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188 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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adroit
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skillful, clever
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adulterate
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to make impure, impure
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adventitious
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accidental, nonessential
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aegis
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a shield, protection, sponsorship
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aesthetic
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pertaining to beauty
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affectation
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a phony attitude
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affinity
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an attraction to
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affluence
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wealth
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agape
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openmouthed ; surprised
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aggrandize
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to enlarge or to expand
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altruism
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a concern for others
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ambiguous
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open to more than one interpretation
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amoral
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lacking a sense of right and wrong
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amorphous
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shapeless
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animosity
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hatred
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antipathy
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an intense dislike
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antithesis
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an exact opposite
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badinage
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playful; teasing talk
to banter; to tease w/ playful talk |
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banal
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common, ordinary
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baroque
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over-decorated
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bauble
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a showy but useless thing
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bedlam
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a noisy uproar
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beguile
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to deceive, to charm
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besiege
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to overwhelm, to close in on
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besmirch
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to make dirty; to stain
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bestial
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savage, brutal
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bilious
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tempered; cross
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blanch
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to whiten, to make pale
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bland
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mild, tasteless, dull
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blandishment
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flattery
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bombast
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impressive but meaningless language
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bona fide
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in good faith
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boor
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a rude or impolite person
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bovine
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pertaining to cows or cattle
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bowdlerize
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to remove offensive passages of a play, novel, etc
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brevity
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briefness, terseness
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bucolic
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pertaining to the countryside
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cajole
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to coax, to persuade
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callow
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young and inexperienced
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carcinogen
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causing cancer
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carnal
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sensual, sexual
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carrion
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decaying flesh
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cataclysm
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a violent change
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cataract
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1) large waterfall
2) abnormality of the eye |
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caveat
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a warning
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celibate
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1) unmarried
2) abstaining from sex |
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censure
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to criticize sharply
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cessation
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a stopping, a discontinuance
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chaff
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worthless matter
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chagrin
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embarrassment; a complete loss of courage
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chimerical
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imaginary, fantastic
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coalesce
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to blend, to merge
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debacle
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a total collapse, a complete failure
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debauchery
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corruption
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deride
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to ridicule
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dessicated
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dried up
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despicable
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contemptible, hateful
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desultory
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wandering from subject to subject
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deviate
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to turn aside
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diadem
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a crown
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diaphanous
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very sheer and light
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dichotomy
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a division into two parts
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ebullient
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enthusiastic
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eclectic
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choosing from various sources
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edify
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to improve someone morally
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effete
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worn out, barren
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egregious
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remarkably bad; outrageous
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elegy
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a sad or mournful poem
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elicit
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to draw fourth
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elixir
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a remedy
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elucidate
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to make clear
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emanate
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to come forth, to send forth
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emendation
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a correction
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empathy
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an understanding of another's feelings
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empirical
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based on experience rather than theory
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endemic
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confined to a particular area or country
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enervate
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to weaken
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ennui
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boredom
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ephemeral
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lasting only a brief time; short lived
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epitome
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a condensed account; a typical example
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ergo
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therefore
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erotic
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pertaining to sexual love
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eschew
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to keep away from; to avoid
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facetious
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sarcastic
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factious
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causing disagreement
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fastidious
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hard to please
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fatuous
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foolish
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fecund
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fertile, productive
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ferret
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1) a small animal of the weasel family
2) to search or drive out |
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fervent
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eager, earnest
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fetish
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an object that receives respect or devotion
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finesse
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diplomacy; tact
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fiscal
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pertaining to finances
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fissure
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opening; groove, split
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flaccid
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flabby
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flagellate
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to whip
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flaunt
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to show off
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flout
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to ridicule
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foment
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to stir up; to incite
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fop
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an excessively vain man
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fortuitous
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lucky; by chance
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gambol
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to frolic; to romp about
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garish
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tastelessly gaudy
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garner
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to gather; to acquire
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garrulous
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talkative
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germane
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relevant, fitting
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gibe
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to scoff or ridicule
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gloat
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to look at or think about w/ great satisfaction
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glower
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to stare angrily at
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grandiose
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impressive, showy
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gratuitous
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free of cost; unncessary
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grotesque
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absurd; disorted
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gumption
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courage and initiative
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hackneyed
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common place, overused
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halcyon
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calm, pleasant
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hallow
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to make holy, holy
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harbinger
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an omen or sign
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harlequin
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a clown
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hector
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to bully; to pester
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hedonism
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the doctrine that holds seeking pleasure is the principle good; hence a hedonist is a pleasure seeker
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hegira
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flight; escape
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hermetic
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tightly sealed
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heterogeneous
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different; unlike
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hiatus
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a pause or gap
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hoi polloi
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common people; the masses
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hospice
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a shelter
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hubris
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excessive pride or self-confidence
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hybrid
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1) mixed, assorted
2) anything of mixed orgin |
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idiosyncrasy
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a peculiar personality trait
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idolatry
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excessive or blind adoration
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ignoble
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dishonorable
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imminent
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likely to happen; threatening
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immolate
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to kill someone as a sacrificial victim, usually by fire
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immutable
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unchangeable
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impair
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to weaken; to cause to become worse
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impale
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to pierce with a sharp stake through the body
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impalpable
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cannot be felt
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impecunious
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to be without money; penniless
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impediment
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a barrier; obstruction
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imperative
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extremely necessary
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imperious
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domineering; haughty
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impinge
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to strike; to encroach
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impious
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disrespectful towards God
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importune
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to persistently ask; to beg
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impotent
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powerless; lacking strength
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imprecationside
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a curse
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jocular
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humorous
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juxtapose
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to place side by
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kinetic
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pertaining to energy
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kismet
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faith; destiny
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knell
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a sound made by a bell rung slowly for a death or funeral
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labyrinth
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a complicated network of winding passages
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lachrymose
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tearful
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laconic
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using few words
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lambent
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softly bright or radiant; running or moving lightly over a surface
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languid
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sluggish; drooping from weakness
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lascivious
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lustful or lewd; inciting sexual desire
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legerdemain
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sleight of hand; deception
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libertine
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one who leads an immoral life
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machination
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an evil design
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macroscopic
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visible to the naked eye
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maelstrom
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whirlpool, turbulence; agitated state of mind
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malapropism
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a word humorously misued
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malleable
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capable of being changed
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martinet
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a strict disciplinarian
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masochist
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one who enjoys his own pain and suffering
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mendacious
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lying; falseway
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meretricious
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attractive in a cheap, flashy
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milieu
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environment; setting
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miscreant
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a vicious person
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nebulous
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hazy, vague, uncertain
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necromancy
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magic, esp. that practiced by a witch
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neologism
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use of a new word; to coin a new word or definition
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nihilism
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a total rejection of established laws
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nirvana
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a place of great peace or happiness
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nonentity
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a person or thing of little importance
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non sequitur
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something that does logically follow
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nubile
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a female suitable for marriage in regard to age and physical development
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obdurate
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stubborn; hardhearted
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obfuscate
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to confused; to bewilder
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obloquy
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strong disapproval; a bad reputation resulting from public criticism
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obsequious
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to be excessively submissive or overly attentive
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obviate
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to prevent
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offal
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garbage; waste parts
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onerous
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burdensome; heavy
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onus
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a burden, responsibility
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optimum
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the best, most favorable
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opulent
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rich, luxurious
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