Important vocabulary from the Article The Hindu
1. Word: Torrential (प्रचण्ड, मूसलधार)
Pronunciation: taw-ren-shuh l/ टॉरेन्शल
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning:
a. (of rain) falling rapidly and in copious quantities.
b. (of water) flowing rapidly and with force.
Synonyms: abundant, heavy, bucketing, gushing
Antonyms: controlled, light, airy, faint
Usage in a Sentence: The last game, in 1976, was suspended in the second half due to a torrential downpour and unruly fans.
2. Word: Commence (आरम्भ होना)
Pronunciation: kuh-mens/ कमेन्स
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: begin
Synonyms: start, initiate, launch
Antonyms: finish, end, cease, conclude
Usage in a Sentence: The country has commenced preparations for war.
3. Word: Obsessively (पागलों की तरह से)
Pronunciation: uh b-ses-iv/ आब्सेसिव्ली
Part of Speech: Adverb
Meaning: in an obsessive manner
Synonyms: compulsively, fervently, irrationally
Antonyms: indifferently, quietly, frigidly
Usage in a Sentence: He is an obsessive workaholic who never stops thinking about his job.
4. Word: Parameter (मानदण्ड)
Pronunciation: puh-ram-i-ter/ परैमटर
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: a limit or boundary which defines the scope of a particular process or activity
Synonyms: criterion, framework, variable
Usage in a Sentence: Like many laboratory tests, the parameters of this study didn’t exactly match the real world.
5. Word: Inundation (जलप्लावन, सैलाब)
Pronunciation: in-uhn-dey-shion/ इनन्डैशन
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning:
a. an overwhelming abundance of people or things.
b. flooding
Synonyms: flood, deluge, overflow
Antonyms: drought, shortage, deficit, dehydrate
Usage in a Sentence: Rising rivers could inundate low-lying areas.
6. Word: Spells (अक्षर विन्यास करना, मंत्र, अवधि)
Pronunciation: spels/ स्पेलस
Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
Meaning:
a. a form of words used as a magical charm or incantation. (Noun)
b. a short period. (Noun)
c. a period spent in an activity. (Noun)
d. write or name the letters that form (a word) in correct sequence.
Synonyms: charms, periods, times, seasons
Usage in a Sentence:
a. She recognizes instantly a person whom she has once met and spells the name. (Verb)
b. In the winter the temperature descends below zero during exceptionally cold spells. (Noun)
7. Word: Voluminous (प्रचुर)
Pronunciation: vuh-loo-muh-nuhs/ वलूमनस
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning:
a. (of clothes) very loose or full; having much fabric.
b. (of a piece of furniture) large and accommodating.
c. (of writing) very lengthy and detailed.
Synonyms: large, massive, great, ample, extensive
Antonyms: little, tiny, small, scarce
Usage in a Sentence: The ends of her hair are slightly curled under, giving it a voluminous look despite its sleek straightness.
8. Word: Paucity (अभाव)
Pronunciation: paw-si-tee/ पॉसिटी
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities or amounts.
Synonyms: lack, dearth, insufficiency, scarcity, shortage, deficiency, inadequacy
Antonyms: plethora, abundance, opulence, plenty
Usage in a Sentence: This paucity of animal life seems inconsistent with the theory that the islands were once connected with the mainland.
9. Word: Mainstay (आधार)
Pronunciation: meyn-stey/ मेन्स्टे
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning:
a. a person or thing on which something else is based or depends.
b. a stay that extends from the maintop to the foot of the foremast of a sailing ship.
Synonyms: support, backbone, cornerstone, anchor
Antonym: periphery
Usage in a Sentence: Fish is a mainstay of their diet.
10. Word: Vagary (उच्छृंखलता)
Pronunciation: vuh-gair-ee/ वगेरी
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: an unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone’s behaviour.
Synonyms: whim, fancy, quirk, notion, oddity
Usage in a Sentence: Since these rivers are fed by melting glaciers, their flow is not as dependent on the vagaries of the monsoon.
11. Word: Prong (काँटा)
Pronunciation: prawng/ प्रॉंग
Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
Meaning:
a. each of two or more projecting pointed parts at the end of a fork. (Noun)
b. pierce or stab with a for k. (Verb)
Synonyms: spike, barb, claw, projection
Antonym: blunt
Usage in a sentence: The west side of the house was built in the shape of an E without the middle prong.
