The Hindu Editorial (Dry days) – Apr 16, 2026

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The Hindu Editorial (Dry days) – Apr 16, 2026:

1. dry (adjective) – having little or no rainfall; arid, moistureless, parched.
2. dry days (noun) – a period of days experiencing little or no rainfall.
3. deficit (noun) – shortfall, deficiency, shortage, lack.
4. rainfall deficit (noun) – a situation where the actual rainfall is less than the normal or expected rainfall; scarcity of rain.
5. forecast (noun) – prediction, projection, estimation, calculation.
6. face (verb) – encounter, experience, confront, tackle.
7. make preparations for (phrase) – get ready for, plan for, prepare for, arrange for.
8. the worst (noun) – the most serious, disastrous, or unpleasant situation that could happen.
9. crest (noun) – highest point, peak, summit, pinnacle.
10. trough (noun) – lowest point, base, rock bottom, depression.
11. inevitable (adjective) – unavoidable, inescapable, unpreventable, bound to happen.
12. following (preposition) – after, subsequent to, as a result of, in the aftermath of.
13. surplus (adjective) – extra, excess, overabundant, leftover.
14. surplus rainfall (noun) – an amount of rainfall that is greater than normal or required.
15. likely (adverb) – probably, in all probability, presumably, expectedly.
16. stare at (verb) – be confronted by, face, encounter (a difficult or imminent situation).
17. shortfall (noun) – deficit, deficiency, shortage, inadequacy.
18. coming (adjective) – upcoming, approaching, forthcoming, imminent.
19. monsoon (noun) – rainy season, heavy rain.
20. India Meteorological Department (IMD) (organization) – an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India, responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting, and seismology.
21. predict (verb) – forecast, foretell, project, estimate.
22. margin of error (noun) – allowance, leeway, room for mistake (an amount allowed for miscalculation).
23. estimate (noun) – rough calculation, approximation, projection, prediction.
24. go by (phrasal verb) – follow, observe, be guided by, judge from.
25. track record (noun) – history, background, performance, previous performance.
26. there are many more times (phrase) – used to emphasize the higher frequency of a specific occurrence or outcome in the past.
27. only for (phrase) – used to state an unexpected or disappointing outcome; but, except that, with the negative result that.
28. end up (phrasal verb) – finish up, turn out to be, eventually become, come to be.
29. drought (noun) – dry spell, prolonged lack of rain, shortage of water, period of dry weather, parched conditions.
30. forecast (verb) – predict, project, estimate, foresee.
31. prove wrong (phrase) – show to be incorrect, invalidate, refute, disprove.
32. in fact (phrase) – actually, in reality, as a matter of fact, genuinely.
33. warn of (verb) – caution, notify, alert, apprise (about a danger or problem).
34. history (noun) – past events, the past, past records, previous occurrences.
35. experience (verb) – undergo, face, encounter, go through.
36. agency (noun) – organization, department, body, institution (referring here to the IMD).
37. lexicon (noun) – dictionary, glossary, vocabulary, terminology.
38. term (noun) – word, phrase, expression, name.
39. refer to (phrasal verb) – describe as, term, call.
40. deficient (adjective) – lacking, inadequate, insufficient, short.
41. southwest monsoon season (noun) – the primary rainy season in India running from June to September, bringing the majority of the country’s annual rainfall.
42. northeast monsoon season (noun) – the secondary rainy season in India occurring between October and December, mainly benefiting the southern peninsular regions.
43. seasonal (adjective) – relating to or occurring in a particular season.
44. long-term average (noun) – the average of a meteorological parameter, like rainfall, calculated over a significantly extended period.
45. Long Period Average (LPA) (noun) – the average rainfall recorded over a particular region for a given interval (like a month or season) calculated over a long period, typically 50 years; used as a benchmark by the IMD to predict rainfall.
46. depressed monsoon (noun) – a weakened or reduced monsoon, yielding lower than normal rainfall.
47. on the back of (phrase) – as a result of, following on from, due to, because of.
48. weather model (noun) – a computer program or algorithm that uses mathematical equations to predict atmospheric conditions and future weather patterns.
49. El Nino (noun) – a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which generally weakens monsoon rainfall in India.
50. 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.
51. cyclical (adjective) – recurrent, repeating, regular, periodic.
52. phenomenon (noun) – occurrence, event, happening, circumstance.
53. equatorial Pacific Ocean (noun) – the region of the Pacific Ocean located near the equator, critical for oceanic and atmospheric phenomena like El Niño and La Niña.
54. beyond (preposition) – greater than, more than, exceeding, over.
55. correspond (verb) – correlate, match up, relate, coincide.
56. deficient (adjective) – inadequate, lacking, insufficient, scanty.
57. timing (noun) – schedule, chronometry, timing of an event.
58. matter (verb) – be important, make a difference, be significant, carry weight.
59. threatening (adjective) – menacing, intimidating, alarming, warning of trouble.
60. for instance (phrase) – for example, as an example, to illustrate.
61. on the horizon (phrase) – approaching, imminent, upcoming, in the near future.
62. paradoxically (adverb) – surprisingly, unexpectedly, ironically, contradictorily.
63. Indian Ocean Dipole (noun) – an ocean-atmosphere phenomenon characterized by the difference in sea surface temperatures between the western and eastern parts of the Indian Ocean; a positive phase typically enhances the Indian monsoon.
64. counter (verb) – offset, negate, balance, counteract, neutralize.
65. desiccating (adjective) – drying, dehydrating, moisture-draining, parching.
66. concerning (adjective) – worrying, alarming, troubling, disturbing.
67. cloud (noun) – threat, shadow, gloom, looming problem.
68. as of now (phrase) – currently, at present, at this time, for the time being.
69. war-like (adjective) – hostile, belligerent, aggressive, militaristic.
70. shortage (noun) – deficit, deficiency, lack, shortfall, scarcity.
71. fertilizer (noun) – manure, compost.
72. sentiment (noun) – feeling, attitude, opinion, outlook, mood.
73. on top of (phrase) – in addition to, besides, as well as, over and above.
74. shore up (phrasal verb) – support, strengthen, bolster, fortify, reinforce.
75. equitable (adjective) – fair, just, impartial, even-handed, unbiased.
76. reservoir (noun) – a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply; storage, pool.
77. stress (verb) – strain, pressurize, stretch, place under severe pressure.
78. timely (adjective) – prompt, punctual, opportune, suitable, at the right time.
79. advisory (noun) – warning, notification, guidance, or official announcement.
80. optimal (adjective) – best, most favorable, ideal, perfect, prime.
81. sowing (noun) – the process of planting seeds in the ground for agricultural growth.

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.

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