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447 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
waver
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to move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion
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voracious
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having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit
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virulent
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extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic
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veracity
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truthfulness, honesty
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truculent
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fierce and cruel; eager to fight
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tortuous
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winding, twisting; excessively complicated
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torque
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a force that causes rotation
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synthesis
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the combination of parts to make a whole
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stymie
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to block or thwart
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stupefy
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to stun, baffle, or amaze
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static
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not moving, active, or in motion; at rest
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squander
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to waste by spending or using irresponsibly
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sporadic
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occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances
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sordid
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characterized by filth, squalor, or grime; foul
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solicitous
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concerned and attentive; eager
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reticent
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quiet, reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings
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refute
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to disprove; to successfully argue against
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recant
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to retract, esp. a previously held belief
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qualms
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misgivings; reservations; causes for hesitancy
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prevaricate
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to deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead
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prescience
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foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring
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predilection
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a disposition in favor of something; preference
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precipitate
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acting with excessive haste or impulse
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prattle
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to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner
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perspicacious
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acutely perceptive; having keen discernment
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perfunctory
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cursory; done without care or interest
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perfidy
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intentional breach of faith; treachery
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perennial
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recurrent through the year or years; happening repeatedly
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parody
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a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect esp. in literature or art
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paean
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a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
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onerous
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troubling; burdensome
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obviate
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to anticipate and make unnecessary
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obtuse
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lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression
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noxious
|
harmful; injurious
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neologism
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a new work, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses
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nebulous
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vague, cloudy, lacking clearly defined form
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nascent
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coming into being; in early developmental stages
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mundane
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of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary
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martial
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associated with war and the armed forces
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magnanimity
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the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, esp. in forgiving
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lucid
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clear, easily understood
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laud
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to praise highly
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irascible
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easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
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inured
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accustomed to accepting something undesirable
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ingenuous
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artless, frank, and candid; lacking in sophistication
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fulminate
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to loudly attack or denounce
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filibuster
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intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speech to delay legislative action
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extemporaneous
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improvised done without preparation
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exigent
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urgent; pressing; requiring immediate action or attention
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exculpate
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exonerate; to clear of blame
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erudite
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very learned; scholarly
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equivocate
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to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
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ennui
|
dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
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enervate
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to weaken; to reduce in vitality
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eloquent
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well spoken, expressive, articulate
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effrontery
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extreme boldness; presumptuousness
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disparate
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fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
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discordant
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conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
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disabuse
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to undeceive; to set right
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convoluted
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complex or complicated
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connoisseur
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an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert
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chicanery
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trickery or subterfuge
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censure
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to criticize severely; to officially rebuke
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capricious
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inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable
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canonical
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following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards
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axiomatic
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taken as given; possessing self-evident truth
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austere
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without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic
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audacious
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daring and fearless; recklessly bold
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assuage
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to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
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arduous
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strenuous; taxing; requiring significant effort
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approbation
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approving; expressing approbation (official approval or sanction)
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anomaly
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deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality
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alacrity
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eager and enthusiastic willingness
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aberrant
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deviant from the norm
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abscond
|
to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
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arable
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capable of producing crops; suitable for farming
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laudatory
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containing or expressing praise
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adulatory
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excessive devotion to someone; flattery
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morose
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gloomy, moody, sad
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obnubilate
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to cloud over, becloud, obscure
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didactic
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intended to instruct
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paradigmatic
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of or pertaining to a paradigm (a pattern or model; a typical or stereotypical example)
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covenanted
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an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified. Past of covenant
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predicated
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to proclaim, declare, affirm, or assert; to connote or imply; to found or derive; to base on something or someone
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relegated
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to send or assign to an inferior position, place, or condition; to send into exile or banish; to assign or refer something to a particular class or kind
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extirpate
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to tear up by the roots or destroy completely
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lambasting
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to beat or whip severely; to reprimand or berate harshly; censure; excoriate
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denunciations
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an act or instance of denouncing; public censure or condemnation
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obloquy
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censure, blame, or abusive language aimed at a person or thing; discredit, disgrace, or a bad reputation resulting from public blame
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opprobrium
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the disgrace or the reproach incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy, obloquy
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conflate
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to fuse into one entity
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cogent
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convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation; to the point, relevant, pertinent
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abate
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to lessen in intensity or degree
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accolade
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an expression of praise
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adulation
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excessive praise; intense adoration
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aesthetic
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dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
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ameliorate
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to make better or more tolerable
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ascetic
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one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion
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avarice
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greed, esp. for wealth (adj. form: avaricious)
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axiom
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a universally recognized principle (adj. form axiomatic)
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burgeon
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to grow rapidly or flourish
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bucolic
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rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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cacophony
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harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
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canon
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an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
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castigation
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severe criticism or punishment
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catalyst
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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
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burning or stinging; causing corrosion
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chary
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wary; cautious; sparing
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cogent
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appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
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complaisance
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the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
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contentious
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argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
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contrite
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regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
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culpable
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deserving blame
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dearth
|
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
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demur
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to question or oppose
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didactic
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intended to teach or instruct
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discretion
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cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
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disinterested
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free of bias or self-interest; impartial
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dogmatic
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expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles
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ebullience
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the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
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eclectic
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composed of elements drawn from various sources
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elegy
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a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead (adj form: elegiac)
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emollient
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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
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based on observation or experiment
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enigmatic
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mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
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ephemeral
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brief; fleeting
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esoteric
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intended for or understood by a small, specific group
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eulogy
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a speech honoring the dead
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exonerate
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to remove blame
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facetious
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playful; humorous
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fallacy
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an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief (adj. form: fallacious)
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furtive
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marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
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gregarious
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sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
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harangue
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to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
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heretical
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violating accepted dogma or convention
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hyperbole
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an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
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impecunious
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lacking funds; without money
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incipient
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beginning to come into being or become apparent
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inert
|
unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
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innocuous
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harmless; causing no damage
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intransigent
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refusing to compromise (noun form: intransigence)
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inveigle
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to obtain by deception or flattery
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morose
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sad; sullen; melancholy
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odious
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evoking intense aversion or dislike
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opaque
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impenetrable by light, not reflecting light
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oscillation
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the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
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penurious
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penny pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
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pernicious
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extremely harmful; potentially causing death
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peruse
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to examine with great care
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pious
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extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion
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precursor
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one that precedes and indicated or announces another
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preen
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to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
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prodigious
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abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
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prolific
|
producing large volumes or amounts; productive
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putrefy
|
to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor
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quaff
|
to drink deeply
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quiescence
|
stillness; motionless; quality of being at rest (adj. form: quiescent)
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redoubtable
|
awe inspiring; worthy of honor
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sanction
|
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to
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satire
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a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
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squalid
|
sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
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stoic
|
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast
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supplant
|
to take the place of; to supersede
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torpid
|
lethargic; sluggish; dormant (noun form: torpor)
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ubiquitous
|
existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
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urbane
|
sophisticated; refined; elegant (noun form: urbanity)
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vilify
|
to defame; to characterize harshly
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viscous
|
thick; sticky (noun form: viscosity)
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acumen
|
keen, accurate judgment or insight
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adulterate
|
to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
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amalgamate
|
to combine several elements into a whole
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archaic
|
outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive, time
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aver
|
to state as a fact; to declare or assert
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bolster
|
to provide support or reinforcement
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bombastic
|
pompous; grandiloquent
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diatribe
|
a harsh denunciation
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dissemble
|
to disguise or conceal; to mislead
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eccentric
|
departing from norms or conventions
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endemic
|
characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people
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evanescent
|
tending to disappear like vapor, vanishing
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exacerbate
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to make worse or more severe
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fervent
|
greatly emotional or zealous
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fortuitous
|
happening by accidence or chance
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germane
|
relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
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grandiloquence
|
pompous speech or expression (adj form: grandiloquent)
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hackneyed
|
rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage
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halcyon
|
calm and peaceful
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hedonism
|
devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp. to the pleasures of the senses
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hegemony
|
the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others
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iconoclast
|
one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
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idolatrous
|
given to intense or excessive devotion to something
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impassive
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revealing no emotion
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imperturbable
|
marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness
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implacable
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not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
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impunity
|
immunity from punishment or penalty
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inchoate
|
in an initial state; not fully formed
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infelicitous
|
unfortunately; inappropriate
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insipid
|
without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit; bland
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loquacious
|
extremely talkative (noun form: loquacity)
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luminous
|
characterized by brightness and the emission of light
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malevolent
|
having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred
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malleable
|
capable of being shaped or formed; tractable; pliable
|
|
mendacity
|
the condition of being untruthful; dishonesty (adj form: mendacious)
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meticulous
|
characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail
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misanthrope
|
one who hates all other humans
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mitigate
|
to make or become less severe or intense; to moderate
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obdurate
|
unyielding; hardhearted; intractable
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obsequious
|
exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
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occlude
|
to obstruct or block
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opprobrium
|
disgrace; contempt; scorn
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pedagogy
|
the profession or principles of teaching, or instructing
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pedantic
|
overly concerned with the trivial details of leaning or education; show-offish about one’s knowledge
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penury
|
poverty; destitution
|
|
pervasive
|
having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout
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pine
|
to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor
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pirate
|
to illegally use or reproduce
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pith
|
the essential or central part
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pithy
|
precise and brief
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placate
|
to appease; to calm by making concessions
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platitude
|
a superficial remark; esp. one offered as meaningful
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plummet
|
to plunge or drop straight down
|
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polemical
|
controversial; argumentative
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prodigal
|
recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish
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profuse
|
given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant
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proliferate
|
to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
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queries
|
questions; inquiries; doubts in the mind; reservations
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querulous
|
prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish
|
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rancorous
|
characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment
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recalcitrant
|
obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage
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repudiate
|
to refuse to have anything to do with; to disown
|
|
rescind
|
to invalidate; to repeat; to retract
|
|
reverent
|
marked by, feeling, or expression a feeling of profound awe and respect
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|
rhetoric
|
the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
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|
salubrious
|
promoting health or well being
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solvent
|
able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance
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specious
|
seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive; plausible but false
|
|
spurious
|
lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit
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|
subpoena
|
a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
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|
succinct
|
brief; concise
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superfluous
|
exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
|
|
surfeit
|
an overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess
|
|
tenacity
|
the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued; persistent determination
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|
tenuous
|
having little strength or substance; flimsy; weak
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tirade
|
a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation
|
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transient
|
fleeting; passing quickly; brief
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zealous
|
fervent; ardent; impassioned, devoted to a cause
|
|
acerbic
|
having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting
|
|
aggrandize
|
to increase in intensity, power, influence, or prestige
|
|
alchemy
|
a medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold
|
|
amenable
|
agreeable; responsive to suggestion
|
|
anachronism
|
something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context
|
|
astringent
|
having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on tissue
|
|
contiguous
|
sharing a border; touching; adjacent
|
|
convention
|
a generally agreed upon practice or attitude
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|
credulous
|
tending to believe too readily; gullible
|
|
cynicism
|
an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
|
|
decorum
|
polite or appropriate conduct or behavior
|
|
derision
|
scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment
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|
desiccate
|
to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull
|
|
dilettante
|
one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
|
|
disparage
|
to slight or belittle
|
|
divulge
|
to disclose something secret
|
|
fawn
|
to flatter or praise excessively
|
|
flout
|
to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention
|
|
garrulous
|
pointlessly talkative; talking too much
|
|
glib
|
marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
|
|
hubris
|
overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance
|
|
imminent
|
about to happen; impending
|
|
immutable
|
not capable of change
|
|
impetuous
|
hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement
|
|
indifferent
|
having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice
|
|
inimical
|
damaging; harmful; injurious
|
|
intractable
|
not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate
|
|
intrepid
|
steadfast and courageous
|
|
laconic
|
using few words; terse
|
|
maverick
|
an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
|
|
mercurial
|
characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
|
|
mollify
|
to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity
|
|
neophyte
|
a recent convert; a beginner; novice
|
|
obfuscate
|
to deliberately obscure; to make confusing
|
|
obstinate
|
stubborn; hard-headed; uncompromising
|
|
ostentatious
|
characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy
|
|
pervade
|
to permeate throughout
|
|
phlegmatic
|
calm; sluggish; unemotional
|
|
plethora
|
an overabundance; a surplus
|
|
pragmatic
|
practical rather than idealistic
|
|
presumptuous
|
overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties
|
|
pristine
|
pure; uncorrupted; clean
|
|
probity
|
adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness
|
|
proclivity
|
a natural predisposition or inclination
|
|
profligate
|
excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant
|
|
propensity
|
a natural inclination or tendency; penchant
|
|
prosaic
|
dull; lacking in spirit or imagination
|
|
pungent
|
characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste
|
|
quixotic
|
foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals
|
|
quotidian
|
occurring or recurring daily; commonplace
|
|
rarefy
|
to make or become thin, less dense; to refine
|
|
recondite
|
hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure
|
|
refulgent
|
radiant; shiny; bright
|
|
renege
|
to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise
|
|
sedulous
|
diligent; persistent; hard-working
|
|
shard
|
a piece of broken pottery or glass
|
|
soporific
|
causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep
|
|
sparse
|
thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals
|
|
spendthrift
|
one who spends money wastefully
|
|
subtle
|
not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern
|
|
tacit
|
implied; not explicitly stated
|
|
terse
|
brief and concise in wording
|
|
tout
|
to publicly praise or promote
|
|
trenchant
|
sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating
|
|
unfeigned
|
genuine; not false or hypocritical
|
|
untenable
|
indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable
|
|
vacillate
|
to waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another
|
|
variegated
|
multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color
|
|
vexation
|
annoyance; irritation
|
|
vigilant
|
alertly watchful
|
|
vituperate
|
to use harsh condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; to berate
|
|
volatile
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readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive
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alloy (v)
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to commingle; to debase by mixing with something inferior; unalloyed means pure
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appropriate (v)
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to take for one’s own use; to confiscate
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arrest, arresting (v) / (adj)
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to suspend; to engage, holding one’s attention: as in arrested adolescence, an arresting portrait
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august (adj)
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majestic, venerable
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bent (n)
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leaning, inclination, proclivity, tendency
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broach (v)
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to bring up; to announce; to begin to talk about
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brook (v)
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to tolerate; to endure; to countenance
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cardinal (adj)
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major, as in cardinal sin
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chauvinist (n)
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a blindly devoted patriot
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color (v)
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to change as if by dyeing, i.e., to distort, gloss, or affect (usually the first)
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consequential (adj)
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pompous, self-important (primary definitions are: logically following; important)
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damp (v)
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to diminish the intensity or check the vibration of a sound
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die (n)
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a tool used for shaping, as in a tool_and_dye_shop
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essay (v)
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to test or try; to attempt; to experiment
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exact (v)
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to demand; to call for; to require; to take
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fell (v)
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to cause by striking
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fell (adj)
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inhumanely cruel
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flag (v)
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to sag or droop; to become spiritless; to decline
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flip (adj)
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sarcastic, impertinent
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ford (v)
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to wade across the shallow part of a river or stream
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grouse (v)
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to complain or grumble
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guy (n)
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a rope, cord, or cable attached to something as a brace or guide; to steady or reinforce using a guy
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intimate (v)
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to imply, suggest, or insinuate
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list (v)
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to tilt or lean to one side
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lumber (v)
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to move heavily and clumsily
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meet (adj)
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fitting, proper
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milk (v)
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to exploit; to squeeze every last ounce of
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mince (v)
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to pronounce or speak affectedly; to euphemize to speak too carefully. Also, to take tiny steps; to tiptoe
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nice (adj)
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exacting, fastidious, extremely precise
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obtain (adj)
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to be established, accepted, or customary
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occult (adj)
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hidden, concealed, beyond comprehension
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pedestrian (adj)
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commonplace, trite, unremarkable quotidian
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pied (adj)
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multicolored, usually in blotches
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plastic (adj)
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moldable, pliable, not rigid
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pluck (n)
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courage, spunk, fortitude
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prize (v)
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to pry, for press or force with a lever; something taken by force, spoils
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rail (v)
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to complain about bitterly
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rent (v)
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torn; an opening or tear caused by such
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quail (v)
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to lose courage; to turn frightened
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qualify (v)
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to limit
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sap (v)
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to enervate or weaken the vitality of
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sap (n)
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a fool or nitwit
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scurvy (adj)
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contemptible, despicable
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singular (adj)
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exceptional, unusual, odd
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stand (n)
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a group of trees
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steep (v)
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to saturate or completely soak, as in to let a tea bag steep
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strut (n)
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the supporting structural cross-part of a wing
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table (v)
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to remove (as in a parliamentary motion) from consideration
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tender (v)
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to proffer or offer
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waffle (v)
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to equivocate; to change one’s position
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wag (n)
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wit, joker
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abjure
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to renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to avoid
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adumbrate
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to foreshadow vaguely or intimate; to suggest or outline sketchily; to obscure or overshadow
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anathema
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a solemn or ecclesiastical curse; accursed or thoroughly loaded person or thing
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anodyne
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soothing; something that assuages or allays pain or comforts
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apogee
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furthest or highest point; culmination; zenith
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apostate
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one who abandons long held religious or political beliefs
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apotheosis
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deification; glorification to godliness; an exalted example; a model of excellence or perfection
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asperity
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severity, rigor; roughness, harshness; acrimony, irritability
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asseverate
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to aver, allege, or assert
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assiduous
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diligent, hard-working, sedulous
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augury
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omen, portent
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bellicose
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belligerent, pugnacious, warlike
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calumniate
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to slander, to make a fall accusation
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captious
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disposed to point out trivial faults; calculated to confuse or entrap in argument
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cavil
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to find fault without good reason
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celerity
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speed, alacrity
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chimera
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an illusion
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contumacious
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insubordinate, rebellious; contumely means insult, scorn, aspersion
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debacle
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rout, fiasco, complete failure
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denouement
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an outcome or solution; the unraveling of a plot
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descry
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to discriminate or discern
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desuetude
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disuse
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desultory
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random; aimless; marked by a lack of a plan or purpose
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diaphanous
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transparent, gauzy
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diffident
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reserved, shy, unassuming; lacking in self-confidence
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dirge
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a song of grief or lamentation
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encomium
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glowing and enthusiastic praise; panegyric, tribute, eulogy
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eschew
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to shun or avoid
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excoriate
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to censure scathingly, to upbraid
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execrate
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to denounce, to feel loathing for, to curse, to declare to be evil
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exegesis
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critical examination, explication
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expiate
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to atone or make amends for
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extirpate
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to destroy, to exterminate, to cut out, to exscind
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fatuous
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silly, inanely foolish
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fractious
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quarrelsome, rebellious, unruly, refractory, irritable
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gainsay
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to deny, to dispute, to contradict, to oppose
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heterodox
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unorthodox, heretical, iconoclastic
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imbroglio
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difficult or embarrassing situation
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indefatigable
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not easily exhaustible; tireless; dogged
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ineluctable
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certain, inevitable
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inimitable
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one of a kind, peerless
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insouciant
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unconcerned, carefree, heedless
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inveterate
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deep rooted, ingrained, habitual
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jejune
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vapid, uninteresting, nugatory; childish, immature, puerile
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lubricious
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lewd, wanton, greasy, slippery
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mendicant
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a beggar, supplicant
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meretricious
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cheap, gaudy, tawdry, flashy, showy; attracting by false show
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minatory
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menacing, threating
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nadir
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low point, perigee
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nonplussed
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baffled, bewildered, at a loss for what to do or think
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obstreperous
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noisily and stubbornly defiant, aggressively boisterous
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ossified
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tending to become more rigid, conventional, sterile, and reactionary with age; literally, turned into bone
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palliate
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to make something seem less serious, to gloss over, to make less severe or intense
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panegyric
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formal praise, eulogy, encomium; panegyrical means expressing elaborate praise
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parsimonious
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cheap, miserly
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pellucid
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transparent, easy to understand, limpid
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peroration
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the concluding part of a speech; flowery; rhetorical speech
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plangent
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pounding, thundering, resounding
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prolix
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long-winded, verbose; prolixity means verbosity
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propitiate
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to appease; to conciliate; propitious means auspicious, favorable
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puerile
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childish, immature, jejune, nugatory
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puissance
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power, strength; puissant means powerful, strong
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pusillanimous
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cowardly, craven
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remonstrate
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to protest, to object
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sagacious
|
having sound judgment; perceptive, wise; like a sage
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salacious
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lustful, lascivious, bawdy
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salutary
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remedial, wholesome, causing improvement
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sanguine
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cheerful, confident, optimistic
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saturnine
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gloomy, dark, sullen, morose
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sententious
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aphoristic or moralistic; epigrammatic; tending to moralize excessively
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stentorian
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extremely loud and powerful
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stygian
|
gloomy, dark
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sycophant
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toady, servile, self-seeking flatterer; parasite
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tendentious
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biased; showing marked tendencies
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timorous
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timid, fearful, diffident
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tyro
|
novice, greenhorn, rank amateur
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vitiate
|
to corrupt, to debase, to spoil, to make ineffective
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voluble
|
fluent, verbal, having easy use of spoken language
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