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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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accost
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(v) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
accost' syn: buttonhole, approach, confront ant: evade, avoid, shun |
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animadversion
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(adj) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval.
animadver'sion syn: rebuke, reproof ant: praise, compliment |
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avid
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(adj) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager.
av'id syn: keen, enthusiastic, grasping ant: reluctant, indifferent, unenthusiastic |
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brackish
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(adj) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink.
brack'ish syn: briny, saline ant: fresh, clear, sweet |
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celerity
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(n) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action.
celer'ity syn: promptness, alacrity, speed ant: slowness, sluggishness, dilatoriness |
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devious
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(adj) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way.
de'vious syn:roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful. ant:direct, straightforward, open, aboveboard. |
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gambit
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(n) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type.
gam'bit syn: ploy, stratgem, ruse, maneuver. |
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halcyon
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(n) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj) of or relating to the halcyon; calm,peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent.
hal'cyon syn: (adj) tranquil, serene, placid, palmy. ant: (adj) turbulent, chaotic, tumultuous. |
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histrionic
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(adj) pertaining to actors and thier techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
histrion'ic syn: affected, stagy ant: low-keyed, muted, untheatrical, subdued. |
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incendiary
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(adj) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife.
incen'diary syn: (adj) inflammatory, provocative,(n) fireband ant: (adj) soothing, quieting, (n) peacemaker. |
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maelstrom
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(n) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction.
mael'strom Syn: vortex, chaos, turbulence, tumult |
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myopic
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(adj) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
myop'ic Syn:shortsighted Ant:farsighted |
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overt
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(adj) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized.
overt' Syn: clear, obvious, manifest, patent Ant: secret, clandestine, covert, concealed |
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pejorative
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(adj) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling.
pejor'ative Ant: complementary, ameliorative |
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propriety
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(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable.
propri'ety Syn: fitness, correctness, decorum Ant: unseemliness, inappropriateness |
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sacrilege
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(n) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred.
sac'rilege Syn: desecration, profanation, defilement |
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summarily
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(adv) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely.
summar'ily Syn: promptly, peremptorily, abruptly |
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suppliant
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(adj) asking humbly and earnestly; (n) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor.
supp'liant |
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talisman
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(n) an object that serves as a charm or is belied to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish.
tal'isman |
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undulate
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(v) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form.
un'dulate Syn: ripple, fluctuate, rise and fall |
