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