03 September 2026 | FREE Editorial PDF

Word Power

Date: 03-Sep-2026

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All words from today’s editorials, in one place.

EDITORIAL 1: ENDURANCE TEST: ON THE INDIAN ECONOMY’S RESILIENCE

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Resilience	The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties	Toughness	Fragility
Simple Example: The strength of the Indian economy’s resilience was tested in Q1 and it passed admirably.
Underpinned	Supported or formed the basis for something	Reinforced	Undermined
Simple Example: Growth was underpinned by strong performances in both manufacturing and services.
Multiplier	A factor that amplifies or increases the effect of something	Amplifier	Dampener
Simple Example: Capital creation overall has a welcome multiplier effect on the economy.
Cumulative	Increasing by successive addition	Aggregate	Isolated
Simple Example: The RBI’s 125-basis point cumulative interest rate cuts through 2025 aided manufacturing.
Reiterated	Said again or repeated, typically for emphasis	Repeated	Retracted
Simple Example: The Prime Minister reiterated his appeal to Indians to buy local and avoid non-essential travel.
Stuttering	Functioning erratically or faltering	Faltering	Thriving
Simple Example: A stuttering global economy could hurt demand for Indian services exports going ahead.
Deficient	Lacking in some necessary quality or element; insufficient	Inadequate	Sufficient
Simple Example: The economy is yet to face the full brunt of a deficient monsoon.
Sluggish	Slow-moving or lacking energy	Lethargic	Brisk
Simple Example: Consumption-related data for July already points to sluggish rural demand.
Brunt	The chief impact of something adverse	Main force	Least impact
Simple Example: The economy is yet to face the full brunt of a deficient monsoon.
Front-loaded	Concentrated or scheduled disproportionately at the beginning	Front-weighted	Back-loaded
Simple Example: Companies likely front-loaded their output in the expectation of further uncertainty.

Idioms

Idiom	Actual Meaning	Simple Meaning
Not out of the woods	Still in a difficult or dangerous situation, though the danger has lessened	Still facing risk, not fully safe yet

EDITORIAL 2: DO NOT GAMBLE: ON THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Escalating	Increasing rapidly in intensity or seriousness	Intensifying	De-escalating
Simple Example: With Russia and Ukraine escalating their long-range attacks, the risk of a wider war is rising.
Sabotage	Deliberate destruction or disruption of something	Subversion	Protection
Simple Example: Russia is recruiting foreign agents for sabotage and conducting cyberattacks for espionage.
Incursion	A hostile or unwelcome intrusion into another’s territory	Invasion	Retreat
Simple Example: US intelligence believes Putin could carry out a limited land incursion into NATO territory.
Rhetoric	Language designed to persuade, often exaggerated or provocative	Oratory	Plain speech
Simple Example: Inside Russia, government officials and nationalist voices have hardened their rhetoric.
Legitimate	Conforming to the law or to rules; justifiable	Valid	Illegitimate
Simple Example: A spokesperson said British military facilities may become legitimate targets.
Topple	To overthrow or cause to fall from power	Overthrow	Install
Simple Example: Mikhail Galuzin threatened to topple the regime in Kyiv and install a new government.
Entrenched	Firmly established, difficult to change or displace	Established	Unsettled
Simple Example: Russia was using artillery and drones to blast through Ukraine’s deeply entrenched positions.
Impasse	A situation in which no progress is possible; a deadlock	Stalemate	Breakthrough
Simple Example: Russia could use US preoccupation in the Gulf to escalate the conflict and break the impasse.
Preoccupation	The state of being absorbed in one thing to the exclusion of others	Engrossment	Inattention
Simple Example: Russia could use US preoccupation in the Persian Gulf to escalate the conflict.
Withstand	To endure or successfully resist something	Endure	Succumb
Simple Example: With continuing support from Europe, Kyiv has managed to withstand Russia’s hits.

Idioms

Idiom	Actual Meaning	Simple Meaning
Spill over	To extend or flow beyond the original limits of something	To spread from one place or situation into another

EDITORIAL 3: FOOTBALL, BEFORE AND AFTER MESSI

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Grandest	Most magnificent, impressive or imposing	Most magnificent	Humblest
Simple Example: International football has lost its grandest experience, which was watching Messi.
Inescapable	Impossible to avoid or escape	Unavoidable	Avoidable
Simple Example: Time, grief and wear and tear took its inescapable toll on the Argentine.
Poignantly	In a way that evokes a keen sense of sadness or regret	Movingly	Unemotionally
Simple Example: Most poignantly, he embodied the beauty in the beautiful game.
Pinnacle	The highest point or peak of something	Zenith	Nadir
Simple Example: In 21 years at the pinnacle of the sport, he saw the game transform around him.
Predetermined	Decided or established in advance	Preordained	Spontaneous
Simple Example: The movements of the modern game became predetermined in the boardroom.
Untarnished	Not spoiled, damaged or diminished	Unblemished	Tarnished
Simple Example: The magnificence of Messi’s game remained untarnished despite every change around him.
Frictionless	Smooth and effortless, free of difficulty or resistance	Effortless	Laboured
Simple Example: His genius was simple and uncomplicated, football with a frictionless lightness.
Immortality	The state of being remembered or celebrated forever	Eternal fame	Obscurity
Simple Example: Over 21 years, he conquered glory, honours and immortality.
Gauge	To estimate or judge the amount, level or quality of something	Assess	Misjudge
Simple Example: Only Messi could measure Messi, or gauge the true depth of his gifts.
Meaningless	Without sense, purpose or value	Pointless	Meaningful
Simple Example: Whether he is the greatest of all time is called a meaningless debate.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

EDITORIAL 4: ON PACKAGED FOODS IN INDIA, NOW A RED LABEL, AND A LONG OVERDUE WARNING

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Alarming	Causing worry, fear or concern	Worrying	Reassuring
Simple Example: The proposal addresses alarming levels of obesity, particularly among children.
Scepticism	Doubt about the truth or value of something	Doubt	Conviction
Simple Example: There has been scepticism about the effectiveness of food warning labels.
Legibility	The quality of being clear enough to read	Readability	Illegibility
Simple Example: Clarity and legibility are key to an effective front-of-pack warning label.
Perceived	Understood, interpreted or regarded in a particular way	Regarded	Misunderstood
Simple Example: Health stars are usually perceived as positive, undermining the point of a warning.
Nudge	A gentle push or encouragement towards a particular behaviour	Prompt	Deterrent
Simple Example: Addressing the obesity epidemic will require nudges towards healthier lifestyles.
Overdue	Happening later than expected or than it should have	Belated	Premature
Simple Example: A red label may not by itself help, but it is a useful, long overdue warning.
Malnutrition	Lack of proper nutrition, caused by an inadequate or unbalanced diet	Undernourishment	Nourishment
Simple Example: The obesity epidemic exists alongside malnutrition, both needing a public-health response.
Apex	The top, highest point, or highest authority in a hierarchy	Supreme	Subordinate
Simple Example: The Supreme Court pulled up the apex food regulator for failing to move on warning labels.
Expanding	Increasing in size, extent or scope	Growing	Shrinking
Simple Example: There are rapidly expanding concerns about Indians’ growing consumption of unhealthy food.
Warranted	Justified or made necessary by circumstances	Justified	Unwarranted
Simple Example: A broader public-health response beyond labelling alone is clearly warranted.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

EDITORIAL 5: DELHI TO BISHKEK: OVERCOMING LIMITS

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Diversifying	Varying or expanding to reduce dependence on one source	Broadening	Narrowing
Simple Example: Central Asia is diversifying its partnerships in all directions.
Constrained	Limited or restricted, especially by circumstances	Restricted	Unrestrained
Simple Example: The absence of direct land access has constrained trade and cultural engagement.
Overland	Travelling or transported across land rather than by sea or air	By land	By sea
Simple Example: There is no overland access through Pakistan for India’s trade with Central Asia.
Ecosystem	An interconnected system or network of related elements	Network	Isolated unit
Simple Example: The Prime Minister called for dismantling the entire ecosystem of terror financing.
Rotational	Taking turns according to a fixed order or sequence	Alternating	Permanent
Simple Example: Pakistan is set to assume the SCO’s rotational chairmanship.
Isolation	The state of being separated or cut off from others	Seclusion	Integration
Simple Example: Pakistan has largely overcome its diplomatic isolation over the past year.
Multi-vector	Pursuing multiple directions, partners or strategies at once	Multi-directional	Single-track
Simple Example: Central Asian countries are emerging as multi-vector actors in their foreign policy.
Bilateral	Involving two parties or countries	Two-sided	Multilateral
Simple Example: Delhi should place greater weight on its individual bilateral partnerships.
Beset	Troubled or plagued persistently by something	Plagued	Untroubled
Simple Example: Afghanistan’s airspace remains beset by security risks.
Weakened	Made less strong, effective or determined	Diminished	Strengthened
Simple Example: The international political will against terrorism has weakened, New Delhi must recognise.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

Test Yourself — 5 Questions

Answer all before you scroll down — then comment your score below!

Q1. The strength of the Indian economy’s RESILIENCE was tested in Q1 and it passed admirably, the editorial notes. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Toughness   (B) Fragility   (C) Weakness   (D) Vulnerability   (E) Frailty

Answer: A

Meaning: Resilience means the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Logic: ‘Toughness’ is its closest synonym. Elimination: Fragility, Weakness, Vulnerability and Frailty all denote a lack of strength, the opposite sense.

Q2. US intelligence believes Putin could carry out a limited land INCURSION into NATO territory, the editorial notes. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Retreat   (B) Withdrawal   (C) Invasion   (D) Ceasefire   (E) Truce

Answer: C

Meaning: Incursion means a hostile or unwelcome intrusion into another’s territory. Logic: ‘Invasion’ is its closest synonym. Elimination: Retreat, Withdrawal, Ceasefire and Truce all denote pulling back or ending conflict, the opposite sense.

Q3. In 21 years at the PINNACLE of the sport, he saw the game transform, the editorial notes. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Nadir   (B) Base   (C) Bottom   (D) Zenith   (E) Decline

Answer: D

Meaning: Pinnacle means the highest point or peak of something. Logic: ‘Zenith’ is its closest synonym. Elimination: Nadir, Base, Bottom and Decline all denote a low point, the opposite sense.

Q4. Growth was ______ by strong performances in both manufacturing and services, the editorial notes. Select the option that best fits the blank in the sentence.

(A) undermined   (B) overshadowed   (C) disrupted   (D) underpinned   (E) threatened

Answer: D

Meaning: Underpinned means supported or formed the basis for something. Logic: ‘underpinned’ fits the sense of growth being backed by strong sectoral performance. Elimination: undermined, overshadowed, disrupted and threatened all suggest weakening, the opposite sense needed here.

Q5. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Legitamate   (B) Legitimate   (C) Ligitimate   (D) Legittimate   (E) Legitimeate

Answer: B

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Legitimate’, meaning conforming to the law or rules; justifiable. Logic: standard English spelling. Elimination: the remaining options substitute a vowel or double a letter.

How many did you get right? Comment your score below — we read every one!

Quick Recap — Today’s Words

Resilience (Toughness) | Underpinned (Reinforced) | Multiplier (Amplifier) | Cumulative (Aggregate) | Reiterated (Repeated) | Stuttering (Faltering) | Deficient (Inadequate) | Sluggish (Lethargic) | Brunt (Main force) | Front-loaded (Front-weighted) | Escalating (Intensifying) | Sabotage (Subversion) | Incursion (Invasion) | Rhetoric (Oratory) | Legitimate (Valid) | Topple (Overthrow) | Entrenched (Established) | Impasse (Stalemate) | Preoccupation (Engrossment) | Withstand (Endure) | Grandest (Most magnificent) | Inescapable (Unavoidable) | Poignantly (Movingly) | Pinnacle (Zenith) | Predetermined (Preordained) | Untarnished (Unblemished) | Frictionless (Effortless) | Immortality (Eternal fame) | Gauge (Assess) | Meaningless (Pointless) | Alarming (Worrying) | Scepticism (Doubt) | Legibility (Readability) | Perceived (Regarded) | Nudge (Prompt) | Overdue (Belated) | Malnutrition (Undernourishment) | Apex (Supreme) | Expanding (Growing) | Warranted (Justified) | Diversifying (Broadening) | Constrained (Restricted) | Overland (By land) | Ecosystem (Network) | Rotational (Alternating) | Isolation (Seclusion) | Multi-vector (Multi-directional) | Bilateral (Two-sided) | Beset (Plagued) | Weakened (Diminished)

Idioms: Not out of the woods, Spill over

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