Daily The Hindu Vocab & Editorial 12 February 2026 English Notes for SSC

Daily The Hindu Vocab & Editorial 12 February 2026 provides a focused review of crucial English vocabulary and grammar concepts. Drawing directly from the day's editorial, this resource aims to enhance understanding of high-frequency words, idiomatic expressions, root words, and grammatical principles vital for competitive exams. \

Daily The Hindu Vocab & Editorial 12 February overview

The Daily The Hindu Vocab & Editorial is specifically designed to streamline your SSC English preparation by distilling complex editorial content into actionable study notes. From high-frequency vocabulary to critical grammar rules, this overview captures the essence of today's lesson, ensuring you master the linguistic nuances required for competitive excellence.

Vocabulary Warm-up (Review)

A quick review of previously learned vocabulary:

• Proportionally: Distributed evenly or in a balanced manner.

• One-upmanship: A form of rivalry where competitors try to gain an advantage or prove superiority over one another.

• Lopsided: Unbalanced or uneven.

• Pivotal: Something that is crucial, key, vital, or of central importance.

• Escalating: Increasing, rising, or growing.

• Warhead: The section of a missile that contains the explosive charge.

• Arsenal: An armory or a collection of weapons and military equipment. This term is frequently asked in one-word substitution questions.

• Accumulation: The act of gathering or collecting things; a stockpile.

• Capping: The act of setting a limit or restriction. Analogous to a speed limit.

• Treaty: A formal agreement or accord between two or more states or countries; a pact or association.

Practice Session: Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

1. Idiom: Hornet's Nest

• Question: What is the meaning of "Hornet's Nest"?

• Answer: A troublesome situation.

• Explanation: Refers to a difficult or dangerous situation, distinct from "ascertain" (to discover).

2. Antonym: Terminate

• Question: Find the antonym for "Terminate."

• Explanation: To "terminate" means to end. Commence, Inaugurate, and Begin all mean to start, making them antonyms. Wind up also means to end, making it a synonym.

3. One-Word Substitution: Pure and Clean

• Question: A person who is pure and clean.

• Answer: Immaculate.

• Explanation: Immaculate means perfectly clean, neat, or tidy, without any flaws or mistakes; stainless. It is more precise than neat. Damsel is a young woman, and imperial relates to an empire.

4. Incorrectly Spelt Word

• Question: Identify the incorrectly spelled word.

• Answer: The word Aphorism is misspelled.

• Explanation: The correct spelling is A-P-H-O-R-I-S-M. An aphorism is a pithy observation containing a general truth. Other words were Assuage (to lessen an unpleasant feeling), Appease (to pacify), and Atrocious (horrifyingly wicked).

Idioms of the Day

• Much Ado About Nothing: To make a fuss; to display excessive activity or worry for a situation that does not warrant it.

• To Go Nap: To risk everything on a single turn or chance.

• To Send a Man to Grass: To dismiss or retire someone from their position permanently.

Root Word Analysis: DICT

The root word DICT means "to say" or "to speak." Words derived from this root relate to speaking or saying something.

• Dictate: To say or order something with authority. (e.g., Dictator: an absolute ruler).

• Predict: To say what will happen in the future (pre- meaning "before").

• Contradict: To say the opposite (contra- meaning "against").

• Verdict: The official judgment or decision said by a jury or judge.

• Interdict: To prohibit or forbid something officially.

• Addiction: A strong, compulsive dependence on a substance or activity (related to 'speaking to' or 'being bound by').

• Indicate: To point out or show; to be a sign of.

• Jurisdiction: The official power or legal authority to make decisions and judgments.

Today's Vocabulary from The Hindu Editorial

1. Reining (in)

• Part of Speech: Verb (gerund)

• Meaning: Controlling or restraining something, like using reins to control a horse.

• Synonyms: Restraining, curbing, controlling, checking, limiting.

• Antonyms: Encouraging, releasing, promoting, allowing.

• Example: The government must rein in rising inflation.

2. Bigot

• Part of Speech: Noun

• Meaning: A person intolerant towards those with different opinions, especially on religion or race; a narrow-minded, prejudiced person (कट्टरपंथी).

• Synonyms: Fanatic, extremist, zealot, racist, chauvinist.

• Antonyms: Liberal, tolerant, broad-minded, humanitarian.

• Example: A bigot refuses to accept diversity in society.

3. Incendiary

• Part of Speech: Adjective

• Meaning: Intended to provoke anger or violence; deliberately causing conflict (भड़काऊ/उत्तेजक).

• Synonyms: Inflammatory, provocative, agitating, instigating, inciting.

• Antonyms: Calming, soothing, pacifying, conciliatory.

• Example: The leader's incendiary speech created unrest.

4. Rhetoric

• Part of Speech: Noun

• Meaning: The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing; language intended to impress or persuade but potentially exaggerated or insincere (आडंबर पूर्ण भाषा).

• Synonyms: Oratory, eloquence, bombast, discourse.

• Antonyms: Simplicity, understatement, quiet.

• Example: His promises were mere rhetoric without any action.

5. Laggard

• Part of Speech: Noun

• Meaning: A person or organization that makes slow progress and falls behind others (पिछड़ा हुआ).

• Synonyms: Straggler, slowcoach, underperformer.

• Antonyms: Leader, pioneer, front-runner, achiever.

• Example: The state remains a laggard in economic growth.

6. Lacunae

• Part of Speech: Noun

• Meaning: A gap, deficiency, or missing part, especially in a book, manuscript, or system (कमियां/खामियां).

• Synonyms: Gaps, shortcomings, flaws, deficiencies, voids.

• Antonyms: Strengths, advantages, completeness, sufficiency.

• Example: The report exposed several lacunae in the policy.

7. Insidious

• Part of Speech: Adjective

• Meaning: Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects. The effect of watching social media "reels" can be insidious. (Memory Tip: It seems harmless initially but gradually wastes significant time and harms productivity, acting like a "slow poison.")

• Synonyms: Treacherous, deceptive, subtle, sly, malicious.

• Antonyms: Honest, open, straightforward, harmless.

• Example: Corruption has an insidious effect on democracy.

8. Bogeyman

• Part of Speech: Noun

• Meaning: An imaginary evil spirit or phantom used to frighten people; a person or thing widely regarded as a source of fear (काल्पनिक डर).

• Synonyms: Phantom, specter, myth, scarecrow, illusion.

• Antonyms: Reality, fact, certainty.

• Example: Politicians sometimes create a bogeyman to divert public attention.

9. Demagogue

• Part of Speech: Noun

• Meaning: A political leader seeking support by appealing to popular desires, emotions, and prejudices rather than rational argument (जन उत्तेजक).

• Synonyms: Agitator, rabble-rouser, firebrand, populist.

• Antonyms: Statesman, diplomat, mediator, reformer.

• Example: A demagogue exploits public fears for votes.

10. Persecution

• Part of Speech: Noun

• Meaning: Hostile and ill-treatment, especially because of race, political, or religious beliefs; systematic oppression (उत्पीड़न/अत्याचार).

• Synonyms: Harassment, oppression, victimization, discrimination.

• Antonyms: Protection, support, tolerance, kindness.

• Example: The policy amounted to economic persecution.

11. Cynical

• Part of Speech: Adjective

• Meaning: Believing people are motivated purely by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity (अविश्वासी). A cynical person thinks like a skeptical detective, always suspecting a hidden, selfish motive (Memory Tip: "कुछ तो गड़बड़ है").

• Synonyms: Skeptical, distrustful, pessimistic, sarcastic, doubtful.

• Antonyms: Optimistic, trusting, hopeful, idealistic.

• Example: He took a cynical view of politics.

12. Mired in

• Part of Speech: Phrasal Verb

• Meaning: To be stuck or deeply involved in an unpleasant or difficult situation from which escape is hard (फंसा हुआ).

• Example: The debate remained mired in controversy.

Grammar Rules & Practice

1. Modal Verbs: Modal auxiliary verbs (e.g., will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might) must be followed by the base form (V1) of the main verb.

• Incorrect: …would faced a clear…

• Correct: …would face a clear…

2. The Infinitive: The preposition "to" is followed by the base form (V1) of the verb to form an infinitive.

• Incorrect: …scheduled to held assembly elections…

• Correct: …scheduled to hold assembly elections…

Editorial Analysis: "Reining in a Bigot"

Main Theme

Below we have discussed the political strategy of Assam's Chief Minister, who allegedly uses incendiary rhetoric to target a minority community. This approach diverts attention from the state's governance deficits and socio-economic shortcomings.

Two Paths of Governance: A Comparison

The article presents a clear choice for the leadership of a "laggard" state like Assam:

Summary of the Chief Minister's Actions

The author claims Assam's Chief Minister has chosen the second, more insidious path.

• He deploys incendiary rhetoric specifically targeting the Bengali-origin Muslim community.

• He frames this community as a "demographic threat" to the indigenous population.

• His rhetoric escalates to calls for economic persecution, such as urging underpayment of Muslim workers to force them to leave the state.

• This strategy is characterized as a cynical art of politics, manufacturing division for political gain.