The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 31st March 2020

1. short end of the stick (phrase) – unfair treatment; treated unfavourably in a situation.
2. fend for oneself (verb) – look after oneself, take care of oneself, manage by oneself.
3. lockdown (noun) – a state of isolation; confinement, restraint, encirclement.
4. slow down (phrasal verb) – reduce, decrease, lessen.
5. novel coronavirus (nCoV) (SARS-CoV-2) (noun) – a new strain (type/variety) coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. (Courtesy: WHO)
6. come into force (phrase) – come to effect (a new law, rule, change etc.).
7. means (noun) – method, way, mode.
8. address (verb) – tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.
9. humanitarian crisis (noun) – it is also called as humanitarian disaster ; a situation with high levels of human suffering in which basic human welfare is in danger on a large scale.
10. on foot (phrase) – by walking (instead of travelling by a bus/train or using other transport).
11. plight (noun) – difficult situation, trouble/difficulty, quandary.
12. dependent on (adjective) – reliant on, relying on, counting on, leaning on; supported by.
13. sought past and past participle of seek (verb) – try to obtain, try to find, look about for.
14. social net (noun) – social interactions and personal relationships in a (close) society.
15. uncertainty (noun) – unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness/precariousness.
16. social/physical distancing (noun) – a term means actively avoiding crowded public places, is a key element in decreasing the rapid spread of COVID-19. This is an effort intended to limit exposure by reducing face-to-face contact and preventing spread among people in community settings.
17. unorganised labour/workforce (noun) – workers, labour force in an unorganized sector (an (unregistered) economic activity that is neither taxed nor monitored by a government. As per the International Labor Organization, over 80 per cent of the Indian economy is in the unorganized/informal sector).
18. fragile (adjective) – weak, shaky/risky, unreliable, feeble/unsound.
19. livelihood (noun) – source of income, means of support, living, subsistence.
20. figure out (phrasal verb) – find an answer to, make out, fathom/decipher, make sense of.
21. weather (verb) – survive/overcome, come/live through, outlast/outlive.
22. exodus (noun) – mass departure, evacuation, leaving/exit.
23. abruptly (adverb) – suddenly, unexpectedly.
24. stranded (adjective) – stuck (in difficulties), helpless, abandoned, deserted.
25. belated (adjective) – late, behind time, not on time/delayed.
26. humane (adjective) – compassionate, considerate, sympathetic, kind-hearted.
27. herd (verb) – huddle, group, gather, cluster.
28. ill-equipped (adjective) – not ready, unready, off guard.
29. quarantine (noun) – a process of separating out people, animals and things (such as plants) from others for a period of time in order to control/restrict the spread of a contagious disease; setting apart, keeping apart, sorting out.
30. incentivise (verb) – encourage, motivate, galvanize.
31. indictment (noun) – a formal charge, accusation, allegation (of a serious misconduct/wrongdoing).
32. unpreparedness (noun) – disregard, neglect, laxity, inattention, heedlessness/carelessness.
33. COVID-19 (noun) – coronavirus disease 2019.
34. severity (noun) – seriousness, intensity, extremity.
35. impending (adjective) – imminent, about to happen; approaching, forthcoming.
36. transparent (adjective) – straightforward, clear, apparent/distinct, recognizable.
37. little time to be lost (phrase) – if you have little time to be lost, you must hurry/rush as fast as possible to do something.

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