The Hindu Editorial (​Deceptively benign) – Apr 20, 2026

To read this article, click  “The Hindu”.

This preview is provided here with permission.

Courtesy: The Hindu

The Hindu Editorial (​Deceptively benign) – Apr 20, 2026:

1. deceptively (adverb) – misleadingly, illusorily, falsely, spuriously.
2. benign (adjective) – harmless, mild, favorable, unthreatening.
3. retail inflation (noun) – the rate at which the prices of consumer goods and services increase over time; consumer price inflation, cost of living increase, retail price rise.
4. inflation (noun) – a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money; price rise, price escalation.
5. dependency (noun) –  reliance, dependence, leaning.
6. move from (phrasal verb) – to transition or shift away from a current state or condition; shift away from, transition from, depart from, pivot from.
7. fossil fuel (noun) – a natural fuel such as coal, oil, or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms; hydrocarbon fuel, non-renewable energy, crude oil.
8. amplify (verb) – to increase the volume, intensity, or effect of something; intensify, magnify, escalate, exacerbate.
9. imported inflation (noun) – a general and sustainable price increase due to an increase in the costs of imported products; import-driven inflation, foreign-sourced inflation.
10. marginally (adverb) – to a small or slight extent; slightly, somewhat, minimally, barely.
11. upward pressure (noun) – a force or influence that drives prices, rates, or levels higher.
12. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) (noun) – an official index that measures and tracks the changes in the price of goods sold and traded in bulk by wholesale businesses to other businesses; wholesale inflation metric.
13. climb (verb) – rise, increase, go up, ascend.
14. Consumer Price Index (CPI) (noun) – an official index that measures changes in the price level of a weighted average market basket of consumer goods and services; retail inflation metric.
15. transition (verb) –  shift, change.
16. base year (noun) – the first of a series of years in an economic or financial index, used as a benchmark against which data from other years are compared; reference year, benchmark year.
17. divergence (noun) – variance, discrepancy, difference, deviation.
18. keep in mind (phrase) – to remember or consider a specific detail or piece of information; remember, note, bear in mind, consider.
19. interpret (verb) – to understand or explain the meaning of data or information in a particular way; analyze, evaluate, understand, construe.
20. comfortably (adverb) – easily, safely, securely, well within.
21. tolerance band (noun) – the acceptable range within which an economic metric (like inflation) is permitted to fluctuate; acceptable range, permitted limit, safe zone.
22. reading (noun) – measurement, figure, data point, indicator.
23. mask (verb) – to hide or conceal the true nature or extent of a problem or situation; conceal, hide, disguise, obscure.
24. far more (phrase) – to a considerably greater extent or degree; significantly more, substantially more, much more, infinitely more.
25. complex (adjective) – complicated, intricate, multifaceted, involved.
26. build-up (noun) – accumulation, gathering, concentration, amassing.
27. pressure (noun) – stress, strain, burden, force.
28. drive (verb) – propel, prompt, cause, fuel.
29. primarily (adverb) – mainly, mostly, chiefly, predominantly.
30. input cost (noun) – the expense incurred during the creation of a product, including raw materials and energy; production cost, manufacturing expense, raw material cost, operating cost.
31. WPI inflation (noun) – the rate of price increase calculated at the wholesale level, prior to retail sales; wholesale inflation.
32. month-on-month (adjective) – comparing the data of one month with the data of the immediately preceding month.
33. acceleration (noun) – quickening, increase in rate, speeding up, escalation.
34. price pressures (noun) – economic factors that cause the prices of goods and services to increase; inflationary forces, cost burdens, upward price trends, inflationary pressures.
35. muted (adjective) –  subtle, subdued, understated, restrained.
36. reflection (noun) – indication, manifestation, display, expression.
37. Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) (noun) – an official metric that measures the change in retail prices of a specific basket of food products consumed by a population; retail food inflation metric.
38. moderately (adverb) – reasonably, mildly, modestly, slightly.
39. roughly (adverb) – approximately, about, around, nearly.
40. chief (adjective) –  main, foremost, most important.
41. precipitous (adjective) – sudden, steep, sharp, rapid.
42. depreciation (noun) – devaluation, drop in value, decline, fall.
43. given (preposition) – considering, taking into account, bearing in mind, in view of.
44. crude oil (noun) – unrefined petroleum that is extracted from the ground and used to produce fuels; unrefined petroleum, raw oil, fossil fuel, black gold.
45. supply chain (noun) – the sequence of processes involved in the production and distribution of a commodity; logistics network, distribution channel, supply network.
46. push up (phrasal verb) – drive up, increase, elevate, raise.
47. transmit (verb) –  pass on, transfer, impart.
48. inflationary pressures (noun) – economic conditions that cause prices to rise persistently.
49. fertilizer (noun) – a chemical or natural substance added to soil to increase its fertility and enhance crop yield; compost, manure.
50. petrochemical (noun) – a chemical product derived from petroleum or natural gas, essential for various industries; petroleum-based product.
51. absorb (verb) – to take on or bear a financial burden without passing it onto others; bear, take on, shoulder, assimilate.
52. sustainable (adjective) – maintainable, tenable, viable, long-lasting.
53. contraction (noun) – a period of economic decline; decline, shrinkage, decrease, reduction.
54. year-on-year (adjective) – comparing financial figures of one period with those of the same period in the previous year.
55. down about (phrase) – lower by approximately, decreased by roughly, reduced by about, dipped roughly.
56. indicative (adjective) – suggestive, representative, symptomatic, symbolic.
57. war-induced (adjective) – caused by war, conflict-driven, resulting from warfare, combat-triggered.
58. supply disruption (noun) – supply chain interruption, logistical breakdown, supply blockage.
59. in response (phrase) – as a reaction, consequently, in reply, therefore.
60. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) (noun) – a critical sector of the economy encompassing small-scale businesses that heavily contribute to industrial output and employment.
61. aid (verb) – to provide help or support to someone or something in achieving a goal; help, assist, facilitate, support.
62. policy relaxation (noun) – the easing or loosening of strict governmental rules or regulations; easing of rules, regulatory leniency, deregulation, policy softening.
63. export-oriented (adjective) – foreign-market focused, export-driven.
64. localised (adjective) – restricted or confined to a particular area or specific domestic market; concentrated, confined, restricted, regional.
65. supply glut (noun) – a situation where the supply of a good significantly exceeds its demand, leading to price drops; oversupply, surplus, excess inventory, abundance.
66. glut (noun) – surplus, excess, abundance, plethora, too much.
67. pass-through (noun) – the process of transferring increased input costs to the final consumer through higher retail prices; transfer of costs, price transmission, cost shifting.
68. compress (verb) – squeeze, shrink, reduce, narrow.
69. due to (phrase) – because of, on account of, owing to, resulting from.
70. suppression (noun) – the act of keeping something, such as prices or inflation, artificially low or contained; holding down, restraining, containment, restriction.
71. unwind (verb) – to slowly reverse, relax, or undo a built-up tension or temporary economic condition; relax, ease, reverse, resolve.
72. point to (phrasal verb) – indicate, suggest, signal, hint at.
73. stability (noun) – steadiness, firmness, solidity, balance.
74. stagflationary (adjective) – relating to an economic condition characterized by stagnant growth, high unemployment, and high inflation; economically stagnant, recessionary-inflationary, growth-hindering.
75. International Monetary Fund (IMF) (noun) – a major United Nations financial agency that promotes global macroeconomic stability, international trade, and provides policy advice to member nations.
76. World Economic Outlook (noun) – an official flagship report published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that analyzes global economic developments and provides detailed growth forecasts; IMF global forecast.
77. flag (verb) – highlight, point out, draw attention to, warn about.
78. recession (noun) – economic downturn, depression, slump, contraction.
79. trim (verb) – reduce, cut, decrease, lower.
80. forecast (noun) – a calculation or estimate of future events, especially regarding economic growth; prediction, projection, estimation, outlook.
81. echo (verb) – repeat, resound, reflect, reiterate.
82. underscore (verb) – emphasize, highlight, underline, stress.
83. vulnerability (noun) –  weakness, susceptibility, exposure, defenselessness.
84. accelerate (verb) – speed up, hasten, expedite, quicken.
85. shift (noun) – change, transition, movement, alteration.
86. renewable energy (noun) – energy derived from natural resources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed, like sunlight and wind; sustainable energy, green energy, clean energy.

Note:

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.

To download daily word list PDFs, click HERE