Matter that Matters

How can I protect my child from peer pressure?

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Vocabulary

24.09.2023

Benign (adj)

/Bi-nain/

Meaning:

1. Pleasant and kind
2. Medical (of a disease or tissue growing because of a disease) not likely to result in death.

Usage:

1. We request the pleasure of your benign presence.
2. She is recovering after surgery to remove a benign tumor.
3. They enjoyed an especially benign climate. 
4. It was my first speech ever, but luckily, I had a benign audience.
5. I just smiled benignly and stood back.

14.09.2023

Shallow (adj)

Meaning:

1. having only a short distance from the top to the bottom.
2. (disapproving) (of a person, an idea, a comment, etc.) not showing serious thought, feelings, etc. about something.

Usage:

1. She told her children to stay in the shallow end (of the swimming pool).
2. These beech trees have shallow roots.
3. Varun shows very shallow commitment to his studies.
4. Shallow breathing: breathing in which you only take a small amount of air into your lungs with each breath; opposite of deep breathing.

10.09.2023

Vindicate

Meaning:

• to show something to have been right or true, or to show someone to be free from guilt or blame.

Usage:

1. Today’s events partially vindicated our fears of conflict.
2. They said they welcomed the trial as a chance to vindicate themselves.

02.09.2023

Synonyms of Walk

Words:

1. Wander (V): to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction.
2. Stride (V, N): walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction.
3. March (V, N): 1. to walk with stiff regular steps like a soldier. 2. to walk somewhere quickly in a determined way.
4. Stroll (V, N): to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way.
5. Amble (V): to walk at a slow relaxed speed.
6. Stumble (V, N): to step awkwardly while walking or running and fall or begin to fall.
7. Hobble (V, N):  to walk with difficulty, especially because your feet or legs hurt.

Usage:

1. We spent the morning wandering around the old part of the city.
2. He strode across the road.
3. He crossed the room in a couple of strides.
4. She marched over to me and demanded an apology.
5. People were strolling along the beach.
6. They spend their time fishing or ambling through the woods.
7. Running along the beach, she stumbled on a log and fell on the sand.
8. He pulled on his clothes and stumbled into the kitchen.
9. He hobbled painfully across the road.

01.09.2023

Ruthless (adj)

Meaning:

• hard and cruel

Synonyms:

1. Unsparing (adj): 1. showing no kindness and no wish to hide the unpleasant truth., 2. giving or given generously
2. Remorseless (adj): cruel and having or showing no regret for something wrong or bad you have done.
3. Relentless (adj): not stopping; not getting less strong.
4. Callous (adj): not caring about other people’s feelings, pain or problems.

Usage:

1. a ruthless dictator / ambition
2. She is unsparing in her criticism.
3. He won his mother's unsparing approval.
4. a remorseless killer
5. The sea was dark and remorseless.
6. Schools are teaching relentless pursuit of perfection these days.
7. My callous boss heard no reason form my coming late. 

31.08.2023

Criticizing Someone

Words:

1. Reproach (N,V): to tell somebody that he/she has done something wrong; to blame somebody.
2. Wig (V): to speak angrily to someone because you disapprove of what they have said or done.
3. Lambaste (V): to criticize someone or something severely.
4. Admonish (V): to tell somebody firmly that you do not approve of something that he/she has done.

Usage:

1. You’ve nothing to reproach yourself for. It wasn’t your fault.
2. She was reproached by colleagues for leaking the story to the press.
3. I was wigged for not being impartial.
4. He gave me a wigging and told me I was a bad student.
5. His mother admonished him for eating too quickly.
6. His first novel was well and truly lambasted by the critics.

30.08.2023

Synonyms of Poor

1. Impoverished (adj): very poor, 2. poor in quality, because something is missing.
2. Penniless (adj): having no money; very poor
3. Destitute (adj): without money, food and the other things necessary for life. [the destitute (N)]
4. Deprived (adj): without enough food, education, and all the things that are necessary for people to live a happy and comfortable life.

Usage:

Gandhiji helped the impoverished peasants.

29.8.2023

Indispensable (adj)

Meaning: 

• very important, so that it is not possible to be without it.

Usage:

1. Invertor is indispensable these days because of frequent and long power cuts.
2. His vast and varied experience of teaching makes him indispensable for the school to run smoothly.

28.08.2023

Indignant (adj)

Meaning: 

• feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment.
• feeling or showing anger and surprise because you think that you have been treated unfairly.

Usage:

1. She was very indignant at the way she had been treated.
2. She wrote an indignant letter to the principal about the committee's decision.
3. The students reacted with shock and indignation when they were accused of cheating.
4. "Your opinion is entirely incorrect," he declared indignantly.

27.8.2023

Ubiquitous (adj)

MEANING:

• seeming to be everywhere or in several places at the same time; very common.

USAGE:

1. The force of gravity is not only ubiquitous but also accelerates all terrestrial objects at a constant rate.
2. Hot dogs are the ideal road trip food—inexpensive, portable, ubiquitous.

26.8.2023

Baffle (V)

MEANING:

• to cause someone to be completely unable to understand or explain something.

USAGE:

1. She was completely baffled by his strange behaviour.
2. The evening concluded with an excellent illusion act that baffled the audience.
3. Her unexplained occurrence that baffled everyone

25.8.2023

Vehement (adj)

MEANING:

• expressing strong feelings, or shown by strong feelings or great energy or force.

USAGE:

1. Despite vehement opposition from his family, he chose cricket as his career.
2. Both men were vehement in their denial of the charges against them.
3. The opposition launched a vehement attack on the government.
4. Gandhi vehemently opposed taking help of Charles Freer Andrews in Chaparan Movement.

24.8.2023

COSMOPOLITAN (Adj)

MEANING

1. Someone who is cosmopolitan has had a lot of contact with people and things from many different countries and as a result is very open to different ideas and ways of doing things.
2. A cosmopolitan place or society is full of people from many different countries and cultures.

USAGE:

1. The family are rich, and extremely sophisticated and cosmopolitan.
2. London has always been a cosmopolitan city.
3. Greater cultural diversity has led to a more cosmopolitan attitude among the town's younger generations.

23.8.2023

Identify and define the vocabulary related to smells and scents in the paragraph.

Journey Through a Fragrant Garden

As I walked through the enchanting garden, my senses were instantly captivated by the delicate bouquet of fragrances that hung in the air. The floral scents mingled harmoniously, creating an intoxicating aroma that filled my nostrils with each inhalation. A hint of musk from the nearby bushes added an earthy depth to the experience, while the occasional whiff of spicy herbs tantalized my olfactory senses. Amidst the pleasant odors, there was a faint sour undertone, a reminder of the nearby citrus trees. It was a symphony of smells, ranging from sweet to bitter, each one a unique note contributing to the sensory orchestra that enveloped me. Even the pungent scent of a passing skunk couldn't diminish the overall allure of this olfactory wonderland.

22.8.2023

Apathy

/a-puh-thi/

(Noun) A lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something.

Usage:

1. The people showed surprising apathy toward those important social issues.
2. The youth exhibited apparent apathy toward some of the burning political problems.

21.8.2023

Different Ways to Laugh

1. Chuckle (N, V): a quiet, even soundless laugh.
2. Giggle (N, V): to laugh lightly and repeatedly in a silly way, from amusement, nervousness, or embarrassment.
3. Guffaw (N, V): to laugh loudly, especially at something stupid that someone has said or done.
4. Snigger (N, V): to laugh at someone or something in a silly and often unkind way.
5. Chortle (N, V): laugh in a noisy, gleeful way.
6. Snicker (N, V): to laugh at someone or something in a silly and often unkind way.
7. Sneer (N, V): to smile or speak in a contemptuous or mocking manner.
8. Smirk (N, V): to smile in an irritatingly smug, conceited, or silly way.

Usage:

1. She was chuckling as she read the letter.
2. Stop that giggling in the back row!
3. He guffawed with delight when he heard the news.
4. They spent half the time sniggering at the clothes people were wearing.
5. He chortled at his own pun.
6. He could imagine them snickering as he passed.
7. He acknowledged their presence with a condescending sneer.
8. He smirked in triumph.

20.8.2023

SERENDIPITY

/seh·ruhn·di·puh·tee/

It refers to the occurrence of fortunate events by chance or accident. It describes the act of discovering something valuable, useful, or pleasant when you weren't specifically looking for it. Serendipity often involves a sense of surprise and delight at the unexpected outcome.

USAGE

1. There's a strange serendipity to the garden. 
2. Life has a strange serendipity. 
3. There is a little serendipity. 
4. Sometimes we stay in luxurious hotels, but often we'll take a chance on serendipity and go somewhere simple.