Vocabulary In News

confounded: (adj.) confused, befuddled, perplexed

 PPP is confounded after PML-N victory in by-polls.

swansong: (n) a final performance or effort
He has decided to make this tour his swansong.

fester: (v) intensify, aggravate, blister
Political interference has festered power woes in Pakistan.

stalemate: (n) deadlock, standoff, impasse
Syrian civil war came at a stalemate as Assad said that he won’t go.

adieu: (n) farewell, goodbye, valediction
Tendulkar bids adieu to ODIs but keen on playing Test cricket.

bte noire: (n) adversary, bugbear, trouble
For Republicans, taxes have become a bªte noire.

exude: (v) display, exhibit, show
Shahbaz Sharif’s felicitation to the new Punjab governor exudes cordiality between them.

sleuth: (n) detective, investigator, agent
FIA sleuths examined blast site in Lahore.

squabble: (n) argument, bickering, pettifoggery
US averted fiscal cliff after months of nerve-racking squabbles.

fracas: (n) disturbance, affray, melee, scuffle
Doctors call strike after Gujranwala hospital fracas.

obfuscated: (v) confused, caliginous, bewildered, complicated
The obfuscated environment has led to sheer despondency amongst people.

jaded: (adj.) exhausted, blas, fatigued, worn-out
Indian team looks jaded in second ODI against Pakistan.

fleece: (v) steal, flim-flam, swindle,
Transporters fleece the commuters due to closure of CNG.

indelible: ineffaceable, inerasable, lasting, unforgettable
Qazi Hussain Ahmed leaves indelible mark on JI politics.

titular: (adj.) in name only, nominal, so-called
Intervener says that Qaim Ali Shah is only a titular CM.

bemoan: (v) bewail, deplore, lament
Businessmen are bemoaning the socioeconomic deterioration of the country.

sojourn: (n) temporary stay, stopover, layover
Asif Zardari’s recent stay in Karachi is his longest sojourn away from Presidency.

teetotaller: (n) abstainer, abstinent, prohibitionist
Teetotaler Pankaj Kapoor plays alcoholic in his film Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola.

sag: (v) drop, decline, sink
Oil prices sag before weekly energy report.

tinderbox: (n) a potentially explosive place or situation
China paper that set off protests is still a tinderbox.

nascent: (adj.) emergent, budding, developing
In Laos, nascent freedoms take step back.

tot: (n) baby, child, offspring
British  Royal tot is due in July.

chide: (v)criticize, lecture, admonish, berate, blame
She chided him for not replying to her letters.

confound: (v) astonish, bewilder, dumbfound, flabbergast, perplex
The inflation figure confounded economic analysts.

dangle: (v) droop, hang, suspend, swing, trail
If you must carry a purse, hold it close and do not dangle it from your arm.

gasp: (v) pant, puff, choke, catch your breath
He gasped for air before being pulled under again.

Phrasal Verb
rope in: to persuade to take part in some activity
Inzamam was roped in as batting consultant by Pakistan Cricket Board.

Idioms
rub salt into wounds: to make a bad experience even more painful
The SC registrar refused to appear before PAC and to rub salt into the committee’s wounds, he told media that PAC’s act is unconstitutional.
wipe the slate clean: make a fresh start, forget the past
A Swiss court wiped the slate clean for a farmer, relieving him of a debt.

in the offing: likely to happen or appear soon
A code of ethics for journalists is in the offing.

rule the roost: to be in charge; dominate
Only politicians are to rule the roost in country says the President.

hang in the balance: to be in doubt, undecided
The fate of 16 complaints against suspected environmental polluters hangs in the balance.

take flak: face strong criticism
Both media and the NAB took turns to take flak in both houses of parliament

sweep one off one’s feet: to overwhelm someone
What swept me off my feet was the way he looked after me when I was hospitalised.