Unflinching — (un-flinch’ing) steady, unshaken.

Synonyms — unfaltering, firm.

Antonyms — faltering, wavering.

Undermine — (under’mine) weaken.

Synonyms — subvert, ruin, cripple.

Antonyms — reinforce, strengthen, support.

— The opposition party tried to undermine the projects undertaken by the ruling party.

Trifling — (traif’ling) insignificant.

Synonyms — trivial, negligible

Antonyms — significant, large, appreciable.

— Mr Khan gives his servants a trifling salary.

Thunderstruck — (thunder-struck) astounded, astonished.

Synonyms — dumbfounded, aghast.

Antonyms — unmoved, indifferent.

— The citizens were thunderstruck when they heard of the sudden air raid by the enemies.

Strident — (straid’nt) piercing or unpleasant voice.

Synonyms — harsh, jarring, shrill.

Antonyms — soft, mellow, mellifluous.

— Her strident voice frightens the little children in her class.

Servitude — (servi-tewd) slavery

Synonyms — enslavement, bondage.

Antonyms — freedom, emancipation.

— After much struggle the slaves were released from servitude.

Fill in the blanks to find more synonyms of the word ‘trifling’

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The phrase ‘the person is a jay’ is used for a person who is stupid and throws his money away in a reckless manner. The reference is to a man named Juggins who in 1887 ruined himself by losing a lot of money in horse racing. Jay is simply the first letter of his name.

Grog is a drink of spirits (originally rum) mixed with water. It is so called after Admiral Vernon, who first introduced it. He was nick — named old Grog because he usually wore a black robe made of grogram (a mixture of silk and mohair) in bad weather.

Nothing good ever comes of violence.

Inconsequential, puny, slight, petty, nominal, paltry, niggling, inappreciable.

— Illa Vij