Vocab 66

1.       Detriment (n): It is the hurt or harm as a result of damage, loss, or a bad decision. The developers won the lawsuit, much to the detriment of the people who live near the construction site.

2.       Cubicle                 (n): It is a small space partitioned off within a larger space for a particular purpose usually reading or studying. Or just surfing the Internet.

E.g: I was getting undressed in one of the cubicles.

3.       Tenuous (adj): If something is tenuous it’s thin, either literally or metaphorically. If you try to learn a complicated mathematical concept by cramming for 45 minutes, you will have a tenuous gap of that concept, at best.

Something can physically tenuous, like a spiderweb or ice on a pond. We more often use it in a metaphorical sense, to talk about weak ideas. Tenuous arguments won’t win any debate tournaments.

4.       Hereditary (n): It is the biological process responsible for passing on physical traits from one generation to another. If your mom and dad both have dreamy blue eyes and so do you, then you have got hereditary to thank for your movie-star gaze.

It can refer to inheriting characteristics from your parents, or it can refer more broadly to the passing on of genetic factors from one generation to the next. Hereditary will determine a person’s hair color and height.

5.       Upbringing (n): The way in which someone is treated and educated when they are young, especially by their parents, especially in relation to the effect which this has on how they behave and make moral decisions.

E.g: Is it right to say all the crimes he committed were simply the result of his upbringing.

6.       Exploratory (adj): In order to discover more about something.

E.g: She’s having some exploratory tests done to find out what’s causing the illness.

7.       Reserved (adj): Describes people who do not often talk about or show their feelings or thoughts. In short, if you are reserved, you’re the opposite of a loudmouth, you’re polite, you have a lot of self-control, and you don’t show your feelings.

8.       Beastly (adj): Unkind or unpleasant.

E.g: We’ve had beastly weather all summer.

9.       Antagonism (n): It means hostility. You might feel antagonism to the teacher who gave you a D on your last test, and she might be angry at you for not working harder – there’s antagonism between you.

Antagonism is one of the few things you can share easily with someone you don’t like. You might feel antagonism toward your school, or at least the idea of going to school. If you’re an antagonistic person, you feel antagonism to lots of people and things.

10.   Proliferate (v): To increase a lot and suddenly in number.

E.g: The past two years have seen the proliferation of TV channels.

11.   Gnawing (adj): Continuously uncomfortable, worrying or painful.

E.g: I have had gnawing doubts about this project for some time.

12.   Dithering (v): To be unable to make a decision about doing something.

E.g: Stop dithering and choose which one you want!

13.   Resent (v): To feel angry because you have been forced to accept someone or something that you do not like.

To resent is a strong, negative feeling. You may resent the accusation that you were stealing cookies, or when a teacher yelled at you for whispering, even though everyone else was too. You might resent a friend who has more money or friends than you. Lots of people resent celebrities because they’re famous and wealthy.

14.   Gloat (v): If you gloat, you express great satisfaction at the misfortune of others. If your team scores a big win, it would be better not to gloat. Be happy for your win, but don’t laugh at their loss.

If your little sister won’t listen to your advice on how to improve her essay and then comes home with a bad grade, it will be very hard not to gloat and say “I told you so”.

15.   Commodity (n): It is any useful or valuable thing, especially something that is bought and sold. Grain, vegetables, and precious metals are commodities, but so are personal qualities that can be used to make money: Originality and imagination are rare commodities in the film business.

E.g: The country’s most valuable commodities include tin and diamonds.

 Compiled By: Amit V. Chaudhary