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Beleaguered

When something is "beleaguered", it is being attacked from all sides. It refers to a person, a place or an organisation, experiencing many difficulties, opposition or criticism.

Origins

There is an interesting story behind its etymology. Beleaguered' comes the Dutch word "belegeren" meaning "to camp around". It is believed that Dutch soldiers referred to camps as "legers". And, English soldiers who came in contact with them too started calling them "leaguers". But both "leger" and "beleaguer' can actually be traced back to Old English - leger is related to 'lair and 'be' is a commonly used prefix.

Usage

1. The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on India's beleaguered economy.

2. The government will decide the fate of the beleaguered company.

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Tangible

Tangible is an adjective which means (something) capable of being seen, felt, or experienced. If you say something is tangible, it means it is real and is perceived especially by the sense of touch.

Origin

It either comes from the late 16th century French word tangible, or from late Latin tangibilis, meaning "that may be touched," which in turn comes from Latin tangere meaning "to touch."

Usage:

The tax for the sale of tangible properties such as house has increased.

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Ephemeral

This is an adjective and refers to something that lasts for a very short time; something fleeting.

Origin:

The word has its origins in the Greek word ephemeros, meaning lasting a day or daily. The word hemera refers to day.

Example:

Kolam and rangoli are examples of ephemeral art.

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Forge

The word forge, which can be used both in verb form and as a noun, has several meanings associated with it.

In the verb form, forge denotes making or shaping a metal object by heating it in a furnace or fire and hammering it. It also corresponds to creating something strong, successful and enduring. Thirdly, the verb form can also denote making or producing an illegal fraudulent copy in order to deceive. And lastly, it also corresponds to moving forward steadily and gradually.

In its noun form, the word denotes a working area with a fire for heating metal, as in a blacksmith's workshop.

Origin

The word, which has been around since the 14th Century, continues to enjoy popularity. Even though it isn't used these days as frequently as it was in the 19th Century, it still continues to be widely used.

Usage

The friendship among the children forged a close bond between the families.

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Stymie

Meaning:

As a verb, "stymie" means to hinder the progress of or to stop someone from doing something. As a noun, the term means a situation presenting such difficulties as to deter any attempt deal with it.

Origin:

Of uncertain origin, it perhaps came from the Scottish "stymie" meaning "person who cannot see well." The word "stymie" entered English in the 19th Century as a noun referring to a golfing situation in which one player's ball lies between another ball and the hole on the green, thereby blocking the line of play. Later, it came to be used as a verb in the present sense and also in non-golf contexts.

Usage:

Progress on the road laying project has been stymied by lack of funds. Faced with financial constraints, the company is putting a stymie on spending.

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