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175 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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eclectic
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choosing from a variety of sources
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enigma
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a puzzle; a riddle
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anomalous
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deviating from a general rule; out of place; inconguous
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caustic; vitriolic
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biting; stinging; cutting; scathing
*Simon is famous for his caustic and vitriolic criticism of “American Idol” contestants |
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paradox
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a seemingly contradictory statement that nonetheless
expresses a truth |
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reprimand castigate
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to scold sharply
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alleviate; mitigate; mollify; assuage
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to relieve; to lessen
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tirade; diatribe
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sharp criticism; bitter speech
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insightful; discerning; perspicacious
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very perceptive; astute; penetrating
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laud; extol; acclaim
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to praise
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brusque; curt
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blunt in manner or speech, often to the point of being rude
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stalwart
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a loyal follower or adherent
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connoisseur
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an expert; authority
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sage
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a person who is known for his/her wisdom; a wise person
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anarchist
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a person who opposes laws and government
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prodigy
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a person with great talent; a young genius
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itinerant; vagabond
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both are people who wander
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automaton
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a person who is devoid of feeling or acts in a mechanical way
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swindler
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a person who elicits trust and then betrays that trust; a con man or con woman; someone who defrauds
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virtuoso
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a person with great artistic talent
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boor
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a person who is rude and insensitive.
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recluse
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a person who leads a secluded or solitary life; a hermit
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pragmatist
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a person who is practical and thus not given to flights of fancy
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neophyte; novice; greenhorn
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a beginner
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iconoclast
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literally someone who smashes icons or established images.
A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions |
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charlatan
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a fake; fraud; cheat
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pundit
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an authority who expresses his/her opinions on topics.
* Political pundits are already making their predictions about the next presidential election. |
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sycophant
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a person who tries to win favor by flattery
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ambivalent
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lacking conviction (strong belief) because of mixed feelings
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paltry
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of little value; trifling, and therefore lacking significance
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ambiguous
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unclear; not certain
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callous
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lacking sensitivity, concern and solicitude
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lethargic; anemic; languid; slothful
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lacking in energy, vitality, and vigor
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disdain
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lack of respect; contempt
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impulsive; impetuous; precipitous
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acting in a rash, hasty manner without fully considering the consequences
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intrepid; dauntless
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brave and therefore lacking fear
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precarious
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lacking stability
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diffident
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lacking self-confidence
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sophomoric; callow
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immature and therefore lacking maturity or sophistication
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apathetic
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showing little or no feeling or emotion; spiritless; lacking emotion
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erratic
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lacking consistency
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trite, cliché
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commonplace; ordinary and therefore lacking originality; humdrum
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denounce
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to put down by condemning or criticizing
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decry
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to criticize; denounce; condemn
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despondent; dejected; depressed
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all mean feeling very down and discouraged
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deleterious
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things are going down in the sense of being harmful, hurtful and detrimental
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belittle
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to make someone feel really little; to put someone down; to disparage
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belie
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to lie in the sense of contradicting
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plausible
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believable; credible
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incorrigible
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incapable of being reformed
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defamation
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an abusive attack on a person’s reputation
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innuendo
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a veiled hint or insinuation, especially a negative reflection on a person’s character or reputation
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travesty
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a miscarriage of justice; a distortion of proper procedure
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exculpate; exonerate
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both mean to free from blame; to declare innocent
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unprecedented
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without previous example
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immaterial
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of no importance; irrelevant and therefore lacking significance
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incontrovertible
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not open to question; indisputable
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adept
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very skillful; adroit
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arduous
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very difficult to accomplish
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empathetic
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very compassionate; very sympathetic
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assiduous
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very diligent; very persistent
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furtive; clandestine
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very secretive; very stealthy
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trepidation
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great fear
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destitute
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very poor; indigent
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distraught; inconsolable
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very distressed; very worried
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despicable
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very unpleasant or bad, causing strong feelings of dislike
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exasperated
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very irritated; very annoyed
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ecstatic; exuberant; elated; euphoric
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feeling great happiness
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garish
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excessively vivid in color.
* Television home makeover shows do an excellent job of turning garish and tacky rooms into tastefully decorated living spaces |
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ostentatious
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Characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice
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vigilant
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very watchful
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prodigious
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very large; vast; huge
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munificent
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very generous
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parsimonious
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very stingy; miserly
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convivial
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fond of social interaction
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affable
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friendly
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sanguine
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very optimistic; hopeful
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unctuous
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too smooth; too suave and thus giving a false sense of earnestness
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sanctimonious
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acting as if morally better than others
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lucrative
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very profitable
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irate; livid
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showing great anger and rage
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circumspect
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very cautious; very careful; prudent
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repudiate
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to reject; disavow
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anachronism
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a person or event that is chronologically in the wrong time.
* The Back to The Future movies contain a number of amusing anachronisms . In the movie , Capta |
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accord
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an agreement
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capitulate
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to surrender; to give up
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enlighten
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Give (someone) greater knowledge and understanding about a subject or situation
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appeasement
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giving in to someone’s demands
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stipulate
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to specify; set forth
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pretext
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an excuse; an alleged reason
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watershed
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a turning point; an event that is of critical importance
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autonomy
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self-rule; independence
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manifesto
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a public declaration of beliefs
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dovish
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favoring peace
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enfranchise
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to grant voting rights
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potentate
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any powerful ruler; sovereign
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astral; celestial
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pertaining to the stars
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arboreal
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pertaining to trees
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catalyst
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an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action
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osmosis
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movement of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane
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synthesis; amalgam; conglomeration
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combination or fusion of different elements
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hermetic
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airtight
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indigenous
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native to an area
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archipelago
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a chain of islands
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rivulet
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a small stream
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epilogue
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a closing section added to a novel or play
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prologue
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an introductory section added to a poem, novel, or story
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satire
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a literary work that ridicules and derides human vices and weaknesses
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vignette; anecdote
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short story; brief sketch
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epic
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a lengthy story about the heroic deeds of a legendary hero
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farce
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a humorous, comical show; a comedy
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raconteur
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a person skilled at telling a story
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indefatigable; unflagging
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tireless
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indomitable
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invincible; incapable of being conquered
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vacillate
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to waver; hesitate; swing back and forth; be indecisive
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hubris
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exaggerated pride; arrogance
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excoriate
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Censure or criticize severely
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innocuous
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harmless; inoffensive
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capricious; mercurial
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very changeable; fickle; constantly shifting moods
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supplant
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to take the place of
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laconic; succinct
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very brief; concise
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ubiquitous
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present everywhere at once; omnipresent; prevalent; widespread
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archaic
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obsolete; old-fashioned; out-of-date and thus not “in,” “with it,” or
contemporary |
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reciprocal
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shared and expressed by both sides; mutual
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alacrity
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great speed; promptness
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implacable
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incapable of being appeased
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grandiloquent
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using lofty, pompous language
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motley
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very different; very heterogeneous
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juxtapose
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to place side by side
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arcane
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Understood by few; mysterious or secret.
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cosmopolitan
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Familiar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures. very worldly; sophisticated
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ineffable
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incapable of being put into words; indescribable
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inundate
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to fill with water; flood
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rudimentary
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basic; elementary
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atone
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to make amends; make up for
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machinations
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crafty schemes
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quandary
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a dilemma; predicament
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pernicious
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very injurious; destructive; deadly
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prevaricate
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to lie
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quagmire
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a difficult, precarious position; a predicament
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synergy
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The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
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eschew
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to abstain from; avoid; engage in abstinence
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scintillating
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sparkling; dazzling; brilliant
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pejorative
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belittling; disparaging; putting someone down
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maxim
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a short, concise wise saying
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consensus
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a general agreement
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contrite; penitent
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expressing remorse, regret, sorrow for misdeeds
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heinous
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hatefully evil; abominable
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excise; expurgate
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to remove; delete; censure
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futile
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doomed to failure and therefore pointless
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aplomb
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poise; confidence; self-assurance
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paradigm
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a model of thought
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penchant
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a preference or liking
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inured
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to become accustomed to accept something undesirable
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venerate; revere
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to hold in high esteem; respect; honor
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enthralled
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fascinated; spellbound
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sumptuous; ornate
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very splendid; luxurious; magnificent
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cathartic
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emotionally cleansing
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chicanery; dis-ingenuousness
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trickery; fraud; deception
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premonition
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a forewarning; hunch; feeling ahead of an event
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provocative
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thought provoking
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vilify
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to denounce; defame; turn into a villain
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magisterial
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learned and authoritative
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oblivious
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unaware
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obstinate; adamant; obdurate
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very stubborn
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incessant
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constant; continuous; unceasing
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cajole; coerce
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to coax or entice someone into doing something
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pedestrian
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commonplace; ordinary
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improvised; impromptu
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done on the spur of the moment without preparation
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palpable; tangible
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capable of being perceived
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vituperation; invective
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verbal abuse; a tongue-lashing; severe scolding
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tenet
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an article of faith; a belief
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inexorable
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relentless; unstoppable
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equanimity
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evenness of mind, especially under stress
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ameliorate
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to make better; improve
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