Stories Behind the Story

Stories Behind the Story




P. Sainath
The Hindu
Journalist of the Year (Print)

During the Lakme Fashion Week, 2006, when many a pen was busy recording every costume ruche and ramp twirl, P. Sainath was doing a head count. “While the Lakme Fashion Week was on, farmers were committing suicide in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, to the tune of seven a day. Yet, there were all of six journalists covering Vidarbha in the mainstream press, while there were 512 covering the Fashion Week. The theme of the fashion week was cotton; yet within that time frame, nearly 50 cotton farmers had killed themselves,” Sainath says. The facts led him to write a news series on the agrarian crisis that made the world sit up and take notice. His work on rural issues over 2007-08 earned him the award. His next series tracks the migration of those who have lost their jobs. “The stories are out there,” he says. “We just have to resist scoop logic.”

Karan Thapar

BBC News

Journalist of the Year (broadcast)

With Devil's Advocate, Karan Thapar took off from where he left with Hard Talk India, his talk show on BBC where guests rarely make it past his incisive questions. “My objective is to make people in power accountable,” says Thapar. “I am simply persistent with the guests. If I put a question worth asking, they must answer it as the audience deserves to hear those answers,” he says. However, his questions—often uncomfortable—have never upset his relationship with any of his guests, he says. “All my questions are based on facts and I ask them within my professional capacity. My guests understand it is not a personal attack. Although there have been instances of brief friction, they have always come back for more interviews.” The biggest sports, he says, are politicians. “They have this amazing quality of pitching in at the last moment. They never duck,” says Thapar.

Shital Morjaria

TV9

Journalism in a regional Language (Broadcast)

When Shital Morjaria started a women’s show in Telugu called Naveena in 2006, she was clear it would be different. "I knew the show would have no cooking, no jewellery, no interior design. It was to be a show on real issues.” The show visited Medak, about a 100 km from Hyderabad and found an Ayurvedic doctor doing illegal vasectomies on women. As Naveena gathered steam, it touched on issues like marital rape and NRI brides, focusing on the
Peter Strauss, a publisher who formerly worked with Macmillan, London, noticed how Indian history was unaccounted post Independence and was on the lookout for someone who could tell the story lucidly yet explore it in all its complexity. And that’s how Ramachandra Guha was commissioned to write India after Gandhi. It took him eight years to conceptualise the chapter scheme, research extensively and then write and rewrite. “Working out the architecture of the book was the most difficult part as it was a massive conceptual challenge to tell the history in a readable, logical way,” Guha says. Five sections in the book recount the history of India right from 1947, ending with the train bombings of 2006. “This was clearly my most ambitious and intellectually challenging project so far. I hope this book becomes the beginning of a rich and deep conversation and debate,” he says.

P.K. Prakash

Madhyamam Daily

Journalism in a regional language (Print)

Cases of farmer suicides were rising in Kerala during 2005-07. While Prakash began to keep a watch on the numbers, he realised that the agricultural sector in Kerala was in a deep crisis. Through the next one month, Prakash travelled across the major agricultural districts of Kerala—Idukki, Alappuzha, Palakkad and Wayanad—witnessing the pathetic situation that finally led farmers to commit suicide. His series, ‘Gambles of the market’, showed how globalisation was impacting the remotest corners of the countryside. “Most of Kerala is linked with the global market. Hence the stability of crop price is essential to the existence of farmers,” Prakash says. After his stories were printed, the government released agricultural relief packages for the districts of Idukki and Palakkad. “The misery, however, continues. Agricultural packages without assuring price stability will never help,” Prakash says.

M.S. RagHavender

TV9

Journalism in a regional Language (Broadcast)

When television journalist M.S. Raghavender noticed a strange trend in northern Karnataka, he decided to look harder. “I found that women were being sold off to the Marwar in Rajasthan, where the sex ratio was very low. It was done in the guise of marriage but the practise was different from Vadhu-dakshina or even Kanya Shulk, where the father of the bride is paid money to marry his daughter. Here, the fathers knew that their daughters were going into the flesh trade,” he says....
Raghavender’s stories had an impact. “There was a case in Hubli Court and the kingpin, Raju, was arrested,” he says.

DNYANESH V JATHAR

The Week

Reporting on HIV/AIDS (Print, english)

The story of AIDS orphans was close to Jathar’s heart. Coming from rural Maharashtra, he was keen to tell the stories of these abandoned children. “I come from Sangli district and an NGO there has 700 children who have been orphaned due to AIDS. People who run the NGO sometimes take leftovers meant for animals and feed it to their children,” he says. People reporting on health issues especially HIV/AIDS usually focus on the stereotypes, he says. “Most reports talk about the problems faced by commercial sex workers and trouble in getting treated. But the human face of any disease are the women and children. Children are helpless and suffer for no fault of theirs,” he says. For his story, Jathar travelled in rural Maharashtra for a month. “Most of my case studies have come from rural areas and compared to cities, the effect of any disease or epidemic is magnified there,” he adds.

UMASHANKAR SINGH

NDTV India

Journalism in hindi (Broadcast)

It was the murder of four people in Bundelkhand that set Umashankar Singh on a trail that brought the magnitude of the region’s water crisis to the national consciousness. The water wars in Madhya Pradesh’s Maudha district had resulted in looting, riots and murder. “When we reached Bundelkhand, we were told that families do not want their daughters to marry boys from this region because living here would mean walking hours every day to fetch water. There were so many facets to the water crisis that we kept shooting for three days,” says Singh. Though he had set out for a three-four minute report, he came back with a half-hour bulletin on the crisis. The assignment was a challenge. “In Madhua, we didn’t even have water to drink but we continued shooting because going back to the closest city would have meant that we lost close 10 hours travelling,” he says.

Muzamil Jaleel

The Indian Express

Reporting on J&K (Print)

It was Muzamil Jaleel’s hard investigations that led him to an internal police report, blowing the lid off one of the biggest scandals to rock Kashmir. Top officials in the Valley were all part of a sex scandal, trading girls for official favours. “The story blew Srinagar away. The city shut down for a month and people were out in the streets, protesting,” Jaleel, head of the Kashmir bureau of The Indian Express, says.

He got death threats from unknown numbers. The government was in denial, but he followed up with more hard-nosed reporting. “Eventually, two former ministers, one DIG and top bureaucrats were sacked. We did 60 stories in all.” Jaleel and his bureau in Kashmir also exposed how the police and the army, in connivance with each other, were picking up poor people from the streets, killing them in fake encounters.

Rudraneil Sengupta

CNN-IBN

Sports (Broadcast)

In a country where cricket is a religion, Sengupta, senior producer and correspondent with IBN-CNN, chose to shift the limelight to river rafters at the National Rafting Championship held in Ladakh. The story caught wide attention as the cameras followed the otherwise conservative Ladakhi women rafting in one of the highest gorge rivers in the country. With their cameras wrapped in plastic and bubblewrap, the crew kept their spirits high. The story covered not just the fun part of rafting but also took a close look at the safety angle. “We were faced with new challenges while covering this story,” Sengupta says.

Sayli Udas Mankikar,

The Hindustan Times

Prakash Kardaley Memorial Award for Civic Journalism

It was when Sayli Udas Mankikar questioned the policy of 20 Gymkhanas in the city, which despite standing on the Collector’s land, were not open to common people, that she discovered a political nexus behind the unfair government policy. Her reports forced the state revenue authorities into bringing a new gymkhana lease policy. Today, Mumbai has a government policy, which gives 20 per cent access to citizens. “There was a lot of political pressure to keep the issue under the wraps as most of these spaces were owned by political bigwigs and they didn’t want a change in policy,” Mankikar says. Such was the opposition that she was even gheraoed and threatened at a press conference. Though the whole year that she chased the stories was nothing short of a nightmare, when the policy changed, she won her award.

Sonu Jain

The Indian Express

Environmental reporting (Print)

Sonu Jain paid heed to signs around her which everyone ignored: that India’s air and water were being brazenly polluted. “A bit of digging showed that there was a danger of India becoming a dumping ground for toxins—be it ships headed to...
ship-breaking yards in Gujarat, unregulated imports of mercury and asbestos or just old waste oil being shipped out from developed countries to be burnt here. While the rest of the world considered these to be dangerous, India seemed to be living in denial ,” she says. Her investigations led her to bylanes of Chandni Chowk in Delhi where crude cans of mercury sat in shops, to the corridors of the Supreme Court where copious petitions had been filed by activists. Her exemplary news series, ‘Tolerating Toxins’, opened many eyes and initiated public discussions.

Abhishek Upadhyay

IBN7

Business and economics (broadcast)

Abhishek Upadhyay was on his way to cover the strike called by medical students in Gujarat against reservation, when at a traffic junction a man gave him a pamphlet and told him he had been tricked by some stock brokers and that the Income Tax Department had refused to help. A trip to Mehsana, in Gujarat, followed, and it led to the uncovering of the parallel stock market run by brokers in the state. While meeting them, Upadhyay pretended to be an investor, smoking Marlboros and driving a big car to appear rich. Undaunted by threats, he blew the lid off the whole scam—which he realised extended all the way to Mumbai—in a month’s time.

Punya Prasun Bajpai

Pratham Pravakta

Journalism in Hindi (Print)

“One day, a woman came up to me and said that her husband, a naxalite, had been murdered by the state police. Following her trail, when I visited some villages in Chattisgarh, I realised there were hundreds of such cases,” Punya Prasun Bajpai says. “Women were being raped, young men were dragged out of their houses, labeled naxals and killed by the police. I soon realised political and commercial agencies were also involved.” Bajpai went from house to house, making a list of the number of women raped and the number of persons killed. When he managed to get both parties to talk to him, he “realised all the violence had a simple cause—it was simply about securing two square meals each day. The struggle was all about securing sustainability for themselves.”

Savita Vikram Karkare

Lokmat

Reporting on HIV/AIDS (print, Marathi)

Her story underlined the effect of HIV/AIDS on middle-class families and newly married couples. She interviewed over 50 HIV positive women—mostly married to HIV positive men who did not reveal their status before the wedding. “A majority of these women found...
out that they were positive when they became pregnant. Many had been infected by their husbands. After the death of their husbands, these young widows were abandoned by their families,” says Karkare. Getting an HIV positive person to talk about the illness was not easy. Karkare finally found a young woman who was willing to talk. “That gave confidence to a lot of women to come forward. The woman I featured has now moved out of Pune and runs her own positive network,” she says.

Sreenivasan Jain

NDTV

Political Reporting (Broadcast)

When the nation was debating over the Ram Setu in black and white terms, Jain explored the grey strands instead. “The nuances of the debate were being missed out totally. Tamil Nadu has a strong tradition of Hindu religion and yet the government is avowedly atheist. However though they openly criticise religiosity, internally they are religious,” says Jain, managing editor, NDTV 24x7. Jain’s Ram Setu report explored these very inherent contradictions alongside DMK’s ideology of rationalism in Tamil Nadu. “What we tried bringing out was how Ram is looked at in India and how the Dravidian party looks at Ram. In this entire debate Ram was actually demonised too,” Jain says. Doing such a nuanced story for television was a real challenge and Jain came out with a winning story.

NEELESH MISHRA & NAGENDAR SHARMA

The Hindustan Times

Uncovering Invisible India (Print)

During a conversation about insurgency, Mishra and Sharma realised that one-fourth of the country was at war from within. They found statistics from the Ministry of Rural Development which said that in 2006-07, Rs 58,000 crore had been allocated to insurgency-affected areas and nearly half of it had not been used. “We decided to follow the money. It was clear that insurgency was a convenient excuse for misgovernance in these areas. Over the next few weeks, we travelled to seven states,” said Mishra. This was not easy. “We were right in the heartland of insurgency. We had no credible sources and journalists mostly refused to talk. Our agenda was not to focus on insurgency. Our only concern was governance,” says Sharma. The result was a nine-part series on how government money was used as directed by insurgents.

Subrata Nagchoudhary & Ravik Bhattacharya,

The Indian Express

Political reporting (Print)

When Subrata Nagchoudhary and Ravik Bhattacharya decided to cover the Nandigram clash, they knew the road ahead would not be smooth. They remained persistent,...
gathering crucial records from the tight-lipped administration. CPI(M) cadres and members of the Trinamool Congress kept an eye on them. “Once, while we were on our way to Nandigram, fully-armed CPM cadres appeared from nowhere and attacked us. Our driver immediately took a U-turn and saved our lives,” says Nagchoudhary. On a visit to a hospital where victims of the clash had been admitted, Bhattacharya met a woman who alleged that she had been raped by CPM cadres. Subsequent visits to the villages brought out more tales of gruesome atrocities committed by state forces and the opposition.

V.K. Shashikumar

CNN-IBN

Reporting on the north-east (Broadcast)

The fact that there were so many stories of the “hidden wars” in India’s north-east that remained untold inspired Shashikumar to begin a series on the region. For his special investigation team, it entailed spending six months tying up contacts and an arduous, five-day trek across Manipur before he could meet United National Liberation Front Chairman Sanayaima. “While talking, we realised both of us had studied at Jadavpur University,” he says. Sanayaima then immediately opened up, agreeing to talk on national television—in his first interview to a TV channel. “The interview made us realise Manipur had a serious insurgency problem,” he says.

Joseph Johnson

Financial Times

Foreign Correspondent Covering India

Coming in the wake of the Sachar Committee report, Joseph Johnson's story for the Financial Times located the Indian Muslim in his complex environment—riots, terrorism, poverty and occasional stardom. “I was trying to look at what sociologists called upper class inclusion and lower class exclusion and found it to be true,” he says. Over two weeks in 2007, Johnson travelled across the country, visiting Muslim ghettos—Juhapura in suburban Gujarat and others in Mumbai and Kashmir. From here, he told the story of the faceless, lost Muslim placed in contrast with the Muslim intelligentsia and the reigning king Khans of Bollywood.

P. Vaidyanathan Iyer

Business World

Business and Economic Journalism (Print)

He broke the story of the economic downturn in India in late 2007, at a time when every one was praising India’s spectacular growth. “Industrial production had come down, but in October and November 2007, Governor Y.B. Reddy kept increasing interest rates. Despite the fall in production, the monetary policies were only being tightened further. There was something wrong,” Iyer says. “It was difficult to convince my editor that everything wasn’t the way other news stories were portraying...
it. There was scepticism about the story. Also, there was initially only two months data to prove the trend,” says Iyer, who was then with Business World. “Even now, journalists may not want to address the slowdown. But as a journalist, it is imperative to look beyond the obvious,” says Iyer, now the national business editor of The Indian Express.

SANDEEP DWIVEDI

The Indian Express

Sports (print)

After being defeated by Ireland and making an exit from the World Cup, journalists following the Pakistani team did not have much on their plate. That is when news of Coach Bob Woolmer being ‘rushed to the hospital’ trickled in. “At first we were told he was unwell, then news spread that he may be dead,” says Dwivedi. For someone who had covered sports all his professional life, reporting on a crime scene was challenging, he adds. “It was interesting and challenging because it was a foreign country and we had no sources to speak to. It was during dinner with other journalists that we were told about the conference in which the police said that it was an unnatural death,” says Dwivedi. With the entire world’s media covering the story, the pressure to get it right was big. Dwivedi kept close to the facts.

SHOMA CHAUDHURY

TEHELKA

Film and Television (Print)

In an age when you know everything you want to—or don’t want to—about a celebrity, how does one bring freshness to an interview with the stars? Chaudhury managed the impossible in her interviews with Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, talking on subjects ranging from journalism to politics to Islam.

“I was clear that I did not want to cover the same ground and follow stereotypes in the interviews. I was looking mostly for definitive episodes in their lives. They are both media saturated public figures and both are very clever. So it is difficult to be personal and contemplative with them,” says Chaudhury. But she managed to be both.

Nidhi Razdan

NDTV

Reporting on J&K (Broadcast)

When Nidhi Razdan was working on ‘A new Kashmir’, a series on the youngsters in Kashmir and their aspirations, the challenge lay in “capturing the complexities of their lives and translating it through video, for nothing is black and white in Kashmir.” What followed was an “eye-opener”.

Like in any other state, the youth of Kashmir wanted to move on. They wanted jobs, they wanted development. Razdan...
says that while filming the series, she realised that though the Kashmiri youth did not really like India, they had had enough of the principle of separatism and the ensuing violence. The residents came out openly to meet her and to answer her questions, to share their dreams and aspirations, Razdan says.

Mridu Bhandari

CNN-IBN

Uncovering Invisible India (Broadcast)

In her series on child labour for CNN-IBN, Bhandari looked beyond the obvious. So instead of going to factories, she walked into the homes of children, where she found shocking cases of exploitation. “We ran a series on the eve of Children’s Day focusing on the bangle industry in Ferozabad, the brass industry in Moradabad and carpet weaving in Mirzapur. We found children between five and 14 working from their homes, where their parents got them to do the work,” says Bhandari. Her story on women manual scavengers in the villages of Madhya Pradesh was another narrative that was waiting to be told. “Two decades after manual scavenging was banned, it is rampant in the villages of Madhya Pradesh, where lower caste women have failed to get out of the trap,” says Bhandari. Bhandari is now associate producer, ET Now .

Swati Thiyagarajan

NDTV

Environment (Broadcast)

In her long career in wildlife journalism, Thiyagarajan was no stranger to Orissa and its wildlife. She was shocked when she learnt that as many as nine elephants were electrocuted in the state in 2007. “I went to the Keonjhar area to find that wild elephants and tribals were locked in a battle not of their making. The conflict never existed before. It was because of mining. Elephant corridors had been shut off.” For the story, she and her cameraperson parked themselves in paddy fields. “There was a risk involved, yes,” she says . Now based in South Africa, Thiyagarajan is exploring wildlife conservation strategies in Africa.

Vaishali Sood

CNN-IBN

Film and Television (broadcast)

In a report called The 70-mm Myth, Vaishali Sood exposed the dark underbelly of the glamour industry. She showed exploitation in Bollywood featuring line workers like spot boys, production crew and extras and also musicians and actors. “Production houses make these people work for hours on end and then there are stories of actors and workers fainting on the sets. We felt that sometimes in our coverage we tend to ignore the darker aspects of film making, focusing only on the glitz and glamour instead,” says Sood, an associate features editor with CNN-IBN

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word power: Improve your English

Do pigs fly? Well, Gwen and Steve Howell's pig does. Scarlett loves to jump on their trampoline at the family home on Airedale Farm in Shropshire
PISCATORIAL : (adj.) relating to or characteristic of the activity of fishing; usage : He was quite satisfied with his piscatorial life.

SOOTHSAYER : (noun) someone who makes predictions of the future (usually on the basis of special knowledge); synonyms : forecaster,predictor


PRIVATION : (noun) act of depriving someone of food or money or rights; usage : nutritional privation; synonyms : deprivation

EUTHANASIA : (noun) the act of killing someone painlessly (especially someone suffering from an incurable illness); synonyms : mercy killing

SANGUINARY : (adj.) marked by eagerness to resort to violence and bloodshed; synonyms : bloodthirsty , bloody-minded;


SQUEAMISH : (adj.) excessively fastidious and easily disgusted; usage :so squeamish he would only touch the toilet handle with his elbow;

TRENCHANT : (adj.) clearly or sharply defined to the mind; Ex :trenchant distinctions between right and wrong; Synonyms : clear-cut,distinct

Usage : He hoped his claims would have a semblance of authenticity

SEMBLANCE : (n) an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading; synonyms : color , colour , gloss

SCRIMMAGE : (n) a noisy riotous fight; Synonyms : battle royal, melee; Usage : letting out a shrill war cry, he plunged into the scrimmage.

LANGUID : (adj.) lacking spirit or liveliness; Synonyms : dreamy , lackadaisical , languorous; Usage : a languid mood

LUDICROUS : (adj.) broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce; Synonyms : farcical , ridiculous; Usage : ludicrous green hair


INSOLENCE : (n) the trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take liberties; usage : She had a lot of insolence in her.

FOOLHARDY : (adj.) marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences; foolhardy enough to try to seize the gun from the hijacker

IMPECCABLE : (adj.) without fault or error; usage :speaks impeccable French; synonyms : faultless , immaculate - by MnemonicDictionary.com

IMMACULATE : (adj.) completely neat and clean; usage : the apartment was immaculate; synonyms : speckless , spic , spic-and-span , spick

GERMANE : (adj.) relevant and appropriate; usage : He asks questions that are germane and central to the issue. by MnemonicDictionary.com

IMPREGNABLE : (adj.) incapable of being overcome, challenged or refuted; Usage : an impregnable argument; synonyms : inexpugnable

MUNIFICENT : (adj.) very generous; Synonyms : lavish,overgenerous, too-generous,unsparing,unstinted,unstinting; Usage : a munificent gift

FOIBLE (n) a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual; Usage : His eccentric mannerisms made him notorious.

INKLING : (n) a slight suggestion or vague understanding; Usage : he had no inkling what was about to happen. synonyms : glimmer, glimmering

PLIABLE : (adj.) able to adjust readily to different conditions; synonyms:elastic, flexible,pliant; she took advantage of his pliant nature.

GARGANTUAN : (adj.) of great mass; huge and bulky; synonyms : elephantine , giant , jumbo; usage : a gargantuan jet -by Mnemonic Dictionary

NOSTRUM : (n) hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists; synonyms : catholicon , cure-all , panacea

COMMEMORATE : (v)be or provide a memorial to a person or an event; - This sculpture commemorates the victims of the concentration camps.

CALLOUS : (v) make insensitive or callous; deaden feelings or morals; usage : Ravi makes callous statements about his step mother.

DEXTEROUS : (adj.) skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands; usage :dexterous of hand and inventive of mind; synonyms : deft

PROGENITOR : (noun) an ancestor in the direct line; Mrs. Smith believes King George to be her progenitor! by MnemonicDictionary.com

SULTRY : (adj.) characterized by oppressive heat and humidity; usage :the summer was sultry and oppressive; synonyms : stifling, sulfurous

proletariat (n) : the class of workers, esp. industrial wage earners, who do not possess capital and must sell their labor to survive

TOUT : (v) show off; synonyms : blow, bluster, boast , brag, shoot a line, swash, vaunt; He had a tendency to tout about his adventures

PROVENDER : (n) a stock or supply of foods; synonyms : commissariat , provisions , viands , victuals

INCOGNITO : (adv) without revealing one's identity; in Holland he lived incognito as a carpenter in the shipyards of the East India company



Some examples of the mistakes which are often encountered are:-

***

butterfly

diktat: an authoritative decree or order.

sinuous: having many curves, bends, or turns; winding; also, indirect; devious

lovat [LUHV-uht]: a grayish blend of colors, esp. of green, used in textiles, as for plaids

predilection: an established preference

traduce: to vilify


innocuous: harmless; also, unlikely to offend or provoke.

orthography [awr-THOG-ruh-fee]: the art or study of correct spelling according to established usage

lexis [lek-sis]: the vocabulary of a language, as distinct from its grammar; lexicon.

redolent: having or exuding fragrance; also, evocative, reminiscent.

penultimate [pi-NUHL-tuh-mit]: next to last

glib: performed with a natural ease, also, readily fluent, often thoughtlessly or insincerely so.

fetor: a strong, offensive smell

bardolatry: the idolization of William Shakespeare

agio: premium on money in exchange or an allowance given or taken on exchange from other countries.

pukka: genuine, authentic, or good; proper.

pluvial: relating to rain; rainy. (Geology) formed by abundant rainfall; also, an extended period of abundant rainfall.

jouk [jook]: a sudden, elusive movement; also, to dodge or duck
discombobulate [dis-kuhm-BOB-yuh-leyt]: to throw into a state of confusion.

cavort: to bound or prance about

mig: a playing marble, esp. one that is not used as a shooter

assiduous: constant in application or attention.

haku [HAH-koo]: (in Hawaii) a crown of fresh flowers

eldritch: unearthly; weird; eerie.

avaricious [av-uh-RISH-uhs]: immoderately desirous of wealth or gain; greedy.

ort [awrt]: a small scrap or leaving of food after a meal is completed. Often in the plural

cognoscente: a person with special knowledge


jorum [JAWR-uhm, JOHR-uhm]: large drinking bowl; also, the amount that such a bowl contains

equivocate: to be deliberately ambiguous or unclear

tchotchke: a trinket; a knickknack

farrago: an assortment; a medley

alacrity: a cheerful readiness, willingness, or promptness

curmudgeon [ker-MUHJ-uh n]: an ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions

qiviut: the soft wool lying beneath the long coat of the musk ox, used in making fabrics

efficacious: producing, or capable of producing, a desired effect.

didgeridoo: musical instrument of Australian Aborigines composed of a long hollow branch or stick.

bumf [buhmf]: 1. memorandum, official notices, or the like. 2. (Slang) toilet paper

logorrhea: excessive talkativeness.

ut [uht, oot]: (Music) syllable once generally used for the first tone or keynote of a scale.

lucubration: laborious work, study, thought, etc., esp. at night.

crapulous: sick from, or marked by, excessive drinking

bucolic: rustic; pastoral

inure: to make used to; also, to take or have effect

nudnik [NOOD-nik]: a persistently dull, boring pest

grok: to understand profoundly through intuition or empathy



defenestration [dee-fen-uh-STREY-shuhn]: the act of throwing a thing or esp. a person out of a window.

pugnacious [puhg-NEY-shuhs]: combative in nature; quarrelsome.

jugum: an anatomical ridge or groove connecting two structures

noisome: offensive or disgusting; also, harmful; unwholesome

gongoozler: an idle spectator, esp. one who stares for a long time at something

prow [prou]: the front the forepart of a ship or boat; bow.

malapropism: the usually unintentionally humorous misuse of a word

somniferous [som-NIF-er-uhs]: inducing sleep.

pandiculation [pan-dik-yuh-LEY-shuhn]: the act of stretching oneself.

foin: a thrust with a pointed weapon; also, to thrust with a pointed weapon; lunge

refulgent: brilliant; resplendent

awl: a pointed instrument for piercing small holes in leather, wood, etc.

sacrosanct: sacred; inviolable

acquiesce: to accept or consent passively or without objection.

voluptuary: a person devoted to luxury and the gratification of sensual appetites.

nincompoop: a fool or simpleton

veery [VEER-ee]: a thrush (bird) common in the eastern and northern US, noted for its song.

gadabout: one who roams about in search of amusement or social activity

crwth [krooth]: an ancient Celtic stringed instrument that was bowed or plucked


Have nothing interesting to do this weekend? Melody queen and a movie buff Lata Mangeshkar lists down 5 of her fave films you could watch.

carom: to strike and rebound; also, a glancing off

deipnosophist [dahyp-NOS-uh-fist]: someone who is skilled in table talk

qanat: a gently sloping underground tunnel for irrigation purposes, esp. in ancient Persia.


abecedarian: pertaining to the alphabet; also, rudimentary; also, a beginner

kylix: A shallow, stemmed, two-handled drinking cup of ancient Greece

fecund: fruitful; prolific; also, marked by intellectual productivity.

mura [MOOR-uh]: (in Japan) a village

interlocutor: a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue

chary: wary; cautious

flimflam: 1. (noun) nonsense; also, a deception; a swindle. 2. (verb) to swindle or cheat.

dewlap: a pendulous fold of skin under the throat of a bovine animal

zebu: a domesticated ox (Bos indicus) having a prominent hump on the back and a large dewlap.

delectation: great pleasure; delight.

bis: again (used as an enthusiastic call for the repetition of a musical performance)

ameliorate: to make or grow better.


gaucherie: a socially awkward or tactless act; also, lack of tact.

hirsute [HUR-soot, hur-SOOT]: covered with hair; hairy.

ulu [OO-loo]: Eskimo knife with a broad, nearly semicircular blade joined to a short haft.

beneficent [buh-NEF-uh-suhnt]: doing good or causing good to be done; conferring benefits; kindly in action or purpose.

aalii [ah-LEE-ee]: a tropical shrub with sticky foliage.

adjuvant: serving to help or assist; auxiliary; also, a person or thing that aids or helps

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humdinger
–noun Informal. a person, thing, action, or statement of remarkable excellence or effect.

Exodus
–noun 1. a going out; a departure or emigration, usually of a large number of people: the summer exodus to the country and shore.
2. the Exodus, the departure of the Israelites from Egypt under Moses.
3. (initial capital letter) the second book of the Bible, containing an account of the Exodus.

battle of wits - a contest in which intelligence rather than violence is used

downplay - represent as less significant or important

play down
To minimize the importance of; make little of: played down the defect to protect the troops' morale.


make the cut
verb

1. (idiom) To succeed; to be chosen out of a field of candidates or possibilities.

Out of a pool of twenty applicants, only 3 made the cut.
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Idiom Definitions for 'Up the ante'
If you up the ante, you increase the importance or value of something, especially where there's an element of risk as the term comes from gambling, where it means to increase the stake (the amount of money bet).


Loiter: wait, hang around, linger, dally, lurk, skulk, dawdle, loaf
Undercurrent: hint, suggestion, trace, tinge, air, feeling, connotation, nuance
Plank: board, flat timber, floorboard, piece of wood, lath
Ignite: catch fire, catch light, go up in flames, burst into flames, set fire to, light, put a march to (antonym: go out)
Tout: advertise, hype, flaunt, push, plug, publicize, peddle, ballyhoo
Ineptitude: incompetence, clumsiness, uselessness, ineffectiveness, lack of ability, lack of skill (Antonym: competence)
Wrath: anger, rage, fury
Vulnerable: susceptible, weak, defenseless, helpless, open,
Ordain: order, decree, proclaim, lay down, command, establish
Disgruntle: dissatisfy, displease, disappoint, frustrate (antonym: satisfy)
Cliché: chestnut, truism, formula, line
Ethereal: ghostly, otherworldly, unearthly, wraithlike, eerie, delicate, insubstantial, airy
Defiant: disobedient, insolent, insubordinate, rebellious, bold, (Antonym: meek, compliant)
String: cord, thread, filament, twine, rope, sequence, series, run
Flux: fluctuation, change, instability, unrest, (antonym: stability)
Subtle: slight, delicate, faint, restrained, fine, understand, (antonym: obvious)
Blueprint: plan, drawing, design, proposal, outline, draft
Subservient: submissive, obedient, compliant, acquiescent, docile, deferential, passive, meek
Buckle: clasp, clip, fastener, collapse, crumple, cave in, bulge, fold
Gullible: naïve, susceptible, easy to fool, easy to fleece, innocent, trusting, credulous, (antonym: smart)
Prowl: stalk, lurk, skulk, hang around, lie in waiting, creep around, hang about
Savor: relish, enjoy, delight in, take pleasure in, appreciate, value, taste, smell
Boom: bang, roar, explosion, rumble, report, detonation, thunder
Cache: hoard, store, supply, accumulation, reserve, collection
Rebuff: rejection, refusal, snub, slighting, denial, refuse, reject, repulse
Eventuality: possibility, chance, prospect, possible event, possible occurrence, contingency
Carnival: festival, celebration, street party, fair, fete, parade, pageant, cavalcade
Orchestrate: arrange, coordinate, organize, plan, devise, scheme
Premise: basis, principle, idea, foundation, argument, hypothesis, assertion, ground
Dismantle: take to pieces, take apart (antonym: assemble)
Face-off: argument, confrontation, showdown, challenge, first play
Toll: fee, charge, tax, levy, payment, duty, excise, ring
Effervescent: fizzy, sparkling, bubbly, bubbling, lively, vibrant, bouncy (antonym: still)
Shambles: mess, muddle, dump, hash, fiasco, disaster, shamble
Squalid: filthy, dirty, foul, nasty, fetid, unclean, neglected, (antonym: clean)
Stuff: material, substance, matter, things, objects, bits and pieces, possessions, belongings
Rift: crack, gap, hole, fissure, split, crevice, cleft, aperture
Relegation: demotion, downgrading, (antonym: promotion)
Exude: give off, radiate, display, show, convey, emanate, give out (antonym: absorb)
Rumpled: unkempt, ragged, shabby, scruffy, bedraggled, disheveled, (antonym: smart)
Hedonistic: self-indulgent, riotous, wild, pleasure seeking, self gratifying
Recliner: adjustable seat, lounger

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hoo·li·gan
–noun 1. a ruffian or hoodlum.
–adjective 2. of or like hooligans.

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hol·o·caust

–noun 1. a great or complete devastation or destruction, esp. by fire.
2. a sacrifice completely consumed by fire; burnt offering.
3. (usually initial capital letter) the systematic mass slaughter of European Jews in Nazi concentration camps during World War II (usually prec. by the).
4. any mass slaughter or reckless destruction of life.
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tooth·y

–adjective, tooth·i·er, tooth·i·est. 1. having or displaying conspicuous teeth: a toothy smile.
2. savory; appetizing; toothsome.
3. possessing a rough surface: toothy paper.
4. Archaic. sharp or caustic: toothy commentary.
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stick to your guns:-
If you stick to your guns, you keep your position even though people attack or criticise you.

kit·ten

–noun 1. a young cat.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object) 2. (of cats) to give birth; bear.
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en·snare

–verb (used with object), -snared, -snar·ing. to capture in, or involve as in, a snare: to be ensnared by lies; to ensnare birds.

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con·trar·i·an

–noun a person who takes an opposing view, esp. one who rejects the majority opinion, as in economic matters.

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hal·lu·ci·na·tion

–noun 1. a sensory experience of something that does not exist outside the mind, caused by various physical and mental disorders, or by reaction to certain toxic substances, and usually manifested as visual or auditory images.
2. the sensation caused by a hallucinatory condition or the object or scene visualized.
3. a false notion, belief, or impression; illusion; delusion
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pun·gent
–adjective 1. sharply affecting the organs of taste or smell, as if by a penetrating power; biting; acrid.
2. acutely distressing to the feelings or mind; poignant.
3. caustic, biting, or sharply expressive: pungent remarks.
4. mentally stimulating or appealing: pungent wit.
5. Biology. piercing or sharp-pointed.

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mis·giv·ing

–noun Often, misgivings. a feeling of doubt, distrust, or apprehension
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o·ver·whelm

–verb (used with object) 1. to overcome completely in mind or feeling: overwhelmed by remorse.
2. to overpower or overcome, esp. with superior forces; destroy; crush: Roman troops were overwhelmed by barbarians.
3. to cover or bury beneath a mass of something, as floodwaters, debris, or an avalanche; submerge: Lava from erupting Vesuvius overwhelmed the city of Pompeii.
4. to load, heap, treat, or address with an overpowering or excessive amount of anything: a child overwhelmed with presents; to overwhelm someone with questions.
5. to overthrow.

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buy·out

–noun an act or instance of buying out, esp. of buying all or a controlling percentage of the shares in a company.
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ren·e·gade

–noun 1. a person who deserts a party or cause for another.
2. an apostate from a religious faith.
–adjective 3. of or like a renegade; traitorous.

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paedophile :an adult who is sexually attracted to children [syn: pedophile]

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bon·kers

–adjective Slang. mentally unbalanced; mad; crazy.
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em·bel·lish·ment

–noun 1. an ornament or decoration.
2. a fictitious addition, as to a factual statement.
3. Music. a. ornament (def. 8).
b. auxiliary tone.

4. the act of embellishing.
5. state of being embellished.
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chiv·al·ry
–noun, plural -ries for 6.
1. the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms.
2. the rules and customs of medieval knighthood.
3. the medieval system or institution of knighthood.
4. a group of knights.
5. gallant warriors or gentlemen: fair ladies and noble chivalry.
6. Archaic. a chivalrous act; gallant deed.

"Cash is king" is a cliched expression sometimes used in analyzing businesses; it refers to the importance of cash flow in the overall fiscal health of the business. The phrase is a favorite of Alex Spanos and has sometimes appeared in Motley Fool articles and commentaries. It describes the importance of sufficient cash as an asset in the business for short term operations, purchases and acquisitions. A company could have a large amount of accounts receivables on its balance sheet which would also increase equity, but the company could still be short on cash with which to make purchases, including paying wages to workers for labor. Unless it was able to convert its accounts receivable and other current assets to cash quickly, it could be technically bankrupt despite a positive net worth.

India’s Muslims are the second-largest Muslim community in the world after Indonesia.


AP tops in lock-up death:- Andhra Pradesh has acquired the dubious distinction of recording the highest number of custodial death cases in the country during 2005-07, accounting for more than 55 per cent of such cases in India.

The Times of India received one of the world’s leading media awards for simple and effective use of English. TOI recently became Asia’s first paper to get Britain’s Plain English Campaign International Media award for 2008 for clarity in news and reporting. The award has previously gone to BBC Online, The Guardian and Financial Times.


Buzz: hum, drone, murmer, telephone call, phone call, ring, noise, buzzing

Alacrity: eagerness, enthusiasm, readiness, quickness, promptness, speed, swiftness, rapidness

Hue and cry: uproar, furor, discontent, public outcry, public outrage, protest

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." - Henry Davi thor

“Frequently, the difference between success and failure is the resolve to stick to your

plan long enough to win. - David Cottrell


“Teamwork is the ability to work together towards a common vision.

It’s the fuel that allows common people obtain uncommon results.” - Andrew Cargegie


“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities.

They vary in their desires to reach their potential.” - John Maxwell

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The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. - Harvey
S Firestone.

WORD POWER: words commonly used in the media
Poetic justice is a literary device in which virtue is ultimately rewarded or vice punished, often in modern literature by an ironic twist of fate intimately related to the character's own conduct. In Western literature, the structure of poetry, prose and drama to have justice originates in Aristotle's Poetics. Aristotle says that poetry is superior to history in that it shows what should or must occur, rather than merely what does occur.

Pound of flesh

something which is owed that is ruthlessly required to be paid back.

hand·ful

–noun, plural -fuls. 1. the quantity or amount that the hand can hold: a handful of coins.
2. a small amount, number, or quantity: a handful of men.
3. Informal. a person or thing that is as much as one can manage or control: The baby's tantrums made him a handful.
============
To "make a mountain out of a molehill" or "making a mountain out of a molehill" is an English idiom which means to make a big deal out of a minor issue.

boo·mer·ang

–noun 1. a bent or curved piece of tough wood used by the Australian Aborigines as a throwing club, one form of which can be thrown so as to return to the thrower.
2. something, as a scheme or argument, that does injury to the originator.
3. Theater. a. a mobile platform, adjustable to different levels, for painting scenery.
b. a batten, usually suspended vertically in the wings, for holding lighting units.

–verb (used without object) 4. to come back or return, as a boomerang.
5. to cause harm to the originator; backfire.

==========
Pound of flesh
Something which is owed that is ruthlessly required to be paid back.
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lim·bo 1 (lim'bo) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. lim·bos

often Limbo Roman Catholic Church The abode of unbaptized but innocent or righteous souls, as those of infants or virtuous individuals who lived before the coming of Christ.
A region or condition of oblivion or neglect: Management kept her promotion in limbo for months.
A state or place of confinement.
An intermediate place or state.

dole1 /do?l/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [dohl] Show IPA Pronunciation
noun, verb, doled, dol·ing.
–noun 1. a portion or allotment of money, food, etc., esp. as given at regular intervals by a charity or for maintenance.
2. a dealing out or distributing, esp. in charity.
3. a form of payment to the unemployed instituted by the British government in 1918.
4. any similar payment by a government to an unemployed person.
5. Archaic. one's fate or destiny.
–verb (used with object) 6. to distribute in charity.
7. to give out sparingly or in small quantities (usually fol. by out): The last of the water was doled out to the thirsty crew.
—Idiom8. on the dole, receiving payment from the government, as relief: They couldn't afford any luxuries while living on the dole.
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gaddi

noun
a cushion on a throne for a prince in India

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geek Slang.
–noun 1. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.
2. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used by outsiders.)
3. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

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tu·mul·tu·ous /tu'm?lt?u?s, tyu-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [too-muhl-choo-uhs, tyoo-] Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective 1. full of tumult or riotousness; marked by disturbance and uproar: a tumultuous celebration.
2. raising a great clatter and commotion; disorderly or noisy: a tumultuous crowd of students.
3. highly agitated, as the mind or emotions; distraught; turbulent.

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tat·ter1 /'tæt?r/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [tat-er] Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun 1. a torn piece hanging loose from the main part, as of a garment or flag.
2. a separate torn piece; shred.
3. tatters, torn or ragged clothing: dressed in rags and tatters.
–verb (used with object) 4. to tear or wear to tatters.
–verb (used without object) 5. to become ragged.
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cut no ice : to fail to make an impression

cut no ice with someone
if something cuts no ice with someone, it does not cause them to change their opinion or decision. I've heard her excuses and they cut no ice with me.
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hum·bug
/'h?m?b?g/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [huhm-buhg] Show IPA Pronunciation
noun, verb, -bugged, -bug·ging, interjection
–noun
1. something intended to delude or deceive.
2. the quality of falseness or deception.
3. a person who is not what he or she claims or pretends to be; impostor.
4. something devoid of sense or meaning; nonsense: a humbug of technical jargon.
5. British. a variety of hard mint candy.
–verb (used with object)
6. to impose upon by humbug or false pretense; delude; deceive.
–verb (used without object)
7. to practice humbug.
–interjection
8. nonsense!



sump·tu·ous

–adjective 1. entailing great expense, as from choice materials, fine work, etc.; costly: a sumptuous residence.
2. luxuriously fine or large; lavish; splendid: a sumptuous feast.



PR fans, partymen clash
http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/22/stories/2008112255590800.htm


strand 1 (strand) Pronunciation Key
n. The land bordering a body of water; a beach.
v. strand·ed, strand·ing, strands

v. tr.

To drive or run ashore or aground.
To bring into or leave in a difficult or helpless position: The convoy was stranded in the desert.
Baseball To leave (a base runner) on base at the end of an inning.
Linguistics To separate (a grammatical element) from other elements in a construction, either by moving it out of the construction or moving the rest of the construction. In the sentence What are you aiming at, the preposition at has been stranded.
v. intr.

To be driven or run ashore or aground.
To be brought into or left in a difficult or helpless position.

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kow·tow /'ka?'ta?, -?ta?, 'ko?-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kou-tou, -tou, koh-] Show IPA Pronunciation

–verb (used without object) 1. to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference.
2. to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology, etc., esp. in former Chinese custom.
–noun 3. the act of kowtowing.

The buck stops here

Meaning

Responsibility is not passed on beyond this point.

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in·con·tro·vert·i·ble
not controvertible; not open to question or dispute; indisputable: absolute and incontrovertible truth.

par·lous

–adjective
1. perilous; dangerous.
2. Obsolete. clever; shrewd.
–adverb
3. to a large extent; greatly.

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cyn·i·cal
/'s?n?k?l/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [sin-i-kuhl] Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1. like or characteristic of a cynic; distrusting or disparaging the motives of others.
2. showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty or morality by one's actions, esp. by actions that exploit the scruples of others.
3. bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic.


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hus·tings

1. (before 1872) the temporary platform on which candidates for the British Parliament stood when nominated and from which they addressed the electors.
2. any place from which political campaign speeches are made.
3. the political campaign trail.
4. Also called hustings court. a local court in certain parts of Virginia.
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strip·tease
1. a burlesque act in which a dancer removes garments one at a time to the accompaniment of music.
–verb (used without object)
2. to do a striptease.
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non·cha·lant
coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual: His nonchalant manner infuriated me.

singe

1. to burn superficially or slightly; scorch.
2. to burn the ends, projections, nap, or the like, of (hair, cloth, etc.).
3. to subject (the carcass of an animal or bird) to flame in order to remove hair, bristles, feathers, etc.
–noun
4. a superficial burn.
5. the act of singeing.

Manthan - Meaning. The name ‘Manthan’ is a Hindi word which means ‘to churn out something’


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take a leaf out of someone's book
to copy something that someone else does because it will bring you advantages. Maybe I should take a leaf out of Robert's book and start coming in at ten every morning.

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tu·te·lage
1. the act of guarding, protecting, or guiding; office or function of a guardian; guardianship.
2. instruction; teaching; guidance: His knowledge of Spanish increased under private tutelage.
3. the state of being under a guardian or a tutor.

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jin·go·ism
the spirit, policy, or practice of jingoes; bellicose chauvinism.

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below the belt
Not according to the rules; unfairly.

Altercation: argument, row, quarrel, disagreement, dispute, exchange, squabble, clash

Rebuff: rejection, refusal, snub, slighting, denial, repulse


womaniser

noun
a man who likes many women and has short sexual relationships with them

Pitch: playing field, area of plea, terrain, field, arena, ground, throw, hurl

cling1

1. to adhere closely; stick to: The wet paper clings to the glass.
2. to hold tight, as by grasping or embracing; cleave: The children clung to each other in the dark.
3. to be or remain close: The child clung to her mother's side.
4. to remain attached, as to an idea, hope, memory, etc.: Despite the predictions, the candidate clung to the belief that he would be elected.
5. to cohere.
–noun 6. the act of clinging; adherence; attachment.


hilt

1. the handle of a sword or dagger.
2. the handle of any weapon or tool.
–verb (used with object) 3. to furnish with a hilt.
—Idiom4. to the hilt, to the maximum extent or degree; completely; fully: to play the role to the hilt. Also, up to the hilt.
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Wild goose chase: A hopeless quest.
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Word power: synonyms for words appeared in newspapers

Pitch: playing field, area of play, terrain, field, arena, ground, throw, hurl, chuck, lob, toss, fling, (antonym: catch), tone, highness, lowness, quality of sound, timbre, propose, sell, throw, offer, deliver, erect, set up, fix, plant, put up, place, (antonym: dismantle), sway, slope, move, teeter, lurch, roll, plunge

Notch: nick, indentation, cut, mark, slash, score, gash, scratch, level, grade, degree, step, stage, rung, achieve, score, get, make, attain, gain, accomplish

Vibrant: lively, vivacious, animated, exciting, pulsating, energetic, effervescent, alive, vital, bubbly, (antonym: listless), bright, vivid, brilliant, dazzling, flamboyant, colorful, luminous, day-glow, garish, glowing, lurid, (antonym: dull)

Wave: gesticulate, gesture, signal, beckon, gesture, signal, sign, brandish, flourish, wield, wag, shake, flail, flutter, flap, sway, undulate, breaker, ripple, surge, surf, swell, upsurge, groundswell, tendency, trend, movement, surge, flood, rash, spate, outbreak, epidemic, series, flood, eruption, current, surge, impulse, oscillation, undulation, curl, kink, undulation.

Bickering: internal strife, backbiting, squabbling, wrangling, power struggle

Squabbling: internal strife, backbiting, bickering, wrangling, power struggle

Slighted: affronted, insulted, hurt, upset, snubbed

Caustic: scathing, cutting, biting, sarcastic, mordant, acerbic, acid, sharp, razor sharp, unkind, (antonym: mild), corrosive, acid, acidic

Augment: supplement, add to, enlarge, expand, enhance, increase, boost, bump up, (antonym: diminish)
Acrimony: bitterness, spite, rancor, animosity, hostility, unfriendliness, ill will, bad blood, bad feeling, (antonym: harmony)

Realm: kingdom, monarchy, dominion, empire, land, territory, area, sphere, field, ambit, space, domain, jurisdiction, department, branch

Rider: proviso, qualification, provision, condition, stipulation, requirement, criterion, clause, specification, prerequisite, disclaimer

Renaissance: rebirth, new start, new beginning, resurgence, revitalization, revival, regeneration, recovery, reawakening, (antonym: decline)

Fuss: commotion, excitement, argument, bother, upheaval, to-do, protest, ruckus, objection, ado, bustle, activity, quarrel, spat, controversy, complaint, fret, worry, be anxious, nag, be agitated

Deft: skillful, adroit, clever, smart, nifty, neat, nimble, dexterous, precise, adept (antonym: clumsy)

Cipher: code, secret message, symbols, nobody, nonentity, nothing, zero
Unbridled: unrestrained, uncontrolled, uninhibited, unconcealed, unchecked, rampant, (antonym: contained)

Humbug: hypocrisy, insincerity, false piety, lip service, (antonym: sincerity)

Embedded: entrenched, fixed, rooted, surrounded, set in, implanted

Report: coverage, treatment, exposure

Conflict: disagreement, clash, divergence, difference, argument, variance, quarrel, inconsistency, discord, contraction, dispute, tension, controversy, fracas, (antonym: concord) (antonym: convergence), battle, fight, war, struggle, encounter, skirmish, clash, (antonym: peace), be at odds, be at variance, be incompatible, differ, diverge (antonym: concur)
Calamity: disaster, catastrophe, mishap, misfortune, tragedy, blow
Disaster: tragedy, ruin, blow, adversity, catastrophe, calamity, failure, debacle, misfortune, mess (antonym: success)
Issue: subject, matter, question, topic, concern, problem, copy, number, edition, installment, back issue, back number, back copy, give out, hand out, deliver, distribute, supply, deal out, production, release, distribution, circulation, publication, delivery, publish, release, broadcast, put out, send out, announce, make, originate, stem, come forth, spring, rise, arise, emanate, emerge, issue forth, gush, flow, come out
Development: growth, expansion, progress, advance, increase, maturity, enlargement, improvement, (antonym: decrease), training, education, advancement, promotion, expansion, enhancement, event, happening, occurrence, change, incident, stage

Editorial: leader, editorial column, viewpoint, perspective
Concept: idea, notion, thought, perception, impression, conception, theory, model, hypothesis, view, belief
Policy: rule, strategy, plan, guiding principle, course of action, guidelines, procedure, document, certificate, statement
Conference: meeting, discussion, talks, consultation, symposium, seminar, forum, convention, meeting, congress, summit, league, association, alliance, union, federation
Feature: characteristic, trait, mark, attribute, quality, facet, aspect, element, highlight, countenance, include, present, introduce, bring out, highlight, bring forward, article, piece, story, report, item, figure, appear, be included, star, play a part

Column: article, feature, editorial, piece, paragraph, line, file, row, string, procession, rank, pillar, pilaster, post, support, stake, pole

Rejuvenate: revitalize, invigorate, revive, make younger, revivify, refresh, renew, restore
Achieve: attain, get, realize, accomplish, reach, do, complete, pull off (antonym: fail)
Workshop: clinic, seminar, practicum, class, meeting
Mission: assignment, task, job, work, charge, undertaking, duty, operation, exercise, delegation, deputation, task force, legation, group, embassy, calling, vocation, purpose, goal, aim, objective, duty
Desired: preferred, pet, much loved, beloved, most wanted
Results: consequences, fallout, outcome, domino effect
Dream: vision, daydream, reverie, nightmare, hallucination, delusion, trance, (antonym: reality), fantasy, pipe dream, castle, in the sky, aspiration, wish, goal, hope, ambition, desire, fantasize, visualize, imagine, fancy, envisage, hallucinate, think, delight, joy, pleasure, marvel, ideal (antonym: nightmare)
Realize: understand, comprehend, become conscious, appreciate, grasp, apprehend, recognize, take in, make real, fulfill, achieve, accomplish, carry out, bring to fruition, make happen, complete, reach, attain
Contribute: add, give, donate, make a payment, supply, put in, have a say, add, throw in, say, be a factor, be part of the cause, play a part, play a role
Appeal: plea, petition, application, demand, request, call, request, ask, plead, demand, urge, petition, call, charm, attractiveness, attraction, allure, influence, draw, pull, interest, fascination, temptation, (antonym: repulsion), attract, interest, fascinate, charm, tempt, please, draw, pull, grab (antonym: repel)
Produce: create, make, manufacture, construct, fabricate, bring into being, turn out, generate, give, give off, yield, churn out, be the source of engender, emit, supply, deliver, crop, foodstuffs, harvest, products, goods, food, yield
Campaign: movement, crusade, operation, drive, fight, battle, war, promotion, fight, work, push, struggle, canvass, battle, run for election
Reiterate: repeat, say again, go over, restate, do again, recap, retell
Fertile: lush, productive, abundant, rich, fruitful, productive, prolific, lush, fruitful, luxuriant, rich, bountiful, fecund
Security: safety, refuge, sanctuary, safekeeping, safety measures, defense, protection, precautions, confidence, wellbeing, self-assurance, self-confidence, collateral, guarantee
Diversion: distraction, entertainment, pastime, hobby, leisure activity, amusement, recreation, change, alteration, departure, digression
Prominently: highly, importantly, outstandingly, significantly, notably
Ban: forbid, outlaw, prohibit, veto, bar, proscribe, disallow, interdict, prohibition, veto, bar, injunction, court order, embargo, sanction, interdict
Essential: necessary, vital, indispensable, important, crucial, critical, fundamental, basic, elemental, key, central, chief
Alarming: disturbing, upsetting, frightening, distressing, shocking, startling, disquieting
Hope: expect, trust, anticipate, wish, look forward to, expectation, optimism, anticipation, faith, hopefulness, (antonym: despair), desire, aspiration, dream, expectation, plan, wish, chance, prospect, likelihood, possibility, look-in,
Express: state, articulate, utter, communicate, put across, convey, say, fast, rapid, direct, nonstop, prompt, precise, definite, explicit, exact, specific, squeeze out, extract, press out
Effect: result, consequence, outcome, upshot, end product, achieve, cause, produce, bring about, realize, provoke, prompt, stimulate, make, get done, make happen, bring into being, appearance, look, impression, air
Bid: offer, proposal, proposition, tender, submission, tender, offer, propose, submit, proffer, attempt, try, effort, undertaking, endeavor, try, attempt, undertake, endeavor
Move: go, shift, budge, stir, be in motion, move about, travel, progress, walk, step, jump, run, turn, dance, reposition, shift, shove, push, pull, rearrange, transfer, transport, shuffle, redistribute, (antonym: leave), change, transfer, progress, relocate, refocus, redeploy, (antonym: stay), attempt, effort, step, start, action, shift, step, realignment, rearrangement, repositioning, relocation, change, cause, provoke, persuade, encourage, prod, nudge
Spot: mark, blemish, stain, smudge, speck, dot, pimple, pustule, boil, blackhead, whitehead, blocked pore, zit, notice, see, spy, recognize, catch a glimpse of, catch sight of, perceive, bit, soupcon, tad, touch, smidgen, dash, place, location, site, setting, corner, situation, position, point
Adventure: escapade, exploit, quest, venture, exciting activity, journey, exploration, voyage: journey, trip expedition, passage, crossing, cruise, flight, tour, travel, journey, go on a journey, cross, trek, sail, cruise, tour
Accelerate: go faster, speed up, increase speed, gather speed, pick up the pace, hurry, hasten, step up, quicken, rush, (antonym: slow down)
Preliminary: beginning, first round, introduction, opening, groundwork, preface, prelude, (antonym: finale), initial, first, opening, pilot, introductory, (antonym: closing)
Submit: present, put forward, propose, tender, offer, suggest, (antonym: withdraw), surrender, give in, yield, accept, agree to, acquiesce, succumb, resign yourself to (antonym: resist)
Intent: intention, aim, goal, target, objective, plan, meaning, purpose, concentrating, absorbed, focused, directed, fixed, rapt, engaged

Liberal: open-minded, broadminded, moderate, noninterventionist, freethinking, tolerant, laissez-faire, (antonym: narrow-minded), generous, copious, abundant,
Note: letter, memo, memorandum, message, communication, reminder, make a note of, note down, write down, record, jot down, log, write, document, notice, take note of , take notice of, take in, observe, be aware of (antonym: disregard), footnote, annotation, comment, addendum, commentary, observe, see, remark, mention, tone, edge, tinge, shade, hint, suggestion.
Inequality: disparity, dissimilarity, variation, difference, discrimination, unfairness, inequity, disproportion, (antonym: equality)
Comparatively: moderately, reasonably, relatively, fairly, rather, somewhat (antonym: absolutely)
Opinion: view, estimation, belief, judgment, attitude, outlook

Perception: insight, awareness, acuity, discernment, observation, sensitivity, view, opinion, picture, reading, take on, slant, assessment, experience

Alleviate: ease, lessen, assuage, improve, lighten, (antonym: aggravate)
Perform: do, carry out, execute, achieve, make, act upon, complete, present, act, play, put on, stage, do, function, work, act, go, run, operate
Instance: example, case, case in point, occurrence, illustration, occasion, request, order, demand, command, insistence

Verdict: decision, judgment, finding, result, outcome, ruling, decree, conclusion.

Ensure: make sure, make certain, guarantee

Hamper: basket, picnic basket, hinder, obstruct, get in the way, impede, slow down, weigh down, hold back, fetter, shackle, encumber, debilitate, (antonym: facilitate)
Backlog: accumulation, build up, excess, surfeit, log jam
Position: place, location, site, spot, point, situation, arrangement, pose, stance, attitude, posture, put, place, locate, stand, sit, set, arrange, rank, title, status, standing, station, importance, opinion, take, stance, view, perception, side, attitude, thinking, outlook, standpoint

Strategic: planned, tactical, calculated, deliberate, premeditated, considered, intentional
Sweep: brush, sweep up, clean, clear, remove, flounce, brush off, brush away, speed, zoom, race, fly, zip, whiz, rush, (antonym: creep), carry, move, take, seize, grab, arc, curve, arch, bend, bow, scope, range, extent, span, stretch
Stump: base, stub, end, remains, remnant, puzzle, perplex, baffle, mystify, nonplus, bewilder, flummox, confound, confuse, bamboozle

Conceding: yielding, surrendering, granting, giving way, compromise

Blast: explosion, detonation, discharge, flash, flare, gust, blow up, explode, detonate, shoot, blow away, discharge, demolish, criticize, slate, attack, vilify, carpet, damage, blight, disfigure, burn, blister, scar, sear, scorch, party, rave, rave-up, ball, scream,
Testimony: indication, proof, evidence, witness, demonstration, statement, evidence, authentication, acknowledgement, declaration, affidavit, deposition
Celebrate: rejoice, have fun, have a good time, party, enjoy yourself, make merry, commemorate, observe, mark, keep, remember, honour
Theme: subject, topic, idea, subject matter, matter, argument, premise, thesis
Enact: pass, ratify, endorse, perform, act out

Spontaneously: impulsively, of your own accord, of your own volition, instinctively, on impulse, artlessly, suddenly, unexpectedly, all of a sudden, without warning
Script: writing, handwriting, characters, lettering, screenplay, play, libretto, draft, words, speech
Spectacular: stunning, impressive, amazing, fantastic, fabulous, extravagant, magnificent, brilliant, dramatic, dazzling, breathtaking, astonishing, marvelous, wonderful, exciting, incredible, (antonym: humdrum), huge, great, enormous, mighty, outstanding
Suggest: propose, put forward, put it to somebody, advise, recommend, advocate, imply, hint, insinuate, intimate, indicate, bring to mind, call to mind, evoke, hint at, conjure up, be redolent of, smack of
Integrated: included, incorporated
Warn: caution, advise, counsel, presage, inform, notify, tell, tip off, alert, forewarn, advise, tell, notify, let somebody know, give notice
Outline: draw round, sketch, draw, delineate, chart, (antonym: fill in), summarize, sketch out, delineate, run through, give a rough idea, make a rough draft, (antonym: expand), plan, rough draft, summary, sketch, rough idea, skeleton, framework, shape, form, figure, contour, silhouette, profile
Ghoulish: macabre, ghastly, grisly, chilling, gruesome, horrid, morbid, deathly
Butchery: slaughter, massacre, carnage, bloodshed, killing, bloodbath
Outrage: indignation, anger, rage, fury, ire, annoyance, infuriate, offend, insult, anger, enrage, affront.
Semblance: appearance, impression, air, resemblance, façade, veneer
Far-fetched: unbelievable, fantastic, implausible, mind-boggling, incredible, fanciful, unlikely, improbable.
Thrive: flourish, prosper, succeed, boom, blossom, increase (antonym: deteriorate)
Spur: urge, encourage, incite, prompt, stimulate, goad, impel, drive, prod, provoke, spur on (antonym: discourage), hurry up, hasten, speed up, speed, rush, press forwards, drive on, (antonym: delay), incentive, stimulus, incitement, provocation, motive, fillip, goad, impulse, inducement, catalyst, (antonym: disincentive), spike, barb, spine, point, ridge, mountainside, projection, edge, saddle, outcrop, branch, limb, division, subdivision.
Euphoria: elation, ecstasy, joy, jubilation, rapture, excitement, exhilaration (antonym: despair)
Beacon: bonfire, fire, flare, inspiration, encouragement, symbol of hope, guiding light, signal, sign, warning, flare, alarm, warning light
Inspiration: motivation, stimulation, encouragement, muse, idea, brainwave, insight, flash, bright idea, revelation.

Rage: fury, anger, wrath, temper, ire, frenzy, fume, rant and rave, storm, seethe, thunder, boil with rage, blow your top, craze, fad, thing, fashion, trend, mania
Torso: trunk, chest, upper body
Decapitate: behead, guillotine, cut off somebody’s head, execute.
Hatchet: cut, chop up, slice, hack, ax, sever, split, hew, fell, lop, slay, strike, slash
Haunt: trouble, disturb, irk, worry, bother, preoccupy, disturb, appear, hand around in, frequent, visit, revisit, go to regularly, meeting place, stomping ground, rendezvous,
Squalor: nastiness, unpleasantness, immorality, meanness, filth, foulness, dirt, dirtiness, (antonym: luxury)
Exhume: dig up, disinter, unearth, (antonym: bury)
Seamless: faultless, flawless, not to be faulted, textbook, picture perfect, unspoiled (antonym: flawed)
Rope: cord, line, cable, lead, twine, tie, fasten, lash, secure, attach, moor
Rampant: out of control, uncontrolled, unbridled, unchecked, widespread, extensive, wild, raging, epidemic (antonym: contained)
Stuff: material, substance, matter, things, objects, bits and pieces, possessions, belongings, things, kit, gear, equipment, fill, pack, cram, ram, jam, stow, load, squeeze

1890-dabbawallas in Mumbai

Consensus: agreement, accord, harmony, compromise, consent, (antonym: disagreement)
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Falter: hesitate, waver, weaken, fade, tail off, pause, wane, abate, become fainter, vacillate, (antonym: continue)


Gobble: guzzle, gobble up, gobble down, bolt, wolf down, gorge, gulp, (antonym: nibble)
Ovation: prolonged applause, applause, acclaim, approval, praise, great reception, enthusiastic response

Every day is a new adventure, a new challenge. A new moment that was never lived before. But you come with an old mind. You have to set yourself free of the old mind that binds you. – Swami Sukhabodhananda

Occur: happen, take place, crop up, arise, come about, transpire, come to mind, suggest itself, strike, appear.
Portend: foreshadow, foretell, signify, mean, warn of, herald, threaten, indicate
Permeate: infuse, pervade, flood, fill, saturate, filter through, seep into, leak into, pervade, pass through, enter
Seamlessly: Flawlessly, Faultlessly, impeccably, effortlessly, like a dream, without a glitch, badly (antonym)
Rope: cord, line, cable, lead, twine, tie, fasten, lash, secure, attach, moor
Renege: go back on, break your word, break a promise
Churn: mix, roil, agitate, shake, whip, toss, stir up, stir, blend
Coveted: popular, in demand, desirable, (antonym: unpopular)
Clutter: mess, litter, disorder, confusion, untidiness, muddle, (antonym: space), encumber, litter, strew, fill, cover, mess up, (antonym: free)
Barrage: bombardment, salvo, volley, onslaught, hail, torrent, stream, storm, flood, salve, (antonym: trickle), dam, dike, bank
Peddle: sell, market, get rid of, flog, advertise, publicize, advocate, market, promote, (antonym: buy)
Confound: stun, amaze, puzzle, leave speechless, mystify, confuse, bewilder, baffle, perplex, floor, defeat, rout, thwart, annihilate, vanquish, conquer
Propensity: tendency, inclination, partiality, proclivity, predisposition, susceptibility, predilection, penchant
Churn: mix, roll, agitate, shake, whip, toss, stir up, stir, blend
Hog: control, dominate, take over, corner the market, (antonym: share)
Horizon: prospect, possibility, perspective, sphere, scope
Bottleneck: block, blockage, restricted access, holdup, traffic jam, tailback, jam, log jam
Cool off: calm down, compose yourself, settle down, simmer down, cool down, regain yourself-control, (antonym: flare up)
Nimble: lively, quick, agile, lissome, dexterous, (antonym: awkward)
Tap: valve, faucet, spout, spigot, knock, beat, strike, hit, pat, drum, rap, bang, rap, knock, beat, pat, blow, bang, use, utilize, draw on, draw off, exploit, milk, mine, take advantage of
Scramble: mix up, mess up, jumble, move quickly, rush, run, scuttle, jostle, push, climb, clamber, crawl, struggle, clamber, climb, crawl, struggle, rush, run, stampede, commotion, free-for-all
Savvy: know-how, confidence, sense, savoir-faire, knowledge, ability
Austere: severe, strict, stern, grave, sober, ascetic, serious, rigorous, plain, stark, severe, simple, basic, harsh, Spartan, ascetic, somber, unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, (antonym: fussy)
Turf: grass, lawn, sod, territory, neighborhood, home turf
Incumbent: in office, current, present, serving, sitting, now, (antonym: past)
Expediency: convenience, practicality, pragmatism, usefulness, feasibility, fitness, suitability, appropriateness, advisability, convenience, (antonym: unsuitability)
Shell: case, casing, covering, shield, crust, defense, skin, armor, husk, skeleton, carcass, remains, bomb, explosive, missile, mortar, bombard, shoot at, fire at, open fire on, shoot down, bomb


Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. – HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON

Perverse: wicked, bad, mean, vicious, (antonym: good), stubborn, obstinate, headstrong, pertinacious, willful, (antonym: agreeable), contrary, disobedient, rebellious, unreasonable, difficult, (antonym: obliging)
Vestige: trace, sign, mark, indication, hint, remnant, evidence
Tweak: pinch, nip, squeeze, jerk, twist, tug, pull, yank, nip, pinch, squeeze, twist, jerk, tug, pull, yank, fine-tune, correct, adjust, modify, regulate

Synonyms for words used in news papers:

Dock: wharf, pier, harbor, port, waterfront, come in, tie up, land, berth, moor, disembark, cut, cut off, crop, stop, reduce, curtail, deduct

Tumble: fall, fall over, fall down, stumble, trip up, topple, drop, plummet, plunge, dive

Trim: neat, tidy, orderly, smart, spruce, dapper, natty, spick and span, (antonym: messy)
Slim, fit, shapely, sleek, slender, lean, in shape, (antonym: out of shape), clip, cut, shear, pare, prune, shave, lop off, (antonym: lengthen), reduce, cut back, prune, decrease, lower, shave, lop off, edit, truncate, (antonym: augment), decorate, adorn, embroider, embellish, edge, border, adornment, frill

Virtually: almost, nearly, near, practically, nigh on, in effect, close to, next to, effectively, to all intents and purposes

Massacre: butchery, slaughter, carnage, annihilation, mass murder, mass execution, mass destruction, bloodbath, butcher, execute, exterminate, wipe out, murder,

Deadline: limit, time limit, goal, aim, target, cut-off date, closing date, (antonym: extension)

Expression: look, face, air, appearance, phrase, idiom, turn of phrase, term, saying, set phrase, manifestation, illustration, example, demonstration, representation, articulation, extraction, squeezing out, pressing out,
Step: pace, footstep, stride, stair, rung, tread, walk, march, move, movement, action, measure, stage, phase
Defender: protector, guard, warden, guardian, (antonym: attacker), supporter, champion, advocate, guardian, upholder, backer (antonym: opponent)
Honor: respect, admiration, credit, reputation, tribute, (antonym: dishonor), principle, nobility, pride, (antonym: baseness), privilege, mark of respect, distinction, (antonym: insult), mark of distinction, award, tribute, prize, revere, reverence, respect, venerate, pay tribute to, pay homage to, keep, respect, stick to, (antonym: break)
Cadet: trainee, military student, plebe, police cadet, army cadet
Academy: school, college, conservatory, arts school, private school, military institute
Latest: newest, most recent, most modern, most up-to-date, up-to-the-minute, hottest

Burgeoning: growing, mushrooming, rapidly increasing, escalating, (antonym: dwindling), budding, promising, up-and-coming

Prowl: stalk, lurk, skulk, hand around, lie in waiting, creep around, hang about

Overture: proposal, proposition, offer, advance, approach, gambit, suggestion

Dilemma: quandary, tight spot, catch-22, predicament, impasse, problem

Cave: cavern, grotto, fissure, yield, cave in, give, give up, admit defeat, surrender, concede, give in, (antonym: stand firm)

Tag: ticket, label, mark, card, attach a label to

Forge: falsify, counterfeit, fake, copy, form, build, create, fashion, furnace, hearth, kiln

Amid: in the middle of, among, in the midst of, accompanied by, along with, in the course of

Strain: damage, injure, hurt, pull, sprain, twist, nervous tension, tension, stress, worry, anxiety, pressure, trauma, burden, effort, wrench, tension, pull, force, exertion, drain liquid from, sieve, filter, sift, separate, make a great effort, try hard, struggle, labor, endeavor, strive, injury, sprain, crick, breed, species, type, form, sort, variety, kind, subspecies

Viable: feasible, practical, practicable, workable, possible, doable, (antonym: impossible)

Aggressive: violent, hostile, destructive, belligerent, antagonistic, forceful, insistent, hard line, assertive, hard-hitting, uncompromising

Circumstance: condition, situation, incident, fact, event, accident

Inclusive: comprehensive, wide-ranging, all-encompassing, complete, broad, general, (antonym: narrow)

Courage: bravery, guts, nerve, valor, daring, audacity, (antonym: cowardice)

Mad: foolish, crazy, barmy, nutty, nuts, round the bend, (antonym: sensible), angry, furious, livid, irate, infuriated, fuming, annoyed, beside yourself, up in arms, (antonym: pleased), absurd, madcap, preposterous, ridiculous, ludicrous, wacky, misguided, illogical, crazy, foolish, (antonym: sensible)

Pinch: touch, smidgen, dash, soupcon, bit, taste, squeeze, nip, tweak, grasp, press, steal, take, make off with, nab, pilfer, thieve

Attrition: abrasion, slow destruction, erosion, wear and tear, eating away, gnawing away, wearing away, grinding down

Turbulence: commotion, confusion, turmoil, disorder, unrest, instability, hurly-burly, uproar, tumult, furor, chaos, mayhem, havoc, (antonym: calm)

Blues: sadness, melancholy, dejection, depression, despair, unhappiness, despondency, pessimism, doldrums (antonym: happiness)


Empathize: identify with, understand, sympathize, have compassion

Ramification: consequence, result, implicati8on, corollary, effect, outcome, upshot

Stipulation: condition, requirement, proviso, demand, specification, prerequisite, provision, clause

Potential: possible, latent, probable, likely, budding, impending, prospective, would-be, (antonym: unlikely), promise, capability, ability, the makings, possibility, aptitude

Envisage: imagine, envision, foresee, predict, visualize, picture, see

Apex: top, peak, summit, climax, tip, zenith, height, head, high point, (antonym: base)

Extant: existing, in existence, present, (antonym: lost)

Slash: cut, hack, slice, gash, slit, rip, lacerate, reduce, lower

Draw: sketch, illustrate, copy, depict, describe, pencil in, represent, portray, dead heat, tie, stalemate, deadlock, pull out, extract, withdraw, take out, (antonym: put away), pull, drag, haul, move, tow, tug, (antonym: shove), get, obtain, extract, derive, gain, take, attract, pull, lure, appeal to , entice, bring in, attraction, magnet, crow-puller, inducement, lure, finish equal, tie

Fad: fashion, craze, trend, vogue, whim, cult

Tackle: undertake, begin, embark upon, attempt, engage in, deal with, equipment, gear, apparatus, rigging, tools, outfit, trappings, implements, kit, challenge, block, wrestle, confront, stop, throw, seize, grab, bring down, halt, grasp

Scale: level, weighing machine, size, balance, range, degree, extent, amount, magnitude, dimension, climb up, climb over, mount, climb, ascend, shin up

Foray: raid, incursion, venture, sorties, attack, assault, venture, expedition

Hammer: mallet, tack hammer, sledge hammer, beat, strike, hit, knock, pound, nail, drive, batter, drum

Canon: standard, rule, norm, principle, tenet, law, list, catalog, roll, annals

Canyon: gorge, valley, ravine, chasm, gully, rift, gap, coulee, gulch

Outfit: group, company, team, unit, business, setup, furnish, equip, kit out

Vindicate: justify, prove correct, prove right, maintain, claim, support, defend, assert, prove, free from blame, clear, exonerate, pardon, exculpate, absolve, acquit, (antonym: convict)

Strip: narrow piece, band, sliver, shred, ribbon, slip, bit, stripe, belt, remove clothes, undress, take your clothes off, get undressed, strip off, disrobe


Spoilsport: killjoy, wet blanket, curmudgeon

Tube: pipe, cylinder, hose

Skew: tilt, slant, twist, be at an angle, place at an angle, (antonym: straighten), distort, bias, slant, twist

Collision: crash, smash, accident, impact, rear-ender, fender-bender, clash, conflict, confrontation, disagreement, difficulty, overlap

Garner: gather, acquire, get, gain, collect, earn, bring together, harvest, reap, (antonym: scatter)

Blip: jinx, bug, malfunction

Pan out: work out, turn out, develop, evolve, end up, resolve itself

Nullify: invalidate, annul, cancel out, abolish, reverse, quash, (antonym: validate)

Coffer: chest, casket, treasure chest, strongbox, safe, treasury

Kitty: pooled money, fund, pot, pool
Ranking: position, place, status, grade, standing, level
Places: seats, chairs, spaces, sitting room

Mile stone: landmark, highlight, high point, sign, signpost, target, objective, goal, achievement, record.

Feat: achievement, accomplishment, deed, exploit, act

Crushing: devastating, severe, overwhelming, humiliating, serious, grave, (antonym: mild)

Rock bottom: the lowest, the bottom, the depths, all-time low, nadir

Fate: destiny, fortune, chance, providence, luck, doom, outcome, upshot, end, future, lot, fatality
Successful: winning, victorious, triumphant, unbeaten, flourishing, thriving, doing well, booming, profitable, lucrative

Picking: option, alternative, selection, preference, pick

Restricted: limited, controlled, constrained, (antonym: open), classified, top secret, confidential

Lead: guide, show the way, direct, escort, pilot, go in front, go ahead, front, head, conduct, (antonym: follow), be in charge of, run, control, command, direct, manage, head, be in the lead, be the forerunner, be winning, be in front, have an advantage, (antonym: trail), advantage, advance, start, head start, leadership, vanguard, principal, chief, main, central, prime, clue, indication, information, hint, pointer

Fine: well, very well, in good health, all right, okay, (antonym: unwell), excellent, superior, exceptional, select, first-rate, good quality, top quality, bright, sunny, warm, beautiful, fair, pleasant, (antonym: dull), satisfactory, adequate, sufficient, acceptable, (antonym: unsatisfactory), subtle, slight, faint, tenuous, thin, minute, (antonym: considerable), delicate, dainty, slender, thin, gauzy, diaphanous, flimsy, translucent, (antonym: thick, heavy, solid), penalty, punishment, payment, charge, refined, discerning, discriminating, perceptive, fastidious, keen, analytical, penalize, punish, charge

Impasse: stalemate, standoff, deadlock, gridlock, bottleneck

Tight spot: fix, scrape, difficult position, tricky situation, predicament

Insist: be adamant, be firm, not take no for an answer, persist, be resolute, persevere, maintain, claim, assert, contend, swear, aver, vow

Skid: slip, slide, slew, spin out

Tango: ballet, tap, jazz, salsa, foxtrot, waltz, rumba, bop

Conclusive: decisive, beyond question, definite, convincing, irrefutable, sure, certain, final, categorical, (antonym: unconvincing), final, closing, concluding, last, ultimate, (antonym: opening)

Hallmark: seal, stamp, trademark, characteristic, brand, trait, feature, property, quality, guarantee, assurance, promise, pledge, token

Enthrall: captivate, rivet, charm, mesmerize, beguile, fascinate, enchant, engross, grip, entrance

Fierce: violent, ferocious, brutal, severe, stern, angry, vicious, furious, (antonym: gentle), intense, violent, strong, powerful, turbulent, forceful, aggressive, ardent, (antonym: calm)

Onslaught: attack, assault, ambush, offensive, blitz

Mayhem: chaos, disorder, confusion, turmoil, havoc, pandemonium, bedlam, anarchy, (antonym: order)

Impeccable: faultless, flawless, perfect, unimpeachable, above reproach, immaculate, spotless, unsullied

Acumen: insight, sharpness, shrewdness, penetration, good judgment, intelligence, wisdom, expertise

Surmount: overcome, prevail, conquer, triumph, get through, defeat, (antonym: fail)

Pretty: attractive, beautiful, cute, nice-looking, appealing, sweet, (antonym: unattractive)

Apprehension: anxiety, uneasiness, worry, trepidation, nervousness, fear, hesitation, dread, fearfulness, concern, angst, misgiving, (antonym: confidence), capture, arrest, detention

Perpetrate: commit, carry out, pull off, do, be responsible for, be behind

Veracity: reality, actually, authenticity, genuineness, sincerity, trueness, truth

Gory: violent, gruesome, brutal, bloodthirsty, fierce, horrific, (antonym: pleasant), bloody, bloodstained

Censure: fault, criticize, reprimand, show disapproval, condemn, knock, reproach, scorn, denounce, (antonym: praise), criticism, disapproval, condemnation, denunciation, deprecation, scorn, contempt, (antonym: approval)

Treat: luxury, extravagance, indulgence, delicacy, pleasure, delight, care for, doctor, nurse, minister to, cure, heal, remedy, behave toward, act toward, regard, consider, think of, deal with, handle, do by, deal with, go into, discuss, be concerned with, touch on, talk about, talk over, talk of, consider, take up, pay for, pick up the check, pick up the tab, pay the bill

Woo: persuade, encourage, court, entice, pursue, flatter, (antonym: discourage)

Allegedly: supposedly, purportedly

Absurd: ridiculous, silly, strange, illogical, meaningless, bizarre, incongruous, (antonym: reasonable)

Tardy: late, delayed, behind, overdue, belated, slow, (antonym: prompt, sluggish, unhurried, (antonym: speedy)

Bracing: invigorating, stimulating, brisk, healthy, cold, refreshing, revitalizing, restorative, fortifying, (antonym: soporific)

Surge: rush, rush forward, flow, pour, gush, course, heave, pitch, swell, rise, well up, flood, stream, spill over, spill out, outpouring, upwelling

Rebuke: reprimand, reprove, censure, reproach, haul over the coals, scold, admonish, chide, give a talking-to, (antonym: praise), reproach, reproof, censure, scolding, telling off, lecture, slap on the wrist, (antonym: compliment)

Stalwart: strong, muscular, athletic, brawny, sturdy, robust, rugged, hefty, well-built, strapping, burly, powerfully built, (antonym: feeble), resolute, redoubtable, vigorous, stanch, determined, committed, unfaltering, steadfast, (antonym: uncommitted),brave, courageous, daring, fearless, bold, valiant, audacious, (antonym: cowardly)

Scion: implant, graft, slip, implantation, shoot, bud

Ante: bet, gamble, stake, pot

Blush: go red, flush, feel embarrassed, feel ashamed, color, go red in the face redden, (antonym: blench)

Face-off: argument, confrontation, showdown, challenge, first play

Stray: wander away, wander off, go astry, get lost, drift, lose your way, lost, wandering, abandoned, homeless, vagrant

Slam: bang, crash, smash, thump, criticize, condemn, (antonym: praise), pan, blast

Punter: customer, client, consumer

Whim: impulse, urge, notion, quirk, caprice, fad, craze

Eccentricity: peculiarity, strangeness, weirdness, oddity, odd behavior, unconventional behavior, (antonym: normality), quirk, peculiarity, foible, idiosyncrasy, funny habit, oddity

Rage: fury, anger, wrath, temper, ire, frenzy, fume, rant and rave, storm, seethe, thunder, boil with rage, blow your top, craze, fad, thing, fashion, trend, mania
Torso: trunk, chest, upper body
Decapitate: behead, guillotine, cut off somebody’s head, execute.
Hatchet: cut, chop up, slice, hack, ax, sever, split, hew, fell, lop, slay, strike, slash
Haunt: trouble, disturb, irk, worry, bother, preoccupy, disturb, appear, hand around in, frequent, visit, revisit, go to regularly, meeting place, stomping ground, rendezvous, hangout
Squalor: nastiness, unpleasantness, immorality, meanness, filth, foulness, dirt, dirtiness, (antonym: luxury)
Exhume: dig up, disinter, unearth, (antonym: bury)
Seamless: faultless, flawless, not to be faulted, textbook, picture perfect, unspoiled (antonym: flawed)
Rope: cord, line, cable, lead, twine, tie, fasten, lash, secure, attach, moor
Rampant: out of control, uncontrolled, unbridled, unchecked, widespread, extensive, wild, raging, epidemic (antonym: contained)
Stuff: material, substance, matter, things, objects, bits and pieces, possessions, belongings, things, kit, gear, equipment, fill, pack, cram, ram, jam, stow, load, squeeze

Consensus: agreement, accord, harmony, compromise, consent, (antonym: disagreement)
Falter: hesitate, waver, weaken, fade, tail off, pause, wane, abate, become fainter, vacillate, (antonym: continue)

Gobble: guzzle, gobble up, gobble down, bolt, wolf down, gorge, gulp, (antonym: nibble)
Ovation: prolonged applause, applause, acclaim, approval, praise, great reception, enthusiastic response

Every day is a new adventure, a new challenge. A new moment that was never lived before. But you come with an old mind. You have to set yourself free of the old mind that binds you. – Swami Sukhabodhananda

Occur: happen, take place, crop up, arise, come about, transpire, come to mind, suggest itself, strike, appear.
Portend: foreshadow, foretell, signify, mean, warn of, herald, threaten, indicate
Permeate: infuse, pervade, flood, fill, saturate, filter through, seep into, leak into, pervade, pass through, enter
Seamlessly: Flawlessly, Faultlessly, impeccably, effortlessly, like a dream, without a glitch, badly (antonym)
Rope: cord, line, cable, lead, twine, tie, fasten, lash, secure, attach, moor
Renege: go back on, break your word, break a promise
Churn: mix, roil, agitate, shake, whip, toss, stir up, stir, blend
Coveted: popular, in demand, desirable, (antonym: unpopular)
Clutter: mess, litter, disorder, confusion, untidiness, muddle, (antonym: space), encumber, litter, strew, fill, cover, mess up, (antonym: free)
Barrage: bombardment, salvo, volley, onslaught, hail, torrent, stream, storm, flood, salve, (antonym: trickle), dam, dike, bank
Peddle: sell, market, get rid of, flog, advertise, publicize, advocate, market, promote, (antonym: buy)
Confound: stun, amaze, puzzle, leave speechless, mystify, confuse, bewilder, baffle, perplex, floor, defeat, rout, thwart, annihilate, vanquish, conquer
Propensity: tendency, inclination, partiality, proclivity, predisposition, susceptibility, predilection, penchant
Churn: mix, roll, agitate, shake, whip, toss, stir up, stir, blend
Hog: control, dominate, take over, corner the market, (antonym: share)
Horizon: prospect, possibility, perspective, sphere, scope
Bottleneck: block, blockage, restricted access, holdup, traffic jam, tailback, jam, log jam
Cool off: calm down, compose yourself, settle down, simmer down, cool down, regain yourself-control, (antonym: flare up)
Nimble: lively, quick, agile, lissome, dexterous, (antonym: awkward)
Tap: valve, faucet, spout, spigot, knock, beat, strike, hit, pat, drum, rap, bang, rap, knock, beat, pat, blow, bang, use, utilize, draw on, draw off, exploit, milk, mine, take advantage of
Scramble: mix up, mess up, jumble, move quickly, rush, run, scuttle, jostle, push, climb, clamber, crawl, struggle, clamber, climb, crawl, struggle, rush, run, stampede, commotion, free-for-all
Savvy: know-how, confidence, sense, savoir-faire, knowledge, ability
Austere: severe, strict, stern, grave, sober, ascetic, serious, rigorous, plain, stark, severe, simple, basic, harsh, Spartan, ascetic, somber, unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, (antonym: fussy)
Turf: grass, lawn, sod, territory, neighborhood, home turf
Incumbent: in office, current, present, serving, sitting, now, (antonym: past)
Expediency: convenience, practicality, pragmatism, usefulness, feasibility, fitness, suitability, appropriateness, advisability, convenience, (antonym: unsuitability)
Shell: case, casing, covering, shield, crust, defense, skin, armor, husk, skeleton, carcass, remains, bomb, explosive, missile, mortar, bombard, shoot at, fire at, open fire on, shoot down, bomb


Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. – HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON

Perverse: wicked, bad, mean, vicious, (antonym: good), stubborn, obstinate, headstrong, pertinacious, willful, (antonym: agreeable), contrary, disobedient, rebellious, unreasonable, difficult, (antonym: obliging)
Vestige: trace, sign, mark, indication, hint, remnant, evidence
Tweak: pinch, nip, squeeze, jerk, twist, tug, pull, yank, nip, pinch, squeeze, twist, jerk, tug, pull, yank, fine-tune, correct, adjust, modify, regulate





Jug⋅ger⋅naut
[juhg-er-nawt, -not]
Use Juggernaut in a Sentence
See web results for Juggernaut
See images of Juggernaut
–noun
1. (often lowercase ) any large, overpowering, destructive force or object, as war, a giant battleship, or a powerful football team.
2. (often lowercase ) anything requiring blind devotion or cruel sacrifice.

3. Also called Jagannath. an idol of Krishna, at Puri in Orissa, India, annually drawn on an enormous cart under whose wheels devotees are said to have thrown themselves to be crushed.
________________________________________
Origin:
1630–40; < Hindi Jagannāth < Skt Jagannātha lord of the world (i.e., the god Vishnu or Krishna), equiv. to jagat world + nātha lord

Realm: kingdom, monarchy, dominion, empire, land, territory, area, sphere

Prickly: spiky, spiny, thorny, barbed, bristly, itchy, tickly, (antonym: smooth)

Stymie: bewilder, confuse, confound, baffle, stump, perplex, bamboozle, puzzle

Twitter: chirp, peep, cheep, tweet, chirrup

Pull up: stop, halt, draw to halt, brake, criticize, tell off, reprimand, rebuke

Muffle: quiet, soften, stifle, gag, mute, silence, deaden, dampen

Phenomenon: occurrence, fact, observable fact, experience, happening, incident, event, trend

Insurrection: rebellion, revolution, revolt, mutiny, uprising, rising, civil disobedience

Runoff: excess, overflow, extra, surfeit, surplus, overspill, (antonym: lack)

Buck: dollar, money, cash, dough, jump, rear, kick, resist

Siege: blockade, cordon

Dodgy: dishonest, unprincipled, corrupt, crooked, immoral, deceitful, devious, ruthless,

Ruthless: cruel, callous, brutal, pitiless, merciless, cold blooded, hardnosed, unfeeling

Nasty: spiteful, mean, malicious, vicious, cruel, horrible, malevolent, wicked

Budge: move, shift, dislodge, nudge, shunt, push, shove


Snub: ignore, cold-shoulder, slight, fail to acknowledge, look right through, cut, rebuff, rebuke

Dovetail: fit together, merge, slot in, join together, come together, unite, (antonym: separate)


Decry: criticize, condemn, complain about, be little, disparage, deprecate, run down, (antonym: praise)

Rhetoric: oratory, public speaking, speech making, speechifying, language, expression, style

Indignation: righteous anger, resentment, annoyance, crossness, fury, ire, offense,

Insidious: sinister, dangerous, subtle, menacing

Rile: anger, enrage, annoy, irritate, bug, irk, peeve, aggravate

Brass: nerve, self assurance, self confidence, cheek, imprudence, gall

Clandestine: secret, underground, covert, concealed, stealthy, furtive, undercover, surreptitious,

Albeit: although, though, even though, even if, notwithstanding

Mollycoddle: pamper, fuss over, spoil, over protect, cosset, indulge, humor, cater to

Garrison: barracks, stronghold, fort, battalion, defense force, occupying force

Veneer: thin covering, facing, finish, surface, layer, coating, appearance, façade

Dossier: file, record, report, folder, profile, database

Sustenance: nourishment, nutrition, food, provisions, rations, edibles, fuel

Sway: bend, lean, swing, rock, wave, influence, affect, control

Cohere: join together, stick together, fit together, come together, go together

Conundrum: puzzle, mystery, challenger, poser, problem, riddle

largess: generous giving; also, gifts of money or other valuables.

palliate: to make an offense seem less serious; also, to relieve or lessen without curing.

recalcitrant: stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority or restraint

MELLIFLUOUS : (adj.) pleasing to the ear; synonyms : dulcet , honeyed , mellisonant , sweet; The mellifluous music of the flute soothed he

gesticulate: to make gestures or motions.

Stumble: stagger, trip, trip up, lurch, slip, fall, hesitate, falter

Bizarre: strange, weird, peculiar, out of the ordinary, odd, uncanny, wacky, fantastic

De facto: in effect, to all intents and purposes, in reality, actually, effectively, actual, real, genuine

Fluke: accident, coincidence, stroke of luck

Peg: dowel, hook, bolt, hanger, attach, hang, nail, fasten

Precarious: shaky, unstable, insecure, uncertain, wobbly, unsafe, unsteady, (antonym: stable)

Punter: customer, client, consumer

Squander: waste, spend, throw away, fritter away, dissipate, misuse, lavish, consume

Vigorous: energetic, dynamic, vital, forceful, strong, hearty, enthusiastic, strong

Roughage: fiber, cellulose, bran

Poignant: moving, emotional, touching, distressing, sad, affecting, heartrending, heartbreaking

Renaissance: rebirth, new start, new beginning, resurgence, revitalization, revival, regeneration, recovery

Conspire: plot, scheme, connive, plan, work against, combine, work together, unite

Stoke: put fuel on, stoke up, add fuel to, strengthen, make stronger, stir up, fuel, encourage

Fumble: grope, mishandle, shuffle, scuffle, scrabble, drop, let slip, do awkwardly

Chide: reproach, scold, reprimand, express disapproval, rebuke, blame, take to task, reprove

Romp: frolic, prance, caper, gambol, dance around, horse around, dance

Decamp: run away, run off, escape, flee, abscond, leave, retreat, desert

Brazen: bold, barefaced, shameless, brash, unabashed, unashamed, blatant, bald-faced

Pummel: hit, beat, strike, punch, pound, batter

Pip: kernel, stone, pit, germ

Drub: beat, pound, hammer, thrash, whip, defeat, lick

Nudge: push, bump, elbow, shove, jolt, prod

Poke: jab, stab, push, prod, thrust, dig, nudge, punch

Bay: cove, inlet, bark, woof, yap, yelp, howl, cry

Jig: dance, skip, hop, caper, leap, spring

Stalker: follower, shadow, tail

Mantle: layer, blanker, covering, shroud, veil, cloak, responsibility, function

Fume: stink, smoke, reek, smolder, smell, emit, exude, seethe

Imbroglio: mess, embarrassing situation, embarrassment, entanglement

Rap: blow, tap, knock, smack, crack, hit, strike

Tirade: outburst, invective, rant, diatribe, harangue, lecture

Salvo: barrage, bombardment, round

Blitz: bombardment, blitzkrieg, saturation bombing, bombard, saturate, target, attack, crackdown on

Beckon: signal, sign, summon, gesture, make a gesture, indicate, motion (antonym: dismiss)

Contrition: repentance, penitence, remorse, regret, sorrow, apology

Pulverize: grind, crush, macerate, pulp, mash, chop up, chop into pieces, pound

Botch: spoil, damage, do something badly, make a botch of, make a mess of, make a hash of, fail, mess up

Bottom line: outcome, end result, end product, upshot, main thing, sine qua non

Hallmark: seal, stamp, trade mark, characteristic, brand, trait, feature, property

Gauge: measure, weigh, estimate, test, determine, guess, judge, measurement

Emanate: originate, come, stem, spring, derive, start, radiate, emit

Pertinent: relevant, applicable, related, relatable, important, significant, (antonym: irrelevant)

Creep: move stealthily, tiptoe, sneak, skulk, steal, crawl, slither

Flank: side, edge, border, line

Fling: throw, toss, hurl, chuck, pitch, lob, let fly

Spear: lance, spike, javelin, impale, stab, pierce, run through, gouge

Shudder: shake, tremble, quake, quiver, jolt, wobble, vibrate, trembling

Frantic: anxious, worried, frenzied, frenetic, hysterical, uptight, beside yourself, (antonym: calm)

Rampart: fortification, wall, earthwork, battlement, parapet, barricade

Unearthly: outrageous, ridiculous, unreasonable, absurd, (antonym: acceptable), weird, bizarre, strange

Rage: fury, anger, wrath, temper, ire, frenzy, fume, rant and rave

Hammer: mallet, tack hammer, sledge hammer, beat, strike, hit, knock, pound

Twilight: dusk, nightfall, evening, sunset, sundown, (antonym: dawn)

Constellation: group, gathering, collection, assemblage

Ransom: payment, payoff, money, sum, set free, release, liberate, rescue

Citadel: fortress, stronghold, bastion, fort, castle, refuge, sanctuary

Forte: strong point, specialty, strong suit, gift, (antonym: falling)

Tiff: quarrel, argument, row, falling-out, squabble, disagreement, spat

Bemoan: lament, bewail, regret, mourn, complain about, moan about, grumble about (antonym: applaud)

Chunk: large piece, hunk, mass, lump, portion, amount, break apart, cut up

Pan out: work out, turn out, develop, evolve, end up, resolve itself

Chink: gap, crack, crevice, clink, clunk, tinkle

Singe: scorch, burn, char, sear

Profligacy: extravagance, wastefulness, recklessness, licentiousness, dissolution, decadence, (antonym: parsimony)


Parsimony: thriftiness, frugality, stinginess, skimpiness, cost-cutting, prudence, thrift (antonym: generosity)



Perpetuate: be responsible for, effect, bring about, complete, enable, achieve, continue, carry on





Adept: skillful, skilled, expert, proficient, adroit, practiced, clever

Intractable: stubborn, obstinate, obdurate, willful, inflexible, pig-headed, difficult, (antonym: easygoing)

Leeway: scope, flexibility, margin, freedom, latitude, breathing space

Predilection: fondness, liking, partiality, preference, penchant, taste, weakness, tendency

Solemn: somber, grave, serious, sober, sad, glum, formal, (antonym: cheerful)

Clang: clank, ring, sound, toll, reverberate, resound, clash

Pale: light, pastel, soft, whitish, insipid, watery, wishy-washy, (antonym: dark)

Stroll: leisurely walk, amble, saunter, promenade, turn, breath of air, wander, meander

Casket: chest, coffer, treasure chest, strong box, safe, treasury

Abyss: gulf, chasm, deep hole, void

Junta: military rule, government by the army, stratocracy, state of emergency, (antonym: democracy)

cupidity: eager or excessive desire, especially for wealth

duplicity: deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech



flibbertigibbet\FLIB-ur-tee-jib-it\ , noun;
1.A silly, flighty, or scatterbrained person, especially a pert young woman with such qualities

panacea\pan-uh-SEE-uh\ , noun;
1.A remedy for all diseases, problems, or evils; a universal medicine; a cure-all.
cacophony: harsh or discordant sound.

flutter:
verb (used without object)
1.
to wave, flap, or toss about: Banners fluttered in the breeze.
2.
to flap the wings rapidly; fly with flapping movements.
3.
to move in quick, irregular motions; vibrate.
4.
to beat rapidly, as the heart.
5.
to be tremulous or agitated.
6.
to go with irregular motions or aimless course: to flutter back and forth.
–verb (used with object)
7.
to cause to flutter; vibrate; agitate.
8.
to throw into nervous or tremulous excitement; cause mental agitation; confuse.
–noun
9.
a fluttering movement: He made little nervous flutters with his hands.
10.
a state of nervous excitement or mental agitation: a flutter of anticipation.
11.
flutter kick.
12.
Audio. a variation in pitch resulting from rapid fluctuations in the speed of a

recording.Compare wow2 (def. 1).
13.
Chiefly British. a small wager or speculative investment.

gob·ble1
–verb (used with object)
1.
to swallow or eat hastily or hungrily in large pieces; gulp.
2.
to seize upon eagerly (often fol. by up): After being gone for so long, they gobbled up all the local news.
–verb (used without object)
3.
to eat hastily.