My Elder Brother

Vocabulary Study Guide

Page 1

• siblings

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: brothers and sisters

  • Example: I like playing with my siblings after school.

• annoyance

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: a feeling of slight anger or irritation

  • Example: The loud noise caused me annoyance.

• diametrically opposite

  • Part of Speech: Adjective phrase

  • Definition: completely different or opposite in every way

  • Example: The two brothers were diametrically opposite in their habits.

• evolve

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: to develop or change gradually over time

  • Example: Their friendship began to evolve slowly.

• hasty

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Definition: done too quickly without thinking

  • Example: Do not make hasty decisions in games.

• magnificent

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Definition: very beautiful and impressive

  • Example: The school building looked magnificent.

• structure

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: the way something is built or arranged

  • Example: A good structure needs a strong base.

• supervise

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: to watch over and guide someone

  • Example: The teacher will supervise us during play.

• scold

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: to angrily tell someone they did something wrong

  • Example: Mother will scold me if I come home late.

• birthright

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: a right because of who you are (like being the eldest)

  • Example: As the elder brother, it was his birthright to guide me.

• commands

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: orders or instructions that must be followed

  • Example: He gave strict commands to his younger brother.

• refreshed

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Definition: feeling energetic after rest

  • Example: A short break left him refreshed.

• sketch

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: to make a quick rough drawing

  • Example: He liked to sketch birds in his notebook.

• margins

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: empty space at the edge of a page

  • Example: He wrote notes in the margins of his book.

• riddles

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: tricky puzzles or questions that are hard to solve

  • Example: I could not solve his riddles.

• disliked

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: did not like something

  • Example: I disliked sitting with books for long hours.

• hostel

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: a place where students live and sleep

  • Example: We lived in the school hostel.

• pebbles

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: small smooth stones

  • Example: We tossed pebbles into the air.

Page 2

• companion

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: a friend who spends time with you

  • Example: I found a companion to play with.

• swing

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: to move backwards and forwards

  • Example: We loved to swing on the tree branch.

• stony

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Definition: serious and unfriendly (face or expression)

  • Example: My brother had a stony expression.

• child’s play

  • Part of Speech: Noun phrase (idiom)

  • Definition: something that is very easy to do

  • Example: For him, simple addition was child’s play.

• gilli-danda

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: a traditional Indian game with two sticks

  • Example: We played gilli-danda in the open ground.

• tongue-lashing

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: severe scolding or angry lecture

  • Example: I received a tongue-lashing for not studying.

• beckon

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: to call or signal someone to come closer

  • Example: The green fields seemed to beckon me.

• flying colours

  • Part of Speech: Noun phrase (idiom)

  • Definition: very good marks or excellent results

  • Example: I passed the exam with flying colours.

• terrorized

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Definition: very scared or frightened

  • Example: I no longer felt terrorized by him.

• pounced upon

  • Part of Speech: Verb phrase

  • Definition: suddenly started criticizing or attacking verbally

  • Example: He pounced upon me with questions.

• fluke

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: success by luck, not by skill or hard work

  • Example: His first position was just a fluke.

• tough nuts

  • Part of Speech: Noun phrase (idiom)

  • Definition: difficult subjects that need lots of practice

  • Example: Algebra and geometry are tough nuts.

• cram

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: to learn by heart quickly without deep understanding

  • Example: Many students cram before exams.

• float in the air

  • Part of Speech: Verb phrase (idiom)

  • Definition: to feel extremely happy

  • Example: I was floating in the air after winning the game.

• mark my words

  • Part of Speech: Phrase

  • Definition: remember what I am saying (as a warning)

  • Example: Mark my words, you will regret it later.

• flunked

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: failed an exam

  • Example: He flunked the mathematics test.

• broke down

  • Part of Speech: Verb phrase

  • Definition: began to cry

  • Example: My brother broke down when he saw the result.

• dimmed

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: became less bright or less happy

  • Example: His smile dimmed after the bad news.

Page 3

• mellowed

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: became softer and kinder

  • Example: My brother mellowed and became nicer to me.

• leniency

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: not being very strict

  • Example: The teacher showed some leniency.

• wary

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Definition: careful and watchful

  • Example: I was still wary of my brother’s anger.

• rebuke

  • Part of Speech: Verb / Noun

  • Definition: to scold or strong criticism

  • Example: He gave me a sharp rebuke for running after the kite.

• accumulate

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: to gather or collect more and more

  • Example: We can accumulate knowledge by reading.

• strategy

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Definition: a well-planned way of doing something

  • Example: This new strategy helped me understand him better.

• tread

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Definition: to walk

  • Example: Be careful not to tread the wrong path.

• at his heels

  • Part of Speech: Phrase

  • Definition: following right after someone

  • Example: He ran with me at his heels.