Word of the Day #9

Heylo! The word we're going to look at today is incessant.

Incessant
Adjective

Pronunciation
/ɪnˈsɛs(ə)nt/ (in-SES-nt)

Definition
1. (of something unpleasant, usually) continuing without stopping.
Eg. Your incessant chatter drives her crazy.

Synonyms
ceaseless, constant, sustained

Antonyms
intermittent, occasional

Origin
The word originates from late Latin, to late Middle English via Old French.
The origin flowchart is as follows:
Latin: incessant, from in- (not) + cessare (ceasing); literally "not ceasing"
Old French: incessant
Middle English: incessant

Usage cues for similar words
Use of the word incessant implies that the subject is being referred to in a slightly negative context.
Ceaseless
This word carries connotations similar to that of incessant.
Eg. The ceaseless rain made it difficult to go back to sleep.
Constant
This word does not carry significant positive or negative connotations, although in some situations it may carry slight negative connotations similar to incessant.
Eg. Constant use of the device may result in overheating.
Sustained
This word is neutral.
Eg. The tree was felled after a few hours of sustained effort.

And that's it. Good luck with your prep, everyone, and stay tuned!

Word of the Day #8

Hey, folks! Today, let's look at the word flak.

Flak (also flack)

Noun

Pronunciation
/flæk/ (FLACK)

Definition
1. Anti-aircraft guns.
2. Strong criticism.
Eg. The press has come in for a lot of flak for their insensitive portrayal of the story.

Synonyms
censure, criticism, hostility

Origin
The word is an abbreviation of the German word Fliegerabwehrkanone, literally "aviator-defense gun".

Usage cues for similar words
Flak can be used in a wide variety of contexts, both formal and informal.
Censure
This word is usually used in a formal context and refers to mainly written or verbal criticism.
Eg. He was censured for his lack of commitment towards the company.
Criticism
Versatile. Use it anywhere.
Eg. How well do you handle criticism?
Hostility
Usually refers to opposition which is not expressed verbally, but through actions.
Eg. They did not conceal their hostility towards the newcomers.

That's it for today then. All the best, and stay tuned!

Word of the Day #7

Hey everyone! Slightly late by an hour, today (yesterday?) we'll look at the word engender.

Engender
Verb

Pronunciation
/ɪnˈdʒɛndə, ɛnˈdʒɛndə/ (IN-gen-duh, EN-gen-duh)

Definition
1. To cause or bring about (a situation, condition or feeling).
Eg. They hoped their actions did not engender any ill will from their audience.

Synonyms
induce, instigate, foment

Origin
The word originates from Latin via Old French and Middle English.
Its origin flowchart is as follows:
Latin: ingenerare, from in (in) + generare (beget)
Old French: engendrer
Middle English: ingender
English: engender

Usage cues for similar words
The word engender is usually used in a formal context. It does not have positive or negative connotations on its own.
Induce
This word has neither positive nor negative connotations either, but is not as formal as engender.
Eg. Nothing can induce me to abandon my friends.
Instigate
This word is typically used to imply a negative or controversial event.
Eg. He was arrested for instigating the recent riots.
Foment
This word has connotations similar to instigate and both are pretty much interchangeable.
Eg. The group has been fomenting unrest in the neighbourhood for quite some time now.

We sincerely hope our posts have engendered your interest in prepping for the HSEE. :P Good luck, and stay tuned!

Word of the Day #6

Hey peeps! The word we're gonna be looking at today is capricious.

Capricious
Adjective

Pronunciation
/kəˈprɪʃəs/ (cup-REE-shus)

Definition(s)
1. (about a person or group) susceptible to sudden changes in mood or behaviour.
Eg. The politician's capricious behaviour did not make him very popular.
2. Unpredictable.
Eg. The weather there can be very capricious.

Synonyms
Volatile, fickle, mercurial

Antonyms
Stable, consistent

Origin
The word originated from the Italian capriccio, from where it traveled to English via French.
The origin flowchart is as follows:
Italian: capriccio, from capo (head) + riccio (hedgehog), literally "hedgehog head" -- referring to a sudden shudder of fear, which made a person's hair stand on end like the spines of a hedgehog
French: capricieux
English: capricious (early 17th c.)

Usage cues for similar words
Capricious, as well as most of its synonyms, carries mainly negative connotations.
Volatile
Volatile refers to instability of one's mood more often than behaviour.
 Eg. Her volatile moods made it difficult to get to know her.
Fickle
Fickle usually refers to inconsistent behaviour, although it can also refer to mood.
Eg. Linda attributed the failure of her marriage to her wife's fickle nature.
Mercurial
Mercurial denotes not just unpredictability, but also liveliness. As a word often used to describe politicians and other persons in position of authority or power, it's a pretty powerful word itself. It carries more positive connotations than capricious and most of its synonyms.
Eg. Her mercurial temperament made her an interesting person to be around.

That's all for today then. Keep watching this space for more!

Word Of The Day #5

Hello people! The word we're going to be looking at today is Verbose.

Verbose

Adjective

Pronunciation:
/vəːˈbəʊs/ (Ver-BOHSS)

Definition(s):

1. Containing more words than necessary.
Ex: His essay was verbose and vague.
2. Prone to wordiness.
Ex. He is a verbose individual.

Synonyms:
Wordy, Loquacious, Garrulous
Antonyms:
Succinct, Brief, Concise

Origin:

The word Verbose emerged in the late 17th century and was derived from the Latin word Verbosus, which was derived from the Latin word Verbum, which means Word.
The flowchart of the origin of the word is as follows:
Latin: Verbum (Word)
Latin: Verbosus
Late 17th Century: Verbose

Usage cues of similar words:
Wordy:
His sentences were rather wordy.
Loquacious:
Sarah was a rather loquacious person
Garrulous:
He was a garrulous old man who kept chattering like a magpie.

And that's it for today's word! Stay tuned for more. :)

Word Of The Day #4

Hola Amigos! Today, the word we're going to be looking at is Circumvent.

Circumvent
Verb
Pronunciation
/səːkəmˈvɛnt/ (sir-come-vent)
Definition
1. Find a way around (an obstacle).
Eg. a. The driver skilfully circumvented the numerous potholes in the road.
      b. There are many loopholes which make it possible to circumvent the law.
2. (archaic) deceive.
Eg. You have circumvented me for the last time. I shall have you punished severely.
Synonyms
Avoid, bypass, evade
Origin
The word Circumvent is derived from the Latin words circum and venire, which mean "around" and "come" respectively.
The flowchart for the origin of the word is as follows:
Latin: circumvenire
Latin: circumvent
Old English: circumvent
Usage cues of similar words
Avoid:
She has been avoiding me all week.
Bypass:
He bypassed the pointed remark, choosing instead to smile and walk away.
Evade:
The note-passing did not evade the sharp eyes of the teacher.

So that's it for today, keep watching this space for more words.

All the best!

Word Of The Day #3

Hey there folks! On day three of Word Of The Day, we're going to be looking at the word Fastidious.

Fastidious

Adjective

Pronunciation:

/faˈstɪdɪəs/ (fast-id-e-us)

Definition(s):

1. Very attentive to and concerned about details and accuracy

Ex: "For cars she couldn't care less, fastidious and precise" (If you got that reference ;) )

Ex: She dressed with fastidious care.

2. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness

Ex: The child seemed very fastidious about getting her fingers dirty.

Synonyms:

Finicky, Fussy, Choosy

Antonyms:

Uncritical, Undemanding

Origin:

The word 'fastidious' originated from the Latin word Fastidium, which means loathing. The word fastidious originally meant disagreeable and was later defined as disgusted.

The flowchart of the origin of the word is as follows:

Latin: Fastidium (Loathing)

Latin: Fastidiosus

Late Middle English: Fastidious

Usage cues of similar words

Finicky:

She was a finicky eater.

Fussy:

He patted down his hair with quick fussy movements.

Choosy:

The little child was choosy about which toys she would play with

That's it for today's word. Stay tuned for more.

All the best!

Word Of The Day #2

Hey folks! Another day, another word. Today the word we're going to be looking at is Tchotchke.

Tchotchke

Informal noun

Singular: Tchotchke; Plural: Tchotchkes

Pronunciation:
/ˈtʃɒtʃkə/  (Chochki)

Definition

1. A small object that is decorative rather than strictly functional; a trinket.
Ex. Her desk was littered with an action figure and other tchotchkes.
2. A pretty girl or woman
Ex. Look how my little Tchotchke has grown up!

Synonyms:
Bauble, Curio, knick-knack

Origin:
Yiddish: tshatshke (Trinket)
The word Tchotchke was only used in the English language in the 1970s.

Usage cues of similar words:

The word Tchotchke can be replaced by a multitude of words. There's no specific situation where the replacement of the word 'Tchotchke' in a sentence causes any grammatical or semantic errors.

Knick-Knack:
The room was decorated with a multitude of knick-knacks

Curios:
He had an interest in collecting various Curios

All in all, Tchotchke is a word that can be replaced with multiple words. However, the addition of this word in your vocabulary (and it's usage in essays) can make for a very strong/ high funda essay. ;-)

All the best!

Word Of The Day

Happy new year, HSEE aspirants! To start off 2019 with a bang (and to help you with your preparation) we'll be introducing 'Word Of The Day', a means through which you can improve your vocabulary day by day.

'Word Of The Day' will basically explore one word a day and it will be covering the following:

- The definition of the word
- Its pronunciation
- Its usage
- Its synonyms and antonyms
- Its origins
- Usage cues for a few synonyms

We hope that this section will help you in your journey of preparing for HSEE!

All the best!

Word Of The Day #1

Hello folks!
The word we'll be covering today is 'Frenetic'.

FRENETIC

Adjective

Pronunciation:
/frəˈnɛtɪk/ (Freh-net-ick)

Definition:
-Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way
-Involving a lot of movement or activity
Ex:  After weeks of FRENETIC preparation, the team managed to give an outstanding performance
Ex: She leads life at a FRENETIC pace

Synonyms:
Frantic, Frenzied, Fraught, Wild, Manic
Antonyms:
Calm

Origin:
The word Frenetic originates from the Greek word Phrenetis which translates to Delirium

The flowchart of the origin of this word is as follows:

Greek: Phrēn (Mind)

Greek: Phrenetis (Delirium)

Greek:  Phrenitikos

Latin

Old French: Frenetique

Usage cues of similar words:
FRANTIC:
She was frantic when he did not pick up her calls.
FRENZIED:
They danced in an overly frenzied manner
WILD:
It was a wild adventure.

So that was it for today's word. Stay tuned for more!

All the best!