Grammar Clinic

MEANING: 1. excessively abundant 2. most frequent or common EXAMPLES: 1. Speculation ran rife that he was an arms dealer 2. Crime is rife in slum areas of Lagos

MEANING: 1. To revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement). 2. To invalidate (an act, measure, etc.) by a later action or a higher authority EXAMPLES: 1. The government eventually rescinded the directive 2. We only hope that the red card will be rescinded when the referee sees the video

MEANING: 1. a hypothetical solution or remedy for all diseases. 2. an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties EXAMPLES: 1. A heroin vaccine might find a role in combating the epidemic of drug use, but it’s no panacea. 2. His economic philosophy is a good one, but it is not  a panacea to Nigeria’s recession

MEANING: 1. praise, glorify, or honor enthusiatically EXAMPLES: 1. A new documentary broadcast on state-run television extols Gregory’s ideas 2. He extolled the virtues of the Nigerian people

MEANING: 1. match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation. 2. imitate 3. reproduce the function or action of (a different computer, software system, etc.) EXAMPLES: 1. Most presidents wish to emulate Alexander the Great 2. Her character is not something I wish to emulate 3. The adaptor is factory set to emulate a German graphics board

MEANING: 1. make corrections and revisions to (a text) 2. alter (something that is incorrect). EXAMPLES: 1. the text was emended in the second edition 2. the year of his death needs to be emended to 1905

MEANING: 1. (of a condition or situation) extremely unpleasant and degrading 2. (of a person or their behaviour) completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing 3. You use abject to emphasize that a situation or quality is extremely bad. EXAMPLES: 1. the abject condition of the peasants is pitiful 2. Tolu gave an abject apology 3. Both of them died in abject poverty

The verb vilify comes from the same root as the word vile which is a negative word. MEANING: 1. To vilify someone is to spread nasty stories about them, whether true or not. 2. To speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner. EXAMPLES: 1. The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews 2. He has been vilified in the press SYNONYMS:  berate, belittle, abuse, insult, slight, attack, criticize, censure, condemn, decry, denounce, pillory, lambaste

/ˈrɛlɪɡeɪt/ MEANING: 1. assign to a lower position; reduce in rank 2. assign to a class or kind EXAMPLE: 1. If the quarterback of the football team stops making decent throws he might be relegated to the position of benchwarmer. 2. They aim to prevent women from being relegated to a secondary role

Instigate comes from the Latin word instigare “to incite.” When you instigate, you start something. People who are instigators often begin trouble but then back off and let others break the rules. The word sometimes carries conflict with it. MEANING: 1. To provoke or stir up, bring about or initiate (an action or event). 2. Incite someone to do something,