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76 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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abate (v)
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to lessen in intensity or degree
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accolade (n)
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an expression of praise
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adulation (n)
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excessive praise; intense adoration
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aesthetic (adj)
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dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art our the beautiful
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ameliorate (v)
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to make better or more tolerable
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ascetic (n)
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one who practices rigid self-denial, esp as an act of religious devotion
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avarice (n)
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greed, esp for wealth (adj form: avaricious)
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axiom (n)
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a universally recognized principle (adj form: axiomatic)
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burgeon (v)
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to grow rapidly or flourish
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bucolic (adj)
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rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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cacophony (n)
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harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance (adj form: cacophonous)
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canon (n)
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an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature (adj form: canonical)
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castigation (n)
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severe criticism or punishment (verb form: castigate)
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catalyst (n)
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a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
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caustic (adj)
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burning or stinging; causing corrosion
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chary (adj)
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wary; cautious; sparing
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cogent (adj)
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appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
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complaisance (n)
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the willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adj form: complaisant)
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contentious (adj)
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argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
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contrite (adj)
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regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (n form: contrition)
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culpable (adj)
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deserving blame (n form: culpability)
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dearth (n)
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smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
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demur (v)
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to question or oppose
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didactic (adj)
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intended to teach or instruct
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discretion (n)
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cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj form: discreet)
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disinterested (adj)
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free of bias or self-interest; impartial
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dogmatic (adj)
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expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles (n form: dogma)
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ebullience (n)
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the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adj form: ebullient)
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eclectic (adj)
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composed of elements drawn from various sources
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elegy (n)
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a mournful poem, esp one lamenting of the dead (adj form: elegiac)
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Annabel Lee is my favorite elegy.
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emollient (adj)/(n)
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soothing, esp to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin
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empirical (adj)
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based on observation or experiment
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enigmatic (adj)
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mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand (n form: enigma)
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ephemeral (adj)
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brief; fleeting
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esoteric (adj)
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intended for or understood by a small, specific group
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eulogy (n)
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a speech intended to honor the dead (v form: eulogize)
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exonerate (v)
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to remove blame
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facetious (adj)
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Playful; humorous
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fallacy (n)
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an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief (adj form: fallacious)
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furtive (adj)
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marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
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gregarious (adj)
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sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
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harangue (v)/(n)
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to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
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heretical (adj)
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violating accepted dogma or convention (n form: heresy)
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hyperbole (n)
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an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adj form: hyperbolic)
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impecunious (adj)
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lacking funds; without money
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incipient (adj)
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beginning to come into being or to become apparent
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inert (adj)
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unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
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innocuous (adj)
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harmless; causing no damage
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intransigent (adj)
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refusing to compromise (n form: intransigence)
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inveigle (v)
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to obtain by deception or flattery
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morose (adj)
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sad; sullen; melancholy
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odious (adj)
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evoking intense aversion or dislike
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opaque (adj)
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impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
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oscillation (n)
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the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, interrupted rhythm (v form: oscillate)
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penurious (adj)
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penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
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Auntie Visita was so penurious!
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pernicious (adj)
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extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed
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peruse (v)
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to examine with great care (n form: perusal)
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pious (adj)
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extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion (n form: piety)
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precursor (n)
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one that precedes and indicates or announces another
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preen (v)
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to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
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prodigious (adj)
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abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
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prolific (adj)
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producing large volumes or amounts; productive
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putrefy (v)
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to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor (adj form: putrid)
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quaff (v)
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to drink deeply
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quiescence (n)
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stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest (adj form: quiescent)
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redoubtable (adj)
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awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
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sanction (n)/(v)
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authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority
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satire (n)
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a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision (adj form: satirical)
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squalid (adj)
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sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect (n form: squalor)
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stoic (adj)
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indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast (noun form: stoicism)
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supplant (v)
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to take the place of; to supercede
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torpid (adj)
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lethargic; sluggish; dormant (n form: torpor)
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ubiquitous (adj)
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existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
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urbane (adj)
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sophisticated; refined; elegant (n form: urbanity)
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vilify (v)
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to defame; to characterize harshly
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viscous (adj)
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thick; sticky (n form: viscosity)
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