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215 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
zealot
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n. fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
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surpass
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v. exceed
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consensus
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n. general agreement
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deprecate
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v. express disapproval of; protest against; belittle
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disdain
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v. view with scorn or contempt
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reticence
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n. reserve; uncommunicativeness; inclination to silence
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astute
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adj. wise; shrewd; keen
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compliance
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n. readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements
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prudent
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adj. cautious; careful
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immutable
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adj. unchangeable
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eloquence
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n. expressiveness; persuasive speech
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reprove
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v. censure; rebuke
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scrutinize
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v. examine closely and critically
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gravity
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n. seriousness
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extricate
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v. free; disentangled
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ambiguous
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adj. unclear or doubtful in meaning
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laud
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v. praise
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pervasive
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adj. pervading; spread throughout every part
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nurture
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v. nourish; educate; foster
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austere
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adj. forbiddingly stern; severely simple
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verbose
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adj. wordy
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ambivalence
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n. the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes
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flagrant
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adj. conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous
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notoriety
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n. disrepute; ill fame
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stagnant
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adj. motionless; stale; dull
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quandary
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n. dilemma
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satirical
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adj. mocking
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ephemeral
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adj. short-lived; fleeting
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hierarchy
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n. arrangement by ranking or standings; authoritarian body divided into ranks
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euphemism
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n. mild expression in place of an unpleasant one
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divergent
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adj. differing; deviating
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preclude
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v. make impossible; eliminate
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superficial
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adj. trivial; shallow
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superfluous
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adj. unnecessary; excessive; overabundant
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diminution
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n. lessening; reduction in size
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hedonist
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n. one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life
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scrupulous
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adj. conscientious; extremely thorough
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levity
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n. lack of seriousness; lightness
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ironic
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adj. resulting in an unexpected and contrary outcome
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coercion
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n. use of force to get someone to obey
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concise
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adj. brief and compact
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placate
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v. pacify; conciliate
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conciliatory
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adj. reconciling; soothing
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incite
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v. arouse to action
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affirmation
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n. positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath
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disseminate
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v. distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)
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contentious
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adj. quarrelsome
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intrepid
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adj. fearless
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virtuoso
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n. highly skilled artist
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adultaion
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n. flattery; admiration
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haughtiness
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n. pride; arrogance
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recluse
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n. hermit; loner
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anarchist
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n. person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority
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embellish
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v. adorn; ornament
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explicit
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adj. totally clear; definite; outspoken
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rancor
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n. bitterness; hatred
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somber
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adj. gloomy; depressing; dark; drab
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criterion
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n. standard used in judging
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renounce
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v. abandon; disown; repudiate
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partisan
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adj. one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party
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homogeneous
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adj. of the same kind
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pretentious
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adj. ostentatious; pompous; making unjustified claims; overly ambitious
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ponderous
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adj. weighty; unwieldy
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condone
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v. overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
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sanction
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v. approve; ratify
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corroborate
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v. confirm; support
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repudiate
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v. disown; disavow
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disparity
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n. difference; condition of inequality
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ascetic
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adj. practicing self-denial; austere
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prodigal
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adj. wasteful; reckless with money
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relegate
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v. banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
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mitigate
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v. appease; moderate
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cursory
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adj. casual; hastily done
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equivocal
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adj. ambiguous; intentionally misleading
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terse
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adj. concise; abrupt; pithy
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innovation
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n. change; introduction of something new
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furtive
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adj. stealthy; sneaky
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ingenious
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adj. clever; resourceful
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rectify
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v. set right; correct
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extol
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v. praise; glorify
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apathy
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n. lack of caring; indifference
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pacifist
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n. one oppose to force; antimilitarist
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eulogy
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n. expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death
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constraint
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n. compulsion; repression of feelings
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lethargic
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adj. drowsy; dull
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altruistic
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adj. unselfishly generous; concerned for others
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philanthropist
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n. lover of mankind; doer of good
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cajole
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v. coax; wheedle
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digression
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n. wandering away from the subject
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extraneous
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adj. not essential; superfluous
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innocuous
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adj. harmless
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trubulence
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n. state of violent agitation
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exacerbate
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v. worsen; embitter
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hamper
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v. obstruct
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deride
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v. ridicule; make fun of
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reprehensible
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adj. deserving blame
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insipid
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adj. lacking in flavor; dull
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taciturn
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adj. habitually silent; talking little
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pragmatic
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adj. practical; concerned with the practical worth or impact of something
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malicious
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adj. hateful; spiteful
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fervor
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n. glowing ardor; intensity of feeling
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decorum
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n. propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners
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fanaticism
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n. excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause
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materialism
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n. preoccupation with physical comforts and things
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alleviate
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v. relieve
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meticulous
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adj. excessively careful; painstaking
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advocate
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v. urge; plead for
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predecessor
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n. former occupant of a post
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fallacious
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adj. false; misleading
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incongruous
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adj. not fitting; absurd
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rhetorical
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adj. pertaining to effective communication; insincere in language
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duplicity
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n. double-dealing; hypocrisy
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pessimism
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n. belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess
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transient
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adv. momentary; temporary; staying for a short time
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aesthetic
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adj. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful
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proximity
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n. nearness
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frivolous
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adj. lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant
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reprimand
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v. reprove severely; rebuke
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profound
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adj. deep; not superficial; complete
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censure
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v. blame; criticize
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gregarious
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adj. socialble
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oblivion
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n. obscurity; forgetfulness
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ostentatious
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adj. showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention
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incorrigible
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adj. not correctable
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piety
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n. religious devotion; godliness
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frugality
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n. thrift; economy
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capricious
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adj. unpredictable; fickle
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inane
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adj. silly; senseless
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articulate
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adj. effective; distinct
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benevolent
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adj. generous; charitable
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prevalent
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adj. widespread; generally accepted
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listless
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adj. lacking in spirit or energy
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abstract
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adj. theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational
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rebuttal
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n. refutation; response with contrary evidence
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vacillate
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v. waver; fluctuate
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opaque
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adj. dark; not transparent
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precocious
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adj. advanced in development
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heresy
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n. opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion
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emulate
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v. imitate; rival
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instigate
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v. urge; start; provoke
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innate
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adj. inborn
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srevile
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adj. slavish; cringing
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adversary
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n. opponent
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exonerate
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v. acquit; exculpate
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censorious
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adj. critical
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conflagration
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n. great fire
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discordant
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adj. not harmonious; conflicting
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substantiate
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v. establishing by evidence; verify; support
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garrulous
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adj. loquacious; wordy; talkative
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sycophant
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n. servile flatterer; boot licker; yes-man
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volatile
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adj. changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly
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commemorate
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v. honor the memory of
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peripheral
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marginal; outer
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refute
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v. disprove
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inherent
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adj. firmly established by nature or habit
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mundane
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adj. worldly as opposed to spiritual; everday
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enigma
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n. puzzle; mystery
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dismiss
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v. put away from consideration; reject
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succinct
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adj. brief; terse; compact
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exemplary
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adj. serving as a model; outstanding
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retract
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v. withdraw; take back
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conviction
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n. judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief
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induce
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v. persuade; bring about
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despondent
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adj. depressed gloomy;
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esoteric
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adj. hard to understand; known only to a chosen few
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presumptuous
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adj. overconfident; impertinently bold; taking liberties
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discerning
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adj. mentally quick and observant; having insight
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acclaim
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v. applaud; announce with great approval
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credulity
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n. belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete
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impede
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v. hinder; block; delay
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elusive
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adj. evasive; baffling; hard to grasp
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skeptic
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n. doubter; person who suspends judgment until the evidence supporting a point of view has been examined
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morose
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adj. ill-humored; sullen; melancholy
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guile
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n. deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning
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exhaustive
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adj. thorough; comprehensive
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brevity
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n. conciseness
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exuberance
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n. overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness
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enhance
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v. increase; improved
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denounce
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v. condemn; criticize
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miserly
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adj. stingy; mean
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redundant
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adj. superfluous; repetitious; excessively wordy
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disinclination
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n. unwillingness
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surreptitious
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adj. secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden
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profane
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v. violate; desecrate; treat unworthily
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opportunist
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n. individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances
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opulence
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n. extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance
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disperse
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v. scatter
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delineate
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n. portray
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vilify
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v. slander
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arbitrary
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adj. capricious; randomly chosen; tyrannical
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belie
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v. contradict; give a false impression
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adversity
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n. poverty; misfortune
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usurp
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v. seize another's power or rank
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discrepancy
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n. lack of consistency; difference
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abridge
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v. condensed or shorten
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hypocritical
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adj. pretending to be virtuous; decieving
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cryptic
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adj. mysterious; hidden; secret
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eclectic
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adj. composed of elements drawn from disparate sources
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depravity
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n. extreme corruption; wickedness
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profusion
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n. overabundance; lavish expenditure
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erudite
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adj. learned; scholarly
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expedient
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adj. suitable; practical; political
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hypothetical
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adj. based on assumptions or hypothesis; supposed
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indict
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v. charge
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venerate
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v. revere
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dogmatic
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adj. opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal
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fastidious
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adj. difficult to please; squeamish
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inundate
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v. overwhelm; flood; submerge
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autonomous
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adj. self-governing
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ascendancy
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n. controlling influence; domination
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undermine
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v. weaken; sap
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proliferation
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n. rapid growth; spread; multiplication
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impair
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v. injure; hurt
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deterrent
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n. something that discourages; hindrance
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prolific
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adj. abundantly fruitful
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