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122 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Macabre
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gruesome, producing horror
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Machination
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Plot or Scheme
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Malapropism
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humorous misuse of a word
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Manifold
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diverse, varied; comprised of many parts
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Martinet
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strict disciplinarian; one who follows rules
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Maudlin
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overly sentimental
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mawkish
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sickeningly sentimental
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mendacious
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dishonest
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mendicant
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beggar
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minatory
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menacing, threatening
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Mordacious
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caustic; biting sarcasm
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Mote
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small particle; speck
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Nadir
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lowest point
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Neologism
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new word or expression
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numismatics
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coin collecting
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obstreperous
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troublesome, boisterous, unruly
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ouster
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expulsion, ejection
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palliate
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to make less serious, ease
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panacea
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cure-all medicine
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panoply
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impressive array
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parochial
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of limited scope or outlook
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parsimony
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stinginess, frugality
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pastiche
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piece of literature or music imitating other works
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paucity
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scarcity, lack
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Peccadillo
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minor sin or offense
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peculation
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theft of money or goods
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penumbra
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partial shadow
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perambulate
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walk about
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periphrastic
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using circumlocution
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pernicious
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very harmful
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perspicacious
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shrewd, astute, keen-witted
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pertinacious
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persistent, stubborn
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philistine
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narrow-minded person, someone lacking appreciation for art or culture
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Plangent
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resounding, plaintive
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plaudit
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applause
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polemic
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controversy, argument; verbal attack
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polyglot
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speaker of many languages
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posit
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to put in position; to suggest an idea
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predilection
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preference, liking
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privation
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lack of usual necessities or comforts
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probity
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honesty, high-mindedness
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prolix
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tedious, wordy
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promulgate
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to make known publicly
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propinquity
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nearness
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propitious
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favorable, advantageous
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proselytize
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to induce someone to convert to a particular belief or religion
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provident
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prudent, frugal
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provincial
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rustic, unsophisticated, limited in scope
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prurient
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lustful, exhibiting lewd desires
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puerile
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childish, immature, silly
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pulchritude
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beauty
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pundit
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an authority or critic
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pusillanimous
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cowardly
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querulous
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inclined to complain, irritable
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quotidian
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occuring daily, commonplace
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raconteur
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a witty, skillful storyteller
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raillery
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lighthearted jesting
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rapacious
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greedy; predatory
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rapprochement
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reestablishing a cordial relationship
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recalcitrant
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resisting authority or control
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recidivism
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tnedency to repeat previous behavior
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recondite
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relating to obscure learning; known to only a few
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recreant
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disloyal; cowardly
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redress
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relief from wrong or injury
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rejoinder
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response
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renitent
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resisting pressure, obstinate
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reprobate
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morally unprincipled person
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requite
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to return or repay
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retinue
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group of attendants with an important person
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revelry
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boisterous festivity
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ribald
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humorous in a vulgar way
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riposte
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a retort
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rococo
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very highly ornamented
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sagacious
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shrewd, wise
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salacious
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lustful
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scintilla
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very small amount
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scurrilous
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vulgar, low, indecent
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sedition
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behavior promoting rebellion
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sepulchral
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typical of a place of burial
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seraphic
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angelic, pure, sublime
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simper
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to smirk, smile foolishly
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sinecure
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weel-paying job or office that requires little or no work
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sinuous
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winding; intricate, complex
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slake
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to quench or moderate
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slovenly
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untidy, messy
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solecism
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grammatical mistake
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solipsism
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belief that the self is the only reality
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somnambulist
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sleepwalker
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sophist
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person good at arguing deviously/rhetoric
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sportive
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frolicsome, playful
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staid
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self-restrained, strait-laced
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stentorian
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extremely loud
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striate
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striped, grooved
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stymie
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to block or thwart
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supercilious
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arrogant, haughty, overbearing, condescending
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surreptitious
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characterized by secrecy
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sybarite
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person devoted to pleasure and luxury
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sycophant
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self-serving flatterer; yes-man
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tableau
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vivid description, striking incident or scene
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tantamount
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equivalent in value or significance; amounting
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temerity
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recklessness
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tenable
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defensible, reasonable
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tenuous
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weak, insubstantial
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threnody
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a sad poem or song
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trammel
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to impede or hamper
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trenchant
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acute, sharp, incisive; forceful, effective
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truculent
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savage and cruel; fierce; ready to fight
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turpitude
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inherent vileness, foulness, depravity
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umbrage
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offense, resentment
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unctuous
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greasy, oily; smug and falsely earnest
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unfettered
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free, unrestrained
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urbane
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courteous, refined, suave
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usury
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lending money at exorbitant rates
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vacuous
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empty, void; lacking intelligence, purposeless
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variegated
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varied; marked with different colors
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virile
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manly, having qualities of an adult male
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viscous
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thick, syrupy, and sticky
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vitiate
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reduce in value or effectiveness
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vituperate
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to abuse verbally
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vociferous
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loud, vocal, and noisy
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voluble
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speaking much and easily, talkative; glib
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wizened
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withered, shriveled, wrinkled
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