The Hindu 18/03/2019 Flashcards
cult
a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or as imposing excessive control over members.
synonyms: sect, religious group, denomination
eg. = “a network of Satan-worshipping cults”
fatigues
loose clothing, typically khaki, olive drab, or camouflaged, of a sort worn by soldiers on active duty.
वर्दी
stampede
a sudden rapid movement or reaction of a mass of people in response to a particular circumstance or stimulus
eg. = “a stampede of bargain hunters
rickety
(of a structure or piece of equipment) poorly made and likely to collapse.
synonyms: shaky, unsteady, unsound, unsafe
eg. = “we went carefully up the rickety stairs”
doughty
brave and persistent.
synonyms: fearless, dauntless, determined, resolute
eg. = his doughty spirit kept him going
gutsy
having or showing courage, determination, and spirit.
synonyms: courageous, brave, mettlesome, plucky
eg. = her gutsy 80-year-old grandmother
riposte
a quick, clever reply to an insult or criticism.
synonyms: retort, counter, rejoinder, sally, return, retaliation, answer, reply, response
roulette
a gambling game in which a ball is dropped on to a revolving wheel with numbered compartments, the players betting on the number at which the ball comes to rest
machination
a plot or scheme.
synonyms: schemes, plotting, plots, intrigues, conspiracies,
eg. = he was cheated by the political machinations of the legislature
veneer
an attractive appearance that covers or disguises someone or something’s true nature or feelings
synonyms: facade, front, false front, show
eg. = a rigid veneer of courtesy hid her mounting fury
affliction
a cause of pain or harm.
synonyms: disorder, disease, malady, complaint, ailment, illness
eg. = the herb is reputed to cure a variety of afflictions
predicated
found or base something on.
synonyms: base, be dependent, found, establish
eg. = “the theory of structure on which later chemistry was predicated”
ballast
give stability to (a ship) by putting a heavy substance in its bilge.
eg.= “the vessel has been ballasted to give the necessary floating stability”
rebuff
reject (someone or something) in an abrupt or ungracious manner.
synonyms: reject, turn down, spurn, refuse, decline
“I asked her to be my wife, and was rebuffed in no uncertain terms”
stinging
(of criticism) harsh or cruel.
eg. = “a stinging rebuke”
compelled
force or oblige (someone) to do something.
synonyms: force, coerce into, pressurize into
eg. = “a sense of duty compelled Harry to answer her questions”
yearning
a feeling of intense longing for something.
synonyms: longing, pining, craving, desire, want, wish
eg. = “he felt a yearning for the mountains”
discomfiting
make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed.
synonyms: embarrass, make uncomfortable, make uneasy
eg. = “he was not noticeably discomfited by her tone”
debacle
a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.
synonyms: fiasco, failure, catastrophe, disaster
“the only man to reach double figures in the second-innings debacle”
misgiving
a feeling of doubt or apprehension about the outcome or consequences of something.
synonyms: qualm, doubt, reservation, scruple;
eg. = “we have misgivings about the way the campaign is being run”
lashed out
suddenly attack someone or something physically or criticize him
eg.= I was only teasing him and suddenly he lashed out (at me) and hit me in the face
disquiet
a feeling of worry or unease.
synonyms: unease, uneasiness, worry, anxiety,
eg. = “public disquiet about animal testing”
tenuous
very weak or slight.
synonyms: slight, insubstantial, flimsy, negligible
eg. = “the tenuous link between interest rates and investment”
bandwagon”
used in reference to an activity, cause, etc. that is currently fashionable or popular and attracting increasing support.
eg. = “the environmental bandwagon is feeling mighty crowded”
