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42 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Anathema
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ban, curse; something shunned or disliked
Sweaty, soiled clothing was anathema to the elegant Madeleine. |
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Antediluvian
(ante-di-LUV-ian) |
prehistoric, ancient beyond measure
The antediluvian fossils were displayed in the museum. |
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Apocryphal
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not genuine, fictional
alligators in the sewer were apocryphal. |
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Apotheosis
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glorification, glorified ideal
...Jackie Kennedy to be the apotheosis of stylishness. |
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Approbation
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praise, official approval
...gained the approbation of his teacher... |
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Ascetic
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self-denying, abstinent, austere
The monk liven an ascetic life... |
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Aspersion
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false rumor, damaging report
It is unfair to cast aspersions... |
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Attenuate
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to make thin or slender; to weaken
The bill or Rights attenuated the traditional power... |
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Augury
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prophecy, prediction of events
...the rainbow was an augury of good things to come. |
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Axiom
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premise, postulate, self-evident truth
...based on the axioms of her grandmother... |
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Bellicose
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warlike, aggressive
...the bellicose chieftain declared war... |
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Benighted
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unenlightened
...consisted of benighted individuals. |
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Bonhomie
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good-natured geniality; atmosphere of good cheer
The general bonhomie... |
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Brigand
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bandit, outlaw
Brigands held up the bank... |
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Capacious
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large, roomy; extensive
...hundreds of stores occupied the capacious mall. |
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Capitulate
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to submit completely, surrender
...there was little choice but to capitulate. |
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Castigate
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to punish, chastise, criticize severely
Authorities in Singapore harshly castigate... |
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Chicanery
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trickery, fraud, deception
...car salesman often use chicanery to... |
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Circumlocution
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roundabout, lengthy way of saying something
...with endless circumlocution. |
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Coalesce
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to grow together or cause to unite as one
...factions of the organization coalesced... |
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Collusion
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collaboration, complicity, conspiracy
...the students were in collusion... |
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Commodious
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roomy, spacious
... stretch out fully in the commodious bathtub. |
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Complicity
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knowing partnership in wrongdoing
...a look of sly complicity... |
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Conciliatory
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overcoming distrust or hostility
Fred made the conciliatory gesture... |
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Contravene
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to contradict, deny, act contrary to
The watchman contravened... |
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Corporeal
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having to do with the body; tangible, material
...the problem was corporeal in nature... |
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Cosset
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to pamper, treat with great care
Mimi cosseted her toy poodle... |
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Countenance
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to favor, support
"I will not countenance such behavior." |
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Countermand
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to annul, cancel, make a contrary order
...the councilmember's countermanded the rule... |
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Cupidity
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greed
...shining jewels with cupidity in his gleaming eyes. |
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Declivity
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downward slope
...situated on the declivity of a hill. |
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Demur
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to express doubts or objections
...was forced to demur. |
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Derogate
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to belittle; to disparage
...never stopped derogating the effort... |
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Desiccate
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to dry completely, dehydrate
...sun will desiccate anyone... |
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Desultory
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at random, rambling, unmethodical
Diane had a desultory academic record... |
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Dictum
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authoritative statement; popular saying
...the dictum "Two wrongs don't make a right." |
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Diffidence
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shyness, lack of confidence
Steve's diffidence during the job interview... |
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Dilatory
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slow, tending to delay
The congressman used dilatory measures... |
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Discursive
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wandering from topic to topic
...known for his discursive style... |
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Dissemble
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to pretend, disguise one's motives
The villain could dissemble the lawyers no more... |
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Dither
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to move or act confusedly or without clear purpose
Ellen dithered around her apartment... |
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Diurnal
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daily
Diurnal creatures tend to become inactive during the night. |
