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180 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Abate
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To Reduce in amount, degree, or severity
-As the hurricane's force ABATED, the winds dropped and the sea became calm |
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Abscond
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To leave secretly
-The patron ABSCONDED from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door |
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Abstain
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To choose not to do something
-She ABSTAINED from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray |
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Abyss
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An extremely deep hole
-The submarine dove into the ABYSS to chart unseen waters |
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Adulterate
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To make impure
-The restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by ADULTERATING it with water |
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Advocate
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To speak in favor of
-The vegetarian ADVOCATED a diet containing no meat |
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Aesthetic
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Concerning the appreciation of beauty
-Followers of the AESTHETIC movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art |
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Aggrandize
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To increase in power, influence, & reputation
-The supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own |
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Alleviate
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To make more bearable
-Taking aspirin helps to ALLEVIATE a headache |
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Amalgamate
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To Combine; To mix together
-Giant industries AMALGAMATED with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Inc |
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Ambiguous
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Doubtful or Uncertain; Able to be interpretated several ways
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Amerliorate
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To make better; To Improve
-The Dr. was able to AMELIORATE the patients suffering using painkillers |
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Anachronism
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Something out of place in time
-The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy & far out that had not been popular for years |
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Analogous
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Similar or alike in some way; Equivalent to
-In a famouns argument for the existence of God, the universe is ANALOGOUS to a mechanical timepiece, the creation of a divinely intelligent "clockmaker" |
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Anomaly
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Deviation from what is normal
-Albino animals may display too great an ANOMALY in their coloring to attract normally colored mates |
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Antagonize
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To annoy or provoke to anger
-The child discovered that he could ANTAGONIZE the cat by pulling its tail |
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Antipathy
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Extreme dislike
-The ANTIPATHY between the French & English regularly erupted into open warfare |
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Apathy
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Lack of interest or emotion
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Arbitrate
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To judge a dispute between two opposing parties
-Since the couple could not come to agreemant, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings |
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Archaic
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Ancient, old-fashioned
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Ardor
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Intense & passionate feeling
-Bishops ARDOR for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley |
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Articulate
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Able to speak clearly & expressively
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Assuage
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To make something unpleasant less severe
-Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache |
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Attenuate
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To reduce in force or degree; To Weaken
-The bill of rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of government to change laws at will |
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Audacious
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Fearless & Daring
-Her AUDACIOUS nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving |
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Austere
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Severe or stern in appearance; Undecorated
-The lack of decoration makes Zen temples seen AUSTERE to the untrained eye |
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Banal
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Predictable, Cliched, Boring
-He used BANAL phrases like "Have a nice day, or another day, another dollar" |
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Bolster
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To support; To prop up
-The presence of giant footprints BOLSTERED the argument that Sasquatch was in the area |
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Bombastic
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Pompous in speech & manner
-The dictators speeches were mostly BOMBASTIC |
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Cacophony
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Harsh, jarring noise
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Candid
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Impartial & honest in speech
-The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID & unpretentious |
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Capricious
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Changing ones mind quickly & often
-Queen was quite CAPRICIOUS |
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Castigate
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To punish or criticize harshly
-The authorities CASTIGATE perpetrators |
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Catalyst
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Something that brings about a change in something else
-The imposition of harsh taxes was the CATALYST that finally brought on the revolution |
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Caustic
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Biting in wit
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Chaos
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Great disorder or confusion
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Chauvinist
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Someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which they belong
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Chicanery
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Deception by means of craft or guile
-Dishonest used car salesman often use CHICANERY to sell their beat-up old cars |
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Cogent
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Convincing & well reasoned
-Swayed by the COGENT argument of the defense, the jury had no choice to acquit the defendant |
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Condone
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To overlook, pardon, or disregard
-Some theorists believe that failing to prosecute minor crimes is the same as CONDONING an air of lawlessness |
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Convoluted
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Intricate & complicated
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Corroborate
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To provide supporting evidence
-Fingerprints CORROBORATED the witnesses testimony |
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Credulous
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Too trusting; Gullible
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Crescendo
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Steadily increasing volume or force
-The CRESCENDO of tension became unbearable... |
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Decorum
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Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; Propriety
-The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the DECORUM... |
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Deference
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Respect, courtesy
-The respectful young law clerk treated the supreme court justice with the utmost DEFERENCE |
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Deride
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To speak of or treat with contempt; To mock
-The awckward child was often DERIDED by his cooler peers |
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Desiccate
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To dry out thoroughly
-After a few weeks of lying on the deserts sand, the cows carcass became completely DESICCATE |
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Desultory
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Jumping from one thing to another; Disconnected
-Mary had a DESULTORY academic record |
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Diatribe
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An abusive, condemnatory speech
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Diffident
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Lacking self-confidence
-Steves diffident manner during the interview stemmed from his nervous nature.. |
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Dilate
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To make larger; To expand
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Dilatory
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Intended to delay
-The congressman used DILATORY measures to delay the passage of the bill |
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Dilettante
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Someone with an amateurish & superficial interest in a topic
-Jerrys friends were such DILETTANTES that they seemed to have new jobs & hobbies every week |
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Dirge
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A funeral hymn or mournful speech
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Disabuse
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To set right; To free from error
-Galileos observations DISABUSED scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth |
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Discern
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To perceive; To recognize
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Disparate
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Fundamentally different; Entirely unlike
-Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities were DISPARATE |
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Dissemble
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To present a false appearance; To disguise ones real intentions or character
-The villian could DISSEMBLE to the police no longer... |
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Dissonance
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A harsh & disagreeable combination, often sounds
-Cognitive dissonance is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence |
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Dogma
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A firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
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Dogmatic
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Dictatorial in ones opinion
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Dupe
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To deceive; A person who is easily deceived
-Bugs Bunny was able to DUPE Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit |
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Eclectic
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Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
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Efficacy
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Effectiveness
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Elegy
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A sorrowful poem or speech
-Although Thomas Grays ELEGY is about death & loss, it urges readers to endure this life, & trust in spirituality |
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Eloquent
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Persuasive & moving, especially in speech
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Emulate
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To copy; To try to equal or excel
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Enervate
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To reduce in strength
-The guerrillas hoped that a series of suprise attacks would ENERVATE the regular army |
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Engender
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To produce, cause, or bring about
-His fear & hatred of clowns was ENGENDERED when he witnessed the death of his father at the hands of a clown |
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Enigma
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A puzzle; A mystery
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Enumerate
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To count, list, or itemize
-Moses returned from the MT with tablets on which the commandments were ENUMERATED |
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Ephemeral
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Lasting a short time
-The lives of mayflies seem EPHEMERAL to us, since the flies average life span is a matter of hours |
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Equivocate
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To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
-When faced with criticism of his policies, the politician EQUIVOCATED & left all parties thinking he agreed with them |
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Erratic
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Wandering & unpredictable
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Erudite
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Learned, scholarly, bookish
-The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most ERUIDTE, well-published individuals in the field |
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Esoteric
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Known or understood by only a few
-Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the ESOTERIC world of particle physics |
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Estimable
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Admirable
-Most people consider it ESTIMABLE that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India |
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Eulogy
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Speech in praise of someone
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Euphemism
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Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distatsteful one
-The funeral director preferred to use the EUPHIMISM "sleeping" instead of the word "dead" |
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Exacerbate
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To make worse
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Exculpate
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To clear from blame; Prove innocent
-The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty & to EXCULPATE those who are innocent |
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Exigent
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Urgent; Requiring immediate action
-The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was EXIGENT to stop the source of the bleeding |
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Exonerate
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To clear of blame
-The fugitive was EXONERATED when another criminal confessed to the crime |
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Explicit
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Clearly stated or shown; Forthright in expression
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Fanatical
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Acting excessively enthusiastic; Filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
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Fawn
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To grovel
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Fervid
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Intensely emotional; Feverish
-The fans of Maria Callas were unusually FERVID, doing anything to catch a glimpse of her |
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Florid
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Excessively decorated or embellished
-The place had been decorated in an excessively FLORID style |
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Foment
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To arouse or incite
-The protestors tried to FOMENT feeling against the war through their speeches & demonstrations |
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Frugality
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A tendency to be thrifty or cheap
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Garrulous
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Tending to talk a lot
-The GARRULOUS parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking |
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Gregarious
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Outgoing, sociable
-She was so GREGARIOUS that when she found herself alone she felt quite sad |
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Guile
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Deceit or trickery
-Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to GUILE to trap him |
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Gullible
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Easily deceived
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Homogenous
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Of a similar kind
-The class was failry HOMOGENOUS, since almost all of the students were senior journalism majors |
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Iconoclast
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One who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
-His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soon established him as an ICONOCLAST |
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Imperturbable
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Not capable of being disturbed
-The counselor had so much experience dealing with distraught children that she seemed IMPERTURBABLE |
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Impervious
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Impossible to penetrate; Incapable of being affected
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Impetuous
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Quick to act without thinking
-It is not good for an investment broker to be IMPETUOUS |
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Implacable
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Unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
-His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained IMPLACABLE for weeks |
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Inchoate
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Not fully formed; Disorganized
-The ideas expressed in Nietzche's mature work also appear in an INCHOATE form in his earliest writing |
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Ingenuous
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Showing innocence or childlike simplicity
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Inimical
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Hostile, unfriendly
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Innocuous
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Harmless
-Some snakes are poisonous, but most species are INNOCUOUS & pose no danger to humans |
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Insipid
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Lacking interest or flavor
-The critic claimed that the painting was INSIPID, containing no interesting qualities at all |
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Intransigent
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Uncompromising; Refusing to be reconciled
-The professor was INTRASIGNENT on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time |
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Inundate
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To overwhelm; To cover with waiter
-The tidal wave INUNDATED Atlantis |
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Irascible
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Easily made angry
-Attila the Hun's IRASCIBLE & violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives |
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Laconic
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Using few words
-She was a LACONIC poet who built her reputation on using words as sparingly as possible |
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Lament
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to express sorrow; to grieve
-The children continued to LAMENT the death of the goldfish weekds after its demise |
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Laud
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To give praise; To glorify
-Parades & fireworks were staged to LAUD the success of the rebels |
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Lavish
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To give unsparingly(verb); Extremely generous or extravagant(adjective)
-She LAVISHED the puppy with so many treats that it soon became fat |
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Lethargic
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Acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
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Loquacious
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Talkative
-She was naturally LOQUACIOUS |
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Lucid
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Clear & easily understood
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Luminous
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Bright, brilliant, glowing
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Malinger
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To evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
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Malleable
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Capable of being shaped
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Metaphor
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A figure of speech comparing two different things; A symbol
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Meticulous
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Extremely careful about details
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Misanthrope
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A person who dislikes others
-The character Scrooge is such a MISANTHROPE that even the sight of children singing makes him angry |
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Mitigate
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To soften; To lessen
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Mollify
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To calm or make less severe
-Their argument was so intense that it was difficult to believe any compromise would MOLLIFY them |
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Monotony
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Lack of variation
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Naive
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Lacking sophistication or experience
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Obdurate
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Hardened in feeling; Resistant to persuasion
-The President was completely OBDURATE on the issue, & no amount of persuasion would change his mind |
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Obsequious
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Overly submissive & eager to please
-The OBSEQUIOUS new associate made sure to compliment her supervisors tie & agree with him on every issue |
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Obstinate
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Stubborn, unyielding
-The OBSTINATE child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked |
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Obviate
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To prevent; To make unnecessary
-The river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which OBVIATED the need for a bridge |
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Occlude
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To stop up; To prevent the passage of
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Onerous
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Troublesome & oppressive; Burdensome
-The assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved ONEROUS to the team in charge of it |
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Opaque
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Impossible to see through; Preventing the passage of light
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Opprobrium
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Public disgrace
-After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter OPPROBRIUM |
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Ostentation
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Excessive showiness
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Paradox
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A contradiction or dilemma
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Paragon
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Model of excellence or perfection
-She is the PARAGON of what a judge should be |
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Pedant
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Someone who shows off learning
-The graduate instructors tedious & excessive commentary on the subject soon gained her a reputation as a PEDANT |
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Perfidious
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Willing to betray ones trust
-The actresss PERFIDIOUS companion revealed all of her intimate secrets |
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Perfunctory
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Done in a routing way; Indifferent
-The machinelike bank teller processed the transaction & gave the customer a PERFUNCTORY smile |
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Permeate
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To penetrate
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Philanthropy
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Charity; A desire or effort to promote goodness
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Placate
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To soothe or pacify
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Plastic
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Able to be molded, altered, or bent
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Plethora
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Excess
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Pragmatic
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Practical as opposed to idealistic
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Precipitate
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To throw violently or bring about abruptly; Lacking deliberation
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Prevaricate
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To lie or deviate from the truth
-Rather than admit that he had overslept again, the employee PREVARICATED and claimed that heavy traffic made him late |
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Pristine
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Fresh & clean; Uncorrupted
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Prodigal
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Lavish, wasteful
-The PRODIGAL son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure |
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Proliferate
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To increase in number quickly
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Propitiate
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To conciliate; To appease
-The management PROPITIATED the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members |
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Propriety
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Correct behavior; Obedience to rules & customs
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Prudence
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Wisdom, caution, or restraint
-The college student exhibited PRUDENCE by obtaining practical experience along with her studies |
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Pungent
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Sharp & irritating to the senses
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Quiescent
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Motionless
-Many animals are QUIESCENT over the winter months |
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Rarefy
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To make thinner or sparser
-Since the atmoshphere RAREFIES as altitudes increase, the air at the top of the MTs is too thin to breathe |
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Repudiate
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To reject the validity of
-The old womans claim that she was Russian royalty was REPUDIATED ... |
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Reticent
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Silent, reserved
-Physically small and RETICENT in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting |
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Rhetoric
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Effective writing or speaking
-Lincolns talent for RHETORIC was evident in his speach |
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Satiate
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To satisfy fully or overindulge
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Soporific
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Causing sleep or lethargy
-The movie proved to be so SOPORIFIC that soon loud snores were heard throughout the theater |
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Specious
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Deceptively attractive; Seemingly plausible but fallacious
-The students SPECIOUS excuse for being late sounded legitimate, but was proved otherwise |
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Stigma
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A mark of shame or discredit
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Stolid
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Unemotional; Lacking sensitivity
-The prisoner appeared STOLID & unaffected by the judges harsh sentence |
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Sublime
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Lofty or grand
-The music was so SUBLIME... |
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Tacit
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Done without using words
-Although not a word had been said, everyone knoew that a TACIT agreement had been made |
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Taciturn
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Silent, not talkative
-The clerks TACITURN nature earned him the nickname "Silent Bob" |
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Tirade
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Long, harsh speech or verbal attack
-Observers were shocked at the managers TIRADE over such a minor mistake |
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Torpor
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Extreme mental & physical sluggishness
-After surgery, the patient experienced TURPOR until the anesthesial wore off |
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Transitory
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Temporary, lasting a brief time
-The reporter lived a TRANSITORY life |
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Vacillate
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To sway physically; to be indicisive
-The customer held up the line as he VACILLATED between ordering chocolate chip or rocky road |
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Venerate
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To respect deeply
-In a traditional Confucian society, the young VENERATE their elders |
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Veracity
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Filled with truth & accuracy
-She had a reputation for VERACITY, so everyone trusted her description of events |
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Verbose
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Wordy
-The proffs answer was so VERBOSE that his student forgot what the question was |
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Vex
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To annoy
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Volatile
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Easily aroused or changeable; Lively or explosive
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Waver
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To fluctuate between choices
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Whimsical
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Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; Unpredictable
-The ballet was WHIMSICAL, delighting the children with its imaginative characters.. |
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Zeal
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Passion, excitement
-She brought her typical ZEAL to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members |