The Hindu 05/03/2019

Question 1

upholding

Answer 1

confirm or support (something which has been questioned)

synonyms: confirm, endorse, sustain
eg. – the court upheld his claim for damages

Question 2

confidante

Answer 2

a person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others

synonyms: close friend, bosom friend, best friend
eg. – a close confidante of the princess

Question 3

vitiated

Answer 3

destroy or impair the legal validity of

eg. – “the insurance is vitiated because of foolish acts on the part of the tenant

Question 4

malice

Answer 4

the desire to harm someone; ill will.

synonyms: spitefulness, spite, malevolence
eg. – I bear no malice towards anybody

Question 5

reneged

Answer 5

go back on a promise, undertaking, or contract

synonyms: default on, fail to honour, go back on
eg. – the government had reneged on its election promises

Question 6

let-up

Answer 6

a pause or reduction in the intensity of something dangerous, difficult, or tiring

synonyms: abatement, lessening, decrease
eg. – there had been no let-up in the eruption

Question 7

pandemic

Answer 7

(of a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world.

synonyms: widespread, prevalent, pervasive

Question 8

deem

Answer 8

regard or consider in a specified way.

synonyms: regard as, consider,
eg. – the event was deemed a great success

Question 9

susceptible

Answer 9

likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing

synonyms: open to, receptive to, vulnerable to
eg. – patients with liver disease may be susceptible to infection

Question 10

divisive

Answer 10

tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people

synonyms: alienating, estranging, isolating, schismatic;
eg. – the highly divisive issue of abortion

Question 11

pronouncement

Answer 11

a formal or authoritative announcement or declaration

synonyms: announcement, proclamation, declaration
eg. — distrust of the pronouncements of politicians was endemic

Question 12

allusion

Answer 12

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

synonyms: reference to, mention of, comment on, remark about
eg. – synonyms: reference to, mention of, comment on, remark about

Question 13

cool one’s heels

Answer 13

To wait, sometimes so that one becomes calmer or more composed

eg. – You need to cool your heels for a minute and stop yelling at the staff—they didn’t do anything wrong.

Question 14

insinuation

Answer 14

an unpleasant hint or suggestion of something bad

synonyms: implication, inference, suggestion, hint
eg. – I’ve done nothing to deserve all your vicious insinuations

Question 15

collusion

Answer 15

secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy in order to deceive others.

synonyms: conspiracy, connivance, complicity, intrigue
eg. – the armed forces were working in collusion with drug traffickers

Question 16

notion

Answer 16

a conception of or belief about something

synonyms: idea, belief, concept, conception
eg. – children have different notions about the roles of their parents

Question 17

appendage

Answer 17

a thing that is added or attached to something larger or more important

synonyms: addition, attachment, adjunct
eg. – they treat Scotland as a mere appendage of England

Question 18

animosities

Answer 18

strong hostility

synonyms: antipathy, hostility, friction, antagonism

eg . – he no longer felt any animosity towards her

Question 19

festering

Answer 19

(of a negative feeling or a problem) becoming worse or more intense, especially through long-term neglect or indifference

eg. – “they had ignored festering social problems

Question 20

ensemble

Answer 20

a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together

synonyms: group, band, orchestra, combo
eg. – a Bulgarian folk ensemble

Question 21

shriller

Answer 21

(of a voice or sound) high-pitched and piercing

synonyms: high-pitched, piercing,

Question 22

call for

Answer 22

to need or deserve a particular action

This calls for a celebration!

Question 23

cauldron

Answer 23

a situation characterized by instability and strong emotions

eg. – a cauldron of repressed anger

Question 24

strife

Answer 24

angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict

synonyms: conflict, friction, discord
eg. – strife within the community

Question 25

fray

Answer 25

a situation of intense competitive activity

synonyms: battle, engagement, conflict,
eg. – he charged into the thick of the fray and went down fighting

Question 26

wiggle room

Answer 26

capacity or scope for negotiation or operation, especially in order to modify a previous statement or decision.

eg. – the state legislature allows very little wiggle room in how to design the ballot.

Question 27

rapport

Answer 27

a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well

synonyms: affinity, close/special relationship
eg. – she was able to establish a good rapport with the children

Question 28

glossed

Answer 28

try to conceal or disguise (something unfavourable) by treating it briefly or representing it misleadingly

synonyms: conceal, cover up, hide, camouflage, disguise,
eg. – the social costs of this growth are glossed over

Question 29

adulation

Answer 29

excessive admiration or praise

synonyms: hero-worship, worship, admiration,
eg. – he found it difficult to cope with the adulation of the fans