Important English Vocabulary from “The Economist”

Important English Vocabulary from “The Economist”

Source: “THE ECONOMIST”

1). Aesthetic (Adj) 
Definition: concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
Usage: The pictures give great aesthetic pleasure.

3). Whopping (Adj) 
Definition: very large.
Synonyms: huge, massive, enormous, gigantic, very big, very large,
Usage: They made a whopping $74 million loss.

4). Scour (Verb) 3rd person present: scours
Definition: clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard, typically with an abrasive or detergent.
Synonyms: scrub, rub, clean, wash, cleanse, wipe; polish
Usage: She scoured the cooker and cleaned out the kitchen cupboards.

5). Imminent (Adj) 
Definition: about to happen.
Synonyms: impending, at hand, close, near, approaching
Usage: There was speculation that a ceasefire was imminent.

6). Dismay (Verb) 
Definition: cause (someone) to feel concern and distress.
Synonyms: appal, horrify, shock, shake, shake up; disconcert
Usage: He was dismayed by the change in his old friend.

7). Incredulous (Adj) 
Definition: (of a person or their manner) unwilling or unable to believe something.
Synonyms: disbelieving, unbelieving, doubtful, dubious, unconvinced
Usage: He was frankly incredulous when told the cost.

8). Stingy (Adj) 
Definition: mean; ungenerous.
Synonyms: mean, miserly, parsimonious, niggardly, close-fisted
Usage: His boss is stingy and idle.

9). Procurement (Noun) 
Definition: the action of obtaining or procuring something.
Usage: Financial assistance for the procurement of legal advice.

10). Outrage (Noun) 
Definition: an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock, or indignation.
Synonyms: indignation, fury, anger, rage, disapproval, wrath
Usage: There was widespread public outrage at the proposal.

11). Countervail (Verb) 
Definition: offset the effect of (something) by countering it with something of equal force.
Usage: The dominance of the party was mediated by a number of countervailing factors.

12). Acrimonious (Adj) 
Definition: (typically of speech or discussion) angry and bitter.
Synonyms: bitter, rancorous, caustic, acerbic, scathing, sarcastic
Usage: They had a heated and acrimonious discussion.

13). Contentious (Adj) 
Definition: causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.
Synonyms: controversial, disputable, debatable, disputed, contended
Usage: The contentious issue of abortion.

14). Presumably (Adv) 
Definition: used to convey that what is asserted is very likely though not known for certain.
Synonyms: I assume, I expect, I believe, I presume, I take it, I suppose, I imagine
Usage: It was not yet ten o’clock, so presumably the boys were still at the pub.

15). Squeal (Noun) 
Definition: a long, high-pitched cry or noise.
Synonyms: screech, scream, shriek, squawk, howl, cry
Usage: They drew up with a squeal of brakes.

16). Topsy-Turvy (Adj & Adv) 
Definition: upside down.
Synonyms: upside down, wrong side up, head over heels
Usage: The fairground ride turned riders topsy-turvy.