Example: In fact, even Kesri’s rise didn’t evoke the trepidation Mr. Gandhi’s elevation as president is doing now, partly because, on earlier occasions, there had been almost no lag time between the decision and its implementation.
1. Evoke [ih-vohk]
Verb: to call up or produce (memories, feelings, etc.); to elicit or draw forth; to call up; cause to appear; summon; to produce or suggest through artistry and imagination a vivid impression of reality.
Synonyms: arouse, conjure, elicit, invoke, provoke, recall, awaken, call, educe, evince, evolve, excite, extort, extract, milk, raise, rally, rouse, summon.
Antonyms: calm, deaden, decrease, ignore.
2. Trepidation [trep-i-dey-shuh n]
Noun: tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation; trembling or quivering movement; tremor.
Synonyms: alarm, apprehension, consternation, dismay, disquiet, dread, excitement, fright, horror, jitters, nervousness, panic, terror, uneasiness, agitation, butterflies, creeps.
Antonyms: assurance, beauty, calm, calmness.
Example: The occasion was the party’s chintan shivir, or brainstorming session, and the announcement was seen to be a prelude to his becoming the next president.
3. Brainstorm [breyn-stawrm]
Noun: a sudden impulse, idea, etc.; a fit of mental confusion or excitement.
Adjective: of or relating to brainstorming.
Verb: to conduct or practice brainstorming; to subject (a problem) to brainstorming.
Synonyms: deliberate, analyze, conceive, conceptualize, create, invent, plan, ponder, think, conjure up, dream up, put heads together, rack brains, share ideas.
Antonyms: destroy, forget, ignore, neglect.
4. Prelude [prel-yood, preyl-, prey-lood, pree-]
Noun: a preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work of broader scope and higher importance; any action, event, comment, etc. that precedes something else.
Verb: to serve as a prelude or introduction to; to introduce by a prelude; to play as a prelude.
Synonyms: introduction, prologue, commencement, exordium, foreword, intro, overture, preamble, preface, preliminary, preparation, prolegomenon, , t, curtain-raiser, prelusion, proem.
Antonyms: completion, conclusion, end, ending.
Example: Today, however, there is a sense of resigned inevitability, even apprehension, about Mr. Gandhi’s imminent ascension, not a sentiment on which a leader would like to coast to the highest office in his party.
5. Imminent [im-uh-nuh nt]
Adjective: likely to occur at any moment; impending; projecting or leaning forward; overhanging.
Synonyms: forthcoming, immediate, impending, inevitable, likely, looming, possible, probable, unavoidable, about to happen, approaching, brewing, close, coming, expectant, fast-approaching, following, gathering, handwriting-on-the-wall, in store, in the air, in the cards, in the offing, in the wind, in view, ineluctable, inescapable.
Antonyms: avoidable, distant, escapable, later.
6. Ascension [uh-sen-shuh n]
Noun: the act of ascending; ascent.
Synonyms: ascent, climbing, flying, mounting, rise, rising, scaling, soaring, escalating, towering.
Antonyms: declension, decline, descendancy.
Example: Since the late 1970s, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Sonia Gandhi assumed the presidency only after each had been acknowledged as the absolute leader of the party — or had rapidly acquired that aura.
7. Aura [awr-uh]
Noun: a distinctive and pervasive quality or character; air; atmosphere:
an aura of respectability; an aura of friendliness; a subtly pervasive quality or atmosphere seen as emanating from a person, place, or thing; a sensation, as of lights or a current of warm or cold air, preceding an attack of migraine or epilepsy.
Synonyms: ambience, aspect, atmosphere, feeling, mood, quality, scent, semblance, tone, appearance, background, emanation, feel.
Example: Even during the Sitaram Kesri interlude (1996-98), when he was installed by Rao’s detractors till they could replace him with Ms. Gandhi, he wielded power while in office.
8. Interlude [in-ter-lood]
Noun: an intervening episode, period, space, etc; a short dramatic piece, especially of a light or farcical character, formerly introduced between the parts or acts of miracle and morality plays or given as part of other entertainments; any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play; an instrumental passage or a piece of music rendered between the parts of a song, church service, drama, etc.
Synonyms: breathing space, idyll, lull, respite, delay, episode, halt, hiatus, interim, intermission, interregnum, interruption, interval, meantime, meanwhile, parenthesis, recess, rest, spell, stop, stoppage, wait.
Antonyms: continuation, beginning, go, , t.
9. Detract [dih-trakt]
Verb: to take away a part, as from quality, value, or reputation (usually followed by from); to draw away or divert; distract.
Synonyms: critic, censor, defamer, depreciator.
10. Wield [weeld]
Verb: to exercise (power, authority, influence, etc.), as in ruling or dominating; to use (a weapon, instrument, etc.) effectively; handle or employ actively.
Synonyms: apply, brandish, employ, exert, handle, maintain, manipulate, operate, possess, swing, command, conduct, exercise, flourish, have.
Antonyms: ignore, misuse, neglect, cease.
1. Evoke [ih-vohk]
Verb: to call up or produce (memories, feelings, etc.); to elicit or draw forth; to call up; cause to appear; summon; to produce or suggest through artistry and imagination a vivid impression of reality.
Synonyms: arouse, conjure, elicit, invoke, provoke, recall, awaken, call, educe, evince, evolve, excite, extort, extract, milk, raise, rally, rouse, summon.
Antonyms: calm, deaden, decrease, ignore.
2. Trepidation [trep-i-dey-shuh n]
Noun: tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation; trembling or quivering movement; tremor.
Synonyms: alarm, apprehension, consternation, dismay, disquiet, dread, excitement, fright, horror, jitters, nervousness, panic, terror, uneasiness, agitation, butterflies, creeps.
Antonyms: assurance, beauty, calm, calmness.
Example: The occasion was the party’s chintan shivir, or brainstorming session, and the announcement was seen to be a prelude to his becoming the next president.
3. Brainstorm [breyn-stawrm]
Noun: a sudden impulse, idea, etc.; a fit of mental confusion or excitement.
Adjective: of or relating to brainstorming.
Verb: to conduct or practice brainstorming; to subject (a problem) to brainstorming.
Synonyms: deliberate, analyze, conceive, conceptualize, create, invent, plan, ponder, think, conjure up, dream up, put heads together, rack brains, share ideas.
Antonyms: destroy, forget, ignore, neglect.
4. Prelude [prel-yood, preyl-, prey-lood, pree-]
Noun: a preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work of broader scope and higher importance; any action, event, comment, etc. that precedes something else.
Verb: to serve as a prelude or introduction to; to introduce by a prelude; to play as a prelude.
Synonyms: introduction, prologue, commencement, exordium, foreword, intro, overture, preamble, preface, preliminary, preparation, prolegomenon, , t, curtain-raiser, prelusion, proem.
Antonyms: completion, conclusion, end, ending.
Example: Today, however, there is a sense of resigned inevitability, even apprehension, about Mr. Gandhi’s imminent ascension, not a sentiment on which a leader would like to coast to the highest office in his party.
5. Imminent [im-uh-nuh nt]
Adjective: likely to occur at any moment; impending; projecting or leaning forward; overhanging.
Synonyms: forthcoming, immediate, impending, inevitable, likely, looming, possible, probable, unavoidable, about to happen, approaching, brewing, close, coming, expectant, fast-approaching, following, gathering, handwriting-on-the-wall, in store, in the air, in the cards, in the offing, in the wind, in view, ineluctable, inescapable.
Antonyms: avoidable, distant, escapable, later.
6. Ascension [uh-sen-shuh n]
Noun: the act of ascending; ascent.
Synonyms: ascent, climbing, flying, mounting, rise, rising, scaling, soaring, escalating, towering.
Antonyms: declension, decline, descendancy.
Example: Since the late 1970s, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Sonia Gandhi assumed the presidency only after each had been acknowledged as the absolute leader of the party — or had rapidly acquired that aura.
7. Aura [awr-uh]
Noun: a distinctive and pervasive quality or character; air; atmosphere:
an aura of respectability; an aura of friendliness; a subtly pervasive quality or atmosphere seen as emanating from a person, place, or thing; a sensation, as of lights or a current of warm or cold air, preceding an attack of migraine or epilepsy.
Synonyms: ambience, aspect, atmosphere, feeling, mood, quality, scent, semblance, tone, appearance, background, emanation, feel.
Example: Even during the Sitaram Kesri interlude (1996-98), when he was installed by Rao’s detractors till they could replace him with Ms. Gandhi, he wielded power while in office.
8. Interlude [in-ter-lood]
Noun: an intervening episode, period, space, etc; a short dramatic piece, especially of a light or farcical character, formerly introduced between the parts or acts of miracle and morality plays or given as part of other entertainments; any intermediate performance or entertainment, as between the acts of a play; an instrumental passage or a piece of music rendered between the parts of a song, church service, drama, etc.
Synonyms: breathing space, idyll, lull, respite, delay, episode, halt, hiatus, interim, intermission, interregnum, interruption, interval, meantime, meanwhile, parenthesis, recess, rest, spell, stop, stoppage, wait.
Antonyms: continuation, beginning, go, , t.
9. Detract [dih-trakt]
Verb: to take away a part, as from quality, value, or reputation (usually followed by from); to draw away or divert; distract.
Synonyms: critic, censor, defamer, depreciator.
10. Wield [weeld]
Verb: to exercise (power, authority, influence, etc.), as in ruling or dominating; to use (a weapon, instrument, etc.) effectively; handle or employ actively.
Synonyms: apply, brandish, employ, exert, handle, maintain, manipulate, operate, possess, swing, command, conduct, exercise, flourish, have.
Antonyms: ignore, misuse, neglect, cease.
