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71 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
acerbic (adj.) |
having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting |
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aggrandize (verb) |
to increase in intensity, power, influence, or prestige |
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alchemy (noun) |
a medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold (an alchemist is one who practices alchemy) |
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amenable (adj.) |
agreeable; responsive to suggestion |
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anachronism (noun) |
something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context |
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astringent (adj.) |
having a tightening effect on the living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on the tissue |
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contiguous (adj.) |
sharing a border; touching; adjacent |
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convention (noun) |
a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude |
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credulous (adj.) |
tending to believe too readily; gullible (noun form: credulity) |
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cynicism (noun) |
an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness |
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decorum (noun) |
polite or appropriate conduct or behavior (adj. form: decorous) |
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derision (noun) |
scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment (adj. form: derisive; verb form: deride) |
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desiccate (verb) |
to dry out or dehydrate; to make dull or dry |
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dilettante (noun) |
one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or branch of knowledge |
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disparage (verb) |
to slight or belittle |
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divulge (verb) |
to disclose something secret |
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fawn (verb) |
to flatter or praise excessively |
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flout (verb) |
to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention |
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garrulous (adj.) |
pointlessly talkative; talking too much |
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glib (adj.) |
marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial |
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hubris (noun) |
overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance |
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imminent (adj.) |
about to happen; impending |
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immutable (adj.) |
not capable of change |
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impetuous (adj.) |
hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement |
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indifferent (adj.) |
having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice |
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inimical (adj.) |
damaging; harmful; injurous |
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intractable (adj.) |
not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate |
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intrepid (adj.) |
steadfast and courageous |
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laconic (adj.) |
using few words; terse |
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maverick (noun) |
an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party |
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mercurial (adj.) |
characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood |
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mollify (verb) |
to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity |
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neophyte (noun) |
a recent convert; a beginner; novice |
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obfuscate (verb) |
to diloberately obscure; to make confusing |
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obstinate (adj.) |
stubborn; hard-headed; uncompromising |
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ostentatious (adj.) |
characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy |
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pervade (verb) |
to permeate throughout (adj. form: pervasive) |
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phlegmatic (adj.) |
calm; sluggish; unemotional |
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plethora (noun) |
an overabundance; a surplus |
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pragmatic (adj.) |
practical rather than idealistic |
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presumptuous (adj.) |
overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties |
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pristine (adj.) |
pure; uncorrupted; clean |
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probity (noun) |
adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness |
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proclivity (noun) |
a natural predisposition or inclination |
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profligate (adj.) |
excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagent (noun form: profligacy) |
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propensity (noun) |
a natural inclination or tendency; penchant |
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prosaic (adj.) |
dull; lacking in spirit or imagination |
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pungent (adj.) |
characterized by strong, sharp smell or taste |
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quixotic (adj.) |
foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals |
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quotidian (adj.) |
occurring and recurring daily; commonplace |
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rarefy (verb) |
to make or become thin, less dense; to refine |
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recondite (adj.) |
hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure |
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refulgent (adj.) |
radiant; shiny; brilliant |
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sedulous (adj.) |
diligent; persistent; hard-working |
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shard (noun) |
a piece of broken pottery or glass |
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soporific (adj.) |
causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep |
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sparse (adj.) |
thin; not dense; arranged at widely spread intervals |
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spendthrift (noun) |
one who spends money wastefully |
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subtle (adj.) |
not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern |
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tacit (adj.) |
implied; not explicitly stated |
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terse (adj.) |
brief and concise in wording |
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tout (verb) |
to publicly praise or promote |
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trenchant (adj.) |
sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating |
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unfeigned (adj.) |
genuine; not false or hypocritical |
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untenable (adj.) |
indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable |
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vacillate (verb) |
to waver in decisively between one course of action or opinion and another |
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variegated (adj.) |
multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color |
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vexation (noun) |
annoyance; irritation (verb form: vex) |
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vigilant (adj.) |
alertly watchful (noun form: vigilance) |
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vituperate (verb) |
to use harsh condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; to berate |
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volatile (adj.) |
readily changing to a vapor; changealbe; fickle; explosive (noun form: volatility) |