Wednesday, 6 July 2011

‘Stymie’ : Pronunciation and Meaning

When you are stymied, you are put in an awkward position and you find it difficult to continue to do what you are doing. It’s a word that is mostly used in informal contexts.

Pronunciation: The first syllable rhymes with `my’ and `by’. The `ie’ in the second syllable is like the `i’ in `bin’, `fin’, and `tin’. The main stress is on the first syllable.

It’s a term that is used in golf. When you are stymied, you really don’t know what to do because your opponent’s ball is between yours and the hole. In other words, it is blocking your shot.

Examples: The students’ plans to have a rock concert were stymied when the principal refused allow outsiders into the campus. * Raju was stymied when Satish refused to help him when he had money problems.

Source: S. Upendran, The Hindu ‘Know Your English’ Series, February 13, 2006

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