The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 22nd February 2020
- asleep at the wheel (phrase) – not paying attention; not attentive; not alert.
- inure (to) (verb) – to accustom to something (undesirable/unpleasant). (“be accustomed to” means “be used to”).
- mayhem (noun) – chaos, disorder, turmoil, havoc.
- come as a shock (phrase) – to make someone feel shocked.
- inter- (prefix) – between.
- place something in the hands of someone (phrase) – to make someone responsible for handling something.
- snuff out (phrasal verb) – kill (in a sudden manner).
- faceless (verb) – anonymous, unidentified, unknown.
- fatality (verb) – death, casualty, mortality/loss.
- staggering (adjective) – astonishing, shocking, surprising.
- point to (verb) – indicate, suggest, denote.
- fall asleep (phrase) – to begin/start sleeping.
- at the wheel (noun) – (while) driving.
- look at (phrasal verb) – inspect, review, analyse, scrutinize.
- proximate (adjective) – nearest, closest, next to, close.
- bridge the gap (phrase) – to connect two disconnected or dissimilar things in a logical way (in order to resolve the problem).
- bring down (phrasal verb) – decrease, reduce, lower/cut.
- sustainable (adjective) – legitimate/reasonable, sensible, trustworthy.
- reiterate (verb) – repeat, say again, restate.
- on the rise (phrase) – increasing; becoming successful.
- enforcement (noun) – imposition, implementation, execution.
- apathetic (adjective) – indifferent, uninterested, unresponsive.
- derelict (adjective) – neglectful, careless, irresponsible.
- bureaucracy (noun) – officials (in the administration, government, the establishment) as a group.
- cost (noun) – loss, penalty,suffering/damage, disadvantage.
- indifference (noun) – unconcern, apathy, carelessness, disregard, unresponsiveness.
- borne past participle of bear (verb) – experience, undergo, go through, suffer, endure.
- bereavement (noun) – loss, deprivation, grief, sorrow, sadness; death in the family, loss, demise.
- trauma (noun) – torment, distress, suffering.
- deprive of (verb) – dispossess, strip of, deny, prevent from having.
- point out (phrasal verb) – identify, recognize, draw attention to, mention.
- constitute (verb) – amount to, account for, form/comprise.
- vulnerable (adjective) – unsafe, unprotected, unguarded.
- pedestrian (noun) – walker, person on foot, wayfarer.
- black spot (noun) – accident prone location; a place where road traffic accidents have historically been concentrated.
- liable (adjective) – responsible, answerable, accountable.
- stiffer (comparative adjective) of stiff (adjective) – harsh, severe, punitive, stringent.
- offence (noun) – an illegal act, crime, misconduct/wrongdoing.
- baulk (verb) – eschew, resist, refuse, be reluctant to, be unwilling to (to accept).
- imperative (adjective) – vitally important, crucial/critical, essential.
- empowered (adjective) – authorized, allowed, entitled.
- envisage (verb) – foresee, predict, forecast.
