Editorials English Vocabulary Words Set 20

The following vocabulary words are taken from The Editorials of Newspapers like The Hindu, The Economist, Indian Express, etc. which are important for the upcoming exams. Add some more words to your English vocabulary list.

1. Debunk – expose the falseness or hollowness of (an idea or belief).
   

   • Synonyms: demystify, disparage, mock, puncture, deflate, uncloak
   • Antonyms: flatter, praise, prove, uphold
   • Usage: The scientist hoped to debunk the genetic theory by completing his own research.
     

2. Fret – be constantly or visibly anxious.
   

   • Synonyms: agonize, bother, brood, chafe, torment, grieve, affront, anguish
   • Antonyms: appease, placate, ignore, delight
   • Usage: After she lost the part in the school play, she would sit and fret about her situation.

3. Bewilder – to confuse or puzzle completely; perplex
   

   • Synonyms: baffle, befuddle, bemuse, confound, disconcert, distract, fluster
   • Antonyms: calm, clarify, comfort, enlighten, explicate
   • Usage: She was bewildered by his sudden change of mood.

4. Succinct – (especially of something written or spoken) briefly and clearly expressed.
   

   • Synonyms: pithy, breviloquent, brusque, compact, compendiary
   • Antonyms: lengthy, long-winded, polite, wordly
   • Usage: Everyone was happy when the politician made a succinct speech that did not take all evening.
     

5. Rampage – move through a place in a violent and uncontrollable manner.
   

   • Synonyms: binge, destruction, disturbance, frenzy, orgy, spree, turmoil
   • Antonyms: calm, order, peace, happiness
   • Usage: Several thousand demonstrators rampaged through the city.

6. Cripple – cause (someone) to become unable to walk or move properly.
   

   • Synonyms: debilitate, hamstring, immobilize, incapacitate, injure, paralyze
   • Antonyms: mend, mobilize, capacitate
   • Usage: A young student was crippled for life.

7. Cobble – to put together roughly or clumsily.
   

   • Synonyms: assemble, complete, construct, fabricate, synthesize
   • Antonyms: break,,demolish, destroy, separate
   • Usage: In the end, I did my best to cobble together.

8. Complacent – showing uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.
   

   • Synonyms: confident, satisfied, smug, conceited, egotistic, gratified
   • Antonyms: unhappy, unsure, concerned, discontent
   • Usage: Political parties become complacent when they face no opposition.
     

9. Ominous – giving the worrying impression that something bad is going to happen
   

   • Synonyms: menacing, baleful, forbidding, doomy, unpropitious, portentous
   • Antonyms: promising, auspicious, propitious
     
   • Usage: Her ominous tone did not register with him.

10. Faux – made in imitation; artificial.
    

    • Synonyms: ersatz, unreal, counterfeit, fabricated, factitious
    • Antonyms: authentic, genuine, natural
    • Usage: Their faux concern for the well-being of the voters didn’t fool many.