The Hindu Editorial (Alarm bells) – May 23, 2026

alarm bells (noun) – warning sign, danger signal, red flag, alert.
Index of Eight Core Industries (proper noun) – a monthly production volume index compiled and released by the Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA), DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, that measures the combined and individual performance of production in eight foundational industries (coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement, and electricity); core sector index.
Index (noun) – indicator, measure, gauge, benchmark.
Eight Core Industries (proper noun) – the foundational sectors of the Indian economy (coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement, and electricity) that significantly impact the broader economy.
underscore (verb) – emphasize, highlight, underline, stress, draw attention to.
economic distress (noun phrase) – a state of financial hardship or difficulty; financial trouble, economic hardship, economic crisis, financial difficulty.
seem (verb) – appear, look, give the impression of.
decidedly (adverb) – undeniably, undoubtedly, unmistakably, clearly.
tepid (adjective) – unenthusiastic, apathetic, half-hearted, lukewarm.
note (noun) – tone, mood, atmosphere, feeling.
go by (verb phrase) – to form an opinion or make a judgment based on something; base one’s opinion on, be guided by, judge by, rely on.
so far (phrase) – up to this point in time; until now, up to now, to date, thus far.
key (adjective) – of crucial importance; crucial, vital, essential, major.
stand at (verb phrase) – to be at a particular level or value; be at, remain at, register at, position at.
modest (adjective) – moderate, small, limited, marginal.
attribute (verb) – ascribe, assign, credit, connect.
certainly (adverb) – without doubt; definitely, undeniably, surely, unquestionably.
slowdown (noun) – a decline in economic activity; recession, slump, downturn, decline.
break out (verb phrase) – to start suddenly, especially a war, disease, or conflict; erupt, flare up, start suddenly, begin.
down from (phrase) – lower than a previous level or position; below, decreased from, reduced from, less than.
suggest (verb) – indicate, point to, imply, hint.
systemic (adjective) – fundamental, inherent, institutional, widespread.
rather than (phrase) – instead of, as opposed to, in place of.
driven (adjective) – influenced, determined, or caused by a specific factor; caused, motivated, prompted, propelled.
transient (adjective) – lasting only for a short time; temporary, short-lived, ephemeral, passing.
at all (phrase) – in any way or to any extent; in the least, whatever, whatsoever, remotely.
contract (verb) – decline, decrease, diminish, shrink.
crude oil (noun phrase) – unrefined petroleum extracted directly from the ground; unrefined oil, raw petroleum, fossil fuel, black gold.
natural gas (noun phrase) – a flammable gas occurring naturally underground, used as fuel; fossil fuel, methane gas, combustible gas.
in fact (phrase) – actually, in reality, as a matter of fact, really.
consecutive (adjective) – following continuously; successive, succeeding, continuous, sequential.
of particular concern (phrase) – causing special worry, anxiety, or attention; especially worrying, significant, important, alarming.
ramp up (verb phrase) – to increase the level or amount of something sharply; increase, step up, boost, escalate.
overnight (adverb) – happening suddenly or very quickly; instantly, immediately, instantaneously, suddenly.
fall (verb) – to decrease in number, amount, intensity, or quality; decline, drop, decrease, plunge.
stretch (noun) – period, spell, duration, phase.
current (adjective) – happening or existing now; present, existing, ongoing, present-day.
energy crisis (noun phrase) – a significant bottleneck in the supply of energy resources to an economy; power shortage, fuel crisis, resource deficit, energy shortage.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) (proper noun) – the Government of India ministry responsible for the exploration, production, refining, distribution, and marketing of petroleum and natural gas.
domestic consumption (noun phrase) – the use of goods and services within a country by its own population.
install (verb) – set up, put in place, establish, fix.
storage facilities (noun phrase) – repositories, reservoirs, storehouses, depots.
fall (noun) – decline, drop, decrease, slump.
consumption (noun) – the using up of a resource; usage, use, utilization, expenditure.
window (noun) – opportunity, chance, opening, moment.
reserves (noun) – a supply of a commodity not needed for immediate use but available if required; stockpiles, stores, supplies, stocks.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) (proper noun) – natural gas that has been cooled to a liquid state for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport; liquid gas, fossil fuel, liquefied fuel.
cut (verb) – reduce, decrease, lower, slash.
likely (adverb) – probably or presumably; presumably, in all probability, no doubt, supposedly.
in a bid to (phrase) – in an attempt to do something; in order to, with the aim of, trying to, with a view to.
foreign exchange (forex) (noun) – the amount of foreign currency held by a country’s central bank; foreign exchange reserves, international currency, overseas reserves.
outflow (noun) – a large amount of money moving out of a country or economy; drain, withdrawal, exodus, leakage.
volume (noun) – quantity, amount, capacity, magnitude.
curb (noun) – check or restraint on something; restriction, control, limit, constraint.
nevertheless (adverb) – in spite of that; nonetheless, however, yet, still.
implications (noun) – consequences, ramifications, repercussions, effects.
play out (verb phrase) – to develop or unfold in a particular way; happen, occur, take place, develop.
Fertilizer (noun) – a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility; compost, manure.
brief (adjective) – lasting only for a short time; short, momentary, temporary, fleeting.
return (noun) – comeback, recovery, reappearance, resurgence.
mitigating (adjective) – alleviating, easing, relieving, lessening.
grapple with (verb phrase) – to try hard to understand or deal with a difficult problem or situation; deal with, tackle, confront, face.
below-normal (adjective) – lower than the average or expected standard; subnormal, deficient, inadequate, inferior.
above-normal (adjective) – higher than the average or expected standard; excessive, extraordinary, unusual, greater.
El Niño (noun) – a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which can have significant impacts on global weather patterns including reducing monsoon rainfall in India.
La Niña (noun) – a climate pattern characterized by the unusual cooling of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, typically associated with stronger and above-normal monsoon rainfall in India.
however (adverb) – nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, conversely.
far from (phrase) – not at all; nowhere near, not in the least, anything but, decidedly not.
comforting (adjective) – reassuring, soothing, encouraging, heartening.
resultant (adjective) – consequent, resulting, ensuing, following.
dip (noun) – a brief downward slope followed by an upward one, or a temporary decrease; drop, fall, decline, decrease.
grave (adjective) – giving cause for alarm; serious, severe, critical, dire.
prospect (noun) – outlook, expectation, chance, possibility.
sustained (adjective) – continuous, ongoing, steady, prolonged.
propel (verb) – drive, prompt, push, motivate.
government expenditure (noun phrase) – the money spent by the public sector on the acquisition of goods and provision of services; public spending, state spending, government outlay, fiscal expenditure.
push (noun) – a vigorous effort or momentum to do or obtain something; drive, thrust, momentum, stimulus.
last (verb) – to continue to function well or exist; endure, continue, persist, survive.
amid (preposition) – surrounded by or in the middle of; during, in the middle of, amidst, among.
fiscal (adjective) – relating to government revenue, especially taxes; financial, economic, monetary, budgetary.
strain (noun) – a severe or demanding load or pressure; pressure, stress, burden, tension.
bring on (verb phrase) – to cause something to happen, typically something bad; cause, trigger, induce, lead to.
just (adverb) – exactly or only; merely, simply, only, solely.
core sector (noun phrase) – the primary segments of the Indian economy that form the backbone of industrial production and significantly influence overall economic growth.
concerning (adjective) – causing anxiety or worry; worrying, alarming, troubling, disturbing.
Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) (proper noun) – an economic indicator derived from monthly surveys of private sector companies that provides insight into the health of a particular economy.
slightly (adverb) – to a small degree; somewhat, a little, minimally, marginally.
inflation (noun) – the rate of increase in prices over a given period of time, leading to a fall in the purchasing value of money; price rise, cost of living increase, currency devaluation, rising prices.
ignore (verb) – to refuse to take notice of or acknowledge; disregard, overlook, neglect, brush aside.

The Hindu Editorial (Alarm bells) – May 23, 2026

The Hindu Editorial (Alarm bells) – May 23, 2026

The Hindu Editorial (Alarm bells) – May 23, 2026:

1. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are our personal work. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context.

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

The Hindu Editorial (​Alarm bells) – May 23, 2026

The Hindu Editorial (​Alarm bells) – May 23, 2026:​

1. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are our personal work. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context.

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

The Hindu Editorial (Alarm bells) – May 23, 2026

The Hindu Editorial (Alarm bells) – May 23, 2026: