Polluting is the act of damaging or destroying something by releasing harmful substances into the environment. Polluting can happen in many different ways, from dumping pollutants into a river to burning coal to create smoke.
Dis discouraging means to make someone feel discouraged or unhappy. When your boss discourages you, she is telling you that your work is not good enough and that you should stop trying.
intimidating is having a strong, powerful, or threatening presence. When you are intimidating, people are usually afraid of you.
To yearn for something is to want it very much. Sometimes yearning can be a sign of weakness, but it can also be a sign of strength.
The grandchildren are the children of someone's older child or children. They are usually called this because they are a lot smaller than the children of the parents' younger children.
Babysitting is the act of taking care of a child while the parents are away. It can be a fun and enjoyable experience, or it can be stressful and difficult.
To plummet is to fall quickly and dramatically. When the stock market plunges, the prices of the stocks go down very quickly.
The newsworthy is something that is important or interesting enough to be reported on by the media. This usually means that the news is bad or good, but it can also mean that the news is just interesting.
The word commonplace is often used to describe things or ideas that are common or normal. Commonplace ideas or things are usually not very interesting or exciting.