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171 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abasement
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behavior that makes you seem lesser or lower
resorting to abasement during meetings to be free of fault |
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abated
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weakened
to wait for the storm to be abated |
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aberrant
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unusual or unnatural
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abhor
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to hate or loathe
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abhorrent
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deserving hatred
violence in films is abhorrent |
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abjured
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to formally reject
Obama abjured the new bill with a veto |
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abreast of
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next to, or informed of
He stays abreast of current events |
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abridge
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to shorten by taking out parts
the abridged version of Lord of the Rings isn't the same |
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abstruse
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hard to understand
quantum mechanics is |
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acculturation
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the process of people altering their culture as a result of contact with another culture
Acculturation is learning to love Califorina burritos when you move to SD. |
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acerbic
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sharp criticism in a clever way
John Stewart's acerbic commentary on Politics |
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acrimony
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angry or bitter feelings
there is acrimony between the 2 political parties |
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actuarial
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statistical, esp relating to risk and insurance
actuarial calculations for insurance |
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adherant
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a supporter of a party, idea, or person
Adherants of Bernie Sanders are also called Bernie Bros. |
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adroit
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very clever or skillful
Jesús is a very adroit handyman around the house |
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adulatory
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like adulations, praising
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affability
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friendliness
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affectless
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showing no emotion
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agglomerated
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collected or formed into a mass or group
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aggrieved
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angered from unfair treatment
the rape victim was aggrieved from her unfair treatment |
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aghast
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shocked an upset
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agrarian
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relating to farms
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akimbo
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hands on hips (like with sass)
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albatross
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a continuing problem or obstacle
fame had become an albatross to leading a normal life |
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allegorical
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symbolic, metaphorical
animal farm is an allegorical tale |
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alluring
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attractive
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amalgamate
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to combine into one
AT&T and Time Warner have amalgamated |
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ameliorate
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to heal (alleviate)
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amenable
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cooperative
it's always easier when the preschoolers are amenable to your wishes |
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amiable
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friendly
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amicable
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politely avoiding argument
He amicable avoided voicing his opinions to the Trump supporter |
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amity
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a feeling of friendship
following the revolution, there has been amity between the US and England. |
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amortized
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to spread a debt over several payments and a long period of time
the loan was amortized |
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anachronistic
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belonging in the past or a different time
a politician whose values seem anachronistic |
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anathema
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someone or something strongly disliked
Trump is anathema to almost all sensible people. |
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anecdote
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a short story about an interesting event
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anomie
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social instability caused by erosion of values
republicans fear the anomie caused by homosexual people |
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antedated
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given an early date than the actual date
an antedated check |
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antediluvian
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very old or old–fashioned
Ron Swanson's antediluvian way of life is perfectly reflected in his love of woodworking. |
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antipathy
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strong feeling of dislike
the antipathy between the UCLA and USC is palpable |
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antithetical to
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directly opposed to
the antithetical forces of good and evil |
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ape
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to copy or imitate
I tried to ape his strong study habits |
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aphorism
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a short phrase that imparts wisdom
when decorating, remember the aphorism "less is more" |
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apocrypha
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written works of unlikely authenticity
biblical apocrypha is not accepted by most parts of christianity |
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apocryphal
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well–known but probably not true
an apocryphal tale about the president's childhood |
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apologia
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a formal defense or justification
he wrote a long apologia defending Stalin's mass murders |
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apologist
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someone who defends something being criticized by others
white apologists are forgiving of white police officers who murder civilians |
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appease
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to please someone by giving into their desires
efforts to appease the protestors were unsuccessful |
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appellation
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a name or title
He cheated on the bar and does not deserve the appellation of attorney. |
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apportioned
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to divide among or between people
proceeds will be apportioned among multiple charities |
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approbation
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praise or approval
I seek the approbation of Senpai |
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appropriate
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to take or use especially in a way that is unfair
I plagiarized by appropriating parts of my essay from Cliff Notes |
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aptitude
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natural ability to do or learn something
his aptitude for learning languages is astonishing |
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aquiline
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curving like an eagle's beak
My eyes couldn't avoid his aquiline nose |
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arcades
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rows of arches supported by columns
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arcadian
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idyllically innocent or simple
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arduous
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very difficult
Doing drum corps is a long and arduous endeavor |
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artifact
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an inaccurate result that is produced accidentally
the drop in scores was an artifact of the way the test was administered |
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artifices
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dishonest or insincere behaviors
Hillary Clinton is disliked for her artifices regarding political corruption |
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artless
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not false or artificial
Her artless charm won us over |
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ascertain
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to learn or find out
investigators must ascertain the cause of the fire |
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ascetic
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having a strict and simple way of living that avoids physical pleasure
the ascetic life of monks |
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askance to
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in a way that shows lack of trust or approval
Askance to the escaped prisoner, she did not let him out of her sight. |
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asperity
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harshness of behavior or speech that expresses bitterness
he spoke about his ex–wife with asperity |
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assent
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to agree to or approve of after careful consideration
the father finally assented to his daughter's boyfriend |
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assiduous
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showing great care
Making a perfect risotto requires an assiduous approach |
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assuage
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to make less painful or severe
The company tried to assuage investors' fears. |
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aurora
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dawn or the Northern Lights
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austerity
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a simple and plain quality
the austerity of their lives was depressing |
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autodidact
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a self–taught person
I am an autodidact at Python programming |
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avant garde
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a group of people who new and very surprising ideas in art
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avaricious
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greedy
The avaricious corporation only cared about profits |
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aver
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to say in a very strong and definite way
He averred, "I am innocent!!" |
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balkanize
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to break up a region or group into smaller often hostile units
The Soviet Union was balkanized into smaller nations |
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banal
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boring or ordinary
Jeb Bush lost because he was too banal |
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bane
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the cause of trouble
the bane of my existence |
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banality
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something that is boring
vacation is an escape from the banality of everyday life |
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baneful
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causing destruction or serious damage
baneful consequences of war |
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baroque
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having many or too many details
Vic always hated a baroque writing style |
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bask
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to lie or relax happily
we basked in the sunlight on the beach |
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bedazzling
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thrilling and exciting
fans bedazzled by the appearance of their favorite athlete |
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bedlam
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a very noisy and confused state or scene
Disneyland around Christmas is total bedlam |
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beguile
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to trick or deceive
Trump beguiled his supporters into believing he could make America great again. |
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belie
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to give a false idea
Her manner and appearance belie her age. |
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belletristic
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written and regarded for aesthetic value rather than content
the belletristic writing was very artful |
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bellicose
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having a tendency to fight
the bellicose guy just wanted to argue |
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beneficent
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doing or producing good
the beneficent leader |
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beseech
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to beg someone for something
I beseech you to let me live |
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besmirch
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to cause damage (to something's reputation)
Bernie besmirched Hillary's reputation |
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besotted
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loving something or someone so much you can't think straight
he was completely besotted with her |
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bifurcated
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divided into two parts
the river bifurcated into two streams |
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blandishments
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nice things you say or do to convince someone to do something
He found it hard to resist her blandishments, and end up doing as she wished. |
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blithe
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showing a lack of proper thought or care
his blithe gifts rarely were well received |
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blunt
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to figuratively make something less sharp
fatigue blunted his reflexes |
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bogged down
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to cause something to sink down in wet ground
the mud bogged down the car |
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boisterous
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noisy and active in a lively way
the boisterous drinking party |
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bon–mot
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a witty remark
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bonobos
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a sexual species of chimpanzee
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boondoggle
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an expensive, wasteful project paid for by the public.
some consider the high–speed train a boondoggle |
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boorish
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rude, crude
a boorish tyrant |
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boosterish
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supporting something enthusiastically, often uncritically
the boosterish support for Trump |
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brandishes
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to wave or swing in an exciting or threatening manner
she brandished a stick at the dog |
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brook
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to allow to exist or happen (usually followed by no)
a government that brooks no criticism |
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brusque
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talking or behaving in a direct, brief, and unfriendly way
"can I have coffee" received a brusque reply, "we don't have any" |
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bucolic
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relating to the country or country life
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burgeon
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to grow or develop quickly
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bustling
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moving or going in a busy or hurried way
bustling around the kitchen making dinner |
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buttress
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noun or verb,
to support strengthen or defend |
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byzantine
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very complicated, secret, and hard to understand
these byzantine transcripts are hard to understand |
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cabal
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a small group of people who work together secretly
a cabal plotting to overthrow the government |
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cajole
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to persuade something to do something for you by making promises
He had to cajole his girlfriend into having sex after a long day |
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callous
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not showing concern for other people's problems
the callous old man didn't care about others. |
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calumnies
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untrue statements meant to ruin someone's reputation
the calumnies about David Hadley supporting Trump |
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candor
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the quality of being open, sincere, and honest
she spoke with candor about racism |
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canny
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very clever and able to make intelligent decision
the canny investors |
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canonization
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to declare someone to be a saint
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capricious
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unpredictable, especially in mood or behavior
employees at the mercy of a capricious manager |
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castigate
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to criticize harshly
Bernie castigated wall street |
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catharsis
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the act of releasing strong emotion
music is catharsis for me |
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caustic
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very harsh and critical
caustic film reviews |
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cauterize
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to burn infected tissue
cauterizing the wound |
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cavalier
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showing no emotion for something that is important or serious
she has a cavalier attitude about spending money |
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cerebral
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relating to the mind rather than emotions
Spock is a very cerebral character |
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chaff
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seed coverings or other parts of a plant that can't be eaten
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chagrin
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frustration because of failure or disappointment
much to her chagrin, she gained 5 pounds |
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chary
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cautious about doing something
chary about spending money chary of expressing emotion |
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chide
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to gently scold
she chided us for arriving late |
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circumscribing
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limiting the amount or size of something
the role of the president is circumscribed by checks and balances |
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clamor
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a loud continuous noise
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clandestine
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done in a private place or way
the clandestine marriage |
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coalesced
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to come together to form one group or mass
coalesced into a political revolution |
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coda
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something that ends and completes something else
a fitting coda to his career |
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cogent
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very clear and easy for the mind to accept and believe
a cogent argument for funding schools |
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coltish
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playful, frolicsome
a coltish puppy playing |
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comestible
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edible
is the food even comestible? |
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commando
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a soldier trained to carry out surprise attacks
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commune
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to communicate with someone in a very personal or spiritual way
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compatriot
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someone who belongs to the same group or country
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compel
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to force (someone) to do something
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complement
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something that completes something else
the scarf is a perfect complement to her outfit |
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complementary
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completing something else (not something that is free)
the scarf is complementary to her outfit |
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conceit
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too much pride in yourself
his conceit earned him many enemies |
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concessionary
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yielding in an argument
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concomitant
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happening at the same time as something else
changes that are concomitant with population growth |
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confer
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to discuss in order to make a decision
to give (something) to someone The law conferred upon people over the age of 18 the right to vote. |
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confound
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surprise or confuse
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congeal
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to become thick or solid
congealing gravy |
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congenial
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suitable, appropriate, pleasant, enjoyable
very friendly the town is a congenial place to raise children |
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conjectural
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opinionated formed with little evidence
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consanguineous
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related by blood
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consecration
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a ceremony or act of officially making something holy
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contemptible
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not worthy of respect or approval
I've never met a more selfish, contemptible person. |
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contention
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something that is argued or stated
it is her contention that the law will only help the wealthy |
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contraband
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things that were brought into or out of a country illegally
border patrol searched the car for drugs and other contraband |
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contravening
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failing to do what is required (by law or rule)
the oil company contravened environmental regulations |
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contrite
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feeling regret for bad behavior
a contrite criminal |
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contrivance
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somthing in a story that ins't believable
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contrived
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having an unnatural or false appearance
the results of the rigged election seemed contrived |
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conundrum
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a confusing or difficult problem
my quantum mechanics hw is a conundrum |
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conversance
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familiarity by use or study
conversance with spanish history |
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convivial
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relating to a party–like atmosphere
a convivial host |
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convoluted
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very complicated and difficult to understand
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cornerstone
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showing interest in different cultures, ideas
the cosmopolitan writers |
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couched in
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to express something in carefully chosen or deceptive words
the politician couched her speech in rhetoric |
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counterfactual
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running contrary to facts
Fox News asks counterfactual questions to receive anticipated answers. |
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coup
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an impressive victory or achievement that usually is difficult or unexpected
it was a major coup when the Packers won the Super Bowl as a wild card |
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covey
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a small group of birds, or people, or things
a covey of schoolchildren approached |
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crane
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to stretch out (your neck) in order to see better
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credence
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belief that something is true
don't give credence to their gossip |
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credulous
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easily fooled or cheated
the american voter is too credulous |
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crouchback
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hunchback
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