LIV: THE INTERLUDES

I’ve been off for a few days from the spot. I thought today will be a good day to resume the writing. When we RESUME an activity we take it up again after an interval. We come back to our work after a period of ABEYANCE. ABEYANCE is the temporary stoppage of an activity, or suspension. Hence, ABEYANCE x RESUMPTION SUSPENSION x CONTINUATION An interval indicates a temporary period of inactivity. During a PLAY we get an interval, which we can call an INTERLUDE. An interlude is the same as a GAP in an ACTIVITY. Such a gap can be termed a HIATUS. The temporary relief from a STORM we call a LULL. Even the break in DEBATE can also be termed a LULL. In the same fashion, a temporary relief from a DISEASE can be termed a REMISSION, and a temporary stoppage of punishment can be called a REPRIEVE. All the following pairs of words are, hence, similar in their relationships: PLAY: INTERLUDE LABOR: RESPITE ACTIVITY: HIATUS PUNISHMENT: REPRIEVE STORM: LULL DEBATE: RECESS DISEASE: REMISSION In all these cases, the second term indicates a suspension of activity. LULL as a verb means to PACIFY. The following words all mean PACIFY in various contexts. SOOTHE MOLLIFY PALLIATE ASSUAGE SEDATE ALLEVIATE EXTENUATE MITIGATE AMELIORATE An appropriate ANTONYM of for all the above terms can be ‘AGGRAVATE’, i.e, make matters worse or increase the gravity (seriousness) of a situation. AGGRAVATE also can be replaced by EXACERBATE, make matters harsher and more bitter. So we can see that the following are the probable ANTONYM pairs: ALLEVIATE x AGGRAVATE MITIGATE x EXACERBATE SOOTHE x GRATE (irritate) WORSEN x AMELIORATE