The Hindu Editorial : May 3, 2025 - Learn Vocabulary

The Hindu Editorial – May 03, 2025 – Learn Vocabulary

Boost your English with The Hindu Editorial – May 03, 2025.

This post by Veranda Race helps aspirants learn 40 high-level vocabulary words with meanings, synonyms, antonyms, and usage examples—perfect for Bank Exam, SSC Exam, and UPSC Exam preparation.

Reading The Hindu editorial daily enhances reading comprehension, critical thinking, and vocabulary retention. It sharpens your skills for essay writing, mains answers, and complex prelims passages. Ideal for current affairs, fluency, and precision, this vocabulary series empowers competitive exam aspirants to stay ahead. Prepare smartly with contextual learning from credible sources—only at Veranda Race.

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Fire and smoke

Structures in congested cities must be made fire-safety compliance

Fourteen people, two of them children, were killed and 13 injured in a hotel fire in the Mechua market area of Burrabazar in central Kolkata on Tuesday. The fire engines had trouble accessing the congested area. It appears, once again, that many of the victims were asphyxiated – smoke is as much a deadly killer as the flames themselves. Smoke quickly rises up and escape would require reaching the bottom areas of the building. The six-storey hotel had only one stairway, and the fire that broke out on the first floor cut off escape. One person died after jumping from the building. That there were no other accessible means of escape is, in and of itself, a violation of the safety norms. On Thursday, a similar tragedy unfolded in Rajasthan's Ajmer, a pilgrim town. Fire broke out in a five-storey hotel in which four persons died. Some guests tried to jump out of the windows, and fire engines had trouble accessing the congested area.

Devastating fires in congested buildings leading to tragic loss of lives and property have become a disturbingly routine phenomenon across India, especially in Kolkata. There, Opposition leaders have rightly listed at least eight major fires in the last decade and half, starting with the AMRI hospital fire in 2011 that claimed 93 lives. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has spoken about a gas cylinder explosion after the Tuesday fire. She too has talked about there being only one staircase. Ms. Banerjee has characterised such fires as accidents that could not have been prevented. But the tragedies, in Ajmer and Kolkata, were definitely preventable and mitigation could have been far more efficient. Many of India's cities and inner cities of metropolises continue to see high volume business activities but their safety features are outdated. They do not comply with current fire and structural safety norms. Fire escapes and emergency exits are non-existent and the structures use highly flammable materials from another era. Unlike other metropolises that have seen some redevelopment of inner cities in recent decades, Kolkata seems to have missed that phase. Immediate solutions can include maintaining low-height sidewalks to allow fire engines to get closer to buildings, retrofitting fire retardant materials in buildings, and considering the use of retractable metallic staircases to serve as emergency escapes outside the buildings after careful evaluation by fire safety authorities. There is also a case for equipping firefighting teams with more breathing apparatus so more personnel can rescue people in distress in such structures since their limited access makes it difficult.

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1. Congested

Type: Adjective

Meaning: Excessively crowded or blocked with traffic or people

Tamil Meaning: நெரிசலான

Malayalam Meaning: തിങ്ങിനിറഞ്ഞ

Kannada Meaning: ಕಿಕ್ಕಿರಿದ

Synonyms: Overcrowded, cramped, clogged, choked

Antonyms: Spacious, uncrowded, clear, open

Example Sentence: "Emergency vehicles struggled to reach the accident site in the congested downtown area."

2. Compliance

Type: Noun

Meaning: The action of complying with a wish, command, or regulation

Tamil Meaning: இணக்கம்

Malayalam Meaning: അനുസരണം

Kannada Meaning: ಅನುಸರಣೆ

Synonyms: Conformity, adherence, obedience, observation

Antonyms: Violation, defiance, disobedience, noncompliance

Example Sentence: "The building inspector checked for compliance with the latest safety regulations."

3. Asphyxiated

Type: Verb (past tense)

Meaning: Deprived of oxygen, causing unconsciousness or death; suffocated

Tamil Meaning: மூச்சுத்திணறிஇறந்த

Malayalam Meaning: ശ്വാസംമുട്ടിമരിച്ച

Kannada Meaning: ಉಸಿರುಗಟ್ಟಿಸತ್ತ

Synonyms: Suffocated, smothered, choked, stifled

Antonyms: Revived, resuscitated, oxygenated

Example Sentence: "Several victims were asphyxiated by toxic smoke before they could escape the building."

4. Violation

Type: Noun

Meaning: The action of violating or breaking a law, rule, or agreement

Tamil Meaning: மீறல்

Malayalam Meaning: ലംഘനം

Kannada Meaning: ಉಲ್ಲಂಘನೆ

Synonyms: Infringement, breach, contravention, transgression

Antonyms: Adherence, compliance, observance, conformity

Example Sentence: "The company faced heavy fines for multiple violations of environmental regulations."

5. Unfolded

Type: Verb (past tense)

Meaning: Developed or revealed gradually

Tamil Meaning: வெளிப்பட்டது

Malayalam Meaning: അനാവരണംചെയ്തു

Kannada Meaning: ಬಿಚ್ಚಿಕೊಂಡಿತು

Synonyms: Transpired, evolved, emerged, developed

Antonyms: Concealed, hidden, folded, obscured

Example Sentence: "The tragedy unfolded rapidly as flames spread through the building's ventilation system."

6. Devastating

Type: Adjective

Meaning: Causing severe shock, distress, or grief

Tamil Meaning: பேரழிவுஏற்படுத்தும்

Malayalam Meaning: നശിപ്പിക്കുന്ന

Kannada Meaning: ವಿನಾಶಕಾರಿ

Synonyms: Catastrophic, ruinous, calamitous, disastrous

Antonyms: Beneficial, constructive, restorative, advantageous

Example Sentence: "The earthquake had devastating consequences for the coastal communities."

7. Disturbingly

Type: Adverb

Meaning: In a manner that causes anxiety, worry, or upset

Tamil Meaning: அதிர்ச்சியூட்டும்விதமாக

Malayalam Meaning: അസ്വസ്ഥമാക്കുംവിധം

Kannada Meaning: ಕಳವಳಕಾರಿಯಾಗಿ

Synonyms: Alarmingly, troublingly, unsettlingly, worryingly

Antonyms: Reassuringly, comfortingly, soothingly, pleasantly

Example Sentence: "The number of similar accidents has been disturbingly high this year."

8. Phenomenon

Type: Noun

Meaning: A fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause is in question

Tamil Meaning: நிகழ்வு

Malayalam Meaning: പ്രതിഭാസം

Kannada Meaning: ವಿದ್ಯಮಾನ

Synonyms: Occurrence, event, circumstance, incident

Antonyms: Nonentity, nonexistence, unreality

Example Sentence: "Urban flooding has become a recurring phenomenon in coastal cities due to climate change."

9. Characterised

Type: Verb (past tense)

Meaning: Described or represented the distinctive nature or features of someone or something

Tamil Meaning: சித்தரிக்கப்பட்டது

Malayalam Meaning: സവിശേഷതപ്പെടുത്തി

Kannada Meaning: ಗುರುತಿಸಲಾಯಿತು

Synonyms: Depicted, portrayed, defined, distinguished

Antonyms: Misrepresented, mischaracterized, distorted

Example Sentence: "The report characterised the issue as a systemic failure rather than individual negligence."

10. Preventable

Type: Adjective

Meaning: Able to be stopped from happening or arising

Tamil Meaning: தடுக்கக்கூடிய

Malayalam Meaning: തടയാവുന്ന

Kannada Meaning: ತಡೆಯಬಹುದಾದ

Synonyms: Avoidable, avertable, stoppable, forestallable

Antonyms: Inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable, unpreventable

Example Sentence: "Most workplace accidents are entirely preventable with proper safety measures."

11. Mitigation

Type: Noun

Meaning: The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something

Tamil Meaning: தணிப்பு

Malayalam Meaning: ലഘൂകരണം

Kannada Meaning: ತಗ್ಗಿಸುವಿಕೆ

Synonyms: Alleviation, reduction, diminution, moderation

Antonyms: Intensification, aggravation, exacerbation, worsening

Example Sentence: "Effective mitigation strategies can significantly reduce the impact of natural disasters."

12. Metropolises

Type: Noun (plural)

Meaning: The chief or capital cities of countries or regions; very large and busy cities

Tamil Meaning: பெருநகரங்கள்

Malayalam Meaning: മഹാനഗരങ്ങൾ

Kannada Meaning: ಮಹಾನಗರಗಳು

Synonyms: Megalopolises, conurbations, urban centers, mega-cities

Antonyms: Villages, hamlets, rural areas, countryside

Example Sentence: "Asian metropolises face unique challenges in managing urban density and infrastructure."

13. Outdated

Type: Adjective

Meaning: No longer useful or valid because of new developments or information

Tamil Meaning: காலாவதியான

Malayalam Meaning: കാലഹരണപ്പെട്ട

Kannada Meaning: ಕಾಲಾತೀತವಾದ

Synonyms: Obsolete, antiquated, archaic, outmoded

Antonyms: Current, modern, contemporary, up-to-date

Example Sentence: "The building's outdated electrical system posed a significant safety hazard."

14. Non-existent

Type: Adjective

Meaning: Not existing or not present in a particular place

Tamil Meaning: இல்லாத

Malayalam Meaning: നിലവിലില്ലാത്ത

Kannada Meaning: ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲದ

Synonyms: Absent, lacking, missing, unavailable

Antonyms: Existent, present, available, extant

Example Sentence: "Emergency exits were practically non-existent in many of the older structures."

15. Flammable

Type: Adjective

Meaning: Easily set on fire

Tamil Meaning: எளிதில்தீப்பற்றக்கூடிய

Malayalam Meaning: കത്തിപ്പടരുന്ന

Kannada Meaning: ಜ್ವಲನಶೀಲ

Synonyms: Combustible, inflammable, ignitable, burnable

Antonyms: Non-flammable, fireproof, flame-resistant, incombustible

Example Sentence: "The building's interior contained highly flammable materials that accelerated the spread of fire."

16. Redevelopment

Type: Noun

Meaning: The process of developing something again or differently, typically an urban area

Tamil Meaning: மறுமேம்பாடு

Malayalam Meaning: പുനർവികസനം

Kannada Meaning: ಮರುಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ

Synonyms: Regeneration, renovation, revitalization, renewal

Antonyms: Decay, deterioration, neglect, abandonment

Example Sentence: "The redevelopment of the old industrial zone transformed it into a modern residential district."

17. Retrofitting

Type: Verb (gerund)

Meaning: Adding a component or accessory to something that did not have it when manufactured

Tamil Meaning: பின்னேற்பப்படுத்துதல்

Malayalam Meaning: പിന്നീട്ഘടിപ്പിക്കുക

Kannada Meaning: ನಂತರದಲ್ಲಿಅಳವಡಿಸುವುದು

Synonyms: Upgrading, modifying, refitting, adapting

Antonyms: Removing, stripping, dismantling

Example Sentence: "Retrofitting older buildings with sprinkler systems significantly improves their fire safety."

18. Retardant

Type: Adjective

Meaning: Having the capability to delay or slow the progress of something, especially fire

Tamil Meaning: தாமதப்படுத்தும்

Malayalam Meaning: വളർച്ചമന്ദഗതിയാക്കുന്ന

Kannada Meaning: ಬೆಂಕಿತಡೆಯುವ

Synonyms: Inhibitory, impeding, hindering, delaying

Antonyms: Accelerant, catalyst, promoter, enhancer

Example Sentence: "The walls were coated with fire retardant materials to improve safety."

19. Retractable

Type: Adjective

Meaning: Able to be drawn back or in

Tamil Meaning: சுருக்கக்கூடிய

Malayalam Meaning: വലിച്ചുകൊണ്ടുപോകാവുന്ന

Kannada Meaning: ಹಿಂದಕ್ಕೆಸರಿಸಬಹುದಾದ

Synonyms: Collapsible, foldable, telescopic, withdrawable

Antonyms: Fixed, permanent, stationary, immovable

Example Sentence: "The building's retractable fire escape could be quickly deployed in emergency situations."

20. Apparatus

Type: Noun

Meaning: The technical equipment or machinery needed for a particular activity or purpose

Tamil Meaning: சாதனங்கள்

Malayalam Meaning: ഉപകരണങ്ങൾ

Kannada Meaning: ಉಪಕರಣಗಳು

Synonyms: Equipment, gear, machinery, implements

Antonyms: N/A

Example Sentence: "Modern firefighting apparatus allows teams to respond more effectively to high-rise fires."

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With today’s THE HINDU Editorial from May 3, 2025, you've learned 20 powerful vocabulary words—20 from context and 20 through definitions. Consistent practice like these builds not just your word bank but also sharpens your comprehension and expression for exams and real-world communication. Keep reading, keep learning! 💪📖

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FAQs for The Hindu Editorial – May 3, 2025

Q. What is the meaning of the Word “Retardant” ?

A. Meaning: Having the capability to delay or slow the progress of something, especially fire

Q. What is the meaning of the word “Devastating” ?

A. Meaning: Causing severe shock, distress, or grief