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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Amnesty |
n. a general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses against a government
ex. It was very controversial when President Ford issued a proclamation that offered amnesty to those who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War. |
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Autonomy |
n. self-government
ex. America gained its autonomy after winning the war against England. |
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Caveat |
n. a warning or caution
ex. They sold the cabin to the young couple with the caveat that the roof would need repairs before winter. |
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Equitable |
adj. fair, just, embodying principles of justice
ex. I had to do an equitable amount of laundry in order to make up for all the delicious meals my wife cooked. |
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Scathing |
adj. bitterly severe, harmful, as a remark
ex. I was going to see Transmuters 3 until I read the scathing review in the Globe.
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Straitlaced |
adj. extremely strict in regard to moral standards
ex. The straitlaced rules of Puritan society did not allow for much silliness or tomfoolery. |
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Transient |
adj. lasting for only a short time, fleeting n. one who only stays a short time
ex. If you don't believe that fame can be transient, just ask four of the members of N'Sync. ex. Gandalf the grey is a transient who would on occasion visit the Hobbit hole of Bilbo Baggins during the holidays. |
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Unwieldy |
adj. not easy to handle, difficult to handle due to large size or heavy weight
ex. The box was too unwieldy to carry up the stairs so Ken took the elevator.
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Vapid |
adj. dull, uninteresting, lacking in sharpness, liveliness, or force
ex. I was not fooled by the expensive special effects and found Transmuters to be an entirely vapid movie |
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Transmute |
v. to change from one nature, substance, or form, to another
ex. In the movie Transmuters 3, robots transmute into cars and cars transmute into robots. |
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Anomaly |
n. an abnormality, irregularity, something that departs from the usual
ex. After getting an A or a B on each of his first five vocabulary quizzes, the boy’s 20% on his unit 6 quiz should be considered an anomaly.
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Brusque |
adj. abrupt, blunt, with no formalities
ex. When the boy asked his father if he could borrow his new car, the father’s brusque response quickly ended the conversation.
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Bizarre |
adj. strange, unusual, atypical
ex. The most bizarre moment of my vacation was when I saw a giraffe working at the Honey Doo Drive-Thru on the Mass Pike. |
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Contrive |
v. to plan with ingenuity, invent, to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan
ex. Joe was forced to contrive a very bizarre excuse in order to explain to his parents why he was two hours late for his curfew. |
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Demagogue |
n. a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims in order to gain favor
ex. The demagogue promised free text messaging to all 18 year olds in order to get their vote. |
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Ennui |
n. weariness and dissatisfaction from the lack of occupation or interest, boredom
ex. Years of ennui inspired the man to quit his job and travel like a nomad around the country. |
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Heinous |
adj. very wicked, offensive, hateful
ex. In 1692, vengeful residents of Salem, MA committed heinous crimes against their neighbors. |
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Megalomaniac |
n. a person who suffers from a delusion marked from a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc.
ex. Because their fans give them so much love and adoration, many celebrities become megalomaniacs. |
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Transgress |
v. to go beyond a boundary or limit, to sin, to violate a law
ex. After Frankenstein transgressed onto his neighbor's lawn he was chased away by a pitchfork and torch waving mob |
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Vicarious |
adj. performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another
ex. The aggressive dad forced his son to practice skating day-and-night so he could live vicariously through his son’s success on the rink.
*mostly used as adverb* *vicariously* |
