Gamut (noun):
Meaning:
1.the complete range of a particular kind of thing
2.(Music) The entire series of recognized note
Usage:
1.Politically, the unrestricted growth and avarice of regional parties has led to a whole new gamut of permutations and combinations wherein a party may or may not support a cause for entirely selfish reasons
2.a face that expressed a gamut of emotions, from rage to peaceful contentment
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Words for Today
Vicious (adj.):
Meaning:
1.violent and cruel
2.Spiteful; malicious
3.(of an attack, criticism, etc.) full of hatred and anger
4.(of animals) aggressive and dangerous
5.Severe or intense
6.invalidated by defects; unsound
Usage:
1.The current vicious (means severe here) cycle of violence may be broken, for the time being, with the use of smart techniques of crowd dispersal.
2.a forced, vicious style of prose
3.a vicious storm
Swagger (noun/verb):
Meaning:
noun:
1.(disapproving) a way of walking or behaving that seems too confident
2.Boastful or conceited expression; braggadocio.
verb:
3.(usually disapproving) to walk in an extremely proud and confident way
4. To boast or brag noisily; to be ostentatiously proud or vainglorious; to bluster; to bully.
Usage:
He might not have Warne's swagger, but he has a mystique all his own
Meaning:
1.violent and cruel
2.Spiteful; malicious
3.(of an attack, criticism, etc.) full of hatred and anger
4.(of animals) aggressive and dangerous
5.Severe or intense
6.invalidated by defects; unsound
Usage:
1.The current vicious (means severe here) cycle of violence may be broken, for the time being, with the use of smart techniques of crowd dispersal.
2.a forced, vicious style of prose
3.a vicious storm
Swagger (noun/verb):
Meaning:
noun:
1.(disapproving) a way of walking or behaving that seems too confident
2.Boastful or conceited expression; braggadocio.
verb:
3.(usually disapproving) to walk in an extremely proud and confident way
4. To boast or brag noisily; to be ostentatiously proud or vainglorious; to bluster; to bully.
Usage:
He might not have Warne's swagger, but he has a mystique all his own
Friday, July 9, 2010
Words for Today
Disincentive (noun):
Meaning:
1.deterrent, something that provides motivation not to do something
2.a negative motivational influence
3.that which discourages a particular behaviour
Usage:
1.In-arguably, something needs to be done to disincentivisefrivolous PILs that add to backlog of cases, apart from derailing important projects
2.A further disincentiveis the high cost of registration, which runs from 50,000 to 300,000 dollars, according to one EEAA official.
Stringent (adj.):
Meaning:
1.severe, strict, demanding; binding, constraining
2.characterized by scarcity of money, credit restrictions, or other financial strain
Usage:
1.But a better way to tackle them may be to have a stringent vetting system within the judiciary itself for accepting or rejecting cases at the time of filing
2.stringent economic policies
3.operating under a stringenttime limit
Yawning gap :
Meaning:
1.Gap between something that is because of lack of interest
Usage:
1.There is a yawning gap between the rich and the poor
2.a yawning gap between fashion and style
Meaning:
1.deterrent, something that provides motivation not to do something
2.a negative motivational influence
3.that which discourages a particular behaviour
Usage:
1.In-arguably, something needs to be done to disincentivisefrivolous PILs that add to backlog of cases, apart from derailing important projects
2.A further disincentiveis the high cost of registration, which runs from 50,000 to 300,000 dollars, according to one EEAA official.
Stringent (adj.):
Meaning:
1.severe, strict, demanding; binding, constraining
2.characterized by scarcity of money, credit restrictions, or other financial strain
Usage:
1.But a better way to tackle them may be to have a stringent vetting system within the judiciary itself for accepting or rejecting cases at the time of filing
2.stringent economic policies
3.operating under a stringenttime limit
Yawning gap :
Meaning:
1.Gap between something that is because of lack of interest
Usage:
1.There is a yawning gap between the rich and the poor
2.a yawning gap between fashion and style
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Words for Today
Prophecy (noun):
Meaning:
1.a statement that sth will happen in the future, especially one made by sb with religious or magic powers
Usage:
1.Lone’s prophecy that the impotence or de-legitimisation of the political leadership would result in chaos seems true today.
2.If you expect to fail, you will fail. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Grope (verb/noun):
Meaning:
1.To try and find sth that you cannot see, by feeling with your hands
2.To search blindly or uncertainly
Usage:
1.The political leadership in the state and country are groping for answers to the vicious cycle of protests that have broken out in the Valley in recent times
2.A very common example of groping is act of finding footwear's blindly beneath the bed without actually putting eyes there.
Shambles (noun):
Meaning:
1.a situation in which there is a lot of confusion
2.a place which is dirty or untidy
Usage:
1.The separatist political leadership is in a shambles and has little political vision based on pragmatism
2.The house was a shambles.
Meaning:
1.a statement that sth will happen in the future, especially one made by sb with religious or magic powers
Usage:
1.Lone’s prophecy that the impotence or de-legitimisation of the political leadership would result in chaos seems true today.
2.If you expect to fail, you will fail. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Grope (verb/noun):
Meaning:
1.To try and find sth that you cannot see, by feeling with your hands
2.To search blindly or uncertainly
Usage:
1.The political leadership in the state and country are groping for answers to the vicious cycle of protests that have broken out in the Valley in recent times
2.A very common example of groping is act of finding footwear's blindly beneath the bed without actually putting eyes there.
Shambles (noun):
Meaning:
1.a situation in which there is a lot of confusion
2.a place which is dirty or untidy
Usage:
1.The separatist political leadership is in a shambles and has little political vision based on pragmatism
2.The house was a shambles.
Confusing/Ambiguous Words
Incident vs. Accident :
Incident:
1.a single distinct event.
2.an event which is either unpleasant/embarrassing esp. of a social nature.
3.something that occurs casually in connection with something else.
Usage:
1.His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident.
2.There was a shooting incident near here last night.
Accidentt:
1.anything that happens by chance without an apparent cause; also, a mishap, especially one causing injury or death.
2.any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.
Usage:
1.One in seven accidents is caused by sleepy drivers
2.I didn’t mean to break it—it was an accident
Incident:
1.a single distinct event.
2.an event which is either unpleasant/embarrassing esp. of a social nature.
3.something that occurs casually in connection with something else.
Usage:
1.His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident.
2.There was a shooting incident near here last night.
Accidentt:
1.anything that happens by chance without an apparent cause; also, a mishap, especially one causing injury or death.
2.any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.
Usage:
1.One in seven accidents is caused by sleepy drivers
2.I didn’t mean to break it—it was an accident
Monday, July 5, 2010
Word for the day
unfazed (adj):
Meaning: (informal) not worried or surprised by sth unexpected that happens
Usage:The government was unfazed, with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee ruling out a relook at the decision to increase prices and Congress slamming what it called “cheap and opportunistic politics at the cost of the nation”.
Meaning: (informal) not worried or surprised by sth unexpected that happens
Usage:The government was unfazed, with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee ruling out a relook at the decision to increase prices and Congress slamming what it called “cheap and opportunistic politics at the cost of the nation”.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Word for Today
Rubicon(noun):
1.Its a river in northern Italy, and the act of crossing this river is seen as a momentous act. So this word can be associated with all effortful and great acts.
2.A limit that when passed or exceeded permits of no return and typically results in irrevocable commitment.
Usage:
It seemed that science – and the human race – had crossed the Rubicon
1.Its a river in northern Italy, and the act of crossing this river is seen as a momentous act. So this word can be associated with all effortful and great acts.
2.A limit that when passed or exceeded permits of no return and typically results in irrevocable commitment.
Usage:
It seemed that science – and the human race – had crossed the Rubicon
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Word for Today
Slake(verb):
1.To satisfy (a craving)
2.To lessen the force or activity of
3.To cool or refresh by wetting or moistening
Usage:
>>Greedy Shylock is never slaked of with money.
Syn:quench, satisfy, sate, satiate, assuage, gulp, imbibe, indulge, inhale, irrigate, slosh, swig, swill
Ant: abjure, abnegate, avoid, cease, constrain, curb, decline, deny oneself, do without, eschew, evade, fast, forbear, forgo
1.To satisfy (a craving)
2.To lessen the force or activity of
3.To cool or refresh by wetting or moistening
Usage:
>>Greedy Shylock is never slaked of with money.
Syn:quench, satisfy, sate, satiate, assuage, gulp, imbibe, indulge, inhale, irrigate, slosh, swig, swill
Ant: abjure, abnegate, avoid, cease, constrain, curb, decline, deny oneself, do without, eschew, evade, fast, forbear, forgo
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Word for Today
Seethe(verb):
1.To be extremely angry about sth but try not to show other people how angry you are
2.(of a place) to be full of a lot of people or animals, especially when they are all moving around:
SYN: fume,boil,roll
Usage:
1.She seethed silently in the corner.
2.He marched off, seething with frustration
3.The resort is seething with tourists all year round
1.To be extremely angry about sth but try not to show other people how angry you are
2.(of a place) to be full of a lot of people or animals, especially when they are all moving around:
SYN: fume,boil,roll
Usage:
1.She seethed silently in the corner.
2.He marched off, seething with frustration
3.The resort is seething with tourists all year round
Monday, May 31, 2010
Word for Today
Xanadu(noun):
Meaning:An idyllic, exotic place of great luxury
Usage:
"Although bachelor Gates is building a 37,000-square-foot Xanadu, he maintains that wealth 'loses all power to motivate once you have enough to be comfortable.'" — Tony Chiu & Nick Gallo; If People Complain; People (New York); Oct 24, 1991.
Origin: After Xanadu, the region where a “stately pleasure dome” is located in the poem “Kubla Khan” by S. T. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Meaning:An idyllic, exotic place of great luxury
Usage:
"Although bachelor Gates is building a 37,000-square-foot Xanadu, he maintains that wealth 'loses all power to motivate once you have enough to be comfortable.'" — Tony Chiu & Nick Gallo; If People Complain; People (New York); Oct 24, 1991.
Origin: After Xanadu, the region where a “stately pleasure dome” is located in the poem “Kubla Khan” by S. T. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Difficult words from todays TOI editorial
I.zeitgeist(noun):
1.the general mood or quality of a particular period of history, as shown by the ideas, beliefs, etc. common at the time
2.the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation
Usage:
Critic told us that it had worked because it accurately captured the zeitgeist of the restless generation.(source 30th May TOI article "Love,sex,gotra..what's going on?" by Shobhaa De)
II.apostle(noun):
1.A person sent out on a special mission
2.Any of the twelve disciples sent out by Christ to teach the gospel
3.A person who strongly believes in a policy or an idea and tries to make other people believe in it:an apostle of free enterprise
Origin:Middle English, from Old English apostol and from Old French apostle, both from Late Latin apostolus, from Greek apostolos, messenger, from apostellein, to send off : apo-, apo- + stellein, to send; see stel- in Indo-European roots.
Usage:
The world millionaires had overnight converted into apostles of non violence and abandoned their T-bone steaks for goat's milk .(source TOI 30th May article "Bapu would have laughed at the Gandhi pen" by M J Akbar)
III.Crusade(noun):
1.a long and determined effort to achieve sth that you believe to be right or to stop sth that you believe to be wrong (SYN: Campaign)
Usage:
1.To lead a crusade against crime
2.Moral crusade
3.Gandhi was a great crusader-journalist (source TOI 30th May article "Bapu would have laughed at the Gandhi pen" by M J Akbar)
IV.Inveterate(adj.):
1.(of a person) always doing sth or enjoying sth, and unlikely to stop; habitual.
2.(of a bad feeling or habit) done or felt for a long time and unlikely to change; deep-rooted.
Usage
Gandhi was an Inveterate scribbler
An inveterate liar
1.the general mood or quality of a particular period of history, as shown by the ideas, beliefs, etc. common at the time
2.the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation
Usage:
Critic told us that it had worked because it accurately captured the zeitgeist of the restless generation.(source 30th May TOI article "Love,sex,gotra..what's going on?" by Shobhaa De)
II.apostle(noun):
1.A person sent out on a special mission
2.Any of the twelve disciples sent out by Christ to teach the gospel
3.A person who strongly believes in a policy or an idea and tries to make other people believe in it:an apostle of free enterprise
Origin:Middle English, from Old English apostol and from Old French apostle, both from Late Latin apostolus, from Greek apostolos, messenger, from apostellein, to send off : apo-, apo- + stellein, to send; see stel- in Indo-European roots.
Usage:
The world millionaires had overnight converted into apostles of non violence and abandoned their T-bone steaks for goat's milk .(source TOI 30th May article "Bapu would have laughed at the Gandhi pen" by M J Akbar)
III.Crusade(noun):
1.a long and determined effort to achieve sth that you believe to be right or to stop sth that you believe to be wrong (SYN: Campaign)
Usage:
1.To lead a crusade against crime
2.Moral crusade
3.Gandhi was a great crusader-journalist (source TOI 30th May article "Bapu would have laughed at the Gandhi pen" by M J Akbar)
IV.Inveterate(adj.):
1.(of a person) always doing sth or enjoying sth, and unlikely to stop; habitual.
2.(of a bad feeling or habit) done or felt for a long time and unlikely to change; deep-rooted.
Usage
Gandhi was an Inveterate scribbler
An inveterate liar
Word for Today
Blithely(adv.):
Meaning:
1.showing a cheerful, carefree disposition; lighthearted
2.lacking due thought or consideration
Usage:
->blithely in a joyous manner,they shouted happily
->good looking chap blithely going into gotra terrain (source TOI 30th May article "Love,Sex,gotra... what's going on? by Shobhaa de)
Adj Form: Blithe
Meaning:
1.showing a cheerful, carefree disposition; lighthearted
2.lacking due thought or consideration
Usage:
->blithely in a joyous manner,they shouted happily
->good looking chap blithely going into gotra terrain (source TOI 30th May article "Love,Sex,gotra... what's going on? by Shobhaa de)
Adj Form: Blithe
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Word of the Day
Assiduous(adj):
1.Constant in application or attention, diligent
2.Hard-working, persevering
3.Unceasing, persistent
Usage:
1.An assiduous worker who strove for perfection
2.An assiduous researcher
Root:from Latin assiduus sitting down to (something), from assidēre to sit beside, from sedēre to sit
1.Constant in application or attention, diligent
2.Hard-working, persevering
3.Unceasing, persistent
Usage:
1.An assiduous worker who strove for perfection
2.An assiduous researcher
Root:from Latin assiduus sitting down to (something), from assidēre to sit beside, from sedēre to sit
Friday, May 28, 2010
Word for Today
Esoteric(adj):
1.Difficult to understand; abstruse, Intended for or understood by only a particular group: an esoteric cult
2.Not publicly disclosed; confidential
3.Of rare, special, or unusual interest
Usage:
His software's success was based on an esoteric programming language.
Noun Form: esotericism
1.Difficult to understand; abstruse, Intended for or understood by only a particular group: an esoteric cult
2.Not publicly disclosed; confidential
3.Of rare, special, or unusual interest
Usage:
His software's success was based on an esoteric programming language.
Noun Form: esotericism
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Word for Today
regnant (adj) :
1.Prevalent, widespread.
2.Reigning, ruling (usually used following the noun it modifies): a queen regnant.
3.Predominant
Usage :
1.The members of virtually every royal house, regnant or deposed, in Europe are related to Europe's most prospering crown, Britain's.
2.The mere fact that it was the regnant authority in the State of Louisiana at that time does not give validity or legality to its acts or its officers.
Noun form: regnancy
1.Prevalent, widespread.
2.Reigning, ruling (usually used following the noun it modifies): a queen regnant.
3.Predominant
Usage :
1.The members of virtually every royal house, regnant or deposed, in Europe are related to Europe's most prospering crown, Britain's.
2.The mere fact that it was the regnant authority in the State of Louisiana at that time does not give validity or legality to its acts or its officers.
Noun form: regnancy
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