Example: The Economic Survey has suggested a mix of protectionism for domestic airlines and liberal norms for flying abroad to bolster their share in international air traffic.
1. Bolster [bohl-ster]
Noun: a long, often cylindrical, cushion or pillow for a bed, sofa, etc; anything resembling this in form or in use as a support; any pillow, cushion, or pad.
Verb: to support with or as with a pillow or cushion; to add to, support, or uphold (sometimes followed by up).
Synonyms: aid, boost, buoy, buttress, cushion, help, maintain, reinforce, shore up, strengthen, support, sustain, assist.
Antonyms: block, decrease, discourage, halt.
Example: State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, reported a standalone net profit of 2,006 crore for the quarter ended June 30, as against ₹2,521 crore in the year-earlier period.
2. Standalone [stand-uh-lohn]
Adjective: self-contained and able to operate without other hardware or software.
Noun: a device or program with these characteristics.
Example: JSW Energy to foray into electric vehicles.
3. Foray [fawr-ey, for-ey]
Noun: a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder; a quick, sudden attack; an initial venture.
Verb: to make a raid; pillage; maraud; to invade or make one’s way, as for profit or adventure.
Synonyms: inroad, invasion, raid, attack, depredation, descent, irruption, reconnaissance, sally, sortie.
Antonyms: abstention, idleness, laziness.
Example: India needs to rekindle the SAARC process in order to secure historical affinity with its neighbours.
4. Rekindle [ree-kin-dl]
Verb: to excite, stir up, or rouse anew: efforts to rekindle their romance; to cause to begin burning again; ignite again.
Synonyms: renew, revitalize, revive, relight.
Antonym: kill.
5. Affinity [uh-fin-i-tee]
Noun: a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc.; a person, thing, idea, etc., for which such a natural liking or attraction is felt; relationship by marriage or by ties other than those of blood.
Synonyms: affection, closeness, fondness, leaning, rapport, sympathy, weakness, attraction, compatibility, cotton, druthers, partiality.
Antonyms: dislike, hate, hatred, dissimilarity.
Example: A policy of ‘equidistance’ for our closest neighbours is a far cry from India’s past primacy in the region and something South Block can hardly be sanguine about.
6. Sanguine [sang-gwin]
Adjective: cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident; reddish; ruddy; (in old physiology) having blood as the predominating humor and consequently being ruddy-faced, cheerful, etc; bloody; sanguinary.
Noun: a red iron-oxide crayon used in making drawings.
Synonyms: buoyant, cheerful, confident, enthusiastic, hopeful, upbeat, positive, animated, assured, expectant, lively, secure, self-assured.
Antonyms: depressed, down, gloomy, heavy.
Example: Similarly, when the then Prime Minister of Nepal K.P. Sharma Oli signed a transit trade treaty and agreement on infrastructure linkages with China in late 2015-2016, Ministry of External Affairs mandarins had brushed it off as a “bluff”.
7. Mandarin [man-duh-rin]
Noun: a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap; (initial capital letter) the standard Chinese language; a northern Chinese dialect, especially as spoken in and around Beijing.
Example: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Bangladesh last October was another such overture, with $24 billion committed in infrastructure and energy projects.
8. Overture [oh-ver-cher, -choo r]
Noun: an opening or initiating move toward negotiations, a new relationship, an agreement, etc.; a formal or informal proposal or offer.
Synonyms: bid, invitation, presentation, proposal, proposition, signal, suggestion, advance, exordium, foreword, offer.
Antonyms: conclusion, ending, epilogue, finish.
Example: At the outset, the Code appears to have the interests of business at heart: it aims to overhaul laws relating to reorganisation and insolvency resolution of corporate persons, partnership firms, and individuals; attempts to ease the process of recovery of money by operational and financial creditors in a timely manner; and places the onus on professionals to put forth resolution plans within 180 days.
9. Overhaul [verb oh-ver-hawl, oh-ver-hawl; noun oh-ver-hawl]
Verb: to make necessary repairs on; restore to serviceable condition; to investigate or examine thoroughly for repair or revision; to gain upon, catch up with, or overtake, as in a race; to haul or turn over for examination.
Synonyms: fix, improve, modernize, rebuild, reconstruct, reexamine, renew, repair, revamp, check, debug, doctor, examine, inspect.
Antonyms: break, damage, destroy, hurt.
10. Onus [oh-nuh s]
Noun: a difficult or disagreeable obligation, task, burden, etc; burden of proof; blame or responsibility.
Synonyms: blame, blot, blur, brand, charge, culpability, duty, encumbrance, fault, guilt, incubus, liability, load, millstone, obligation, odium, oppression, responsibility.
Antonyms: advantage, benefit, blank, blessing, exculpation, exoneration.
