the government as gullible as it allowed the multinational companies to sell their products at cheaper rates.
Gusto — gusto - eager enjoyment in doing something
The new journalist joined the job with gusto.
Guts — gats - courage
Very few people have the guts to face difficulties in life and still keep smiling.
H
Hail — he-ul - 1. to appreciate and describe as (something good)
The actor was hailed as the legend of the century.
2. to belong to
Most of the Prime Ministers hail from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Hallmark — hol-maak - most important and typical quality of something
The speedy result is the hallmark of Information Technology.
Hammer out — hemma- to discuss a plan untill everybody agrees
The striking employees and the management hammered out a solution.
Hamper — hem-pa - to put hurdles in the way
The increasing population is hampering the development process.
Haphazard — hep-he-zed -happening in an unplanned and disorderly manner The haphazard growth of our metropolitan cities has created many problems.
Hapless — hep-les - unlucky, pitiable
The hapless victims of the flood were compelled to live in shelters.
Harbour — haa-baa - to give protection by providing food and shelter
The local people refused to harbour the militants.
The law took strict action against the people who harboured the terrorists.
Hardcore — haad-ko - highly active and committed for some mission (often used in negative sense)
The army gunned down seven hardcore militants in the encounter.
Harness — haa-ness - to put in use to make productive things
The sources of non-conventional energy should be harnessed to the maximum.
Harp — haap - to keep talking about something in a boring way
The advocate harped on the issue of securing bail for the accused in the court.
Harsh — haash - showing cruelty, lack of sympathy The dreaded criminals should be given harsh punishment in order to reduce the crime rate.
Hassle — hassul - complicated situation needing lot of efforts
There is no hassle in getting the foreign currency for going abroad these days.
Haste — he-st - great hurry
In haste, the passenger forgot his luggage in the train.
Hatch — hetch - to make (a secret plan or idea)
It was not immediately known who hatched the conspiracy to loot the bank.
Haughty — ho-ti - arrogant, egotist
The talkative person bragged his success in a haughty manner before the people.
Haunt — ho-nt - to continue to cause problem for a long time
Memories of communal riots still haunt the city even after 10 years.
Havoc — he-vak - a situation in which there is a lot of destruction, disorder etc
The killer virus wrecked havoc in all the computer networks around the world damaging invaluable data.
Haywire — he-vaaya - to go out of control
The previous government didn't let the things go haywire.
Hazard — he-zud - something likely to cause extreme danger or damage
Working on computers for a long time may result in health hazards.
Hazy — he-zi - cloudy, not fully seen, unclear
The solution of most of the problems in the country looks hazy a political will can definitely solve them.
Hectic — hek-tik - highly busy, full of activities
A newspaper passes through a hectic exercise before getting published.
Life has become hectic today than ever before.
Heed — heed- to give attention to
One should pay heed to the advice of elders.
Hefty — hef-ti - very large
The government has to pay hefty interest on the loans which takes away a big chunk of the total revenue collection.
Hegemony — heje-mni - dominance
Jews suffered a lot because of the Hitler's hegemony in Germany.
Heinous — he-nus - extremely bad and shameful
Rape is a treated as heinous crime by the court of law.
Heir — he-yaa - successor, who carries on the work started by their elder ones
Even after such a long time since its president expired, the political party is yet to choose its heir.
Helm — halm - steering a boat or ship, control
The persons sitting at the helm of the affairs should be sensitive to the needs of a common man.
Herald — he-ruld - a sign of something about to happen
The Cuckoo's singing heralds spring.
Heresy — here-si - criticism of God
The man was hanged at the religious gathering on the charges of heresy.
The religious court ordered that the culprit be hanged till death on the charges of heresy.
Hiatus — hy-e-tus - pause in the activity, gap
The government resumed the peace talks with the naxalites after a short hiatus.
Hibernate — hy-be-net - to undergo long sleep in winter, to remain inactive for a long time
The report published by the newspaper forced the hibernating district administration to enquire into the misuse of the public money by municipal corporation.
Hideous — hidi-us - very shocking, ugly
Everyone was shocked at the minister's hideous remarks.
Hinder — hyn-daa - to make a situation difficult to happen, put hurdles in the way
The shortage of funds often hinders the implementation of development projects in the rural areas.
Hitch — hi-ch - obstruction
The cultural programme went on for five hours without hitch.
Hitherto — hida-to - until this time
The recent movie describes certain sensitive points on sexuality hitherto untouched.
Holocaust — holo-cost - great destruction of lives (especially by burning)
With the invention of nuclear bombs, the earth is sitting on the verge of nuclear holocaust.
Horrendous — horren-dus - extremely fearful, terrible
The accident site bore a horrendous look.
The end result of the war is always horrendous
Hostile — hos-tyl - having strong disliking, enmity
The hostile nature of the neighbouring country is often a deterrent in the good relations.
Hue — hyu - take on colour or become coloured
The rape charges against the politician gave a different hue to the election campaign.
Huge — hyu-j - extremely large in size
The poverty eradication programme launched by the government was a huge succes.
The country has to spend huge ammount of money in elections.
Humiliate — hyu-mil-yet - to feel ashamed, lower the respect
Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat in Kargil war.
Hurl — haal - to throw
The mob hurled stones on the police injuring many policemen.
Hustings — hustings - elections
The ruling party suffered a humiliating defeat at hustings.
Hype — to try to get public attention more than what it deserves The multinational companies are resorting to media hype to promote their products.
Hypothetical — hype-theti-kul - ideas based on imagination rather than truth and reality
The both sides occupying the disputed area seems to be a hypothetical question.
I
In Toto — in-toto - in total, in entirety
The recommendations of the fifth pay commission were accepted in toto by the central government.
Ideology — i-di-o-loji - set of ideas on which political or economic system is based
The American economy is based on the capitalist ideology.
The ideology of communism is on the decline.
Idle — i-dul - waste time, doing nothing
Thousands of employees of public sector companies have to sit idle because of lack of orders from the customers.
Ignominious — ign-mini-us - shameful/humiliating/disgraceful
The enemy suffered a ignominious defeat in the Kargil war few years back.
Illusion — elyu-zun - something seen wrongly than what it really is
The wallpapers of natural scenes gave an illusion of green hills inside the room.
Imbibe — im-by-b - to take inside
Moral preaching was soon imbibed by the listners.
A student should imbibe as much knowledge as he/she can.
Imbroglio — im-bro-li-o - complicated political situation which causes confusion
No single party got the absolute majority in the elections hence the country is going to face imbroglio.
Imbue — im-bue - to fill something with strong feelings
The minister asserted that all the policies of the government were imbued with the welfare spirit of the common man.
Imitate — imi-tet - to copy
Imitators try to imitate the voices of different famous singers.
Immaculate — immacu-lut - without fault
An immaculate planning is required to complete the highly expensive infrastructure projects.
Immaterial — ime-ti-ri-ul - unimportant, of little value, irrelevant
Money is immaterial while donating for the victims of earthquake, it is the sense of devotion which matters.
Immense — ee-mens - extremely large, big
The mass media have immense social responsibility on them.
Immunity — immu-niti - the state of being protected from something
Even the Prime Minister has not been given the immunity from wrongdoing.
Impart — im-paat - 1. to give a particular quality to something
The regular meetings between the warring factions can impart momentum to the peace talks.
2. to pass information/knowledge to other person
The modern teaching methods have changed the way the teaching is imparted by traditional methods.
Impeccable — im-peke-bul - flawless, without fault
A good leader must have an impeccable style of speaking.
Impediment — im-pedi-munt - something which delays or stops the progress
The low literacy level is proving to be an impediment in the large circulation of the newspapers.
Impel — im-pel - to force, do things forcibly rather than willingly
The extremely poor condition of foreign exchange reserves impelled the government to invite multinational companies.
Impending — im-pen-ding - imminent, about to happen soon
The administration should be prepared to tackle impending flood situation.
Imperative — im-pere-tiv - very important and needing great attention
The national security is imperative of all other matters.
Imperial — impiri-ul - related to empire
The 19th century witnessed an era of British imperialism in our country.
Impetus — impitus - something that encourages and stimulates action
The appreciation by teacher has given impetus to the next project of the students.
Implicate — impli-cut - to put charges showing that somebody is involved in crime
The police implicated three men in a robbery incident.
Implication — impli-ke-shun - a possible effect or result of an action
The commercialization of education can have serious implications for the poor section of the society.
Implicit — im-pli-sit - without any doubt
The idea of raising the living standard of the poor was accepted implicitly in the parliament.
Imply — im-ply - to show/express indirectly
The World Bank's dissatisfaction implied the suspension of next installment of loan for the educational project in the country.
Impose — im-po-os - to force somebody to accept unpleasant things
The newspapers criticized the government for imposing rules which could restrict the freedom of press.
The state government accused the central government of behaving in an imposing manner.
Impound — im-pao-und - to confiscate, to take away a thing so that one cannot use
The police impounded the vehicles having bogus registration numbers.
Impoverish — im-pov-rish - to make somebody poor
The drought and poverty have impoverished many developing countries.
Impromptu — without prior preparation, extempore
A student should learn to give an impromptu speech.
Improvised — im-pro-vy-zd - improved version of something
The army demanded the improvised weapons to fight the militancy in the country.
Impugn — im-pune - to raise doubts about
Nobody can impugn the sincerity of the selfless social workers.
Impulse — impuls - a sudden urge or wish to do something
The doctor found it difficult to treat the patients who have an irresistible impulse to drink.
Impunity — impunity - no danger of being punished
The court treats the culprit turned witness with impunity.
The constitution doesn't give the privilege of impunity even to the Prime Minister.
Inadvertent — inadvaa-tunt - unintentional and inattentive, done by negligence
The employee pleaded that he had committed the mistake inadvertently.
Incarcerate — inka-surut - to put in prison
The court ordered to incarcerate the accused for 3 years.
Incentive — in-sen-tiv - something which encourages one to greater activity
The appreciation is the greatest incentive for a student's hardwork.
Inception — in-sep-shun - beginning
The spokesman of the government owned company said that the company is making profit since its inception.
Inch — inch - to move slowly and cautiously in a direction
With the successful completion of all the steps, the team of space scientists is inching towards success.
Incite — in-sy-t - to abet/encourage someone to do wrong things, provoke
Fundamentalists are inciting the terrorism in the country.
Incognito — in-cog-neeto - hiding your identity
The investigative officers entered the area of crime incognito.
Incongruous — in-congru-us - not suitable for a particular situation, strange
The cast based politics looks incongruous in the modern society.
Incorporate — in-copo-rut - to include something so that it becomes a part of it
The cyber laws have incorporated various crimes related to computer networks.
Incredible — in-cre-di-bul - difficult to believe
The daring stunts in the movies are really incredible.
Incubation — in-q-be-shun - the time between getting infected with the disease and the appearance of symptoms
The economists predicted that ill effects of liberalization have a long incubation period.
Inculcate — in-cul-ket - to cause somebody to learn discipline/ideas etc
The Prime Minister stressed for inculcating the discipline in the party workers.
Incumbent — in-kum-bunt - 1. official position, government in charge
Very often, the voters fell prey to their anti incumbency mood while voting for a new government.
2. necessary because it is part of duty
It was incumbent upon the crew of the airline to take care of the passengers.
Incur — in-kaa - to bring upon oneself
The government is incurring heavy cost due to the delay in the completion of developmental projects.
Indemnity — in-dem-niti - protection against loss, promise to pay in case of loss
The government has given indemnity to some of the foreign investors.
Indict — in-dy-t - to charge with an offence
The police have indicted seven influential persons in the urea scam.
Indigenous — in-dij-nus - something which belongs to a particular country
The ayurveda is indigenous to India.
The car production has become totally indigenous .
Indignant — in-dig-nunt - angered at something unjust/wrong
The indignant tribal people demonstrated before the office of deputy commissioner in support of their demands.
Indignation — indig-ne-shun - surprised anger
The union expressed strong indignation over the unreasonable dismissal of the employee.
Indiscriminate — indiskriminut - action done without thought and careful judgement.
The innocent persons were killed in the indiscriminate firing by the militants.
Indolent - Ind-lunt - lazy
The social activists criticized the government for its indolent attitude towards various welfare schemes.
Induce — in-dyu-s - to cause something
The booming stock market has induced the investors to invest more and earn more.
Induct — in-dukt - to officially introduce in a group
The four hundred cadets were inducted in the army.
Indulge — in-daal-j - to do something that gives enjoyment (used negatively)
The unemployed youth is indulging in the antisocial activities.
Inept — ine-t - done without skill
The court ordered the government to strictly deal with the inept employees.
Inertia — inaa-sha - state of being too powerless to move
After making some progress, the economy came to the state of inertia again.
Inevitable — in-evite-bul - which cannot be avoided
The rise in the prices of the essential commodities is inevitable in the era of liberalization.
Inexorable — innex-o-re-bul - unstoppable
Economists are inexorable supporters of liberalization.
Society worldwide is witnessing inexorable rise in the crime rate.
Infect — in-fect - to make a disease spread to somebody
The social system of many countries is infected with corruption.
Infest — in-fest - something harmful/dangerous which is present in large numbers
We should not choose the terrorism infested area as picnic spot.
Infiltrate — in-fil-tret - to enter a place secretly without permission
The army feared that a large-scale infiltration of militants could take place on the border.
Inflate — in-flet - to increase the price
The prices of essential commodities in the country have inflated manifold due to the worst ever drought throughout the country.
Inflict — in-flikt - to impose harmfully
The civil wars have inflicted trouble on many countries thus retarding economic and social development.
Infotainment — info-ten-munt - information + entertainment
The infotainment is the most important function of the mass media.
Learning through infotainment is the most effective method.
Infringe — in-frinz - to illegally take over the right of another person or nation
The order to keep quiet is an infringement of my fundamental right to speech.
Infuse — in-fyu-s - to fill
The speech of the minister infused confidence among the party workers.
Inherent — in-hea-rent - present naturally as a part of something
Some problems are inherent in our social system.
Inherit — in-herit - to receive from the previous generation
The finance minister inherited the toughest job of streamlining the financial reforms.
Inimical — inimi-kul - harmful
The acceptance of the terrorists' demands can prove inimical to the country.
Injunction — in-junk-shun - order from the court/government that something must or must not be done
The court passed the injunction against media for not publishing anything against the accused under trial.
Inkling — ink-ling - a hint
The finance ministry didn't have a slight inkling that the privatization of the industrial units will result in indefinite strike by the workers.
Innocuous — inno-q-us - harmless, not intended to upset anyone
The minister termed his remark on the religion as innocuous.
Innovate — ina-vet - to invent new ideas
Innovative ideas help to solve the problem in a different way.
The teachers should not shy of innovation in their teaching methods.
Inordinate — in-odi-nut - excessive
The progress of dam construction is suffering from inordinate delay due to the agitation.
Insane — in-sen - mad, serious ill mentally
The TV channel's charges of corruption were termed as insane by the minister.
The constitution says that an insane person cannot become the President.
Insidious — in-si-di-us - spreading secretly and gradually while causing serious harm
The Cable TV culture is an insidious trend towards degradation of moral values.
Insist — in-sist - to demand firmly, to say strongly
The opposition parties insisted that the bill on financial reforms should be brought immediately by the government.
Insolvent— insol-v-nt - bankrupt, not having money to pay up debts
The constitution doesn't permit an insolvent person to fight the election of President.
Instance — in-stuns - case, example
The enquiry commission noticed several instances of injustice and excesses against the tribal people.
Instigate — insti-get - to incite to action
The agitating workers instigated the strike.
Insular — narrow in viewpoint
The liberalization is the new mantra for insular economies of the world.
Insulate — in-syu-laa - to protect somebody from unpleasant experiences, dangers etc
The country's economy should be insulated from the International financial fluctuations.
Insurgency — in-saa-junci - an attempt to take control of a country by force
The opposition blamed the government for tackling the insurgency ineffectively .
Intact — in-tect - complete, not damaged, secure
The president ruled out the split in the party and said that the party is still intact.
Integrate — inti-grut - to combine two or more things so that they can work together
The government urged the integration of efforts by the public to ensure development.
Indian culture integrates different cultures and religions.
Integrity — inte-griti - 1. trustworthiness, strength of character
The enquiry commission cast no doubt over the integrity of army.
2. undivided, completeness (of a nation)
Social harmony is very important for unity and integrity of the country.
Intend — in-ten-d - a purpose in one's mind
The editor clarified that the published story didn't intend to put the country's security in danger.
Intensify — inten-si-fy - to increase in strength and degree
The striking workers decided to intensify their agitation as the management refused to accept their demands.
Intent — in-tent - intention, willingness
The two countries signed a trade agreement with intent to promote and protect mutual investments.
Interact — in-tur-akt - exchange of information between two persons
The reporter decided to interact with the people at the accident's site to get factual information.
The new upcoming communication technologies are interactive.
Inter alia — inter-eli-ya - among other things
The profits in the shares depends upon inter alia, the favourable policies of the government which directly influence the stock market.
Intercept — int-sept - to catch something in between
The new law allowed the police to intercept the telephonic communication.
Interim — in-t-rim - a less part of something which is to be given full later
This is an interim relief, you will get full benefit later on.
Intermediate — inter-midi-yut - between two places/states
The Journey for the betterment hasn't stopped, the country is only in the intermediate stage.
Interpolate — intaa-po-lut - to add few lines
The editor interpolated few lines on democracy in his speech.
Intervene — inta-veen - to interrupt to prevent bad result
The teacher intervened when the students started fighting physically.
Intimate — inti-mut - 1. let somebody know what you know
The Prime Minister intimated the President about recent developments at International level.
2. close, friendly
India has always shared intimate relationship with its neighbouring countries.
Intimidate — in-timi-det - to threaten
The terrorists intimidated the local people who helped them out of fear.
Intransigent — intran-ji-junt - extreme ideas which can't be changed by anybody
The officer was requested to approve the proposal but he remained intransigent.
Intrepid — in-tre-pid - fearless and bold
Today's freedom is the result of endless efforts of the intrepid freedom fighters.
Intricacy — in-tri-kesi - complicated network and details
The intricacies of law are beyond the comprehension of a common man.
Intrigue — intri-g - plot, secret plan (bad)
The serial bomb blasts in the city were the result of terrorist's intrigue.
Introspection — intro-spek-shun - looking into one's inside (thoughts, ideas)
Introspection is the greatest way of personality development.
Intrude — in-tru-d - to enter illegally,
The intelligence agency guessed that large number of terrorists have intruded into Indian territory.
Invade — in-ved - to come, attack and take control of something
The cultural department said that satellite channels from west are invading our culture.
Invincible — in-vin-ci-bul - too strong to be defeated
The minister stayed invincible for long despite serious allegations of financial bungling against him.
Invoke — in-vo-ok - to call or bring into use (right, law)
The government has invoked the ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) against striking workers.
Ire — aaya - anger
The protestors directed their ire towards public property while damaging it badly.
Irk — aak - to annoy or irritate
The judiciary was irked by the publication of controversial news item relating to the corruption among judges.
J
Jeopardy — j-pa-di - trouble, danger
With the fall of the government, the new development projects were put into jeopardy.
Jackpot — jeck-pot - biggest amount of money to be won in a game by chance
The young man hit jackpot of one crore in the television money game show.
Jingoism — jingo-i-zum - a belief that one's own country is better than other (used threateningly)
The army officers are of the view that the neighbouring country believes in the ideology of jingoism.
Jinx — zink-s - the cause of bad luck
The mediapersons argue that growth in the electronic media won't be a jinx on print media.
Jolt to shake severely
The murder of the minister jolted the government who claims to provide security to the common man.
Jostle — jo-sul - to push forcibly and roughly
The minister's involvement in the scam jostled the government.
Jugglery — jug-lury - playing with something
The government was accused of making a jugglery of figures while presenting the budget.
Juncture — junk-chaa - a particular point in a series of events
The battle for supremacy reached a crucial juncture in the corridors of power.
Junta — chun-ta - government (military) which has come to power by force rather than through elections
The junta refused to hold fresh elections in the country.
Jurisdiction — juris-dik-shun - the area in which the right of the official body can be used
The developments in the parliament don't fall under the court's jurisdiction.
Juxtapose — just-a-pos - to place close for comparison
The old pieces of art were juxtaposed with the modern ones.
K
Kickback — kik-back - portion of an income given, often secretly, to someone who made the income possible
The investigative agency started the investigations into the alleged kickback of 64 crore rupees paid to the middleman.
Knack — naak - a special natural skill or ability
The government should have a knack of foreseeing the future challenges before the country.
Knowhow — no-haa-o - skill, knowledge to perform a particular thing
India has the technical know how of the software development.
Kudos — q-dos - credit
The kudos goes to the soldiers who are defending the borders.
L
Labyrinth — lab-rinth - complicated network, path
The labyrinth of legal procedures sometimes proves a hurdle in the justice delivery of justice.
Lackadaisical — la-ke-deye-skul - lacking determination and seriousness
The teacher's union criticized the lackadaisical approach of the government towards the important matters like education.
Lackluster — leck-lustaa - lacking shining, dull
The Indian team gave a lackluster performance at Olympics.
Lacuna — le-q-na - state of missing, lacking of something
Your selection can be easily cancelled on a slight lacuna in the selection process.
Laden — le-dun - heavily loaded with burden
The government is laden with the backlog of incomplete work.
Laggard — le-gud - falling behind
The speaker said that the communist countries were laggard in granting freedom to the press.
Lambaste — lem-baste - to criticize severely
The opposition lambasted the government's move to increase the price of petrol.
Lament — la-ment - to express sorrow or regret
The parents lamented the bad effects of cable television on their children.
Languish— lang-vish - to be forced to stay somewhere and suffer something unpleasant
Many prisoners of war continue to languish in the enemy's jail for years.
Lapse — laps - negligence
The murder inside the university campus is a serious lapse on the part of security personnel.
pass slowly
Long time lapsed between the making of the law and its actual implementation.
Largesse — la-jess - the act of giving money in big amount
The central government dispensed the largesse to the state governments to help them tide over the financial problems.
Lash — lash - criticize severely and angrily
The opposition lashed out at the government's faulty economic policy.
Laud — lo-od - to praise very much
The newspapers must laud the positive developments in the society by giving more coverage to development stories.
Laurel — lo-rul - honour and praise
Our computer professionals have brought laurels for the country at International level.
Legacy — le-ge-si - anything bequeathed
The successive governments should carry forward the legacy of social welfare.
Legendary — lejend-ri - very famous and widely known
The legendary figures of Indian literature have contributed a lot to the development of journalism.
Legislate — legis-let - to make laws
The job of the parliament is to legislate and it is upto the enforcement agencies to implement the same in a proper way.
Legitimate — legiti-mut - 1. reasonable
The right to speech and freedom is regarded as a legitimate fundamental right of a citizen.
2. child of parents who are legally married
The parents said before the judge that the boy was their legitimate son.
Lenient — li-ni-unt - not strict in punishment
The principal took a lenient view of the student's costly mistakes.
Lethal — lee-thul - causing or able to cause death
The lethal disease claimed several lives in the affected area.
Lethargy — lethe-ji - state of laziness, lacking in enthusiasm
The industry criticized the government for its lethargy in implementing tax reforms.
Level — le-vul - to charge somebody for a wrongdoing
The members of parliament levelled serious allegations of corruption against the finance minister.
Levy — le-vi - an extra amount of money paid to the government
The finance minister decided to put levy on the imports.
The finance minister levied more taxes on the public as a result the outgoing government lost the election.
Lewd — lood - referring to sex in a rude way
The supreme court has strictly dealt with the case of lewd remarks against the women.
Liability — la-ye-bil-ti - 1. which causes a lot of problems
The industries which used to be the backbone of the country are now proving to be a liability on the government.
2. state of being responsible for something
The harassed employee lodged a legal case against his senior officer in the court.
Liaison — li-ye-jun - relationship between two organisations
The role of the public relations departments is to establish liaison between organisation and its public.
Linger — lin-ga - to continue to exist for longer time than expected
The poverty and malnutrition have lingered on for decades although every effort is being made to eradicate them.
Liquidate — lik-vi-det - to destroy or remove an element which causes problem
The government liquidated the rebel movement in the affected area.
The sick companies should be liquidated and the employees should be absorbed somewhere else.
Loath — lo-oth - not willing to do something
The accused loathed to accept his fault.
Lodge — lo-oj - to make a formal statement to authorities
The harassed employee lodged a legal case against his senior officer in the court.
Loggerhead — logga-head - in strong disagreement
The government and the militants are at loggerheads over the ownership of disputed territory.
Loner — lo-ona - a person who is alone
The rebel minister seemed to be a loner in the process of resigning from the government.
Long — lo-ong - to want something very much
The print media is longing to receive concessions on newsprint imports.
Loom — loom - something threatening which is likely to happen soon
The army predicted that the danger of war is looming large over the country.
Loophole — lyu-phol - mistake or deficiency in law, system, contract etc
The citizen's forum urged the government to plug the loopholes in the criminal law.
Lucid — lu-sid - clearly expressed, easy to understand
The speaker in the parliament presented lucid arguments in support of his observation.
Lucrative — lu-k-tiv - profitable
Agriculture is no longer a lucrative business for the farmers.
Ludicrous — ludi-krus - ridiculous
The leader made a ludicrous statement before the audience.
Lukewarm — look-wom - not enthusiastic, lacking warm
The audience showed a lukewarm response towards the fashion show.
Luminary — lu-min-ri - leading person in any field
Film industry luminaries gathered to choose the best film of the year.
Lurch — laa-ch - 1. sudden uncontrollable movement
The continued subsidy has put the country's economy in lurch.
2. to fail to help somebody when they are relying on you
The students were left in lurch when the board refused to recognise their degrees.
Lure — lyu-aa - to attract
The modern youth is lured by the glamour and materialism.
Lurk — lak - to stay back in one's mind
The anxiety of war is lurking in the government's mind following the large scale deployment of forces by the enemy.
Lynch — linch - to put to death without legal authority
The angry crowd lynched the thief.
M
Machination — meki-ne-shun - a secret and complicated plan (negatively used)
The government charged the opposition of resorting to political machinations.
Magnitude — meg-ni-chude - great size and importance of something
Despite the government's tall claims, the magnitude of crime has not decreased.
Maiden — me-e-dun - being first of its kind
In his maiden press conference, the chief minister expressed serious concern over the state of law and order.
Maim — me-em - to injure somebody seriously
Two soldiers were maimed in the landmine blast.
Malice — me-lis - desire to harm
Every religion tells that we should not bear the malice towards anybody.
Malaise — me-les - a problem affecting a particular situation
The sociologists asserted that the cable TV is spreading social malaise in the country.
Malfunction — mel-funk-shun - to fail to work correctly
The government departments are often accused of malfunctioning.
Malign — me-ly-n - to tell lie and unpleasant things about somebody
The newspaper was accused of maligning the honest minister.
Malpractice — mel-prek-tis - illegal or unacceptable conduct
The recruitment officer was charged with several malpractices in recruitment.
Mammoth — me-muth - huge, very big
Building the underground metro rail project is a mammoth project.
Mandarin — men-de-rin - powerful official of high rank
The newspapers suggested that the media policy made by the mandarins of ministry needs to be amended.
Mandate — men-date - authority given to government by the people of country
The government was advised by the opposition to take fresh mandate from the public.
Mandatory — men-de-tri - compulsory
The government made it mandatory that the persons from outside India should not be allowed to hold the key posts.
Manoeuvre — ma-nu-vaa - clever and skillful behavior often involving deception
The businessmen maneuvered the accounts in order to avail tax exemptions.
Mania — menia - madness
The mania of becoming crorepati (millionaire)is spreading like anything after the telecast of money game shows on TV.
Manifest — meni-fest - clearly visible, demonstrable
After the creation of new states, the demands of many more states manifested.
Manifold — meni-fold - many, of many different types
The opposition argued that the unemployment problem has increased manifold after liberalization.
Mantra — men-tra - object of success
The career in Information Technology is the new mantra for the students.
Mar — maa - to destroy or damage
The bad reputation marred the politician's chances of winning the elections.
Marathon — mera-thun - activity which lasts for a long time and requires great effort
The politicians addressed the marathon public meetings as the election date to come nearer.
Maraud — ma-rod - go on looting and plunder
The marauding dacoits had spread terror in the region.
The history is witness that the dictators have marauded their own countries.
Masquerade — mas-q-rade - make a false outward appearance
The militants masqueraded as policeman entered the airport and started firing.
Massacre — mess-e-ka - killing of large number of people
Lacs of people were massacred in the communal violence in the African country Rwanda.
Massive — mess-iv - on large scale
The new leader got massive support of the public.
Mayhem — mey-hem - confusion and fear caused by violent disorder
The booth capturers were creating mayhem at the polling station.
Meddle — me-dul - to interfere
No country should meddle in other country's internal affairs.
Mediate —mi-di-yut - to try to make agreement between two or more people
India is ready to mediate between the Sri lankan government and LTTE.
Melee — me-ley -stampede, crowd of people rushing in a confusing way
Several devotees were injured in the melee at the site of carnival.
Menace — me-nus - a thing which threatens to harm
The polythene bags are proving to be a menace for the soil.
Mend — mend - to improve
The accused was warned by the court to mend his ways.
Mere — mi-aa - only, emphasis on unimportance of something
The social problems won't be solved by mere soft talks of the government.
Mesmerize — mes-m-ryz - to hypnotize/hold attention completely
The audience was mesmerized by the professor's speech.
Mess — mess - state of disorder
The functioning of the company is in total mess.
Mete to give
Justice should be meted to the complainants in time.
Mete out — meet - to give somebody punishment, to give bad treatment to somebody
The human rights commission took a strict note of inhuman treatment meted out to the labourer by the police.
Meticulous — meti-q-lus - giving or showing great care to details
The new government decided to follow the path of liberalization meticulously.
Mid-term — mid-tum - in the middle of the period
The country headed for another mid-term poll when the President dissolved the Lok Sabha.
Midst — mid-st - middle part of something
The government suffered a severe setback in the midst of peace talks with the rebels.
Miff — miff - to get angry or upset slightly
The employees were miffed at the decision of finance minister to cut their travelling allowance.
Mileage — my-lez - a benefit or advantage
Every opposition party seems eager to draw a political mileage out of the government's failure.
Mindful — my-nd-full - careful or conscious
The new minister is minister is quite mindful of his functioning.
Mingle — min-gul - 1. to combine
The success of peace effort was mingled with the blood of innocent people.
2. to meet and mix with people
The visiting President of foreign country mingled freely with all the guests who were present in the party.
Minority — my-no-riti - less in numbers as compared to others
The government was reduced to minority when the supporting parties withdrew support.
Minuscule — mini-s-q-l - extremely small
Several big political parties have minuscule vote bank these days.
Minute — mi-nut - 1. very detailed, careful and thorough
The journalists have to study a problem minutely in order to suggest some solution to the newspaper's readers.
2. extremely small
Even a minute disagreement can spoil the success of peace talks.
Miracle — mi-ra-kul - like magic, lucky thing which happens without expectation
The new government did a miracle by presenting a surplus budget for the first time in the country's history.
Mirage — mi-rash - an optical effect looking like a sheet of water in the desert, something unachievable
Wealthy life in underworld is a mirage for unemployed youth.
Miscellaneous — misa-le-ni-us - of various types, from various sources
He has a miscellaneous collection of books on physics.
Mischief — mis-chif - tendency to behave in a way that causes trouble
Somebody played a mischief by giving wrong information to the police regarding the bomb inside the airport.
Miscreant — mis-kri-unt - wrongdoer, person doing illegal things
The crime branch arrested the miscreants in connection with the murder case.
Misgiving — mis-gi-ving - feeling of doubt and anxiety
The instability on the domestic front has spread misgivings on the international front.
Mishap — mis-hap - mishappening, accident
Seven persons were killed in the mishap when the bus and car collided head on.
Mitigate — miti-gate - to lessen the suffering
The government should mitigate the sufferings of a common man.
Mobilize — mobi-ly-z - to organize for a purpose
The opposition party threatened to mobilize people against the issue of price hike.
Mockery — mok-ri - a worthless and ridiculous action
The media opined that the present political system in the country is a mockery of democracy.
Modality — mo-dele-ti - terms and conditions of an agreement
Before signing the agreement, the two companies worked out the modalities.
Model — mo-dul - to give a shape to something
The government modelled the new economic policy on the pattern of western countries.
Moderate — mod-rut - 1. neither too big nor too small
Even the moderate amount of drugs can prove fatal.
2. to make something less extreme/severe
The cold war was between two superpowers moderated and finally ended.
Modest — mo-dest - 1. not very large
The big economic reforms have been able to achieve modest growth only.
2. not talking about your own ability
The newspaper praised the modesty of the visiting foreign President.
The famous scientiest was a modest person.
Modify — modi-fy - to change something slightly
The administration modified its style of functioning in light of modern management skills.
Modus Operandi — mo-o-dus style of functioning, method of dealing
The investigative agencies have to adopt different modus operandi for different cases.
Mole — mo-o-l - a person who works in an organization and passes important information to other organization
The police are grappling with the problem of some moles.
Molest — melest - to make indecent sexual advances to somebody
The criminals molested the young woman in the broad daylight.
Mollify — moli-fy - to reduce anger, make calm
The demonstrators were mollified by the administration.
Momentum — memen-tum - ability of increasing and developing
The issue of safety and security of minority community in the country has gain momentum.
Monetary - mone-te-ri - related to money
It is alleged that the public sector companies don't provide monetary contribution to the government, they just serve the cause of social responsibility.
Monitor — moni-ta - watch and check over a period of time
The army is monitoring the situation along the line of control in Kashmir.
Monotonous — mno-tun-us - dull, never changing, boring
The Information Technology is changing the monotonous style of life very fast.
Morale — moraal - amount of motivation, confidence etc.
The army officers must try to boost up the morale of the soldiers.
Moratorium — more-to-ri-um - a temporary stopping of an activity by official agreement
The newspaper suggested that there should be a four-year moratorium on all religious disputes for the healthy development of the nation.
Moribund — mori-bund - about to stop, coming to an end
The common man feels that the country's economy is fast becoming moribund.
Motive — mo-o-tiv - reason
Social activists' motive is to bring good to poor people.
Mould — mo-o-ld - to change the shape
Newspapers can influence and mould public opinion.
Mount — maa-ont - to increase gradually
The opposition mounted pressure on the government to reduce the price of foodgrains for the poor.
Mourn — mo-on - to show regret/sorrow
The nation mourned the death of thousands of soldiers who died in Kargil war.
Mow — maa-oo - to kill in large numbers
Our soldiers mowed down enemy on the front.
Mull — maal - to spend time by thinking carefully about a proposal
The political party is mulling over the names of the candidates to be fielded for the coming elections.
Mundane — mun-dane - ordinary and without excitement
The new media are a good answer to the mundane style of journalism.
Murky — maa-ki - dark, not very clear
The opposition demanded the probe into the murky financial dealings.
Mutilate — myu-ti-lut - to injure or damage by tearing off necessary part
The doctors had to mutilate the patient's leg because of cancer.
Mutiny — myu-tini - rebellion against lawful or constituted authority
Seven soldiers were court marshalled and sentenced to death for the act of mutiny.
Mutual — myu-chu-ul - which affects both the persons equally
The two countries decided to increase their efforts for mutual benefit.
Myriad — me-ri-ad - an extremely large number
The trade fair consists of myriad of stalls and activities.
Modern life has presented myriad of problems before us.
Mystery — mis-ta-ri - the condition of being secret/hidden
The young reporter unfolded the mystery of purchase of worthless defence equipments.
Mystify — misti-fy - to make somebody confuse through lack of understanding
The disappearance of the elephant in the magic show was a mystifying experience.
Myth — mith - wrong belief or idea
It is a myth that holy water of Ganga can wash all the sins.
N
Nab — neb - to catch a thief or a person doing illegal work
The dacoits fled from the seen but one of them was nabbed by the local residents.
Naive — na-eev - showing lack of experience, judgement and wisdom
The tribal people are quite naive as far as the issue of religion transformation is concerned.
Narrate — na-ret - to tell a story
The aggrieved party narrated its story of suffering in the court.
Nascent — na-cent - in the developing stage
The Handicraft industry is nascent in our country.
Nasty — naasti - unpleasant
The long journey in the general compartment of the train proves to be a nasty experience for most of the passengers.
Naught — no-ot - zero, failure
Despite the sincere efforts, the peace talks between rebels and state government came to naught.
Nebulous — ne-bu-lus - vague, not very clear
The government spelt out a nebulous description of its plans to revive the economy.
Nefarious — ni-fe-ri-us - wicked, corrupt, immoral
The ministers are accused of indulging in nefarious activities.
Negate — ni-gate - to nullify, to stop the effect of something
The infrastructure development which took years to build was negated by the floods in hours.
Negotiate — nigo-shi-et - to try to reach at agreement by discussion
You should negotiate the salary with your employer.
The international disputes can be resolved through negotiations.
Nemesis — ne-mi-sis - bad time which can't be avoided
Every military ruler meets his nemesis someday.
Neo — ni-o - new
The globalisation has increased the number of neo rich persons.
Nexus — nek-sus - illegal series of connections
The media reported that there is a strong nexus between politicians and criminals and bureaucrats.
Niche — neesh - a comfortable and suitable role/job
The young artist found his niche in the paintings.
Niggle — ni-gul - slight feeling of worry, pain that doesn't go away
The common man has niggling doubts whether the liberalization will really help him.
Nightmare — ny-t-meya - very bad and unpleasant experience
Getting justice from the overburdened courts is proving to be a nightmare.
Nitty-gritty — niti-griti - the most important aspect of a situation or problem
The company discussed the nitty-gritty of the proposal and applied to the government for clearance.
Nod — no-od - permission, approval
The setting up of a factory requires a nod from the state government.
Nonchalant — non-sha-lunt - non serious, casual
The last government's nonchalant attitude is said to have created many problems for the present government.
Nonetheless — nun-the-less - in spite of this fact, nevertheless
The problems in the society are numerous, nonetheless the newspapers will have to perform their duty.
Normalcy — no-mul-si - state of being normal
The United Nations urged that terrorism should stop and normalcy should be restored.
Nostalgia — nos-taal-jia - feeling of sadness and pleasure while thinking of good past
The nostalgia of being free from all worries during childhood still visits me.
Notch — noch - to achieve something as a victory
The new party notched up impressive number of seats in the elections.
Notion — no-shun - idea, belief
The educationists generally don't agree with the notion of commercialization of education.
Notorious — n-to-ri-us - well known for being bad
Notorious elements should not be allowed to roam freely.
Notwithstanding — not-with-standing - in spite of
Notwithstanding few failures, the outgoing government performed well as was expected from it.
Novice — no-vis - a person who is new and has little experience
The court ordered the government that the important decisions should not be left to the discretion of novice.
Nuisance — new-sun-s - cause of trouble/annoyance
The militancy is proving to be a nuisance for the Kashmir government.
Numerous — in very large numbers
There are numerous examples of persons who succeeded by their sheer hard work.
Nurture — new-mur-us - to encourage the growth of something
The teacher should nurture the talent in his students.
O
Obfuscate — ob-fus-ket - to deliberately confuse or make difficult to understand
The state government is obfuscating the issue of salary hike of employees.
Obligatory — obli-ge-tri - binding in law/conscience
The parliamentary committee remarked that it was obligatory for the director of the intelligence agency to resign on the ground that the intelligence network had failed completely.
Obliterate — ab-liti-rut - to remove all the signs by destroying completely
The floods obliterated the whole city last year.
Oblivious — not aware of something happening
The prisoners escaped but the jail authorities were oblivious of the situation.
Obscure — abs-q-uaa - not clearly and easily understood.
The government's statement on the subsidy is obscure.
Obsess — ab-sess - to fill the mind of somebody so much that one can not think anything else
The younger generation seem to be obsessed with the Internet.
Obsolete — obso-leet - no longer used
With the advent of new technology, the old technology is fast becoming obsolete.
Obstinate — obs-ti-nut - difficult to persuade
A student should not be obstinate. He should have flexible attitude.
Obstruct — ob-strukt - to block the way, to prevent somebody from making progress
The bureaucratic system is often accused of obstructing development by indulging in formalities.
Obviate — ob-vi-et - to remove a need
The advancement in technology in the domestic market has obviated the need of importing the costly equipment from abroad.
Occult — o-kult - related to magical powers
Sometimes politicians believe in occult practices to win elections.
Oddity — o-diti - improper, quality of being odd
The parents were surprised by the oddity of their child's remark.
Offence — a-fens - crime, illegal act
The insult to the national flag is a serious offence.
Offend — a-fend - to annoy/insult/hurt somebody's feelings
The teacher was offended by the student's improper remarks.
Offing — o-fing - likely to appear/happen soon
With the advent of new technology, different media of communication are in the offing.
Ominous — omi-nus - indicating that something threatening and bad is going to happen
The crossing of border by the militants in large numbers is an ominous sign of more violence.
Onerous — on-rus - needing great pains and effort
The huge population and the poverty are two onerous tasks before the government.
Onset — on-set - an assault, especially of troops, upon an enemy or fortification
The sociologists remarked that the onset of satellite channels would adversely affect the children.
Onus — o-onus - the responsibility of something
The onus lies on the new government to bring the economy back on track.
Onslaught — on-slo-ot - fierce attack
The government was puzzled by the onslaught from the opposition parties.
The editor hoped that the newspapers would boldly face the onslaught of electronic media.
Opaque — a-pek - very difficult to understand, too dark to see through
The decision of raising the telephone rental charges by the telecom department was termed as opaque by the consumers.
Opponent — a-po-nunt - a person who is against some other person in fight
The party's candidate in the elections looked embarrassed by the charges levelled by the opponents.
Opportune — oppur-chu-n - action done at the right time to make it successful
The Prime Minister stressed that this is opportune moment for the industry to encash on liberalized economy.
Optimum — op-timum - most favourable, best
The condition is optimum for starting a new business.
Opulent — op-u-lunt - wealthy, having lot of money
The advertising of the expensive products is directed towards the opulent section of the population.
Ordeal — o-deel - painful trying experience
Getting justice in the courts seems to be an ordeal these days.
Orient — o-ri-unt - to direct something towards something else
The government decided to make the education system more value oriented.
Ostensible — osten-si-bul - appearing to be true but not necessarily true
The student mentioned illness as an ostensible reason for his absence from the class.
Ostentation — osten-te-shun - exaggerated display of skill/knowledge etc. to fill other person with envious feelings
The Prince's speech was free from ostentation.
Oust — a-oo-st - to remove a person from position of power/job etc
The democratically elected government of Nawaj Sharif was ousted by the army general in Pakistan.
Outburst — a-oo-t-bust - 1. sudden strong expression of emotions
The arm twisting tactics of the allies finally led to the Prime Minister's outburst publicly.
2. act of bursting
The outburst of numerous editions of newspapers provide variety of information to the readers.
Outfit — a-oo-t-fit - 1. an organization
Lashkar-e-toiba is a militant outfit operating in the Kashmir valley.
2. clothes worn for a particular occasion
The casual outfit is not suited for the interview.
Outlandish — a-oo-t-landish - strange
A joke at a sad moment sounds quite outlandish.
Outpace — a-oo-t-pace - move faster and rise faster than somebody else
The growht of technology in our country has outpaced many other developing countries.
Outrageous — a-oo-t-re-jus - very shocking and unacceptable
The court treats even a minor crime committed on women as an outrageous one.
Outstrip — a-oo-t-strip - to become larger/important than something else
Our economic development has outstripped the government's expectation.
Outwardly — a-oo-t-wodli - from outside, on the surface
Outwardly the government agreed to reduce the oil prices but it seems reluctant inwardly .
Owing to — o-ing - because of
Owing to the government's lackluster performance in economic reforms, the donating agencies didn't provide enough money to the country.
P
Pace — pes - speed
Because of several litigations in the court, the work at the dam project is progressing at snail's pace.
Pact — pe-ekt - a formal agreement between two or more countries/people etc
India and Belgium signed two bilateral trade pacts.
Panacea — pena-see-aa - an cure for all diseases
Separate states are not a panacea for all problem of a nations.
Pandemonium — pende-mo-ni-um - situation of lot of noise and confusion
Pandemonium broke out in the parliament when finance minister presented the budget having provisions for many more new taxes.
Paradigm — pera-dy-m - typical example of pattern of something, most important aspect of something
The social welfare is the paradigm of Indian economy.
Paradox — pera-dox - a situation which has two opposite features
This is a paradox that the mineral rich states in the country are the poorest ones.
Paralyze — pere-ly-z - to render powerless
The repeated strikes in the country have paralyzed the economy.
Paramount — pere-ma-o-nt - supreme, most important
The issue of country's safety and security is paramount.
Paranoid — suspicious and lacking trust in others
The minority community should not be paranoid in this country.
Paraphernalia — pera-fun-e-li-ya - equipment required for a work
The office was shifted along with the paraphernalia.
Parasite — pera-sy-t - who always makes use of others and gives nothing in return
The politician's are often termed as parasites who thrive on the public money.
Parity — pere-ti - equality
Parity in the rights of the citizens should be kept in order to maintain social harmony.
Parley — paa-le - a meeting with enemies to restore peace
After long parleys, the issue of Palestine separate state was resolved.
Parochial — paro-ki-ul - narrow
The education has to impart a broad outlook to a student instead of a parochial thinking.
Part — paat - to separate
The allies parted their ways from the government on the issue of ministerial berths.
Passion — pe-shun - a very strong feeling of love/hatred/enthusiasm/anger etc.
A wrong news published by the newspaper ignited the communal passions in the state.
The newspaper must have a passion for investigative reporting.
The modern movies are encashing upon the passion to gather money and publicity.
Pathetic — pe-the-tik - making one feel sador pity
The flood victims were in a pathetic state.
Patronage — petro-nej - support an organization financially
The experts asserted that the small-scale industry needs government's patronage for growth.
Paucity — po-sity - small amount of something
The Prime Minister stressed that the paucity of funds won't be a problem in the development projects.
Pave — pev - to create a situation in which somebody would be able to do something
The research can pave the way to solve our future problems.
Peccadillo — peke-dilo - a small breach of propriety or principle
The old man had to pay a heavy price for his peccadillo of unknowingly giving shelter to the militants.
Pecuniary — pe-q-ni-yri - relating to money
A journalist never draws a pecuniary advantage but helps to raise the voice of poor.
Peculiar — pe-q-li-ur - belonging only to a particular place
Strong emotional bond is the quality peculiar to Indian culture.
Peeve — peev - to annoy
The old man was peeved at the degradation of moral values in the society.
Peg — peg - to fix at certain level
The economic growth is currently pegged at 5 percent. It needs to be increased.
Pelt — pelt - to throw as an attack
The mob pelted stones at the policemen.
Penchant — a special liking for something
A journalism student must have a penchant for writing.
Pending — pen-ding - waiting to be decided/settled
The government asked the officer to go on leave pending inquiry against him.
Penetration — peni-tre-shun - to make a way through
The western culture has penetrated deep into children's mind.
Per se — paa-se - in itself
The newspaper was accused of printing an article which was per se defamatory for the film actress.
The Information Technology is not harmful per se but its misuse can pose serious threat for the society.
Perceive — pa-seev - to understand in a particular way
Giving back the conquered area back to enemy was perceived as the blunder on the part of government.
The newspapers help its readers to perceive social and political changes minutely.
Perceptible — pa-septi-bul - which can be felt or noticed
The effect of cable television on our social life is quite perceptible.
Percolate — pa-ko-lut - to move gradually downwards
The benefits of the government schemes should percolate down to the poor section of the society.
Perennial — pa-ri-ni-ul - continuing for a long time, happening again and again
The people urged the Chief Minister to find a permanent solution of their perennial problems.
Perfunctory — pa-funk-tri - done in a casual manner, not seriously, without care
The government employees are performing their duty in a perfunctory manner.
Peril — pe-ril - great danger
The country's safety is in peril with the rise in cross border terrorism.
Perish — pe-rish - die, to be lost/destroyed
Precious species of plants and animals are perishing at an alarming rate.
Permeate — paa-mi-et - to spread to every part
The people's dissatisfaction with the government permeated to every section of the society, as a result the ruling party suffered humiliating defeat in the elections.
Permutation — pa-mu-teshun - alteration, change in order
The election commission adopted the permutation method to allot the election symbols to the different candidates.
Pernicious — pa-ni-shus - having harmful effect
The cable TV's addiction can have a pernicious influence on the children's personality.
Perpetrate — pa-pet-ret - to commit a crime
The militants have perpetrated many heinous crimes.
Perpetual — pa-pe-chu-al - continuous, lasting forever
Lack of basic facilities like water and electricity has become a perpetual problem in the country.
Perplex — per-plex - to confuse
The administration was completely perplexed by the severe damage caused by the earthquake.
The speaker delivered the lecture very well but the audience looked perplexed.
Persecute — per-si-q-t - to treat in a cruel way
The dalits in the village fear a large scale persecution by the landlords.
persist — pe-sist - to continue to do with determination
The government persisted on its agenda of cutting the extra work force in the offices.
Persistence — p-sis-tuns - continue to try, to do something in spite of difficulties
The persistence of the scientists has given new horizons to the development in our country.
The persistence of unemployment in the country is gradually becoming worrisome.
Persuade — pa-su-ed - to convince through argument
The health workers were persuaded not to go on strike as it would severely affect the health services.
Pertain — p-ten - related to
The concessions announced in the budget don't pertain to the industry but consumers.
Pertinent — pati-nunt - appropriate to a particular situation
The newspaper's responsibility is to raise pertinent issues before its readers.
Perverse — pa-vus - strong desire to behave in an unacceptable and shocking manner
Our neighbouring country is often accused of having perverse desire to incite terrorism.
Pervert — pa-vut - 1. to change the system in a bad way
The scientific discoveries have been perverted to create dangerous weapon of human destruction.
2. to make immoral/corrupt and unacceptable
The psychologists argue that Cable TV is perverting the minds of children.
Peter out — pi-taa aa-ut - to reduce gradually and finally end
With the temporary fall in the oil prices, the problem has petered out temporarily.
Petition — piti-shun - a formal written request submitted especially in court
The judge accepted the petition for further hearing.
Phase — fe-z - stage
The finance minister decided to lower the government's share in public sector units in a phased manner.
Several important dam projects are in the last phase of completion.
Phenomenon — fe-no-m-nun - fact, an event in the society
The highly lucrative career in Information Technology is an unbelievable phenomenon.
Phlegmatic — fleg-metik - not easily made angry or upset
The government remained phlegmatic over the serious allegations levelled by the opposition leader.
Phobia — fo-o-bi-a - extreme and abnormal fear
Phobia of liberalization should end soon in order to open up the markets.
Piecemeal — pees-mey-ul - into fragments, gradually
The economic development has suffered a lot because of the piecemeal reforms.
Piggy-back — pigi-bek - attached to or allied with something else
The new political party had to ride piggyback on the well known party to make an impact on electorate.
Pile — py-l - number of things that have been placed on one another
Due to the strike of advocates, the cases got piled up in the court.
Pilferage — pil-frej - to steal in small amount
The company suffered losses in continuous pilferage.
Pin down — pin da-oo-n - to criticize severely
The consumer's union did pin down the government for its failure to curb inflation.
Pinnacle — pi-ne-kul - top, climax
The Information Technology business has reached its pinnacle.
Pipeline — pyp-laa-in - underdiscussion, on the way
A large investment is in the pipeline because of the economic reforms.
Piquant — pee-kunt - stimulating or provocative
The insurgency problem turned piquant when the local people started supporting separatists.
Pittance — pi-tuns - very small ammount of money, an inadequate payment
The journalists' union criticized the big newspapers for paying pittance to the reporters as salary.
Pivotal — pi-vi-tul - of great importance as other things depend on it
The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played a pivotal role in the development of the country.
Placate — pla-ket - to pacify/calm/satisfy
The army officer placated the rebel soldiers.
Placid — pla-sid - calm, peaceful
The placid atmosphere helps in increasing the work efficiency.
Plagiarize — ple-ge-ry-z - to copy other person's idea/work without permission and present them as your own
A writer never plagiarizes somebody's work, on the contrary he gets views from that.
Plausible — plo-ji-bul - reasonable, likely to be true
The argument given by the culprit sounded plausible to the judge.
Plea — plee - emotional request
The court ordered the government to consider the employee's plea.
Plead — pleed - to argue in support
The advocate pleaded on behalf of his client in the court.
Plebiscite — ple-bi-sa-it - a direct vote by people of the country on a particular matter of national importance
U.N.O. had favoured plebiscite on Kashmir issue way back in 1950.
Plethora — ple-tha-ra - excess, more than what is required
The overexpansion of the cities is bringing plethora of problems.
Pliable — pla-e-bul - easily influenced/bent
The young minds of the children are pliable.
Plight — pla-it - a difficult and sad situation
A further reduction in the sale price of crop added to the plight of the farmers.
Plot — plot - a secret plan to perform illegal act
The intelligence agencies uncovered the terrorists' plot to increase disturbance in the capital.
Ploy — plo-ye - cunning actions carefully designed to win advantages over something
The heavy firing was a ploy of the enemy to divert attention of our security personnel.
Plummet — pla-met - to go down steeply and rapidly
After the initial surge, the information technology shares plummeted.
The mercury plummeted as a result the entire region was gripped by the chilly weather.
Plunder — plun-da - to loot heavily
Mahmud Gaznavi plundered the wealth of Somnath temple in 1026 AD.
Pluralism — ploo-re-lizum - existence of many different groups of people in society
The settlement of the people from many countries gives rise to pluralism in society.
Ply — p-ly - to travel regularly on a particular route
The court banned the old buses from plying on the road.
Poignant — having a strong effect on your feelings which make you sad
The article published by the newspaper poignantly highlighted the growing weakness of country's economy.
Poise — po-e-z - to be completely ready for something
With the signing of important trade agreements, the relations between two countries are poised for a giant leap.
Polarisation — pol-ry-ze-shun - to separate into two groups with completely opposite opinions
The voters in the state are completely polarised for and against the ruling party.
Ponder — pon-da - to think seriously
The administration pondered over the situation and came out with a strategy.
Pooh-pooh — poo-poo - to dismiss an idea as worthless
The government pooh-poohed the idea of giving free ration to the poor people.
Portal — po-o-tul - door, gate
Many countries are opening their portals for the Multinational companies.
Portray — po-tre - to show something in picture
Foreign countries have stopped portraying India as a land of snake charmers.
Pose — po-o-z - to create a problem or unpleasant situation
The emission of poisonous smoke from the vehicles can pose serious threat to the environment.
Posse — posi - group of people (soldiers) brought to deal with crime/violence etc
Large posse of security force was deployed to curb violence.
Possess — p-zess - to have
Strong enemy doesn't possess enough ammunition to fight.
Posterity — pus-te-riti - next generation
The environment must be conserved for the posterity.
Posthumous — pos-tyu-mus - happening after a person had died
Army captain was posthumously awarded the highest bravery award, the Paramveer Chakra.
Potential — p-ten-shul - something that in future can develop into a big thing
Potential players have brought laurels to the country.
Potential source of nuclear energy has to be exploited to tide over the energy crisis.
Pragmatic — preg-metik - practical rather than theoretical
Problems in the society should be solved by adopting the pragmatic approach rather than ideal one.
Precarious — pre-ke-ri-us - unsafe, dangerous, uncertain
The foreign investors shy away because of the precarious political and economic situation of the country.
Precede — pree-seed - to happen before something, to come before something
Heavy advertising usually precedes the launch of a new product by the company.
Precipitate — precipi-tet - to send rapidly into certain condition
The long rivalry between the two countries precipitated into war.
Predicament — pridika-mnt - a difficult situation having no way out
The low foreign exchange reserve is a predicament in repayment of the loans in time.
Precisely — pre-sys-li - exactly
The army's attack on the enemy was precisely timed.
Preclude — prek-lud - to prevent something from happening, stall
The adamant style of functioning of the Management preclude the harmonious relationship with the workers.
Predominant — pri-dominunt - 1. most obvious, noticeable
The new political party had a predominant minority base in its state.
2. having more power than others
The struggle between superpowers is going on for global predominance.
Prejudice — pre-ju-dis - disliking of a person based on false information rather than reason or experience
The politicians charged the media of having prejudice against them.
Premise — pre-mis - an assumption from which conclusion can be drawn.
The government's premise is that the violence should end first and then peace talks should be started.
The investigative agencies acted on the wrong premise in finding out the culprits which led to the failure of investigation.
Prerogative — prero-gtiv - privilege, special right given to somebody
The members of parliament commented that it is Prime Minister's prerogative to select the minister in his cabinet.
Press — press - use somebody for a purpose
The trained commandos were pressed into service for tight security at the International meeting of head of states.
Presume — pre-zyum - to suppose something to be true
The court asked the prosecutor not to presume but prove his point.
Pretext — pree-text - to give a false reason
The students are habitual of finding a pretext for their absence from the class.
Prevail — pri-vel - to exist generally
The prevailing conditions are not suitable to start a new business.
Prevalent — prev-lunt - happening or existing generally
The poverty is prevalent in the tribal areas which is the only reason of their problems.
Prevaricate — pri-veri-ket - to avoid giving a direct answer to a question
The government prevaricated on the issue of lowering the income tax rates.
Prickly — prik-li - covered with thorns, prickles
The land reforms continue to be a prickly issue for every government.
Prima facie — prima-feshi - on the first impression
The tapped voice of a person is not a final evidence but it makes a prima facie case.
Primitive — primitiv - belonging to an early stage of development, old fashioned
The government sanctioned the project on the primitive beliefs and magical rituals of the tribal areas.
Proactive — pro-ek-tiv - take initiative
The industrialists urged the government to play a proactive role in solving the anomalies in the International trade with other countries.
Probable — prob-bul - likely to happen
The probable outcome of every action should be thought in advance.
A student should be of probing mind.
Probe — pro-ob - enquiry, to explore
After complaints of irregularities in the arms purchase, a probe was ordered in the defence deals.
Probity — pro-o-biti - quality of being trustworthy
No one can doubt the probity of our army.
Procession — pro-se-shun - a line of people that moves along
The peaceful procession suddenly turned violent leaving many persons injured.
Proclaim — prok-lem - to make something important known officially and publicly, declare
The government proclaimed the emergency in 1975, only once in the history of India.
Proclivity — prok-liviti - natural tendency
Slow work is the proclivity of bureaucratic system of governance.
Procrastinate — pro-craastinet - to delay
The government was accused of procrastinating on the women reservation bill.
Procure — pro-kyo-a - to obtain with effort, purchase
The multinational company procured a piece of land in the heart of city.
Prodigy — prodiji - a young person having amazing and remarkable qualities
Three child prodigies were selected from India to work for the American space project.
Profess — pro-fess - to state openly
The ideas professed by our religious scriptures thousands years ago are meaningful even today.
Proficient — pro-fi-shunt - expert
The language proficiency is essential for writing for newspapers.
Profligate — progli-gut - wasteful, use money carelessly
The economists criticized the government for its profligate spending.
Profound — pro-fa-o-nd - very great/serious
The harmful gases have brought profound changes in the earth's climate.
Proletariat — pro-lite-riya - poor people who work for wages in industry
The communist rule aimed at establishing the ownership of proletariat.
Proliferate — proli-feret - to spread rapidly
The banned edition of the book proliferated in the markets.
Prolong — prolong - to make last longer
The point of reservation for the women prolonged beyond requirement in the parliament.
Promiscuity — promis-q-ti - tendency of having many sexual partners
Promiscuity is one of the main factors in the spread of AIDS.
Prompt — prompt - fast, immediate, done without delay
The financial crisis requires prompt action in order to avoid bankruptcy.
Promulgate — promul-gate - to announce a new law
The universal declaration on human rights was promulgated by the U.N.O.
Prone — pro-o-n - likely to suffer from something bad
The army intensified the security in the smuggling prone areas near the international border.
Prong — prong - pointed, each of two or more long pointed parts of a fork
The Prime Minister called for a two-pronged approach for normalization of International relations.
Propagate — prop-gate - to spread (beliefs/idea) more widely
The message of humanity should be propagated throughout the world.
Propel — propel - to move/drive/push something in a particular direction
The political analysts asserted that only self propelled government can do good for the people.
Propensity — propen-siti - tendency
The border areas have a propensity for large scale smuggling and intrusion.
Propitiate — propi-shi-et - to appease, placate
Sincere work is the only worship to propitiate the God.
Propitious — pro-ti-shus - favourable
The share broker analysed that the stock market is falling hence it is not propitious to invest in shares.
Proposition — prop-ji-shun - 1. proposed plan
With the slump in the stock market, the portfolio investment seems to be a costly proposition.
Prosaic — proze-k - ordinary, not showing imagination, dull
Newly launched newspapers cannot afford to work in a prosaic manner.
Prosecute — prosi-q-t - to charge somebody with crime in court of law
The corrupt officers should be prosecuted for their misdeeds.
Protagonist — proteg-nist - the leader of a movement
Women parliamentarians are the protagonists of the women reservation bill in the elections.
Protract — pro-trakt - to last longer than expected, unnecessarily long
The religious disputes are being protracted by the vested interests who are accused of showing no interest in the solution.
Provoke — pro-vok - to encourage for doing wrong.
The murder of a leader of minority community provoked communal violence in the area.
Prune — proon - to cut
The government should prune non-plan expenditure in order to reduce fiscal deficit.
Prudent — proo-dunt - sensible and careful in taking decisions
The prudent government immediately announced relief package for the earthquake hit state.
Pseudo — si-oo-do - false, not genuine
The mass media are often accused of creating a pseudo phobia in the minority community.
Pulsate — pul-set - to make strong regular movements
The old man pointed out that the Gandhian principles are still alive and pulsating throughout the world.
The live telecast of the game on television was quite pulsating.
Pump — pump - to put lot of money into something
The government expressed its inability to pump more money in the sick public sector units.
Q
Quagmire — kwag-maaya - marsh
The new officer also got involved in the quagmire of corruption.
Qualitative — quali-tetiv - related to quality
The competition introduced by the multinational companies has brought many qualitative changes in the products.
Qualm — kwaam - feeling of doubt or worry
The newspapers being responsible messengers never write about sensitive issues without qualm.
Quandary — kwan-dri - state of indecision at the time of difficulty
The government was in a quandary over the issue of reduction of subsidies which could affect their vote bank.
Quantify — kwan-ti-fy - to measure or calculate interms of quantity
Psychologists say that a person's complete intelligence is impossible to quantify.
Quantitative — kwanti-tetiv - related to quantity
A speech must be perfect qualitatively as well as quantitatively.
Quantum jump — kwantum - sudden great improvement or development
The invention of artificial blood is a quantum jump in medical science.
Quarter — kwo-taa - person or group of people
The erring government face voice of protest from every quarter.
Quash — kwo-sh - to reject, to declare something no more valid (done by courts especially)
The high court quashed the government's order of dismissal the employees.
Quasi — kwe-zy - partly
The opposition demanded that a quasi judicial body should probe the case of human rights violations.
Queer — strange
His queer remarks about the departed soul angered everybody.
Quell — kwal - to stop the violent protests
Extra police force was called to quell the rising incidents of violence.
The workers were doubtful regarding their pay scales but the manager convincingly quelled their apprehensions.
Quench — kwen-ch - to drink so that you no longer feel thirsty
The thirst of creativity never quenches.
Query — kwe-ri - question, doubt
The students came to the teacher with several queries.
Quest — kwest - search for something difficult
One must work hard in the quest for knowledge.
Quid pro quo— kwid-pro-ko - a thing given in return for something else
The militants' attack was seen as a quid pro quo of the army's operation.
Quintessence — kwin-te-sunce - the most essential part
The writing skill is quintessence for a journalism student.
Quip — kwip - a quick and clever remark
The Chief Minister quipped on the issue of water dispute with the neighbouring states.
Quirk — kwak - strange thing happening accidentally
By quirk of fate, the two friends met each other on the railway station after twenty years.
Quote — kwot - to repeat what was said by some other person
The minister was quoted as saying that the government won't tolerate the corruption in the government departments.
R
Radical — redi-kul - 1. having extreme views
Terrorists in Kashmir are accused of having radical views about freedom.
2. thorough and complete
The economic policies require radical changes in order to survive the tough competition in the international market.
Raison d' etre — most important reason for existence of something
The violent disturbance is the sole raison d'etre for heavy deployment of the security force.
Rake — rek - to earn a lot of money
The multinational companies are often accused of interested in raking profits only while caring little for social responsibilities.
Ramification — remi-fi-keshun - large number of unexpected results which follow an idea, action etc.
Decision to allow pornographic channel is bound to have serious cultural ramifications.
Rampage — rem-pej - causing widespread violent destruction
The mob went on rampage and looted several shops.
Rampant — rempunt - uncontrolled spreading
Corruption is rampant in most of the countries of the world.
Ramshackle — rem-sha kul - 1. very bad condition, needing repair
After the severe earthquake, the government employees were forced to work in the ramshackle buildings.
2. badly organised and designed (not lasting for long)
The industrialists alleged that the ramshackle tax structure would adversely affect their business interests.
Rapacious — ra-pe-shus - wanting more money than what you need, greedy
The rapacious attitude of the industrialists has caused great harm to the environment.
Rap — raap - to blame/criticize
The opposition rapped the government for its failure to protect the country's interest on international front.
Rapprochement — re-pro-sh-maant - a situation of friendly relations after being enemies
Some senior members tried to bring about a rapprochement between the rebel minister and the Chief Minister.
Ratify — re-ti-fy - to endorse, to make valid while putting stamp of approval by parliament
The Presidential rule imposed by the central government was not ratified by the parliament.
Rational — resh-nul - based on reasons rather than emotions
The need to rationalize the tax structure was stressed by the industrialists.
Rationale — re-she-naal - reasons which explain a particular decision/action
The district administration failed to understand the rationale of the Supreme Court order, as a result the court had to issue fresh one.
Ravage — re-vej - to damage something badly
Civil war, slavery and colonialism ravaged the economies of the African countries.
Raze — re-zz - to destroy completely
The municipal corporation razed the illegal construction in the colony.
Realm — relm - area of interest
These days, celebrities are moving into the realm of social work.
Rebuff — ri-baff - unkind refusal of a request, friendly offer etc
The government's offer of peace talks met with sharp rebuff from the militants.
Recap — ree-kep - repeatition of main points.
The teacher started the class with a recap of previous class.
Recession — ri-se-shun - decline (of trade, value etc.)
The economists feel that the economy will be in deep recession because of the high interest rates.
Reciprocate — reci-pro-kut - to make a mutual exchange
The enemy nation offered to settle the dispute peacefully but this was not reciprocated by the other country.
Reckless — rek-less - done without thinking of consequences
The government should stop this non plan reckless spending.
Reckoning — rek-ning - the act of calculating something
The district municipal corporations were taken into reckoning while preparing a list of development agencies.
Reconcile — re-kun-cyl - to become friend again after the quarrel
The elder people always believe in reconciliation.
After overcoming the differences, the friends reconciled.
Recrimination — rikri-mi-ne-shun - angry statements and counter statements made between two persons
The ruling party and the opposition have become habitual of recrimination.
Rectify — rek-ti-fy - to correct
The mistake in the document was rectified immediately.
Recuperate — rekoo-pa-ret - to recover from illness
The Prime Minister is recuperating after a long period of illness.
Recur — ri-kaa - to happen again and again
The problem of high budget deficit is recurring before the country.
Redeem — ri-deeem - to recover
In the next round of game, the chess player redeemed his poor performance.
Redress — ri-dress - to make right a wrong thing
The complaint board was set up to redress the public grievances.
Redundant — ri-dun-dunt - unnecessary, no longer required
With the advent of new theories of management, the old ones have become redundant.
Refrain — ri-fren - to hold oneself back, to stop oneself from doing
A heart patient must refrain from drinking and smoking.
Refuge — re-fyuj - protection or shelter from danger
The spiritual happiness is the ultimate refuge for the mankind.
Refurbish — ree-faa-bish - to make something shine
The organisation needs to refurbish its image in order to meat its goals.
Refute — re-fyut - to deny strongly
The minister refuted the corruption allegations in his ministry.
Regime — re-jeem - type of government
There is no place for military regime in democracy.
Rehabilitate — ri-habili-tet - to help people in living a normal life after their displacement, prison etc.
The slums have been destroyed and the people would be rehabilitated in the nearby colony.
The terrorists who have surrendered should be rehabilitated in the mainstream of the society.
Reinforce — ri-infos - to make an idea or feeling stronger
The army resorted to a reinforcement exercise fearing large-scale violence by the terrorists.
Reinstate — ree-in-stet - to put back to previous position
The dismissed employee was reinstated by the government.
Reiterate — ri-it-ret - to repeat what is already said
The Minister reiterated his commitment to end corruption in the government offices.
Rejuvenate — ri-juu-vi-net - to make feel lively, to fill with fresh enthusiasm
The export industry is rejuvenated over the newly liberalized overseas market.
Rekindle — ri-kin-dul - to make active again, to ignite again
The ceasefire from the militant's side has rekindled the hope of peaceful solution of the problem.
Relapse — ri-leps - to fall back into the previous situation after making some improvement
The malaria was almost eradicated form the earth but it relapsed.
The patient recovered from the fever but he relapsed.
Relative — ra-letiv - judged by comparing with something else
Unlike regular fighting, the border is relatively calm for the last few weeks.
Relinquish — rilin-kwish - to give up, to stop having something
The government ordered the relief commissioner not to relinquish the responsibility of supervising the relief work at the critical stage.
Relish — re-lish - to like the taste
The democratic society doesn't relish the idea of dictatorship.
Reluctant — ri-lak-tunt - unwilling
The students are reluctant to attend classes.
Rely — ri-ly - to believe/trust
Only the information from a credible source should be relied upon.
Remedial — ree-mi-di-ul - taking steps to cure problem/disease
The government should take remedial measures to put economy back on track.
Reminiscent — remi-ni-sunt - reminding you of something
The victim said that the atrocities of police are reminiscent of British Imperialism.
Remnant — the remaining part of something
The remnants of the ancient civilizations are still preserved in the national museums.
Remote — ree-mot - far away
The communication revolution has spread to the remotest village of the country.
There is remote possibility of reduction in inflation once the prices have risen.
Render — ren-daa - to cause somebody to be in a particular situation
Because of the cheaper imports, the domestic production has been rendered unprofitable.
Renounce — ri-na-o-uns - to give up
The terrorists should renounce violence and come forward for peace talks.
Renowned — ri-na-o-nd - respected and famous
The agriculture minister addressed the conference of renowned scientists from around the world.
Reparation — re-pe-re-shun - to feel sorry and make up for the suffering that you have caused
The corrupt officershould be asked to make reparation to the society.
Repeal — ri-peel - to abolish/cancel
There are many old laws in our legal books which need to be repealed in order to conform to the standards of the newly emerging challenges.
Repercussion — ri-pa-ka-shun - indirect and unpleasant effect of some action
The tax evasion by the businessmen will have serious repercussions.
Replenish — ree-ple-nish - to fill again, to ensure supply of something
The fighting soldiers' ration supply was replenished soon.
Replicate — repli-ket - to make a exact copy of something
The author holds the copyright of this book, nobody else can replicate it without permission.
The virus replicates itself very fast thus infecting a large group of cells within a short time.
Repose — ri-pozz - to express/show
All the members of the parliament reposed faith in the new government.
Repository — ri-po-zit-ri - storehouse
The Vedas are the repository of knowledge.
Repress — ri-press - to stop forcefully (discussion, proposal etc.), suppress
Lower sections of the population still feel repressed in the social setup.
Reprieve — ri-preev - a delay before something bad happens
The stay order on demolition of the building came as a reprieve for the shopkeepers.
Reprimand — re-pri-maand - to criticize somebody severely and officially
The court reprimanded the officials for their unsympathetic attitude towards public.
Reprisal — ri-pry-zul - retaliation, counter attack
The enemy must wait for reprisal from our side.
Repudiate — re-pyu-di-et - to say officially that something is not true, reject
The chief minister repudiated the statement of his fellow minister on reduction in the electricity charges.
Repulse — ri-puls - to force the attacker to move back
Indian army is capable of repulsing any attack from across the border.
Reputed — re-pyu-tid - famous, having very good image and credibility
Reputed companies have applied for the supply of our equipment.
Requisite — re-kwi-zit - required for a particular purpose
The new party doesn't have the requisite minimum number of seats required to form the government.
Requisition — re-kwe-zi-shun - to officially and formally demand something
In order to provide a foolproof security on the republic day, the anti sabotage team was requisitioned.
Rescind — ri-sin - to abolish, to officially make invalid (law, contract)
The new government rescinded the old legislation immediately after taking oath.
Resent — ri-zent - to feel angered very much
The Supreme Court resented the contempt of court by the central government.
Reshuffle — ree-shufful - a change in assignments among people
The cabinet reshuffle took place yesterday.
Resilient — rizi-li-unt - flexible, recover from shock very soon
Stock market is quite resilient in routine ups and downs.
Resolute — re-zo-lyut - showing great determination, firm
Our government is resolute to liberalise country's economy.
Resolve — ri-zolv - to solve/reach a decision
The religious disputes like Ayodhya should be resolved at the earliest.
The new government resolved that it would strictly deal with the anti national elements.
Resort — ri-zot - to use unpleasant thing as a last means of success
In case the students' demands are not accepted, they will resort to the strike.
Respite — res-py-t - short period of relief
The government's decision to give a job to the martyr's son gave some respite to the aggrieved family.
Restive — res-tiv - difficult to control because of dissatisfaction
The employees became restive when they learnt that the management has not accepted their demands.
Restore — ris-to-o - to bring back a situation that existed before
The paramilitary forces are trying to restore the peace in the riot-affected area.
Restrain — ris-tren - to stop somebody from doing something
The court restrained the government from issuing the dismissal order of the employee.
The rival parties were ordered by the court to exercise restrain in issuing statements to the media.
Resume — rezu-yum - to begin again after a temporary gap
Workers resumed work after a week long strike in protest of their demands.
Resurgence — ri-saa-zuns - return in the growth of an activity that had stopped
With the the rise in wealth, the society has seen a resurgence of the crime.
Resurrect — rezoo-rekt - to revive, bring something back to life
The issue of price hike was almost over but the demonstrators again resurrected it.
Resuscitate — ri-susi-tet - to make somebody start breathing again
The World Bank was established to resuscitate the world's economy.
Retaliate — ri-te-li-yet - to attack in return
The militants fired on the police but when the police retaliated, two of them were killed.
Retrace — ri-tres - to take back the steps
The demolition wing of the municipal corporation retraced its steps after receiving the stay order from the court.
Retract — ri-trekt - to take back the steps
The minister retracted his controversial statement on the minority community.
Retreat — ri-treet - to move back/change decision
The government retreated on the issue of oil price hike.
Retribution — re-tri-byu-shun - severe punishment for serious crime
The people demanded retribution for the barbarous killing by the militants.
Retrieve — ri-treev - to get something back
The lost documents of financial irregularities could not be retrieved by the vigilance department.
Retrogressive — retro-gressiv - returning to old fashioned ideas instead of making progress
Taliban's act of destruction of the statues was seen as a retrogressive step by the international community.
Revamp — ree-vemp - to give new form to something, to make changes in order to improve
There is an urgent need to review and revamp the constitution.
The old education system needs a total revamp in order to make it job oriented.
Reveal — ri-veel - to make known (facts, details etc.)
The thief didn't reveal the truth before the police.
Reverberate — re-vaa-baret - to have a strong effect on something for a long time
The crash of stock market reverberated throughout the financial world.
Revitalize — ri-vy-ta-ly-z - to make stronger and healthier
The advance technology has revitalized the industry which has led to mass production.
Revive — ri-vy-v - to bring back to life
The board of directors felt that the company's falling share prices in the market needs to be revived.
Revoke — rivo-ok - cancel a law, permit
The judge revoked the driving license of the truck driver who killed two pedestrians.
Revolt — ri-volt - to refuse to obey the authority on large scale
The employees revolted against the decision to lower the retirement age.
Rhetoric — reto-rik - impressive but insincere and meaningless speech
The politicians are habitual of satisfying the public with rhetoric.
Rid — reed - become free from something troublesome
The country should get rid of inefficient politicians in order to ensure speedy development.
Riddle — ri-dul - something very difficult to understand
Who took the bribe in the defence deals became a riddle for the investigative agencies.
Ridicule — ridi-q-l - laugh because of foolishness of something
The government ridiculed the idea of giving free electricity to the farmers.
Rift — rift - crack, disagreement
Few minor differences have created rift among ruling party's members.
Rigging — rigging - act of influencing in a wrong way to gain benefit
The opposition party alleged large scale rigging in the elections.
Rigid — rijid - hard, stiff
Rigid attitude in peace talks never yields good results.
Rigmarole — rig-ma-rol - unnecessary complicated procedure
Sometimes, a victim has to go through the legal rigmarole in search of justice.
Rigorous — rig-rus - harsh and very difficult
The judge awarded rigorous imprisonment to the murderer.
Riots — raa-yuts - large scale violence at public places
Several people were killed in the Hindu Muslim riots.
Ripe — ry-p - ready, fit, developed
The Ministry of Information Technology felt that the situation is ripe for holding an international conference on Internet.
Ripple — ripul - series of waves
By withdrawing support, the allies sent ripples through the government.
Roam — ro-om - to move freely here and there
The protestors made it clear that they can't end strike as the killers were still roaming freely.
Rock — ro-ok - to make something shake violently
The issue of communal riots rocked two houses of the parliament.
Rope — rop - to persuade somebody to join an activity even when he/she doesn't want it
The watchman accused the police of roping him in the murder case by registering false case against him.
Rout — raa-oot - to defeat easily and completely
The Pakistan was routed in the cricket match against India.
Row — ro-o - noisy, unpleasant argument
The opposition blamed the government for improper statement which created a row.
Rudimentary — roodi-men-tri - basic, not fully developed
The society is still in the rudimentary stage of the Information Age.
Ruffian — raa-fi-un - a cruel and brutal fellow
The ruffians who struck the village murdered eight people of the family.
Ruin — roo-yun - to damage completely
The inflation has ruined the economies of many poor countries.
Rumbling — remb-ling - sound of thunder/dissent/infighting
The opposition parties are very often accused of exploiting the rumbling in the ruling party.
Ruthless — rooth-less - extremely cruel
The National Human Rights Commission took strict note of the ruthless treatment of the police with the accused.
S
Sabotage — sebo-taash - to damage intentionally and secretly
The government's plan to hold a big rally in the state was sabotaged by the opposition party.
Sack — sek - to dismiss from service, job
The government sacked thousands of workers due to its poor financial condition.
Sacred — se-kred - very important and treated with great respect, holy
Religion is the sacred matter hence utmost care should be taken while giving a statement related to it.
In Hindu mythology, cow is regarded as a sacred animal.
Sacrilege — sacri-liz - treating holy things without respect
The killing of cow is an act of sacrilege in our country.
Saddle — se-dul - to put heavy thing on something
The government is saddled with the huge budget deficit.
Safeguard — sef-gaad - to protect from injury/harm
Military equipments are a safeguard against the aggression by the neighbouring country.
Sag — se-eg - to become weak
The sagging morale of the soldiers needs to be boosted.
Saga — se-e-ga - a long series of unpleasant events
The saga of my days in the prison is horrifying.
Sagacious — sage-shus - showing good judgement and understanding
By joining the hands with the winning party, the local leaders made a sagacious move.
Salient — se-li-unt - standing out prominently
The automobile sector studied the salient features of the automobile policy announced by the government and came out with reduction in the price of cars.
Sanctity — senktiti - state of being very holy and important which needs to be protected
The sanctity in the friendship between neighbouring countries should be maintained at every cost.
Sanity — se-niti - state of being sensible and reasonable
The sanity shown by signing the world trade agreements led to the increase in country's exports to the International markets.
Sap — sep - to make something weaker and by destroying gradually
An efficient policing system saps the crime in the society.
The depression and anxiety sap the energy of a healthy person.
Sarcasm — saa-ke-zum - bitter talk or meaning hiding in the soft words
Sarcasm of the common man over harsh budget could be felt very easily by the street reporters.
Sarcasm is harmful for friendship.
Satiate — se-shi-et - to give somebody so much that no more is needed, to satisfy
The increase in the salaries by the management satiated the workers.
The poor countries were satiated with the huge money received from the western countries.
Saturate — sa-chu-rut - to fill completely so that any addition is impossible
Our domestic market has been saturated so we need to export.
Savage — se-vej - to attack fierecly and violently which causes great harm
The invaders repeatedly savaged the ancient forts in India.
Savvy — savi - practical knowledge of something
The society is fast becoming Internet savvy.
Savvy travellers enjoyed the tour.
Scam — skem - a fraud at high level, a clever/dishonest and very big plan to make money
The newspapers published an investigative story on the scam in the animal husbandry department.
Scant — skent - very less, hardly enough
The environmentalists expressed their concern over scant natural resources for the increasing population.
Scarcity — ske-citi - acute shortage
The country is facing scarcity of computer professionals.
Scare — ske-yaa - to frighten somebody
The court's order of closing down the polluting industry scared the business community.
Scathing — ske-e-ding - harsh criticism
The chairman faced the scathing attack from the board of directors.
Scenario — si-naa-ri-oscene
The Information Technology is fast changing the social scenario.
Schism — ci-zum - strong disagreement which leads to division of an organization
The schism in the supporting parties finally led to the fall of the government.
Scintillate — sinti-let - to shine brilliantly
After the appointment of a new coach, the cricketers' gave a scintillating performance in the match.
Scoff — skof - to ridicule/speak with contempt about something
The manager scoffed at the idea of enhancing the employee's bonus.
Scot free — skot free - without punishment
The culprits of this murder should not go scot free
Scramble — skrem-bul - struggle or competition to get something
There is mad scramble among the unemployed youths for very few jobs.
Scrap — skrep - to cancel/remove/finish
The import duty on the computer hardware should be scrapped in order to reduce their prices in the market.
Scrupulous — skru-pyu-lus - 1. paying attention to details, meticulous
A student should be scrupulous in order to have a good command over the subject.
2. right minded, moral, ethical
The citizens should be scrupulous in obeying the rules and regulations.
Scrutiny — skroo-tini - careful examination of something
The defence deal was scrutinized by the parliamentary committee in order to verify its genuineness
Scuffle — ska-ful - struggle or fight between closely standing people
The situation turned grave as students got involved in a scuffle with the police.
Scuttle — ska-tul - to deliberately cause to fail, foil
The court took a strict view of the Prime Minister scuttling the probe against his minister.
Secession — si-se-shun - act of withdrawing from the membership of states or organisation
Dream of secession is an anti national activity.
Seclude — sek-lood - to be away from people/society
No country can seclude itself form the outside world.
Secluded — sek-loodid - not visited by people
The sociologists observed that the elder people are left to leave secluded life in modern society.
Sectarian — sek-te-ri-un - related to the differences between the people having different religious views
The sectarian tendencies are not good for the unity and integrity of the country.
Sedition — se-di-shun - provoke people to go against the authority of the state
Britishers charged Subhash Chander Bose with sedition.
Seduce — sid-uu-s - to induce to have sexual intercourse
The Managing Director was accused of seducing his secretary.
Segment — seg-ment - portion, one part of something
There is widespread disparity of income in different segments of the population.
Segregate — seg-ri-gut - to keep something away from other similar things
Names of the successful candidates were segregated by the interview board from rest of the group.
Seize — seeez - to take something in your control by using force
The police seized a big consignment of smuggled goods from the suspects.
Seldom — sel-dum - rarely, almost never
The district administration seldom solved any problem in the city.
Severe — si-vi-yaa - harsh, very serious
The government came under severe criticism from the opposition parties on the issue of heavy commission paid in defence deals.
Shabby — she-bi - unfair, unreasonable
The poor accused the administration of shabby treatment.
Shamble — shem-bul - to walk awkwardly
The government must do something for the shambling situation of law and order.
Shambles — shem-buls - mess, in unorganised way
The country's economy is in shambles following the sanctions by the International community.
Sheer — shee-a - complete
The excessive spending on the marriages is a sheer wastage.
Shelve — shel-v - to decide not to continue with a plan
In light of the new developments, the bureaucratic system should be shelved in favour of a modern one.
After the recession, the car manufacturers shelved their plans to launch new models.
Shield — sheel-d - to protect from danger or difficult situation
The Prime Minister was accused of shielding his corrupt ministers.
Shore up — sho-o ap - to support something which is becoming weak
The increasing foreign investment can shore up a country's foreign exchange reserves.
Shortcoming — sho-ot-kuming - a fault in somebody's plan/system etc.
The opposition failed the expose the government's shortcomings and failures on various fronts.
Shrewd — shrood - very clever and deceitful (like a fox)
The country has lot of shrewd politicians.
Shrink — shrink - to become small
The small-scale industry is witnessing a shrinking market of its products.
Shroud — shraa-ood - to conceal/cover inside something
Source of the cricketers' wealth is still shrouded in mystery.
Shrug — shrug - to treat something as unimportant, reject
The election commission shrugged off the allegations of booth capturing and rigging in the election.
Shuffle — sha-ful - to change the position
The servant's duty was shuffled from housekeeping to security.
Shun — shun - to avoid/keep off/give up
The militants should shun violence first and then talk to the government.
Siege — seeej - surround a building to prevent access
The army laid siege around the building in which criminals were hiding.
Sigh — saa-e - to take a deep breath
The government breathed a sigh of relief when the postal employees called off their nation wide strike.
Significant — signi-fi-kunt - important, noteworthy
The contribution of the Newton's law is significant to the society.
Simmer — sima - to boil in a state of suppressed anger
Even after the riots, the town is simmering with anger and pain.
Simulate — simyu-lut - to create an artificial situation just like the real one
The flight simulation tests reduce the accident rate of the air force's planes.
Sinister — sinistaa - evil, designed to harm
Some antisocial elements are working on a sinister plan to divide the country.
Sink — sink - to drown, forget the differences
The party president urged the workers to sink their differences and project a unified voice before the public.
Siphon — sy-fun - to remove money illegally from one place to another
The investigation report said that a big amount was siphoned off by the corrupt officials.
Sizeable — sy-ze-bul - very large
There were sizeable number of people in the meeting.
Skeptic — who doubts the accepted opinions
The proposal was passed unanimously by the board but few members were still skeptic about its feasibility.
Skirmish — ska-mish - 1. small physical fight
Some persons were hurt in the skirmish at the entry point of the stadium.
2. a short argument between political opponents
The opposition party got involved in the skirmish with the ruling party.
Slack — sle-ek - sluggish, inactive
The developmental activities in the town are slack.
The industrial production in the country has slackened.
Slain — slen - to kill in war or fight
The police saluted the slain police officer.
Slam — sle-em - to criticize strongly
The militant organizations slammed the government's offer of talks and termed it too rigid for peace efforts.
Slander — slaanda - a false statement intended to damage the reputation of other person
The minister sued the newspaper for slander.
Slash — slash - to reduce by large amount
The government declined to slash the price of petroleum products.
Slew — sloo - a large number of something
The telecommunication department announced the slew of decisions to benefit the consumers.
Sluggish — sla-gish - moving slowly
Because of recession in the international markets, the export is sluggish these days.
Slump — slump - fall in the prices/value etc
The stock markets worldwide have witnessed a great slump in the past few months.
Smear — smee-a - to put mud on something, defame
Some diplomats have smeared the country's reputation abroad.
The election commission took a strict note of the smearing campaign by the politicians.
Snag — sne-g - unexpected obstacle
The computer stopped working because of a technical snag.
Snap — sne-p - to break/discontinue
The storm snapped the communication link of the city with outside world.
Snare — sne-aa - attractive but unpleasant situation which is difficult to escape from
The life of metropolitan cities is proving to be a snare for the younger generations.
Sneak — sneek - to go somewhere secretly and without permission
The new batch of militants sneaked into the Indian territory from across the border.
Snub — snab - to refuse to accept
The economists snubbed the new model of economic development.
Snuff — snuff - to stop a small flame from burning
The president snuffed the disgruntled elements in his own party.
Sole — so-ol - only one, single
The minister asserted that the sole objective of the government is to achieve peace and prosperity for the country.
Soothe — soo-th - to calm/soften
The meditation soothes angry feelings.
Sops — sops - things offered to satisfy somebody who is angry
The finance minister announced sops for the small-scale industry.
Sordid — so-o-did - dirty, dishonourable
The attack on minorities was a sordid event.
Sour — saava - unpleasant, unfriendly, bitter
Persistent disputes sour the relations between two countries.
Spanner — spe-naa - a hurdle in the progress, arm twisting
The demonstration of the displaced villagers proved to be a spanner in the construction of dams.
Spark — spaak – flash of light, burning particle
The militants' decision to come forward for talks has sparked hope of peaceful settlement of the problem.
Spate — spe-et - large number of unpleasant events within a short period of time
Eleven persons were killed in the spate of violence in the state.
Spawn — spo-on - to cause something to be developed or produced
The opposition alleged that the demolition of disputed structure has spawned many problems in social system.
Spearhead — spee-a-hed - to begin an activity, to lead an attack against something
The newspapers spearhead the movement of social change.
Spectre — spek-taa - something unpleasant that may take place in future
The army fears a spectre of violence in light of the latest threat from the terrorists.
Speculate — spe-q-let - to guess
The things happened the same way as speculated.
Sphere — sfee-a - circle, range of interest
A student should try to widen his/her sphere of knowledge continuously.
Spiral — spaa-e-rul - to increase rapidly
The opposition alleged that after liberalization, the losses of government owned companies have spiralled.
Splendid — splen-did - impressive, shining
The winning of the gold medal was a splendid victory for India.
Spontaneous — spon-te-ni-us - not planned but a sudden happening
The news of declaration of separate state drew spontaneous reaction form the demonstrators who began to celebrate.
Sporadic — spo-radik - happening occasionally, not regularly
Five persons were injured in the sporadic violence in the town.
Spree — spree - short period of high activity
The players continued their winning spree and won ten gold medals.
Spurious — spyu-ri-us - not genuine, false
Ten people died of spurious liquor.
Spurt — spat - to increase speed/activity for a short time to become fast
The spurt in oil prices was due to the rise in the prices of oil in the international markets.
Squabble — sqo-bul - to quarrel noisily over unimportant things
The squabble among family members is usual these days.
Squalid — sqoa-lid - having a dirty/mean/poverty-stricken appearance
The Non Governmental Organizations decided to concentrate their efforts in the squalid areas of the metropolitan cities.
Squander — skondaa - to waste in a careless manner
The government should not squander away the public money.
A student should not squander away his time in useless activities.
Squat — sqaat - to sit on something
The multinational company accused the government of squatting on the file of project.
Stab — ste-eb - to hurt somebody with knife
The constable was stabbed by the dacoits when he tried to nab them.
Stable — ste-bul - fix at a point
The price of oil is stable for the last 5 years.
After the operation, the patient's condition became stable.
Stagger — ste-gaa - to walk shakingly
The foreign investors are not investing because of the staggering economy.
Stagnant — steg-nunt - not growing and developing
Because of this daily routine work, the life becomes stagnant.
Stagnate — steg-net - to stop development/growth
The lack of demand at Interntional level stagnated the export industry.
Stake — ste-ek - something which can be won or lost depending upon the circumstances
By not paying the external debts on time, the country's reputation is at stake.
The government said that it is committed to reduce its stake in public sector companies.
The newspaper reported that the criminals have a huge stake in the metropolitan's real estate business.
Stale — ste-el - no longer fresh/important
In today's Information age, the information is getting stale very fast so the media must give new and updated information.
Stall — sto-ol - to stop something from developing/progressing
The violence has stalled the peace process between two countries.
Stalwart — sto-ol-vut - important persons during a particular movement
The stalwarts of independence movement were mostly journalists who were associated with the newspapers.
Standstill — stend-still - come to stop
The curfew brought the city's activities to a standstill.
Startle — staa-tul - to surprise with fear and shock
The figure of the total rape cases in a year was startling.
Static — stetik - not moving/changing
The development work should not remain static rather it should go on full swing.
Status quo — stetus-kwo – existing state
The court ordered to maintain status quo at the disputed site.
Staunch — sto-onch - strong and loyal in attitude
The media are the staunch supporters of a country's cultural and social values.
Steady — ste-di - gradually growing and developing
The domestic industry accepted the challenge and made steady progress in the liberalised market.
Stealthy — stel-thi - doing things secretly and quietly
The intelligence agencies reported that stealthy preparations for the demolition of the temple are going on.
Steep — steep - rising or falling very quickly not gradually
The excessive wealth gives rise to the steep rise in crime rate of a state.
Stem — stem - to be result of something, to originate
The worry of police has stemmed from the fact that the criminals had acquired more sophisticated weapons.
Sterling — sta-ling - of excellent quality
The Indian team gave a sterling performance at the Olympics.
Stern — sta-n - strict, severe
Stern warning should be issued to the wrongdoers in order to reduce the crime rate.
Stiff — stif - hard, firm, difficult to bend
The move to interfere in the religious matters met with stiff resistance from the public.
Stigma — stig-ma - the feeling of hate or disliking by people for some action
The rape is the biggest social stigma in a woman's life.
The divorce has a social stigma attached to it.
Stimulate — sti-myu-let - to make something work, make active
Dreams stimulate the desire to achieve big things in life.
Sting — sting - to feel great pain
The ruling party was stung by the tremendous success of the opposition party in the election.
Stipulate — stipyu-lut - to state clearly with a condition
The court ordered the government that the work on the construction site should be completed before the stipulated time.
The vacancy stipulates that the candidate should have at least 10 years of experience.
Stir - staa - agitation, act of opposing something
The staff of the government owned companies held stir in protest against the privatisation.
Storm — sto-om - to attack a place and capture
The cheap foreign goods have stormed the domestic market. The army stormed the building in which the terrorists were hiding.
Strain — stre-en – 1. severe pressure due to overwork
The heavy TV watching puts strain on our eyes.
2. to injure by stretching
Some bad incidents have strained our relations with the neighbouring countries.
Straits — strets - very difficult situation because of lack of money
The country's economy is in the dire straits due to heavy loans.
Strangulate — stren-gyu-let - to kill by squeezing the throat
The old man was strangulated by the criminals.
Some unpleasant activities strangulated our efforts for peace.
Strata — strata - class in society, different layers and levels of society
There is much disparity of income in our social strata which leads to various socio economic tensions.
Stratagem — strata-jum - plan to take advantage by deceiving people
Some politicians devised a stratagem to spoil the image of ruling party.
Strategy — strate-ji - process of a skillful planning
The board of directors of the company met to make a winning strategy in light of the strong competition in the market.
Stray — strey - few incidents here and there
Twelve people were hurt in the stray incidents of violence in the district.
The newspaper reported that the stray cattle damaging the farmers' crop.
Streamline — streem-lyn - to give a smooth shape for better working
The selection board should streamline the selection process.
Stricken — stri-kun - seriously affected by something
The government is making every effort to help the poverty stricken people.
Stricture — stri-k-chaa - severe criticism especially by the court of law
The court passed strictures on the government for its failure to protect minorities.
Stride — straa-id - an improvement in development
The country has made rapid strides on the development front since independence.
Strife — stra-if - an angry and violent clash between groups of people
A four member committee visited the strife torn district of tribal areas where intercast rivalry was at its peak.
Striking — stra-ee-king - interesting and unusual which attracts attention
A striking aspect of the mass media is that it moulds the public opinion.
Stringent — strin-junt - highly strict
The stringent security measures should be taken in order to curb the rise in militancy in different states.
Strip — strip - to take away as punishment
The sports ministry hinted that the guilty players might be stripped of their awards.
Strive — straa-iv - to try hard to get something
The newspaper wrote that government must strive for the upliftment of poor.
Stubborn — sta-bun - determined not to change, obstinate
Both the sides were stubborn in peace talks, as a result no agreement could be reached.
Stuck — stak - unable to move, fix
Because of the narrow roads and countless vehicles, the passengers got stuck in a traffic jam.
Stumbling block — stumbling-blok - something which prevents you from achieving your goal
The high interest rates are seen as a stumbling block in the growth of domestic industry.
Stun — stunn - to give extreme surprise and shock
The nation was stunned by the assassination of a young and promising Prime Minister.
Stupendous — styu-pen-dus - extremely large, big and impressive
Our freedom fighters had the stupendous personality which led to the end of British rule.
The players won the match by their stupendous efforts.
Stymie — sty-mee - to prevent the growth from happening
The government's disapproval stymied the company's ambitious plans.
Subjugate — subju-get - to conquer
The United Nations criticized Iraq's illegal act of subjugating Kuwait in 1990.
Subsequent — sub-sik-wunt - happening after something else
The strike was successful but the subsequent events were not satisfactory.
Subservient — sub-saa-vi-yunt - too willing to obey other people
Some newspapers are always subservient to the ruling party.
Subside — sub-saa-id - to calm down
The rain in the flooded area has subsided, now the relief work will resume.
Subsistence — subsis-tuns - having money and food for just survival
In this competitive world, small companies have to work hard for subsistence.
Substantial — sub-sten-shul - very large in amount
The country has made a substantial progress after the liberalisation of economy.
The people handed over to the police a substantial number of cases relating to irregularities in house allotment.
Substantiate — sub-sten-shi-et - to give evidence to prove something true
The journalist presented the photos of fighting people to substantiate his claim.
Substantive — sub-sten-tiv - dealing with important and serious matters
The media brings out a substantive change in a country's social and political system.
The infrastructure development is a substantive issue which needs special attention by the policy makers.
Subversive — sub-va-siv - trying to destroy the government by indirect and secret violent attacks
The country is facing problem because of some subversive elements.
Succinct — suk-sinkt - concise, in very few words
The questions in the exams require succinct answers.
Succumb — sa-kumb - to fail in resisting illness or temptation, yield
The soldier succumbed to injuries in the war.
Initially the striking workers resisted but they succumb to the pressure to end the strike.
Sue — soo - to file a case in the court
The actress sued the newspaper for publishing a false story about her.
Suffice — saffa-is - to be enough
The people demanded that mere promises won't suffice, the government will have to fulfill them.
Sulk — sulk - to look angry and refuse to speak
The sulking dissidents refused to listen to the party chief.
Sum — sum - to tell the main points in short form, summarize
The foreign ministry officials summed up the bilateral talks as meaningful, warm and friendly.
Summon — saa-mun - to order to appear in the court
The court summoned the deputy commissioner in the employee's promotion case.
Superfluous — supaa-floo-us - more than what is required, unnecessary
The candidate gave superfluous answers in the interview which led to his failure.
Supersede — supaa-seed - to take the place of old thing
This new edition of book has superseded the old one.
Surmise — sur-maa-iz - to guess from incomplete evidence.
The superpowers conducted the nuclear tests surmising no country would object but to their surprise, most of the countries criticized their act.
Surpass — sur-pass - to do better as compared to other thing
The hockey team surpassed our expectations and won the gold medal at Olympics.
Surreptitious — sarup-ti-shus - done in a secret and quiet manner
The soldiers had a surreptitious plan to escape in case of danger.
Surveillance — sur-ve-luns - careful watching of criminals' activities
The army is keeping the border areas under surveillance.
Susceptible — susep-ti-bul - very likely to be harmed/affected
The poor is most susceptible to the rise in prices of essential commodities.
Suspicion — sus-pishun - doubt
The government has the suspicion that the facilities given to the poor will be misused by the rich.
Sustain — sus-ten - to maintain the continuity
The delegation remarked that because of the heavy losses, the small scale industry won't be able to sustain for long.
Sway — swey - to influence
The leaders cautioned the party workers not to be swayed away by the media reports of split in their party.
Sweep — sweep – 1. to win by very big margin
The newly constituted party swept the elections.
2. to spread
Due to the high budget deficit, the recession swept across the industries.
Sycophant — siko-fun-t - tendency of unnecessarily praising the powerful people
The common man feels that the sycophants are running the politics these days.
Symbolic — sim-bo-lik - in the form of symbol only
The workers didn't stop the work, instead they wore the black badges to show their symbolic protest.
Symptom — simp-tum - a sign of bad and unpleasant thing
The rise in militancy is not a good symptom for the peaceful atmosphere.
Synergy — sina-ji - extra power/energy achieved by two or more organization working together
The two companies fully exploited the synergy that was created by their business collaboration.
T
Taboo — ta-booo - embarrassing issues/things which are not usually discussed among people
The issue of sex education is still a taboo in our society.
Tab — - watch carefully
The investigation wing of the army is keeping a tab on the militant's activities.
Tacit — te-sit - understood indirectly rather than expressed in words
The ruling party got the tacit support of independent members of the parliament.
Tactics — tek-tik - methods for attaining success
The outgoing government used the "tax cut" as the tactics to win the next election.
Tactful — tekt-full - skillful in handling delicate situations
The sensitive issues like religion require tactful handling.
Taint — te-nt - to damage or spoil the quality of something The cricket board decided to deal strictly with the tainted players.
Tamper — tem-pa - to make changes without permission (illegally)
The record of the electricity office was tampered in order to hide irregularities.
Tandem — ten-dum - one behind another
The ministry instructed all the departments to work in tandem with each other.
The local people worked in tandem with the rescue workers to save the people trapped inside the earthquake affected buildings.
Tangible — ten-ji-bul - which can be felt or seen, clearly visible
The project on rural development had tangible benefits both interms of literacy and better healthcare for the villagers.
Tangle — ten-gul - state of confusion and disorder, problem
The rigid attitude shown by the striking workers further deepened the tangle.
Tantalize — tente-ly-z - expectation of something which is out of reach
The glamour and materialism created by media is quite tantalizing for the new generation.
Tantamount — tenta-ma-unt - equal to, having the same bad effect as something else
The court clarified that if media presents the wrong interpretation of its order then it would be tantamount to the contempt of court.
Tap — tep - to find and use for a purpose
All the sources of non-conventional energy are still not fully tapped.
Tardy — taa-di - slow
The development work in the area is progressing at a tardy pace.
Tarnish — taa-nish - to spoil the good image
The corruption has tarnished the image of many countries at the International forum in a big way.
Tedious — ti-di-us - a boring job lasting for a long time
Wait is the most tedious job in this world.
Tempt — tempt - to get attracted knowingly towards a wrong thing
The public is tempted by the finance companies for higher interest rates on their money.
Tentacle — tenti-kul - big arms of octopus (animal), unavoidable influence of something
The sociologists fear that the tentacles of western culture are spreading very fast in our society.
Tentative — tente-tiv - a temporary arrangement which can be changed later on
The examination board declared the tentative date sheet of the exams.
Tenure — ten-yaa - time period for which one holds important job
Computers were introduced in India during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure.
Terse — taas - using few words (not very friendly)
The government's answer on the question of terrorism was terse.
Testimony — testi-mni - statement in court
The employee's claim was supported by his colleague's testimony.
Taj Mahal is testimony to the world class engineering skills.
Thaw — tho - warmness in relations after cold relations
Indo Pak relations thawed because of the bilateral talks.
Thrash — thresh - to beat severely, to give somebody a humiliating defeat
The team was thrashed in the final round of match.
Thrash out— thresh - to discuss a problem in order to find solution
The government is trying to thrash out a compromise formula between its allies and the minister.
Threshold — thresh-old - the level at which something starts to happen
The retired person felt that he is on the threshold of a new life.
Thrive — thra-iv - to continue to grow
Illegal activities thrive in the city in absence any action plan from the police.
Throng — thron-gg - to crowd
There was a throng of securitymen at the Prime Minister's residence.
People are thronging to see the new movie.
Thrust — thrast - 1. place with lot of scope
More and more investment should be made in the thrust areas of development.
2. main point of an argument/policy
"higher taxes for increased development" was the thrust of the finance minister's speech during budget presentation.
Thwart — tho-owt - prevent somebody from doing what they want to do
The opposition thwarted the government's plan of providing increased subsidy to the people living below poverty line.
Ticklish — tik-lish – situation difficult to deal with, embarrassing
The religious problems prove to be ticklish for the government.
Tip off — tip-off - secret information that somebody gives to another person
An anonymous person tipped off the police regarding the illegal trade of tiger's skin in the area.
Tirade — ty-red - long and angry speech criticizing somebody
The television news channels gave a wide coverage to the opposition's tirade against the government in the budget session of the parliament.
Toil — to-ul - to work very hard for a long time
The social workers have toiled to improve the living conditions in the slums.
Tone — to-on - to make stronger
The opposition parties demanded that the system of repayment of the debts should be toned up.
Topple — to-pul - to make the government fall
Few army officers toppled the government in the neighbouring country.
Torchbearer — to-och-be-ye-ra - leader, who shows the way in difficult situations
The media acts as a torchbearer for the society.
Torment — to-ment - make somebody suffer very much
The dense fog and cold wave continued to torment the people in the city thus disrupting normal life.
Tow — to-o - to move behind other
The finance minister towed the line of Prime Minister on the issue of economic agenda.
Trail — tre-el - series of marks
The militants left a trail of blood killing nine persons.
Trait — trey - qualities in personality
The Information Technology is believed to produce harmful personality traits in the individuals.
Trammel — tre-mull - to restrict or stop the activity
The bureaucracy is accused of trammelling the speed of development work.
Tranche — traanch - one part of total money
The government received the first tranche of the loan from the world bank.
Tranquil — tren-kwil - peaceful and quite
The city's life is noisy and fast whereas it is tranquil in the villages.
Transact — tran-jekt - to do business / work
The financial analysts suggested that business transacted over the internet should be made tax free.
Transform — trens-fo-om - to give new shape to something
Gita's teachings have transformed lives of many people.
The public sector needs some transformation in light of the competitive market.
Transient — tranji-unt - continuing for a short time
Everybody knows the transient nature of the politician's promises.
Transition — tren-ji-shun - process of change
The life has undergone tremendous transition with the advent of new technology.
Transmute — trenj-myut - to change in nature/substance/form
The chemistry professor predicted that the iron could be transmuted into gold.
Transpire — trans-payaa - to happen
Nothing significant transpired at the meeting between the finance minister and the industry representatives.
Trauma — tro-oma - unpleasant and shocking experience
The trauma of the drought affected people is horrible.
Travail — tre-ve-ul - unpleasant experience of difficulties and sufferings
The flood affected people were bearing travails of life.
Treachery — tre-ch-ri - deceit, betrayal of trust
The misuse of public money by the higher authorities was termed as an act of treachery by the court.
Tread — tred - to walk along a track
The government has to tread cautiously over the issue of allowing entry of foreign media in India.
Treason — tree-zun - crime of helping enemies at the time of war
The army captain was found guilty of treason.
Tremendous — tri-men-dus - very great
The internet has tremendous applications in higher education.
Tremor — trema - powerful shock
A powerful earthquake sent tremors across the country causing large-scale devastation.
Trigger — tri-gaa - to make something start functioning
The idea of money collection for drought victims was triggered by our students.
The court's order was a trigger for the closure of polluting industries in the capital.
Trigger off — tri-gaa off - to make something happen suddenly
The finance minister's pre budget speech triggered off speculations among industrialists.
Trim — trimm - to reduce/cut
The excessive spending on unnecessary things should be trimmed.
Triumph — tra-umf - great victory/success
India's gold medal in the hockey was a triumph in the Olympics.
Trivial — tri-vi-ul - not serious, unimportant
The saint urged the people not to fight over trivial matters which could harm the unity and brotherhood.
Truant — tru-unt - staying away from something
The solution of the immediate religious problems is playing truant.
Truce — troos - an agreement between enemies to stop fighting temporarily
The truce between army and militants is likely to last long.
Truck — traak - deal
The two biggest political parties decided to have truck in the forthcoming elections.
Trumpet — trum-pet - to talk proudly, boast
During elections, the political parties are often accused of trumpeting their small achievements.
Turbulent — taa-byu-lunt - a situation with lot of confusion, disorder and violence
The army was ordered to take over the turbulent situation in the city immediately.
Turmoil — ta-mo-ul - state of great anxiety and uncertainty
The media was blamed by the politicians of causing political turmoil in the country.
Tussle — tussul - short struggle, argument, fight
All the important development projects are awaiting approval because of the tussle among various government departments.
Tyranny — tira-ni - cruel use of powers by government/landlords
The innocent Jews suffered the tyranny of Hitler's rule in Germany.
U
Ubiquitous — u-bi-kwi-tus - very common, present everywhere
Rise in crime rate with the rise in wealth of the society is ubiquitous throughout the world.
Umbrage — umb-rej - to feel offended or upset by something without a good reason
The municipal corporation took umbrage of the people's decision to build the road themselves without seeking help form the corporation.
Unanimous — u-neni-mus - agreed upon by everybody in the group
The dynamic young man was unanimously elected as president of the teaching union.
Undaunting — un-don-ting - enthusiastic despite great difficulties
Despite the hurdles in the way, the social reformers moved with undaunting spirits to eliminate harmful rituals from our society.
Undercurrent — unda-ka-runt - a negative feeling which is hidden but whose effects are felt
The dissent in the party was not visible but the undercurrents surfaced in the meeting.
Underscore — under-sko - to stress/emphasize
The two neighbouring countries underscored the need to move forward in improving their relations.
Unearth — aan-ath - to discover after digging, to bring to light
The police unearthed a scam in the animal breeding department.
Unequivocal — un-ik-vi-vkul - expressing intentions and opinions very clearly
The independent parties extended their unequivocal support to the biggest party to form the government.
Unfazed — un-fezed - not shocked, relaxed
The minister looked unfazed despite his severe criticism by public.
Unison — u-ni-sun - work collectively and in unity
The villagers in unison expressed happiness over the new health programme started by the government.
Unnerve — un-naav - to make somebody feel nervous, frightened and lose confidence
The government was unnerved by the opposition's no confidence motion against it.
Unpalatable —un-pele-te-bul - unpleasant and difficult to accept
The court resented the unpalatable language used in the affidavit filed by the authorities.
Unprecedented — un-pre-si-dented - which has never happened before
Unprecedented security arrangements were made for the visiting American President.
Unravel — un-re-vul - to become easier to understand
The science has unravelled many mysteries of the world.
Unrelenting — un-ri-lenting - not stopping, not becoming less severe
The government requested the striking doctors to resume the duty but the doctors were unrelenting.
Unremitting — un-ri-miting - never stopping
The Prime Minister inducted some ministers despite the unremitting criticism by the opposition.
Unruffled — un-ruffuled - unperturbed, not feeling disturbance
Despite chilly nights, the security personnel kept patrolling unruffled.
Unscrupulous — un-skew-p-lus - not having morals or principles
Some unscrupulous elements have earned bad name for our country.
Unsolicited — un-soli-si-tid - unnecessary, not asked for
The government made it clear that it wouldn't take unsolicited advice from the international community to solve its internal disputes.
Untoward — un-to-wo-od - something unusual, unexpected and unpleasant
No fresh untoward incident was reported in the riots affected area.
Unveil — un-ve-ul - to introduce/show to the people for the first time
The Prime Minister unveiled many schemes for the poor on the Independence Day.
Unwarranted — un-wo-run-tid - not necessary, unreasonable
The defamatory statement of the visiting foreign President on Indian culture was termed as totally unwarranted.
Upbeat — up-beet - enthusiastic
The mood of the cricket players was upbeat after a shining victory over rival team.
Upheaval — up-hee-vul - overthrow or violent disturbance of established order/condition
The decision of the cabinet minister to raise the reservations in the jobs caused upheaval in the country.
Uphold — up-ho-old - to support/endorse
The constitution upholds the right of freedom of speech and expression of a citizen.
Uplift — up-lift - to raise/increase
The constitution has stressed the upliftment of the poor section of the society.
Uprising — up-ry-zing - rebellion, situation in which a group of people fights against the authority
The army took control of the nation after the uprising against the government.
Uproar — up-ro - noise
The opposition created uproar in the parliament over a disputed bill.
Uproot — up-root - to leave a place where you have lived for long time, remove from the root
The demonstrators alleged that the dam construction has uprooted many people from their ancestral land.
Upswing — up-swing - a situation in which something improves over a period of time
The petroleum minister expressed inability to reduce petrol prices because of upswing in prices of oil in international market.
Usher — a-shaa - to make a new beginning
India and America signed many bilateral trade agreements thus ushering in a new era of development.
Usurp — u-zaap - to take somebody's power without having the right for doing this, snatch
The military usurped power in many African countries.
Utmost — ut-most - greatest
Utmost care has to be taken while solving the religious disputes.
Utopian — u-to-pi-un - imaginary, not practical
Utopian welfare schemes can't remove poverty from our society.
Utter — a-ta - to say
The thief uttered few words before the police.
Utterly — ata-li - completely, entirely
The philosophy of democracy and communism are utterly different.
V
Vacillate — veci-let - to fluctuate/keep changing the mind
Many people vacillate between happiness and gloom.
Vacuum — ve-q-um - the state of emptiness
Vacuum in the journalism should be filled up with some enlightening work.
Vague — ve-g - a lack of clear thought/idea
The question was pertinent but the answer was vague.
Valour — ve-laa - bravery
The valourous soldiers have earned victory for the country in Kargil war.
Vandalism — vende-li-zum -unlawful violent action
The people's forum took out a procession against the rising vandalism in the city.
Vanish — ve-nish - to disappear
The policeman vanished from the scene of violence fearing reaction by the mob.
Vast — vaa-st - extremely large, huge
Newspapers are the storehouse of vast knowledge on various fields.
Veer — vee-aa - to change direction
The discussion in the parliament veered away as a member started discussing some other problem.
Vehement — vee-a-munt - showing ardent feelings
The mass media are the vehement supporters of the freedom of speech and expression.
Veil — vel - cover with a cloth, not expressed directly so as not to make the meaning clear
The World Bank issued a veiled threat to the state governments to pay up their debts.
Vendetta — ven-detaa - a prolong quarrel to harm other person continuously
The Pakistani newspaper commented that Nawaj Sharief is a victim of political vendetta.
Venerable — ven-re-bul - deserving great respect
Because of the age and experience, the elder people are venerable.
Vengeful — venj-ful - interested in taking revenge, vindictive
The rebels' vindictive statements put an end to the peace talks with the government.
Venom — ve-num - poison, bitter remarks
The common man alleged that politicians are habitual of spewing venom on their enemies.
Vent — vent - express a feeling or anger strongly
The consumers gave vent to their feelings before the grievance committee of the telecommunication department.
Venture — ven-chaa - a business, project, activity
Some small-scale hi-tech ventures were closed due to the faulty policies of the government.
Veracity — vere-siti - truthfulness
Veracity of the news should be checked twice before printing.
Verbose — va-boss - containing more words than needed
The verbose answers carry less marks in the examinations.
Verdict — vaa-dikt - a decision by the court
The Supreme Court's verdict came as a boon for the dismissed employees, as a result they were reinstated by the government.
Versatile — vaasa-ty-l - skilled in many arts, having many uses
He has a deep knowledge of arts, science and computers. He is a versatile personality.
This versatile tool can open every screw of this machine.
Version — vaa-zun - description of an event from the point of view of a person
There were contradictory versions by the different communities on the cause of the communal riots.
Verve —vaa-v - enthusiasm, excitement
Students should have the verve to face challenges in life.
Vest — vest - to give somebody the power to do something
The power to dismiss a state government vests with the central government.
Veteran — vet-run - old serving member of a group
The parliament paid homage to the veteran communist leader.
Vexed — vek-sd - a problem which is very difficult to deal with
The issue of Ayodhya and Kashmir has become a vexed question.
Viable — vaa-ye-bul - capable of surviving independently, self sufficient
The new states will have to work hard to make themselves viable.
Vibrant — y-brunt - feeling bright/lively
The industrial revolution laid the foundation of many vibrant economies of the world.
Vicious — vi-shus - done with evil intentions
The dacoits made a vicious attempt on the leader's life.
Vie — v - to compete strongly with somebody to achieve something
All the big media companies vie for securing the rights of live telecast of Olympic games.
Vigil — vi-jil - keeping watch
The police are keeping a strict vigil on the suspect's activities.
Vigorous — vig-o-rus - highly energetic/forceful
The state government vigourously took up the case with the central government to sanction rupees 120 crore as relief fund.
Vilify — vili-fy - to malign, to say unpleasant things about somebody to lower his status
The politician accused the media of vilifying him as mafia don.
Vindicate — vindi-ket - justify by argument or evidence
Following the court order in his favour, the complainant stood vindicated.
Violate — vaa-yo-lut - to disregard, to break (law, rules )
As responsible citizens, we are not supposed to violate the law.
Virtual — var-to-ul - appearing to be real but not real
Virtual friendship is spreading very fast through Internet chatting.
Vitriolic — vitri-yo-lik - highly critical/hostile/caustic
The politician's vitriolic speech angered everyone present in the hall.
Vivacious — vi-ve-shus - lively, animated, spirited
The army officers have to be vivacious as the nature of job demands it.
Vivid — vivid - producing clear picture in mind
The old man made a vivid description of his achievements.
The old forts have some vivid memories of our glorious past.
Vociferous — vo-ci-fur-us - noisily and forcefully outspoken
Vociferous demonstrators clashed with the supporters of the rival political party.
Vogue — vo-og - still in fashion
Some highly primitive customs are still vogue in some parts of the country.
Volatile — vola-ty-l - likely to change suddenly
The instability in the country often results in a volatile economy.
Volition — voli-shun - on your own wishes, not under compulsion
The accused decided to appear before the court of his volition.
Volte face — volt fes - complete change of opinion or plan
The workers criticized the government's volte face on the issue of their post retirement benefits.
Volunteer — vo-lun-tee-aa - who offers his services himself without being compelled
The association of newspapers volunteered to help the cyclone affected people.
Vortex — vo-o-tex - whirlpool
The corruption is like a vortex which is engulfing our country.
Votary — vo-tri - who dedicates himself to some religious work or service
Swami Dayanand was a votary of social reforms.
Vouch — ve-oo-ch - to take guarantee/responsibility
The government vouched for the safety of the employees of multinational companies.
Vouchsafe — ve-oo-ch sef - to tell something to somebody as a privilege
The person vouchsafed the police that his neighbour was engaged in antisocial activities.
Vow — vaa-o - promise, declare under swear
The new Prime Minister vowed to fight against the corruption.
Vulnerable — vul-re-bul - prone to injury, harm
Children are vulnerable to bad effects of the cable TV.
W
Wage — ve-j - to start and continue
The naxalites are waging a war against the state government in Hyderabad.
Waive — vev - give up
The party promised to waive the loan of the farmers in its election manifesto.
Wane — ven - to decrease periodically
The influence of communists is on the wane.
Wannabe — vaana-bee - aspirants
Information Technology wannabe are increasing day by day.
Ward off — wo-od - to keep away the danger, attack etc
The finance minister's speech will ward off any doubt that foreign investors may have in their mind.
Wary — ve-ri - cautious, careful while dealing with somebody
The police need to keep a wary eye on the activities of anti social elements.
Watershed — vota-shed - a period of time that marks important change
The adoption of modern printing technologies marked a watershed in the history of Print media.
Waylay — vey-ley - to stop somebody and attack
The robbers waylaid the businessman who was on his way to office.
Wean — veen - to gradually stop doing something
The government will have to wean out the subsidy altogether in order to lower the budget deficit.
Weed out — veed - to remove completely
The corruption needs to be weeded out completely to ensure free and fair administration.
Whopping — vopping - very big in ammount
The country suffered a loss of whopping 20000 crores in earthquake.
Willy nilly — vili-nili - whether you want it or not
The government was forced willy nilly to accept the court's order.
Wind up — va-ind - to stop running a factory, close
The finance minister hinted at the winding up of the sick industries owned by the government.
Wither — vidaa - to become weak and disappear completely
The government fell down and all the new projects withered away.
Withstand — vith-stend - strong enough not be damaged
The strong ties between two countries should withstand possible tension in the near future.
Witness — vit-ness - to see/look
The parliament often witnesses the allegations and counter allegations between opposition and government.
Wizard — vi-zud - magician, highly knowledgeable person
India has produced many computer wizards.
Woe — vo-o - trouble, problem
The newspaper accused that the government doesn't have the time to listen to the woes of poor.
Wrangle — ren-gul - argument continued for a long time
The parliament's precious time often gets wasted in unnecessary wrangle between the ruling party and the opposition parties.
Wrap up — rap - to complete an agreement/meeting in a satisfactory way
Many political parties wrap up agreements with each other to fight the election unitedly.
Wrest — rest - to snatch, to take control and power from somebody with great effort
The opposition party finally succeeded in wresting a seat in minister's constituency.
Y
Yardstick — yaad-stik - standard of measurement of success
The educationists often argue that marks are not the criterion of a student's intelligence.
Yearn — yaan - strong emotional desire
Everyone has a yearn to be the richest person in the world.
Yield — yee-uld - to provide something new as profit
The investment in the Information Technology shares can yield good returns due to the rising prices of technology stocks.
The government yielded to the demands of striking postal employees.
Z
Zeal — zee-ul - great enthusiasm
The public participated with zeal in the pulse polio immunization programme.
Zest — zest - great enthusiasm/motivation
The country started moving on the path of liberalization with full zest.
Zip — zip - to move very fast
The liberal import policy of the government made several foreign cars zipping around the city.
Zoom — zooom - to go up very fast
The price of oil has zoomed in the past few months due to the reduction in the crude oil production.
