The Hindu Editorial (Bursting at the seams) – May 15, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (Bursting at the seams) – May 15, 2026:

bursting at the seams (phrase) – (of a place or system) completely full to the point of breaking open; overflowing, overfilled, packed, jam-packed.
inflation (noun) – the rate of increase in prices over a given period of time; price rise, general increase in prices, cost of living increase, escalating prices.
transient (adjective) – lasting only for a short time; temporary, short-lived, short-term, momentary, ephemeral, passing.
systemic (adjective) – relating to a system as a whole; structural, foundational, fundamental, inherent.
retail inflation (noun) – the rate at which the prices of everyday consumer goods and services increase over time; consumer price inflation, cost of living increase, retail price rise, consumer-level inflation.
marginally (adverb) – to a small extent; slightly, somewhat, moderately, minimally.
print (noun) – a published or official statistical figure; data point, reading, statistic, metric.
deceptively (adverb) – in a way that gives a misleading impression; misleadingly, delusively, illusively, falsely.
benign (adjective) – mild, harmless, unthreatening, favourable.
Wholesale inflation (noun) – the rate of increase in prices of goods sold in bulk by wholesale businesses; producer price inflation, bulk price inflation, wholesale price increase.
double (verb) – to become twice; increase twofold, multiply by two, grow twice as much, duplicate.
signal (verb) – indicate, show, point to, signify.
substantial (adjective) – significant, large, meaningful, considerable.
upstream (adjective) – situated or occurring earlier in a production or supply chain; preliminary, initial, early-stage, producer-end.
price pressures (noun) – economic factors that contribute to an upward trend in the cost of goods and services; inflationary forces, cost burdens, economic strains.
work one’s way (phrase) – to move or progress gradually through a system or area; filter through, permeate, pass through, navigate.
unsurprisingly (adverb) – predictably, naturally, as expected, foreseeably.
spike (noun) – a sharp increase; surge, rise, escalation, upsurge.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) (noun) – a macroeconomic indicator that measures and tracks the changes in the price of goods traded in bulk by wholesale businesses to other businesses.
soaring (adjective) – increasing rapidly; skyrocketing, escalating, rocketing, surging.
natural gas (noun) – a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture primarily consisting of methane, used as a fuel; fossil gas, non-renewable energy.
surge (verb) – to increase suddenly; rise sharply, leap, soar, jump.
energy cost (noun) – the monetary expense incurred for power, fuel, and electricity; fuel expense, utility bill, power cost.
pass on to (phrasal verb) – to transfer a financial burden or responsibility to another party; transmit, transfer, hand over, shift.
pass-through (noun) – the act of shifting an increase in costs down the supply chain to the end consumer; transmission, shifting, transferring, handover.
imminent (adjective) – about to happen in the near future; impending, close at hand, approaching, looming.
have little choice (phrase) – to be in a situation where no other viable options are available; have no other option, be forced, be compelled, be obliged.
public sector (noun) – the portion of the economy composed of all levels of government and government-controlled enterprises; state-owned enterprises, government-run entities, public undertakings.
reportedly (adverb) – supposedly, seemingly, apparently, allegedly.
absorb (verb) – to take in and bear the burden of a cost or loss; bear, shoulder, endure, sustain.
“under-recoveries” (noun) – the revenue shortfall realized when goods are sold at a regulated price lower than the actual cost of production; financial losses, revenue deficit, unrecovered costs, financial burdens.
nearly (adverb) – very close to; almost, approximately, closely, practically.
economy-wide (adjective) – affecting the entire economic system of a country; nationwide, macro-level.
implication (noun) – consequence, result, ramification, repercussion.
drive (verb) – to provide the power or influence that causes something to happen; propel, prompt, propel.
chiefly (adverb) – mainly, primarily, principally, predominantly.
Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) (noun) – a specific economic indicator measuring the change in retail prices of food items consumed by an average household.
predictably (adverb) – in a way that can be foreseen or anticipated; as expected, unsurprisingly, naturally, foreseeably.
accommodation service (noun) – a business or facility offering lodging or space for people to stay; hospitality service, lodging industry, hotel sector.
reflect (verb) – show, display, demonstrate, indicate.
cascading effect (noun) – an unforeseen chain of events occurring when an event in a system has a negative impact on other, related systems; domino effect, ripple effect, knock-on effect.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) (noun) – a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases used predominantly as cooking fuel; cooking gas, cylinder gas, propane-butane mix.
widely (adverb) – extensively, broadly, largely, commonly.
conflict (noun) – war, warfare, (armed) clash, fighting, hostility.
canister (noun) – a strong metallic container used for holding gases or liquids under pressure; cylinder.
extensively (adverb) – widely, heavily, thoroughly, largely.
migrant (adjective) – relating to a person who moves from one place to another, especially in order to find work or better living conditions; immigrant.
wage labour (noun) – the socioeconomic relationship in which a worker sells their labor under a formal or informal employment contract; daily wagers, physical labour, hired workers.
feed into (phrasal verb) – to have an influence on or contribute to the development of something; contribute to, influence, play a part in, add to.
food basket (noun) – a standardized group of essential edible goods used to track consumer price fluctuations; grocery essentials, staple items, dietary basics, daily provisions.
potentially (adverb) – possibly, conceivably, probably, likely.
dampen (verb) – decrease, reduce, diminish, suppress.
consumption demand (noun) – the total desire and willingness of individuals to purchase goods and services; consumer spending, retail demand, purchasing appetite.
even as (phrase) – at the exact same time that something else happens; at the same time as, while, whilst, simultaneously.
appeal (verb) – to make a serious, urgent, or heartfelt request; urge, request, implore, plead.
refrain from (phrasal verb) – to deliberately stop oneself from doing something; abstain from, desist from, avoid, hold back from.
extravagant (adjective) – excessive, lavish, spendthrift, profligate.
abroad (adverb) – in or to a foreign country or countries; overseas, out of the country, internationally, to foreign lands.
cut back (phrasal verb) – reduce, decrease, curtail, slash.
precious metal (noun) – rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value; valuable metal, noble metal, gold and silver.
consequently (adverb) – as a result or effect of something; therefore, thus, hence, as a result.
import duties (noun) –customs tariffs, import taxes, trade duties.
in an attempt to (phrase) – with the intention or purpose of achieving a particular goal; in order to, with the intention of, trying to, making an effort to.
discourage (verb) – deter, dissuade, prevent, stop.
safe-haven (adjective) – secure, protective, risk-free, reliable.
ease (verb) – relieve, alleviate, lessen, reduce.
depreciate (verb) – decrease in value, lose value, drop, decline.
for context (phrase) – used to provide background information that helps explain a situation; to provide background, for perspective, as background information, to set the scene.
fiscal year (noun) – financial year.
slide (noun) – fall, drop, decline, slump.
exceptionally (adverb) – unusually, extraordinarily, uncommonly, notably.
sharp (adjective) – sudden, rapid, and significant; abrupt, rapid, steep, drastic.
increasingly (adverb) – to an increasing extent; more and more, progressively, continuously, steadily.
expression (noun) – manifestation, display, demonstration, showing.
divergence (noun) – separation, difference, deviation, variance.
Consumer Price Index (CPI) (noun) – a standard macroeconomic metric measuring the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services.
suggest (verb) – indicate, imply, point to, signify.
unlikely (adjective) – not expected to happen or be true; improbable, doubtful, questionable, implausible.
sustainable (adjective) – able to be maintained at a certain rate or level; maintainable, viable, bearable, supportable.
leave (verb) – to cause to remain in a particular state or condition; place, position, keep, cause to remain.
room (noun) – capacity or space for action or maneuver; scope, opportunity, leeway, margin.
eventually (adverb) – in the end; ultimately, finally, at last, in due course.
tighten (verb) – restrict, limit, constrain, make stricter.
monetary policy (noun) – the process by which the monetary authority of a country controls the supply of money; financial strategy.
in order to (phrase) – as a means to achieving a specified end; with the purpose of, with a view to, so as to, for the purpose of.
tolerance band (noun) – the established upper and lower limits within which a central bank aims to keep an economic metric like inflation; permissible range, acceptable limit, target range.
unfold (verb) – to gradually develop or be revealed; happen, occur, take place, develop.
merely (adverb) – just or only; solely, simply, just, purely.
commodity volatility (noun) – the unpredictable and rapid price fluctuations of essential raw materials in global markets; price instability, market fluctuation, raw material instability.
broader (adjective) – wider, more general, comprehensive, expansive.
inflationary pressure (noun) – forces within an economy that pull or push the prices of goods and services upward; price rise indicators, cost-push factors, demand-pull forces.
manoeuvring space (noun) – the opportunity or flexibility to change a situation or the way a problem is tackled; room to act, flexibility, leeway, scope for action.
central bank (noun) – the principal monetary authority of a nation, responsible for issuing currency and managing the state’s financial system; apex bank, reserve bank, monetary authority.