Learn English Vocabulary - via Word of the Day

soporific [ sop-uh’-RIF-ik, soh-puh’- ][ noun, adjective ]MEANING :1. (adj.) causing or tending to cause sleep
2. (adj.) of or pertaining to sleep or drowsiness
3. (n.) something that causes sleepUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :For a generation brought up on a diet of T20 cricket, a test match could prove to be positively soporific.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :His lecture is titled "Meaning in American Politics," but it might have been better titled "Dreaming in American Politics," for it proves a powerful soporific.

solecism [ SOL-uh’-siz-uh’ m, SOH-luh’- ][ noun ]MEANING :1. something inconsistent with the normal, or accepted order
2. a nonstandard or ungrammatical usage of language
3. a breach of decorum or good mannersUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Committing a solecism during a job interview could prove costly.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :A solecism of initial blunder may generate legal heat and forensic spiral from court to court.

extradite [ EK-struh'-dahyt ][ noun ]MEANING :the surrender of a criminal or a fugitive from one country or authority to anotherUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Portugal's decision to extradite notorious gangster Abu Salem to India was welcomed by most people in this country.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Serbia’s foreign minister says it will not extradite a Serbian student wanted in New York on assault charges.

beatific [ bee-uh'-Tif-ik ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. bestowing or imparting bliss or blessings
2. having a saintly or blissful appearanceUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The beatific peace one encounters in Kulu and Manali make them attractive locales for Indians and foreigners alike.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Shouted comments and piercing wolf-whistles were all welcomed with a beatific smile.

lurid [ LOO’ R-id ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. marked by sensationalism
2. glowing or shining in colour
3. having an unnatural glare
4. livid or pallidUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The lurid details of his personal life mentioned in his autobiography made it a bestseller.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Earlier this month a private investigator hired by the adviser filed an affidavit making further lurid claims about Mr Najib and the Mongolian, only to retract it a day later, claiming he had made it under duress.

liturgy [ LIT-er-jee ][ noun ]MEANING :the prescribed set forms of rituals for public religious worshipUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The elaborate liturgy in Hindu festivals can be intimidating if one is not accustomed to them.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :My attitude toward liturgy is “Just give me my lines and my blocking.”

extirpate [ EK-ster-peyt, ik-STUR-peyt ][ transitive verb ]MEANING :1. to destroy or remove completely; exterminate
2. to pull up by; uprootUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The Pakistani army chief's decision to send troops to the Swat valley to extirpate the Taliban was well received both within and outside the country.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :President George W. Bush still favored the Israeli offensive to extirpate Hezbollah from Lebanon.

  exacerbate [ ig-ZAS-er-beyt, ek-SAS- ][ verb ]MEANING :aggravate; increase intensity, bitterness or violenceUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The political party's move to brand all minorities as potential threat is likely to exacerbate the already high social tensions prevalent in our country.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The move was likely to exacerbate the political tensions that have been running high since the opposition made unprecedented gains in the March general elections, eroding the ruling coalition's majority.

palaver [ puh’-LAV-er, LAH-ver ][ noun, verb ]MEANING :1. (n.) a long negotiation between enemies or esp. one between primitive tribes and european traders
2. (n.) long idle talk or chatter
3. (v.) to parley or negotiate
4. (v.) to talk idly or profusely
5. (v.) to coax or flatterUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The lengthy palaver between the Sioux Chief Sitting Bull and American traders led to the white man's takeover of the entire North American continent.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The whole bullying palaver would have been manipulated to get best possible ratings and controversial headlines making whoever was in the frontline to cop the brunt of it.

portmanteau word [ pawrt-MAN-toh wurd, pohrt-; pawrt-man-TOH, pohrt- ][ noun ]MEANING :a word formed by combining the meanings and sounds of two different wordsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Brangelina is a portmanteau word formed by combining the name Angelina Jolie with that of her husband, Brad Pitt.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Smirting is a portmanteau word, formed by packing parts of two words together to create another, combining the sense of each.