Sound and fury – The Hindu (Aug 14, 2017)

Sound and fury – The Hindu (Aug 14, 2017)

U.S. President Donald Trump’s harsh rhetoric against North Korea and equally strident counter-threats by Pyongyang have made the situation in the Korean Peninsula drastically worse.   For further reading, visit “The Hindu”.

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Courtesy: The Hindu

Word List-2

1. stand-off (noun) – deadlock, stalemate, impasse (in a dispute/conflict).
2. fury (noun) – rage, anger, wrath.
3. wind down (phrasal verb) – diminish, lessen; wind up/bring to end.
4. rhetoric (noun) – heroics, hyperbole/extravagant language.
5. strident (adjective) – (of opinions/comments) harsh, rough, loud.
6. warhead (noun) – the front part (head) of a missile that has the explosive.
7. sort (noun) – type, kind, variety.
8. deter (verb) – prevent, stop, block.
9. escalate (verb) – accelerate, increase/intensify, make serious.
10. appalling (adjective) – shocking, horrible, terrible.
11. substantial (adjective) – fundamental, essential, basic.
12. play down (phrasal verb) – underemphasize, downplay, understate.
13. counsel (verb) – advise, guide, recommend.
14. spiral (noun) – increase, rise, enlargement/expansion.
15. volatile (adjective) – unpredictable,  uncertain, unsettled.
16. regime (noun) – government, rule, administration.
17. artillery (noun) – big guns, ordnance, cannons.
18. demilitarized (adjective) –  relating to an area wherein all military forces are removed.
19. predecessor (noun) – forerunner, precursor, antecedent.
20. resort (to)(verb) – adapt, exercise, make use of, use/utilize.
21. sanctions (noun) – action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
22. intimidate (verb) – frighten, threaten, scare.
23. futility (noun) – failure, pointlessness/uselessness, worthlessness.
24. totalitarian (adjective) – authoritarian, autocratic, dictatorial.
25. on the line (phrase) – at risk, in danger, endangered.

Note: 

1. Click each one of the words above for their definition, more synonyms, pronunciation, example sentences, phrases, derivatives, origin and etc from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/.

2. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purpose only and they may vary in different context. Use it with the corresponding article published on the source (website) via the link provided. 

3. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.