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636 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abase
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(v) to humble, to disgrace
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abject
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(adj) miserable, pitiful
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acquiesce
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(v) to agree, to comply quietly
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adulterate
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(v) to corrupt or make impure
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aesthetic
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(adj) pertaining to beauty or art
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aggrandize
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(v) to make larger or greater in power
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allegory
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(n) symbolic representation
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amalgamate
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(v) to mix, combine
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ameliorate
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(v) to make better, to improve
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amortize
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(v) to diminish by installment payments
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anachronism
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(n) something chronologically inappropriate
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ancillary
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(adj) accessory, subordinate, helping
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antediluvian
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(adj) prehistoric, ancient beyond measure
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anterior
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(adj) preceding, previous, before, prior (to)
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apocryphal
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(adj) not genuine, fictional
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apotheosis
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(n) glorification, glorified ideal
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ardent
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(adj) passionate, enthusiastic, fervent
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ardor
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(n) great emotion or passion
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arduous
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(adj) extremely difficult, laborious
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assuage
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(v) to make less severe, to ease, to relieve
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astringent
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(adj) harsh, severe, stern
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atrocious
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(adj) monstrous, shockingly bad, wicked
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atrophy
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(n or v) to wither away, to wither from disuse
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attenuate
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(v) to weaken, to make thin or slender
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augury
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(n) prophecy, prediction of events
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august
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(adj) dignified, awe inspiring, venerable
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auspicious
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(adj) having favorable prospects, promising
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avarice
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(n) greed
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axiom
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(n) premise, postulate, self-evident truth
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baleful
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(adj) harmful, with evil intentions
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banal
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(adj) trite, overly common
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bastion
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(n) fortification, stronghold
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belabor
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(v) to insist repeatedly or harp on
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beleaguer
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(v) to harass, plague
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belie
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(v) to misrepresent, to expose as false
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bellicose
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(adj) warlike, aggressive
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belligerent
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(adj) hostile, tending to fight
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benighted
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(adj) unenlightened
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bequeath
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(v) to give or leave through a will, to hand down
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beseech
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(v) to beg, plead, implore
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bilk
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(v) to cheat, defraud
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blight
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(v) to afflict, to destroy
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bonhomie
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(n) good-natured geniality, atmosphere of good cheer
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bourgeois
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(adj) middle class
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breach
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(n) act of breaking, violation
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brigand
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(n) bandit, outlaw
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burgeon
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(v) to sprout or flourish
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cadence
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(n) rhythmic flow of poetry, marching beat
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callow
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(adj) immature, lacking sophistication
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capacious
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(adj) large, roomy, extensive
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capitulate
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(v) to submit completely, surrender
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castigate
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(v) to punish, to chastise, to criticize severely
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catharsis
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(n) purification, cleansing
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catholic
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(adj) universal: broad and comprehensive
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cavalier
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(adj) carefree, happy: with lordly disdain
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centripetal
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(adj) directed or moving towards the center
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chagrin
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(n) shame embarrassment, humiliation
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charlatan
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(n) quack, fake
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chicanery
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(n) trickery, fraud, deception
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choleric
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(adj) easily angered, short-tempered
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circumlocution
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(n) roundabout, lengthy way of saying something
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circumscribe
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(v) to encircle: to set limits on, confine
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circumspect
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(adj) cautious, wary
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clandestine
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(adj) secretive, concealed for a darker purpose
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coalesce
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(v) to grow together or cause to unite as one
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collateral
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(adj) accompanying
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colloquy
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(n) dialogue or conversation: conference
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collusion
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(n) collaboration, complicity, conspiracy
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comeliness
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(n) physical grace and beauty
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commensurate
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(adj) proportional
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commodious
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(adj) roomy, spacious
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complicity
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(n) knowing partnership in wrongdoing
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compunction
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(n) feeling of uneasiness caused by guilt or regret
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conciliatory
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(adj) overcoming distrust or hostility
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congenital
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(adj) existing since birth
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congruity
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(n) correspondence, harmony, agreement
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conjecture
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(n) speculation, prediction
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conjure
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(v) to evoke: to cast a spell
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consonant
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(adj) consistent with, in agreement with
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construe
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(v) to interpret or explain
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consummate
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(adj) accomplished, complete, perfect
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continence
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(n) self-control, self-restraint
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contravene
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(v) to contradict, deny, act contrary to
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convivial
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(adj) sociable: fond of eating, drinking, and people
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convoke
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(v) to call together, summon
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convoluted
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(adj) twisted, complicated, involved
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copious
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(adj) abundant plentiful
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corporeal
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(adj) tangible, material: having to do with body
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corpulence
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(n) obesity, fatness, bulkiness
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corroborate
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(v) to confirm, verify
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cosset
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(v) to pamper: to treat with great care
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countenance
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(n) facial expression: look of approval or support
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countenance
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(v) to favor, support
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countermand
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(v) to annul, cancel: to make a contrary order
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craven
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(adj) cowardly
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credence
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(n) acceptance of something as true or real
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credulous
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(adj) gullible trusting
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crescendo
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(n) gradual increase
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culpable
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(adj) guilty, responsible for wrong-doing
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curmudgeon
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(n) cranky person
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daunt
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(v) to discourage: to intimidate
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debilitate
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(v) to weaken, enfeeble
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debunk
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(v) to discredit: to disprove
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deciduous
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(adj) losing leaves in the fall: short-lived, temporary
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declivity
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(n) downward slope
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decorous
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(adj) proper, tasteful, socially correct
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deferential
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(adj) respectful and polite in a submissive way
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deft
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(adj) skillful, dexterous
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delineation
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(n) depiction, representation
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deluge
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(v) to submerge, overwhelm: to flood
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demur
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(v) to express doubts or objections
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denigrate
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(v) to slur someone’s reputation
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depose
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(v) to remove from a high position, as from a throne
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depravity
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(n) sinfulness, moral corruption
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depreciate
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(v) to lose value gradually
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derogate
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(v) to belittle: to disparage
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despondent
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(adj) discouraged, dejected
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despot
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(n) tyrannical ruler
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destitute
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(adj) very poor, poverty-stricken
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desultory
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(adj) at random, rambling, unmethodical
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dexterous
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(adj) skilled physically or mentally
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diabolical
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(adj) fiendish, wicked
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diatribe
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(n) bitter verbal attack
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dichotomy
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(n) division into two parts
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dictum
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(n) authoritative statement: popular saying
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didactic
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(adj) excessively instructive
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diffidence
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(n) shyness, lack of confidence
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dilatory
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(adj) slow, tending to delay
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diminutive
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(adj) small
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disconcerting
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(adj) bewildering, perplexing, slightly disturbing
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discordant
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(adj) disagreeing: at variance
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disparage
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(v) to belittle, speak disrespectfully about
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disseminate
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(v) to spread far and wide
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dissension
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(n) difference of opinion
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dissipate
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(v) to scatter: to pursue pleasure to excess
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distend
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(v) to swell, inflate, bloat
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diurnal
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(adj) daily
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divine
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(v) to foretell or know by inspiration
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divisive
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(adj) creating disunity or conflict
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dogmatic
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(adj) rigidly fixed in opinion, opinionated
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doleful
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(adj) sad, mournful
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droll
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(adj) amusing in a wry, subtle way
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dulcet
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(adj) pleasant sounding, soothing to the ear
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duress
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(n) threat of force or intimidation
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dyspeptic
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(adj) gloomy and irritable: suffering from indigestion
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ebb
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(v) to fade away: to recede
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edict
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(n) law, command, official public order
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edify
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(v) to instruct morally and spiritually
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efface
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(v) to erase or make illegible
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efficacious
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(adj) effective, efficient
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effigy
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(n) stuffed doll: likeness of a person
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effusive
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(adj) expressing emotion without restraint
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egregious
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(adj) conspicuously bad
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egress
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(n) exit
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elucidate
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(v) to explain, clarify
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endemic
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(adj) belonging to a particular area: inherent
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engender
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(v) to produce, cause, bring about
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enmity
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(n) hostility, antagonism, ill will
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ennui
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(n) boredom, lack of interest and energy
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ensconce
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(v) to settle comfortably in a place
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entreat
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(v) to plead, beg
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epicure
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(n) a person with refined taste in cuisine
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epigram
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(n) short, witty saying or poem
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equanimity
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(n) calmness, composure
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erudite
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(adj) learned, scholarly
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esoteric
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(adj) understood by only a learned few
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ethereal
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(adj) not earthly, spiritual: delicate
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exacerbate
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(v) to aggravate: to intensify the bad qualities of
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exhort
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(v) to urge or incite by strong appeals
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exhume
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(v) to remove from a grave: uncover a secret
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exonerate
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(v) to clear of blame, absolve
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expedient
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(adj) convenient, efficient, practical
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expurgate
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(v) to censor
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extemporaneous
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(adj) unrehearsed, on the spur of the moment
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extricate
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(v) to free from: to disentangle
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fallow
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(adj) uncultivated, unused
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felicitous
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(adj) suitable appropriate: well spoken
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fervid
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(adj) passionate, intense, zealous
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fetter
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(v) to bind, chain, confine
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flaccid
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(adj) limp, flabby, weak
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foible
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(n) minor weakness or character flaw
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foment
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(v) to arouse or incite
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forbearance
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(n) patience, restraint, leniency
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forswear
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(v) to repudiate, renounce, disclaim, reject
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forte
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(n) strong point, something a person does well
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founder
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(v) to sink: to fall helplessly
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fracas
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(n) noisy dispute
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fulsome
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(adj) sickeningly excessive: repulsive
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gambol
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(v) to dance or skip around playfully
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garner
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(v) to gather and store
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gibe
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(v) to make heckling, taunting remarks
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glib
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(adj) fluent in an insincere manner: offhand, casual
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glower
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(v) to glare, stare angrily and intensely
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goad
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(v) to prod or urge
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gratis
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(adj) free, costing nothing
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guile
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(n) trickery, deception
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gustatory
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(adj) relating to the sense of taste
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harbinger
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(n) precursor, sign of something to come
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harrowing
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(adj) extremely distressing, terrifying
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hermetic
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(adj) tightly sealed
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hidebound
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(adj) excessively rigid: dry and stiff
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hinterland
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(n) wilderness
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hoary
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(adj) very old: whitish or gray from age
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hyperbole
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(n) purposeful exaggeration for effect
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idiosyncrasy
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(n) peculiarity of temperament, eccentricity
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ilk
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(n) type or kind
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imbue
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(v) to infuse: to dye, wet, moisten
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immutable
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(adj) unchangeable, invariable
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impecunious
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(adj) poor, having no money
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importune
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(v) to ask repeatedly, beg
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improvident
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(adj) without planning or foresight: negligent
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impugn
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(v) to call into question: to attack verbally
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incendiary
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(adj) combustible, flammable, burning easily
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incipient
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(adj) beginning to exist or appear: in an initial stage
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inculcate
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(v) to teach, impress in the mind
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inculpate
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(v) to blame, charge with a crime
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incursion
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(n) sudden invasion
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indigent
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(adj) very poor
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indignant
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(adj) angry, incensed, offended
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indolent
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(adj) habitually lazy, idle
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indubitable
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(adj) unquestionable
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inert
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(adj) unable to move, tending to inactivity
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ingenious
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(adj) original, clever, inventive
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ingress
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(n) entrance
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insidious
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(adj) sly, treacherous, devious
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interdict
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(v) to forbid, prohibit
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interloper
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(n) trespasser: meddler in others’ affairs
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interpolate
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(v) to insert: to change by adding new words or material
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interpose
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(v) to insert: to intervene
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invidious
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(adj) envious: obnoxious
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jingoism
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(n) belligerent support of one’s country
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juggernaut
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(n) huge force destroying everything in its path
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jurisprudence
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(n) philosophy of law
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knell
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(n) sound of funeral bell: omen of death or failure
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lachrymose
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(adj) tearful
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laggard
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(n) dawdler, loafer, lazy person
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lassitude
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(n) lethargy, sluggishness
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lionize
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(v) to treat as a celebrity
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lissome
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(adj) easily flexed, limber, agile
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lugubrious
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(adj) sorrowful, mournful: dismal
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machination
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(n) plot or scheme
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maladroit
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(adj) clumsy, tactless
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malinger
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(v) to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
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martinet
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(n) strict disciplinarian, one who rigidly follows rules
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matriculate
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(v) to enroll as a member of a college or university
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mendicant
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(n) beggar
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meticulous
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(adj) extremely careful, fastidious, painstaking
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mettle
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(n) courageousness: endurance
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militate
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(v) to operate against, work against
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mirth
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(n) frivolity, gaiety, laughter
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moribund
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(adj) dying, decaying
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mottle
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(v) to mark with spots
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negligible
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(adj) not worth considering
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nettle
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(v) to irritate
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noisome
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(adj) stinking, putrid
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notoriety
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(n) unfavorable fame
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noxious
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(adj) harmful, unwholesome
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nuance
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(n) shade of meaning
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nullify
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(v) to make legally invalid: to counteract the effect of
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obviate
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(v) to make unnecessary: to anticipate and prevent
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occlude
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(v) to shut: to block
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omniscient
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(adj) having infinite knowledge, all-seeing
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onerous
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(adj) burdensome
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ostentatious
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(adj) showy
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palaver
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(n) idle talk
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pall
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(n) covering hat darkens or obscures: coffin
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pall
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(v) to lose strength or interest
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panoply
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(n) impressive array
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parity
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(n) equality
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parley
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(n) discussion, usually between enemies
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parochial
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(adj) of limited scope or outlook, provincial
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parry
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(v) to ward off or deflect
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pastiche
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(n) piece of literature or music imitating other works
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peccadillo
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(n) minor sin or offense
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pedagogue
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(n) teacher
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pedant
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(n) uninspired, boring academic
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percipient
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(adj) discerning, able to perceive
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perdition
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(n) complete and utter loss: damnation
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peripatetic
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(adj) moving from place to place
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permeable
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(adj) penetrable
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perspicacious
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(adj) shrewd, astute, keen-witted
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pestilence
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(n) epidemic, plague
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phlegmatic
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(adj) sluggish: calm in temperament
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pilfer
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(v) to steal
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pittance
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(n) meager amount or wage
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placate
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(v) to soothe or pacify
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ply
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(v) to join together: to use diligently: to engage
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pontificate
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(v) to speak in a pretentious manner
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precipitate
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(adj) sudden and unexpected
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precipitate
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(v) to cause to happen: to throw down from a height
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predilection
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(n) preference, liking
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prevaricate
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(v) to lie: to evade the truth
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privation
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(n) lack of usual necessities or comforts
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prodigious
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(adj) vast, enormous, extraordinary
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|
profligate
|
(adj) corrupt, degenerate
|
|
|
propinquity
|
(n) nearness
|
|
|
proselytize
|
(v) to covert to a particular belief or religion
|
|
|
pugilism
|
(n) boxing
|
|
|
quiescence
|
(n) inactivity, stillness
|
|
|
quotidian
|
(adj) occurring daily: commonplace
|
|
|
raconteur
|
(n) witty, skillful storyteller
|
|
|
recant
|
(v) to retract a statement, opinion, etc.
|
|
|
recondite
|
(adj) relating to obscure learning: known to only a few
|
|
|
redress
|
(n) relief from wrong or injury
|
|
|
rejoinder
|
(n) response
|
|
|
remediable
|
(adj) capable of being corrected
|
|
|
reticent
|
(adj) not speaking freely: reserved
|
|
|
retinue
|
(n) group of attendants with an important person
|
|
|
retiring
|
(adj) shy, modest, reserved
|
|
|
retrench
|
(v) to cut down: to reduce
|
|
|
revelry
|
(n) boisterous festivity
|
|
|
riddle
|
(v) to make holes in: to permeate
|
|
|
ruminate
|
(v) to contemplate, reflect upon
|
|
|
salubrious
|
(adj) healthful
|
|
|
sardonic
|
(adj) cynical, scornfully mocking
|
|
|
scintilla
|
(n) trace amount
|
|
|
scintillate
|
(v) to sparkle, flash
|
|
|
sectarian
|
(adj) narrow-minded: relating to a group or sect
|
|
|
senescent
|
(adj) old
|
|
|
sententious
|
(adj) having a moralizing tone
|
|
|
sentient
|
(adj) aware, conscious, able to perceive
|
|
|
seraphic
|
(adj) angelic, pure, sublime
|
|
|
simper
|
(v) to smirk: to smile foolishly
|
|
|
sinuous
|
(adj) winding: intricate, complex
|
|
|
solecism
|
(n) grammatical mistake
|
|
|
solipsism
|
(n) belief that oneself is the only reality
|
|
|
sonorous
|
(adj) producing a full, rich sound
|
|
|
sophistry
|
(n) deceptive reasoning or argumentation
|
|
|
soporific
|
(adj) sleepy or tending to cause sleep
|
|
|
stoic
|
(adj) indifferent to or unaffected by emotions
|
|
|
stultify
|
(v) to impair or reduce to uselessness
|
|
|
subjugate
|
(v) to enslave: to conquer, subdue
|
|
|
subterfuge
|
(n) trick or tactic used to avoid something
|
|
|
superannuated
|
(adj) too old, obsolete, outdated
|
|
|
supercilious
|
(adj) arrogant, haughty, overbearing, condescending
|
|
|
tangential
|
(adj) digressing, diverting
|
|
|
tenable
|
(adj) defensible, reasonable
|
|
|
tome
|
(n) book, usually large and academic
|
|
|
trepidation
|
(n) fear and anxiety
|
|
|
trifling
|
(adj) of slight worth, trivial, insignificant
|
|
|
trite
|
(adj) shallow, superficial
|
|
|
truncate
|
(v) to cut off: to shorten by cutting
|
|
|
tumult
|
(n) state of confusion: agitation
|
|
|
tyro
|
(n) beginner, novice
|
|
|
urbane
|
(adj) courteous, refined, suave
|
|
|
utilitarian
|
(adj) efficient, functional, useful
|
|
|
vaunted
|
(adj) boasted about, bragged about
|
|
|
verisimilitude
|
(n) quality of appearing true or real
|
|
|
vestige
|
(n) trace, remnant
|
|
|
virtuoso
|
(n) someone with masterly skill: expert musician
|
|
|
whet
|
(v) to sharpen: to stimulate
|
|
|
whimsical
|
(adj) playful, fanciful
|
|
|
xenophobia
|
(n) fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers
|
|
|
yoke
|
(v) to join together
|
|
|
zealot
|
(n) someone passionately devoted to a cause
|
|
|
abase
|
to humiliate; to humble; to lower
|
|
|
abase
|
to humiliate; to humble; to lower
|
|
|
abdicate
|
to yield, give up
|
|
|
aberration
|
abnormality; deviation
|
|
|
abet
|
to aid, encourage
|
|
|
abeyance
|
a temporary postponement
|
|
|
abjure
|
(v) to reject, renounce
|
|
|
abjure
|
to give up (rights)
|
|
|
ablution
|
a washing, cleansing
|
|
|
abnegate
|
to deny; to reject
|
|
|
aboveboard
|
honest; frank, open
|
|
|
abrade
|
to wear away
|
|
|
abrogate
|
(v) to abolish, usually by authority
|
|
|
abscond
|
to leave secretly; to flee
|
|
|
abstemious
|
moderate or sparing in eating or drinking
|
|
|
abstruse
|
hard to understand
|
|
|
abut
|
to touch; to rest on or against
|
|
|
accede
|
to agree to
|
|
|
acclivity
|
upward slope
|
|
|
accolade
|
honor; award; approval.
|
|
|
accord
|
agreement
|
|
|
accost
|
to approach and speak to
|
|
|
accoutrement
|
equipment, outfit
|
|
|
accretion
|
an increase; an addition
|
|
|
accrue
|
to gather; to accumulate
|
|
|
acerbic
|
(adj) biting, bitter in tone or taste
|
|
|
acrimonious
|
harsh in speech or behavior
|
|
|
acrimony
|
(n) bitterness, discord
|
|
|
acrophobia
|
fear of heights
|
|
|
acumen
|
(n) keen insight
|
|
|
ad lib
|
to act or speak without preparation
|
|
|
addendum
|
something added as a supplement
|
|
|
adduce
|
to give an example in proving something
|
|
|
adipose
|
fatty
|
|
|
adjudicate
|
to judge
|
|
|
adjunct
|
a subordinate; an assistant
|
|
|
adumbrate
|
(v) to sketch out in a vague way
|
|
|
alacrity
|
(n) eagerness speed
|
|
|
anathema
|
(n) a cursed, detested person
|
|
|
antipathy
|
(n) a strong dislike, repugnance
|
|
|
approbation
|
(n) praise
|
|
|
arrogate
|
(v) to take without justification
|
|
|
ascetic
|
(adj) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious
|
|
|
aspersion
|
(n) a curse, expression of ill-will
|
|
|
assiduous
|
(adj) hard-working, diligent
|
|
|
blandish
|
(v) to coax by using flattery
|
|
|
boon
|
(n) a gift or blessing
|
|
|
brusque
|
(adj) short, abrupt, dismissive
|
|
|
buffet
|
(v) to strike with force (n) an arrangement of food set out on a table
|
|
|
burnish
|
(v) to polish, shine
|
|
|
buttress
|
(v) to support, hold up: (n) something that offers support
|
|
|
cacophony
|
(n) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound
|
|
|
cajole
|
(v) to urge, coax
|
|
|
calumny
|
(n) an attempt to spoil someone else's reputation by spreading lies
|
|
|
capricious
|
(adj) subject to whim, fickle
|
|
|
clemency
|
(n) mercy
|
|
|
concomitant
|
(adj) accompanying in a subordinate fashion
|
|
|
conflagration
|
(n) great fire
|
|
|
cogent
|
(adj) intellectually convincing
|
|
|
contrite
|
(adj) penitent, eager to be forgiven
|
|
|
conundrum
|
(n) puzzle, problem
|
|
|
credulity
|
(n) readiness to believe
|
|
|
cupidity
|
(n) greed, strong desire
|
|
|
cursory
|
(adj) brief to the point of being superficial
|
|
|
desecrate
|
(v) to violate the sacredness of a thing or place
|
|
|
decry
|
(v) to criticize openly
|
|
|
defile
|
(v) to make unclean, impure
|
|
|
deleterious
|
(adj) harmful
|
|
|
demure
|
(adj) quiet, modest, reserved
|
|
|
deprecate
|
(v) to belittle, depreciate
|
|
|
deride
|
(v) to laugh at mockingly, scorn
|
|
|
desiccated
|
(adj) dried up, dehydrated
|
|
|
diaphanous
|
(adj) light, airy, transparent
|
|
|
diffident
|
(adj) shy, quiet, modest
|
|
|
discursive
|
(adj) rambling, lacking order
|
|
|
dissemble
|
(v) to conceal, fake
|
|
|
dither
|
(v) to be indecisive
|
|
|
ebullient
|
(adj) extremely lively, enthusiastic
|
|
|
effrontery
|
(n) impudence, nerve, insolence
|
|
|
effulgent
|
(adj) radiant, splendorous
|
|
|
enervate
|
(v) to weaken exhaust
|
|
|
ephemeral
|
(adj) short-lived, fleeting
|
|
|
eschew
|
(v) to shun , avoid
|
|
|
evanescent
|
(adj) fleeting, momentary
|
|
|
evince
|
(v) to show, reveal
|
|
|
exculpate
|
(v) to free from guilt or blame, exonerate
|
|
|
execrable
|
(adj) loathsome, detestable
|
|
|
exigent
|
(adj) urgent, critical
|
|
|
expiate
|
(v) to make amends for, atone
|
|
|
expunge
|
(v) to obliterate, eradicate
|
|
|
extant
|
(adj) existing, not destroyed or lost
|
|
|
extol
|
to praise, revere
|
|
|
fallacious
|
(adj) incorrect, misleading
|
|
|
factitious
|
(adj) meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards
|
|
|
fatuous
|
(adj) silly, foolish
|
|
|
fecund
|
(adj) fruitful, fertile
|
|
|
feral
|
(adj) wild, savage
|
|
|
fetid
|
(adj) having a foul odor
|
|
|
florid
|
(adj) flowery, ornate
|
|
|
fractious
|
(adj) troublesome or irritable
|
|
|
garrulous
|
(adj) talkative, wordy
|
|
|
grandiloquence
|
lofty, pompous language
|
|
|
gregarious
|
(adj) drawn to the company of others, sociable
|
|
|
hackneyed
|
(adj) unoriginal, trite
|
|
|
hapless
|
(adj) unlucky
|
|
|
harangue
|
(n) a ranting speech (v) to give such a speech
|
|
|
hegemony
|
(n) domination over others
|
|
|
iconoclast
|
(n) one who attacks common beliefs or institutions
|
|
|
ignominious
|
(adj) humiliating, disgracing
|
|
|
impassive
|
(adj) stoic, not susceptible to suffering
|
|
|
imperious
|
(adj) commanding, domineering
|
|
|
impertinent
|
(adj) rude, insolent
|
|
|
impertinent
|
(adj) rude, insolent
|
|
|
impervious
|
(adj) impenetrable, incapable of being affected
|
|
|
impetuous
|
(adj) rash; hastily done
|
|
|
impinge
|
(v) to impact, affect, make an impression (v) to encroach, infringe
|
|
|
implacable
|
(adj) incapable of being appeased or mitigated
|
|
|
impudent
|
(adj) Casually rude, insolent, impertinent
|
|
|
inchoate
|
(adj) unformed or formless, in a beginning stage
|
|
|
incontrovertible
|
(adj) indisputable
|
|
|
indefatigable
|
(adj) incapable of defeat, failure, decay
|
|
|
ineffable
|
(adj) unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words
|
|
|
inexorable
|
(adj) incapable of being persuaded or placated
|
|
|
ingenuous
|
(adj) not devious; innocent and candid
|
|
|
inimical
|
(adj) hostile
|
|
|
iniquity
|
(n) wickedness or sin
|
|
|
insidious
|
(adj) appealing but imperceptibly harmful, seductive
|
|
|
intransigent
|
(adj) refusing to compromise, often on an extreme opinion
|
|
|
inure
|
(v) to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation
|
|
|
invective
|
(n) an angry verbal attack
|
|
|
inveterate
|
(adj) stubbornly established by habit
|
|
|
jubilant
|
(adj) extremely joyful, happy
|
|
|
juxtaposition
|
(n) the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison
|
|
|
laconic
|
(adj) terse in speech or writing
|
|
|
languid
|
(adj) sluggish from fatigue or weakness
|
|
|
largess
|
(n) the generous giving of lavish gifts
|
|
|
latent
|
(adj) hidden, but capable of being exposed
|
|
|
legerdemain
|
(n) deception, slight-of-hand
|
|
|
licentious
|
(adj) displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints
|
|
|
limpid
|
(n) clear, transparent
|
|
|
maelstrom
|
(n) a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects
|
|
|
magnanimous
|
(adj) noble, generous
|
|
|
malediction
|
(n) a curse
|
|
|
malevolent
|
(adj) wanting harm to befall others
|
|
|
manifold
|
(adj) diverse, varied
|
|
|
maudlin
|
(adj) weakly sentimental
|
|
|
mawkish
|
characterized by sick sentimentality
|
|
|
mendacious
|
(adj) having a lying, false character
|
|
|
mercurial
|
(adj) characterized by rapid change or temper mentality
|
|
|
modicum
|
(n) a small amount of something
|
|
|
morass
|
(n) a wet, swampy bog; figuratively, something that traps and confuses
|
|
|
multifarious
|
(adj) having great diversity or variety
|
|
|
munificence
|
(n) generosity in giving
|
|
|
myriad
|
(adj) consisting of a very great number
|
|
|
nadir
|
(n) the lowest point of something
|
|
|
nascent
|
(adj) in the process of being born or coming into existence
|
|
|
nefarious
|
(adj) heinously villainous
|
|
|
neophyte
|
(n) someone who is young or inexperienced
|
|
|
obdurate
|
(n) unyielding to persuasion or moral influences
|
|
|
obfuscate
|
(v) to render incomprehensible
|
|
|
oblique
|
(adj) diverging from a straight line or course
|
|
|
obsequious
|
(adj) excessively compliant or submissive
|
|
|
obstreperous
|
(adj) noisy, unruly
|
|
|
obtuse
|
(adj) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect
|
|
|
odious
|
(adj) instilling hatred or intense displeasure
|
|
|
officious
|
(adj) offering one's services when they are neither wanted nor needed
|
|
|
opulent
|
(adj) characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation
|
|
|
ostensible
|
(adj) appearing as supalliatech, seemingly
|
|
|
palliate
|
(v) to reduce the severity of
|
|
|
pallid
|
(adj) lacking color
|
|
|
panacea
|
(n) a remedy for all ills or difficulties
|
|
|
paragon
|
(n) a model of excellence or perfection
|
|
|
pariah
|
(n) an outcast
|
|
|
parsimony
|
(n) frugality, stinginess
|
|
|
pathos
|
(n) an emotion of sympathy
|
|
|
paucity
|
(adj) small in quantity
|
|
|
pejorative
|
(adj) derogatory, uncomplimentary
|
|
|
pellucid
|
(adj) easily intelligible, clear
|
|
|
penurious
|
(adj) miserly, stingy
|
|
|
perfidious
|
disloyal, unfaithful
|
|
|
perfunctory
|
showing little interest or enthusiasm
|
|
|
pernicious
|
(adj) extremely destructive or harmful
|
|
|
perspicacity
|
(adj) shrewdness, perceptiveness
|
|
|
pertinacious
|
(adj)stubbornly persistent
|
|
|
petulance
|
(n) rudeness, irritability
|
|
|
pithy
|
(adj) concisely meaningful
|
|
|
platitude
|
an uninspired remark, cliché
|
|
|
plethora
|
(n) an abundance, excess
|
|
|
polemic
|
(n) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion
|
|
|
portent
|
(n) an omen
|
|
|
precocious
|
(adj) advanced, developing ahead of time
|
|
|
prescient
|
(adj) to have foreknowledge of events
|
|
|
primeval
|
original, ancient
|
|
|
probity
|
(n) virtue, integrity
|
|
|
proclivity
|
(n) a strong inclination toward something
|
|
|
promulgate
|
to proclaim, make known
|
|
|
propensity
|
(n) an inclination, preference
|
|
|
propitious
|
(adj) favorable
|
|
|
prosaic
|
(adj) plain, lacking liveliness
|
|
|
proscribe
|
(v) to condemn, outlaw
|
|
|
protean
|
(adj) able to change shape; displaying great variety
|
|
|
prurient
|
(adj) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex
|
|
|
puerile
|
(adj) juvenile, immature
|
|
|
pugnacious
|
(adj) quarrelsome, combative
|
|
|
pulchritude
|
(adj) physical beauty
|
|
|
punctilious
|
(adj) eager to follow rules or conventions
|
|
|
quagmire
|
(n) a difficult situation
|
|
|
querulous
|
(adj) whiny, complaining
|
|
|
quixotic
|
(adj) idealistic, impractical
|
|
|
rancor
|
(n) deep, bitter resentment
|
|
|
rebuke
|
(v) to scold, criticize
|
|
|
recalcitrant
|
(adj) defiant, unapologetic
|
|
|
rectitude
|
(n) uprightness, extreme morality
|
|
|
replete
|
(adj) full, abundant
|
|
|
reprobate
|
(adj) evil, unprincipled
|
|
|
reprove
|
(v) to scold, rebuke
|
|
|
repudiate
|
(v) to reject, refuse to accept
|
|
|
rescind
|
(v) to take back, repeal
|
|
|
restive
|
(adj) resistant, stubborn, impatient
|
|
|
ribald
|
(adj) coarsely, crudely humorous
|
|
|
rife
|
(adj) abundant
|
|
|
ruse
|
(n) a trick
|
|
|
sacrosanct
|
(adj) holy, something that should not be criticized
|
|
|
sagacity
|
(n) shrewdness, soundness of perspective
|
|
|
salient
|
(adj) significant, conspicuous
|
|
|
sanctimonious
|
(adj) giving a hypocritical appearance of piety
|
|
|
sanguine
|
(adj) optimistic, cheery
|
|
|
scurrilous
|
(adj) vulgar, coarse
|
|
|
serendipity
|
(n) luck, finding good things without looking for them
|
|
|
servile
|
(adj) subservient
|
|
|
solicitous
|
(adj) concerned, attentive
|
|
|
solipsistic
|
(adj) believing that oneself is all that exists
|
|
|
somnolent
|
(adj) sleepy, drowsy
|
|
|
spurious
|
(adj) false but designed to seem plausible
|
|
|
staid
|
(adj) sedate, serious, self-restrained
|
|
|
stolid
|
(adj) expressing little sensibility, unemotional
|
|
|
stupefy
|
(v) to astonish, make insensible
|
|
|
surfeit
|
(n) an overabundant supply or indulgence
|
|
|
surmise
|
(v) to infer with little evidence
|
|
|
surreptitious
|
(adj) stealthy
|
|
|
sycophant
|
(n) one who flatters for self-gain
|
|
|
tacit
|
(adj) expressed without words
|
|
|
taciturn
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(adj) not inclined to talk
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transient
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(adj) passing through briefly; passing into and out of existence
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tantamount
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(adj) equivalent in value or significance
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temerity
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(n) audacity, recklessness
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tenuous
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(adj) having little substance or strength
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timorous
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(adj) timid, fearful
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torpid
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(adj) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion
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tractable
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(adj) easily controlled
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transmute
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(v) to change or alter in form
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trenchant
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(adj) effective, articulate, clear-cut
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truculent
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(adj) ready to fright, cruel
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turgid
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(adj) swollen, excessively embellished in a style or language
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turpitude
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(n) depravity, moral corruption
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ubiquitous
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(adj) existing everywhere, widespread
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umbrage
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(n) resentment, offense
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unctuous
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(adj) smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, manner
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undulate
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(v) to move in waves
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upbraid
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(v) to criticize or scold severely
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usurp
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(v) to seize by force, take possession of without right
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vacillate
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(v) to fluctuate, hesitate
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vacuous
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(adj) lack of content or ideas, stupid
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vapid
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(adj) lacking liveliness, dull
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variegated
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(adj) diversified, distinctly marked
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venerate
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(v) to regard with respect or to honor
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veracity
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(n) truthfulness, accuracy
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verdant
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(adj) green in tint or color
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vex
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(v) to confuse or annoy
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vicarious
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(adj) experiencing through another
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vicissitude
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(n) event that occurs by chance
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vilify
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(v) to lower in importance, defame
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viscous
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(adj) not free flowing, syrupy
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vitriolic
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(adj) having caustic quality
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vituperate
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(v) to berate
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wanton
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(adj) undisciplined, lewd, lustful
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winsome
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(adj) charming, pleasing
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wistful
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(adj) full of yearning; musingly sad
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wizened
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(adj) dry, shrunken, wrinkled
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zenith
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(n) the highest peak, culminating point
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zephyr
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(n) a gentle breeze
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