Useful Word of the Day 2020

vulnerable  
a. susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm
fallout  
n. adverse side effects or results of a situation
Until Covid-19 struck, most of the sector was booming; now it's reeling as the city is vulnerable to the fallout of the pandemic.

complacency  
n. a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements
brace  
v. support an object in order to stop it from falling down
grueling  
a. extremely tiring and demanding
Moscow's mayor cautioned against complacency, saying Russians to brace for a grueling phase of the pandemic in the weeks ahead.

craftspeople  
n. workers who practice a trade or craft
resilience  
n. the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness
Though many fear the impact of coronavirus may be the end of craftspeople, it is their creativity and resilience that could save them.

brawl  
n. a rough or noisy fight or quarrel
elbow out of  
v. pressure someone to depart something
The billionaire entrepreneur is sending face masks and ventilators to many places that have been elbowed out of the global brawl over life-saving equipment.

phony  
n. a fraudulent person or thing
surreptitious  
a. kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of
Julia sat down at her laptop and logged into a phony Facebook account, which was opened in middle school to surreptitiously monitor boys she had crushes on.

concur  
v. be of the same opinion; agree
level off  
v. approach or reach a steady rate, volume, or amount
Dr. Anthony Fauci concurred that the US was starting to see the leveling off and coming down of cases and deaths.

furlough  
v. grant a leave of absence to
grapple  
v. engage in a close fight or struggle without weapons; wrestle
People who would have been furloughed in their old jobs are facing uncertain futures and grappling with the benefits system for the first time.

ventilator  
n. an appliance for artificial respiration, a respirator
stage  
v. evaluate a patient to determine the phase, severity, or progression of a disease
The man's condition, doctors told the BBC deteriorated briefly and he had to be put on a ventilator for 24 hours, before staging a remarkable recovery.

communal  
a. shared by all members of a community, for common use
proximity  
n. nearness in space, time, or relationship
They often use communal prayer mats, shake hands and pray in close proximity; women, children, the sick or disabled are not obliged to attend.

abet  
v. encourage or assist someone to do something wrong
Some are failing to heed the calls to avoid close social contact, sometimes abetted by local officials who have been reluctant to order businesses to shutter.

flout  
v. openly disregard a rule, law or convention
stroll  
n. walk in a leisurely way
stand  
n. a small often open-air structure for a small retail business
Some people flouted the lockdown by reopening shops and taking family strolls; some grocery stands and bakeries stayed open.

diocese  
n. a district under the pastoral care of a bishop in the Christian Church
vicar  
n. a representative or deputy of a bishop
The vicar for the diocese of Rome, Angelo De Donatis, has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first known Catholic cardinal to do so.

mortuary  
n. a place in which dead bodies are kept until burial
makeshift  
a. serving as a temporary substitute; sufficient for the time being
ready  
v. prepare someone or something for an activity or purpose
Since the 9/11 attacks, New York City has been preparing makeshift mortuary space, readying refrigerated lorries to help hospitals as the death toll rises.

by far  
ad. far and away, much more of a particular quality than anything else
depict  
v. show or represent by a drawing, painting, or other art forms