Pernicious – meaning, usage, quotes, and social examples

[responsivevoice] pernicious [/responsivevoice] [ per-nish-uhs ] Quotation: I worry about the very pernicious way we elevate and separate ourselves from other beasts, the way we rationalize our comfort and ease, our worship of the self, as healthy. It’s enticing, but with a terrible taint of evil. Lydia Millet Social Example: Of all the stupid movements that […]

Macabre – meaning, usage, quotes, and social examples

[responsivevoice] macabre [/responsivevoice] [ muh-kah-bruh ] Quotation: Working with Chaplin was very amusing and strange. His films are so funny, but working with him, I found him to be a very serious man. Whereas the films of Hitchcock are macabre, he could be a very funny man to work with, always telling jokes and holding court. […]

Chasm – meaning, usage, quotes, and social examples

Today’s word of the day is ‘Chasm.’ Let us understand more about this word.  [responsivevoice] chasm [/responsivevoice] [ kaz-uh m ] What is this word’s grammar? The word is a noun, i.e., it is the main subject of a sentence. Does the word have a past tense? What is it? No, the word is a noun. Therefore, […]

12 Basic Legal Terms for the Commoners to Understand the Law

One cannot do without encountering the law at least some time or the other. Either personally or through the news, we hear discussions about several cases and crimes. In such a proactive scenario, we, the commoners who haven’t studied the law, should know some of the basic legal terms. This glossary will give you a […]

Nimble – meaning, usage, quotes, and social examples

[responsivevoice] nimble [/responsivevoice] [ nim-buhl ] Quotation: I knew that I could sing when I was young. I would listen to a lot of jazz; I’m a big jazz fan. When I first got to high school and studied musical theatre, I could sing. But I added certain things to my voice, and I realized after […]

Acquiescence – meaning, usage, quotes, and social examples

[responsivevoice] acquiescence [/responsivevoice] [ ak-wee-es-uh ns ] Quotation: When political leaders fail to denounce anti-Semitic violence and slurs, the void is not only demoralizing to the victims, but silence actually enables the wrongdoing. Silence by elected officials, in particular, conveys approval – or at least acquiescence – and can contribute to a climate of fear and a […]

Legitimize – meaning, usage, quotes, and social examples

[responsivevoice] legitimize [/responsivevoice] [ li-jit-uh-mahyz ] Quotation: Border strengthening is effective, but not if done in isolation. We also need to give priority to establishing public institutions that deliver a sustained level of security and justice for citizens. Border security can never come at the expense of migrants’ rights. Nor can it be used to legitimize […]

Volition – meaning, usage, quotes, and social examples

[responsivevoice] volition [/responsivevoice] [ voh-lish-uhn ] Quotation: What part of people is resistant to an artist doing more than one thing? Is it somehow perceived as greedy? Anyone who has that weird volition to become an actor probably has a weird volition to do lots of other creative things – to write, to play music, to […]

Subservient – meaning, usage, quotes, and social examples

[responsivevoice] subservient [/responsivevoice] [ suh b-sur-vee-uh nt ] Quotation: The police force has repeatedly demonstrated an inability and unwillingness to carry out its fundamental mandate: to serve and protect the people of Hong Kong. It has been reduced to a mere instrument of repression subservient to the political agenda of Beijing’s regime in Hong Kong. Joshua Wong Social […]

Disservice – meaning, usage, quotes, and social examples

[responsivevoice] disservice [/responsivevoice] [ dis-sur-vis ] Quotation: There will always be a part of me that wants to do a movie musical. I feel like you’re doing yourself a disservice when you say something like that because you never know if that thing is gonna come along and be right, but I’d be lying if I […]