Shape your Vocabulary from Newspaper Wordlist : 5 August 2019

Vocabulary is an essential tool to ace the English section in competitive examinations. You can score better in the subject if you are able to intensify your command over Vocabulary. A regular reading habit can help you with this. With the exercise, you will come across a number of new words, whose meanings you can look up in the dictionary. This, in turn, will help you understand the context of the piece you are reading.

Reading articles from newspapers helps you in two ways: Memorising Static Facts from the Article & Enhancing your Vocabulary.

In conjunction with the above idea, we bring to you our series ‘Shape up your Vocabulary from Newspaper

Wordlist’. This series aims to help you understand the different aspects of the commonly (and not so commonly) used words, ranging from their meaning and pronunciations to proper usage in sentences.

Today's article is from "The Hindu" newspaper. Understand the gist of the article using the meaning of below-given words and practice questions at the end of this article.

Happy Reading!

Fed’s insurance policy: On Federal Reserve’s rate cut

Important Words from the Article

1. Word: Rationale (औचित्य)

Pronunciation: rash-uh-nal/ रैशनैल

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: a set of reasons or a logical basis for a course of action or belief.

Synonyms: reason, justification, logic

Usage in a Sentence: I don't understand the rationale behind the council's housing policy.

2. Word: Emphatic (प्रभावी)

Pronunciation: em-fat-ik/ एम्फैटिक

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning:
a. expressing something forcibly and clearly.
b. (of an action or its result) definite and clear.

Synonyms: forceful, assertive, insistent

Antonyms: forceless, insignificant, unassertive

Usage in a Sentence: She was equally emphatic about the importance of discipline.

3. Word: Exacerbate (बढ़ा देना)

Pronunciation: ig-zas-er-beyt/ इग्ज़ैसर्बेट

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.

Synonyms: aggravate, increase, worsen

Antonyms: improve, alleviate

Usage in a sentence: The current cuts in public expenditure will inevitably exacerbate this situation.

4. Word: Insular (एकांत)

Pronunciation: in-suh-ler/ इन्सलर

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: 
a. ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one's own experience.
b. lacking contact with other people.
c. relating to or from an island.

Synonyms: local, parochial, isolated, sectarian, restricted

Antonyms: multicultural, cosmopolitan

Usage in a sentence: Edna McGurk came from an insular inner circle of elite Philadelphia society.

5. Word: Pare (संक्षिप्त करना)

Pronunciation: pair/ पेर

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning:
a. trim (something) by cutting away its outer edges.
b. cut off (the outer skin) of something.
c. reduce (something) in size, extent, or quantity in a number of small successive stages.

Synonyms: trim, cut, shave, clip, reduce, prune

Antonyms: expand, increase, lengthen, enlarge, magnify

Usage in a sentence: To get at the fruit, you pare off the rather thick peel with a sharp knife.

6. Word: Offset (बदला देना)

Pronunciation: awf-set/ ऑफ्सेट

Part of Speech: Noun, Verb

Meaning: 
a. a consideration or amount that diminishes or balances the effect of an opposite one. (Noun)
b. the amount or distance by which something is out of line. (Noun)
c. counteract (something) by having an equal and opposite force or effect. (Verb)
d. place out of line. (Verb)

Synonyms: counterbalance, compensate, counteract, neutralize

Usage in a sentence: He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.

7. Word: Enviable (ईर्षा के योग्य)

Pronunciation: en-vee-uh-buhl/ एन्वीअबल

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: arousing or likely to arouse envy.

Synonyms: desirable, fortunate, desired

Antonyms: undesirable, unwanted, obnoxious

Usage in a sentence: She has built up an enviable reputation as a harpist.

8. Word: Protract (फैलना)

Pronunciation: proh-trakt/ प्रोट्रैक्ट

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: prolong

Synonyms: extend, lengthen, stretch

Antonyms: curtail, contract, abbreviate, shorten

Usage in a Sentence: The oncologist was excited when he discovered a remarkable new treatment that would protract his patients’ lives.

9. Word: Muddle (अव्यवस्था)

Pronunciation: muhd-l/ मडल

Part of Speech: Verb, Noun

Meaning: 
a. bring into a disordered or confusing state. (Verb)
b. mix (a drink) or stir (an ingredient) into a drink. (Verb)
c. an untidy and disorganized state or collection. (Noun)
d. a mistake arising from or resulting in confusion. (Noun)

Synonyms: mess, disorder, jumble, tangle, confusion, chaos

Antonyms: order, structure, organize

Usage in a sentence: I've arranged the books alphabetically so don't muddle them up.

10. Word: Spur (उत्साहन, उसकाना)

Pronunciation: spur/ स्पर

Part of Speech: Noun, Verb

Meaning: 

a. a thing that prompts or encourages someone; an incentive. [Noun]

b. give an incentive or encouragement to (someone). [Verb]

Synonyms: urge, encourage, motivate

Antonyms: discourage, hindrance, obstacle

Usage in a Sentence: On the spur of the moment, we all decided to hold a dance party.