05 October 2026 | FREE Editorial PDF

Today’s Highlight: Today’s standout word is Perplexing – it means very confusing and hard to understand, and it often appears in Banking and SSC passages. The editorial on women’s safety in public spaces is a must-read for society and governance, and the IMD editorial explains why this year’s 13% monsoon shortfall matters.

Editorial 1: Other Than Outrage: On Women, Unsafe Public Spaces

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Sickening
Synonym: Revolting | Antonym: Pleasing
Example: The video of the accident was truly sickening.

2. Numb
Synonym: Deadened | Antonym: Sensitive
Example: After the bad news, she felt numb for hours.

3. Unleashed
Synonym: Released | Antonym: Restrained
Example: The storm unleashed heavy rain on the city.

4. Slew
Synonym: Host | Antonym: Handful
Example: The new phone comes with a slew of features.

5. Facilitated
Synonym: Enabled | Antonym: Hindered
Example: The new bridge facilitated trade between the towns.

6. Rectify
Synonym: Correct | Antonym: Worsen
Example: The bank promised to rectify the billing error.

7. Deficiencies
Synonym: Shortcomings | Antonym: Strengths
Example: The audit found several deficiencies in the hospital.

8. Backlog
Synonym: Arrears | Antonym: Clearance
Example: The court is struggling with a huge backlog of cases.

9. Temptation
Synonym: Urge | Antonym: Restraint
Example: He resisted the temptation to check his phone.

10. Patriarchal
Synonym: Male-dominated | Antonym: Egalitarian
Example: Old patriarchal customs still limit girls in some villages.

Idioms

1. Give way to
Meaning: Be replaced by

2. Put a question mark on
Meaning: Raise doubts about

Editorial 2: Season’s End: On IMD Forecasts and the Rainfall Deficit

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Unambiguously
Synonym: Clearly | Antonym: Vaguely
Example: The report unambiguously blamed the company for the leak.

2. Unanimity
Synonym: Consensus | Antonym: Disagreement
Example: There was unanimity in the panel on the winner.

3. Consequential
Synonym: Significant | Antonym: Trivial
Example: Choosing a career is a consequential decision.

4. Conservative
Synonym: Cautious | Antonym: Bold
Example: Her conservative estimate turned out to be too low.

5. Tally
Synonym: Count | Antonym: Fraction
Example: The final tally showed 40 votes in favour.

6. Suppresses
Synonym: Restrains | Antonym: Encourages
Example: Cold weather suppresses the growth of weeds.

7. Mettle
Synonym: Courage | Antonym: Timidity
Example: The tough final tested the young player’s mettle.

8. Perplexing
Synonym: Puzzling | Antonym: Clear
Example: The sudden price drop was perplexing to traders.

9. Glaring
Synonym: Blatant | Antonym: Hidden
Example: The essay had a glaring spelling mistake.

10. Trailed
Synonym: Lagged | Antonym: Led
Example: Our team trailed by two goals at half-time.

Idioms

1. In the offing
Meaning: About to happen

2. Test one’s mettle
Meaning: Challenge one’s ability

3. Bearer of ill news
Meaning: One who brings bad news

Editorial 3: Beijing Doesn’t Get It – Jane Eyre Is No Model for Domesticity

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Domesticity
Synonym: Homemaking | Antonym: Public life
Example: After years of travel, he enjoyed quiet domesticity.

2. Insistence
Synonym: Demand | Antonym: Indifference
Example: At her insistence, we left early for the station.

3. Plummeting
Synonym: Plunging | Antonym: Soaring
Example: Plummeting onion prices hurt farmers this month.

4. Propaganda
Synonym: Indoctrination | Antonym: Truth
Example: The poster was clearly wartime propaganda.

5. Rebellious
Synonym: Defiant | Antonym: Obedient
Example: The rebellious teenager ignored the school curfew.

6. Irredeemably
Synonym: Hopelessly | Antonym: Redeemably
Example: The old radio was irredeemably damaged by water.

7. Averse
Synonym: Opposed | Antonym: Keen
Example: He is not averse to working on weekends.

8. Outspoken
Synonym: Frank | Antonym: Reticent
Example: The outspoken player criticised the selectors.

9. Undergirded
Synonym: Underpinned | Antonym: Undermined
Example: Her confidence was undergirded by careful practice.

10. Surrender
Synonym: Submission | Antonym: Resistance
Example: The rebels offered their surrender after a week.

Idioms

1. Home and hearth
Meaning: Home and family

2. Have a mind of one’s own
Meaning: Think independently

3. Turn one’s back on
Meaning: Reject or abandon

Editorial 4: Industry Is Growing, but Isn’t Creating Jobs

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Emoluments
Synonym: Earnings | Antonym: Unpaid labour
Example: The new post comes with higher emoluments.

2. Warrant
Synonym: Justify | Antonym: Discount
Example: The minor scratch does not warrant a new car.

3. Steadily
Synonym: Gradually | Antonym: Erratically
Example: Prices have risen steadily since January.

4. Fraction
Synonym: Portion | Antonym: Entirety
Example: Only a fraction of the guests stayed till midnight.

5. Substantial
Synonym: Considerable | Antonym: Negligible
Example: She received a substantial bonus this year.

6. Dominated
Synonym: Controlled | Antonym: Subordinated
Example: Small shops dominated the old market street.

7. Successive
Synonym: Consecutive | Antonym: Intermittent
Example: The team won three successive titles.

8. Budged
Synonym: Shifted | Antonym: Stayed
Example: The heavy door hardly budged when I pushed it.

9. Trajectory
Synonym: Course | Antonym: Deviation
Example: Her career followed a steady upward trajectory.

10. Alternative
Synonym: Option | Antonym: Necessity
Example: Cycling is a cheap alternative to taking a taxi.

Idioms

1. Chug along
Meaning: Keep going steadily

Editorial 5: For New Energy, Remove Old Bottlenecks

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Deployment
Synonym: Installation | Antonym: Withdrawal
Example: The quick deployment of buses eased the rush.

2. Evacuate
Synonym: Remove | Antonym: Retain
Example: New lines will evacuate power from the solar parks.

3. Variability
Synonym: Fluctuation | Antonym: Stability
Example: The variability of rainfall worries farmers.

4. Intermittency
Synonym: Irregularity | Antonym: Continuity
Example: Batteries help manage the intermittency of wind power.

5. Concentrated
Synonym: Clustered | Antonym: Dispersed
Example: Most jobs are concentrated in a few big cities.

6. Earmarked
Synonym: Allocated | Antonym: Diverted
Example: The council earmarked funds for a new park.

7. Acquisition
Synonym: Procurement | Antonym: Disposal
Example: Land acquisition delayed the highway project.

8. Viable
Synonym: Feasible | Antonym: Impractical
Example: Solar pumps are a viable option for small farms.

9. Backbone
Synonym: Mainstay | Antonym: Weak link
Example: Farmers are the backbone of the rural economy.

10. Bottlenecks
Synonym: Obstacles | Antonym: Facilitators
Example: Port bottlenecks delayed the export shipments.

Idioms

1. Give serious thought to
Meaning: Consider carefully

2. Do well to
Meaning: Be wise to

Test Yourself – 5 Questions

Q1. There is a SICKENING sense of deja vu in last month’s headlines of assaults on women. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Revolting
(B) Pleasant
(C) Calming
(D) Familiar
(E) Mild

Answer: A

Meaning: Sickening means causing strong disgust or shock.
Logic: ‘Revolting’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Pleasant and Calming are opposite in sense, while Familiar and Mild do not convey disgust.

Q2. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Unambigously
(B) Unambiguously
(C) Unambiguosly
(D) Unanbiguously
(E) Unambiguousely

Answer: B

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Unambiguously’, meaning in a clear way that leaves no doubt.
Logic: standard English spelling, with ‘-guous-‘ plus ‘-ly’.
Elimination: the remaining options drop, add or substitute letters.

Q3. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Insistance
(B) Insistense
(C) Insisstence
(D) Insistence
(E) Insistince

Answer: D

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Insistence’, meaning a firm demand that something be done.
Logic: standard English spelling, ending in ‘-ence’.
Elimination: the remaining options substitute or double letters.

Q4. Public audits of unsafe locations must have deadlines to RECTIFY deficiencies. Select the option that is the closest antonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Correct
(B) Fix
(C) Repair
(D) Amend
(E) Worsen

Answer: E

Meaning: Rectify means to correct or put right.
Logic: ‘Worsen’ is its closest antonym.
Elimination: Correct, Fix, Repair and Amend are all near-synonyms of rectify, not opposite.

Q5. Forecasters were confident because of global UNANIMITY that a strong El Nino was coming. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Doubt
(B) Consensus
(C) Rivalry
(D) Confusion
(E) Silence

Answer: B

Meaning: Unanimity means complete agreement among everyone.
Logic: ‘Consensus’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Doubt, Rivalry and Confusion suggest disagreement, and Silence does not mean agreement.

Quick Recap – Today’s Words

Sickening (Revolting) | Numb (Deadened) | Unleashed (Released) | Slew (Host) | Facilitated (Enabled) | Rectify (Correct) | Deficiencies (Shortcomings) | Backlog (Arrears) | Temptation (Urge) | Patriarchal (Male-dominated) | Unambiguously (Clearly) | Unanimity (Consensus) | Consequential (Significant) | Conservative (Cautious) | Tally (Count) | Suppresses (Restrains) | Mettle (Courage) | Perplexing (Puzzling) | Glaring (Blatant) | Trailed (Lagged) | Domesticity (Homemaking) | Insistence (Demand) | Plummeting (Plunging) | Propaganda (Indoctrination) | Rebellious (Defiant) | Irredeemably (Hopelessly) | Averse (Opposed) | Outspoken (Frank) | Undergirded (Underpinned) | Surrender (Submission) | Emoluments (Earnings) | Warrant (Justify) | Steadily (Gradually) | Fraction (Portion) | Substantial (Considerable) | Dominated (Controlled) | Successive (Consecutive) | Budged (Shifted) | Trajectory (Course) | Alternative (Option) | Deployment (Installation) | Evacuate (Remove) | Variability (Fluctuation) | Intermittency (Irregularity) | Concentrated (Clustered) | Earmarked (Allocated) | Acquisition (Procurement) | Viable (Feasible) | Backbone (Mainstay) | Bottlenecks (Obstacles)

Idioms: Give way to, Put a question mark on, In the offing, Test one’s mettle, Bearer of ill news, Home and hearth, Have a mind of one’s own, Turn one’s back on, Chug along, Give serious thought to, Do well to

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