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76 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
abate
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v. to less in intensity or degree
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accolade
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n. an expression of praise
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adulation
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n. excessive praise, intense adoration
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aesthetic
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adj. dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
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ameliorate
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v. to make better or more tolerable
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ascetic
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n. one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
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avarice
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n. greed, especially for wealth
adj. avaricious |
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axiom
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n. a universally recognized principle
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burgeon
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v. to grow rapidly or flourish
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bucolic
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adj. rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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cacophony
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n. harsh, jarring, discordant soud; dissonance
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canon
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n. an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
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castigation
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n. severe criticism or punishment
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catalyst
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n. a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changin; a person or thin that causes change
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caustic
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adj. burning or stingin; causing corrosion
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chary
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adj. wary; cautious; sparing
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cogent
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adj. appealing forcibly to the mind or reason, convincing
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complaisance
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n. the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
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contentious
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adj. argumentative, quarrelsome, causing controversy or disagreement
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contrite
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adj. regretful, penitent, seaking forgiveness
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culpable
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adj. deserving blame
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dearth
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n. smallness of quantity or number, scarcity, a lack
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demur
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v. to question or oppose
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didactic
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adj. intended to teach or instruct
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discretion
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n. cautious reserve in speech, ability to make responsible decisions
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disinterested
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adj. free of bias or self-interest, impartial
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dogmatic
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adj. expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unproveable principles
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ebullience
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n. the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
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eclectic
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adj. composed of elements drawn from various sources
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elegy
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n. a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead.
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emollient
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adj./n. soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh, mollifying, an agent that softens or smoothes the skin
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empirical
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adj. based on observation or experiment
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enigmatic
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adj. mysterious, obscure, difficult to understand
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ephemeral
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adj. brief, fleetin
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esoteric
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adj, intended to be understood by a small, specific group
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eulogy
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a speech honoring the dead
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exonerate
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to remove blame
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facetious
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playful, humorous
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fallacy
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an invalid or incorrect notion, a mistaken belief
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furtive
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marked by stealth, covert, surreptitious
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gregarious
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adj. sociable, outgoing, enjoying the company of others
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harangue
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v./n. to deliver a pompous speech or tirade, a long, pompous speech
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heretical
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adj. violating accepted dogma or convention
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hyperbole
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n. an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
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impecunious
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adj. lacking funds, without money
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incipient
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adj. beginning to come into being or to become apparent
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inert
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adj. unmoving, lethargic, sluggish
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innocuous
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adj. harmless, causing no damage
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intransigent
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adj. refusing to compromise
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inveigle
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v. to obtain by deception or flattery
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morose
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adj. sad, sullen, melancholy
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odious
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evoking intense aversion or dislike
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opaque
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adj. impenetrable by light, not reflecting light
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oscillation
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n. the act of state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rythm
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penurious
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adj. penny-pinching, excessively thrifty, ungenerous
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pernicious
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adj. extremely harmful, potentially causing death
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peruse
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v. to examine with great care
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pious
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adj. extremely reverent or devout; showin strong religious devotion
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precursor
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n. one that precedes and indicates or announces another
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preen
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v. to dress up; primp, to groom oneself with elaborate care
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prodigious
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adj. abundant in size, force or extent; extraodinary
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prolific
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adj. producing large volumes or amounts, productive
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putrefy
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v. to rot, to decay and give off a foul odor
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quaff
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v. to drink deeply
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quiessence
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n. stillness, motionlessness, quality of being at rest
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redoubtable
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adjective. awe-inspiring, worthy of honor
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sanction
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n./v. authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to.
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satire
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n. a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
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squalid
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adj. sordid, wretched and dirty as from neglect
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stoic
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adj. indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain, steadfast
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supplant
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v. to take the place of, supersede
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torpid
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adj. lethargic, sluggish, dormant
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ubiquitous
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adj. existing everywhere at the same time, constantly encountered, widespread
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urbane
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adj. sophisticated, refined, elegant
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vilify
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v. to defame, to characterize harshly
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viscous
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adj. thick, sticky
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