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406 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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revere
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v. to regard highly with love and respect
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garrulous
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adj. talkative; loquacious
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skeptic
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n. a person who doubts
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malicious
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intending to hurt or harm another; spiteful
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upbraid
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to chide; to scold bitterly
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laconic
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using few words in speech
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predator
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n. one who takes advantage of another; exploits or feeds on another, a strong adversary or rival
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judicious
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adj. showing wisdom in judging people and situations
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ascetic
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n. a person who refrains from indulging in earthly pleasures
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rant
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vb. to talk very loudly, even wildly; rave
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conciliate
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vb. to win a person over through special considerations or persuasive methods; reconcile
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superfluous
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adj. overabundant; more than is needed; unnecessary
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erudite
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adj. wise due to much reading and studying; scholarly
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detached
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aloof
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astute
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adj. sharp-minded; very clever
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disputatious
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adj. likely to dispute or argue
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delusion
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n. a false opinion or belief
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misanthrope
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n. someone who dislikes all people
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hackneyed
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adj. made commonplace by overuse; trite (n. hack is one who copies or imitates the work of others)
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transient
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adj. lasting for only a short time; temporary
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miserly
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careful with how money is spent; thrifty
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dogmatic
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adj. strongly opinionated; rigid; dictatorial
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obdurate
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adj. stubborn; inflexible
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clamor
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n. unpleasant sound; noise
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adversity
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great trouble or difficulty
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benevolent
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adj. giving freely and easily to others; charitable; kind
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heretic
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n. one who challenges societal and religious tradition; iconoclast
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indolent
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lazy
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odious
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loathsome; evil
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bellicose
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adj. of a quarrelsome nature; eager to fight; warlike; belligerent
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viable
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adj. able to sustain life, practicality, or effectiveness
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convivial
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adj. sociable, outgoing in a festive way, especially when pertaining to eating and drinking; fond of good company
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nonchalant
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casual and indifferent
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debunk
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vb. prove wrong or false
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acrid
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adj. bitter, harsh
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sychophant
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a self-server who tries to gain the favor of others through the use of flattery or by being overattantive
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jocular
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adj. liking to be with people, joke around with them and have fun
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aspire
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vb. to work towards or to have a goal
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toady
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a sychophant
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alimentary
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adj. relating to food and nourishment
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intimate
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vb. to suggest; to hint at
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resolve
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n. firmness; determination
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cacophony
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n. lack of harmony; loud and unpleasant noise; a racket
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stolid
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stoical
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intimidate
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vb. to frighten; to coerce into action
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imprudent
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adj. careless; rash
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avaricious
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greedy
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illusion
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n. something unreal that gives the appearance of being real; a misconception
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largess (or largesse)
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n. generous giving
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trivial
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adj. unimportant; trifling; ordinary
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obsolete
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adj. old; outdated; no longer in use
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furtive
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adj. sneaky
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antagonism
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n. hatred or hostility
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munificent
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very generous
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ingenious
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adj. very clever or inventive
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ostentatious
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adj. having to do with showing off; pretentious
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pretentious
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"adj. claiming or pretending increased importance; ostentatious, excessively grand
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fastidious
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adj. very attentive to detail; fussy; meticulous
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diffident
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adj. lacking confidence in oneself; inclined to be shy
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altruistic
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adj. showing an unselfish concern for others
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atheistic
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adj. without a belief in any god
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acoustics
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n. the quality of sound, pertaining to how it is hard based on the quality and structure of the room
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nomadic
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adj. wandering
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homogeneous
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adj. of the same kind; alike; uniform
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parody
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n. a work that imitates the style of another literary work; may be mocking or amusing; short, humorous parodies can be called spoofs
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integrity
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n. holding firmly to values, such as honesty; completeness
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ambiguous
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adj. hard to understand; unclear; open to more than one interpretation
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adamant
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adj. unwilling to bend; unyielding
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squander
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to spend money or time in a wasteful, uncaring fashion
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circumlocution
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n. speaking in circles; roundabout speech
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phlegmatic
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hard to get excited or emotional
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aviary
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n. an enclosed space for birds
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archaic
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adj. old; from a much earlier time; antiquated
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contemporary
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adj. modern, new; relating to the same time period
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bolster
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vb. to support; to strengthen
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esteem
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v. to value highly; to have great regard for
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cavalier
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adj. arrogant; showing a lack of respect towards someone or something
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slavish
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slave-like, involving very hard work
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inconspicuous
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adj. hardly noticeable
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obscure
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adj. hard to understand; abstract
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pacify
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to calm; to make peaceful
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abridge
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vb. shorten
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complacent
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adj. self-satisfied; smug
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prosaic
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adj. dull, commonplace
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vignette
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n. a brief descriptive passage in writing
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prose
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n. writing that is not poetry or rhyming verse (i.e., a novel, play or essay)
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lackluster
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adj. lacking vitality, energy, or brightness; boring
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insuperable
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adj. unable to be overcome
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turbulence
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great unrest; turmoil or disorder
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pathos
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n. the quality of a piece of writing that evokes pity, sympathy, or some other strong emotional response in the reader
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unobtrusive
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adj. inconspicuous; not easily noticed
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volatile
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adj. explosive or changing very quickly
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terse
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adj. using only the words that are needed to make the point; very concise, sometimes to the point of rudeness
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saturate
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vb. to wet or soak completely; to totally fill up
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unwavering
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adj. firm and determined
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unprecedented
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adj. novel; unparalleled
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polemical
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adj. inclined to argue or debate; controversial
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palpable
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adj. able to be touched or felt; tangible; material
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colloquial
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adj. pertaining to common everyday speech; conversational
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lassitude
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a tired feeling from depression or too much work
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raconteur
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n. a skillful storyteller
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ravenous
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adj. very hungry
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satire
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n. a literary work, often humorous, intended to ridicule the public figures, behaviors, or political situations presented or alluded to in the work.
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vapid
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adj. lacking freshness and zest; flat; stale
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aggregate
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n. a sum total or mixture
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culinary
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adj. having to do with cooking, preparing meals
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sedentary
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having to do with sitting around a lot
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extol
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v. to praise highly; laud
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confounding
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puzzling
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abstemious
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adj. holding back from eating or drinking too much
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unyielding
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adj. stubborn; inflexible
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recalcitrant
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adj. stubborn; disobedient; defiant
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ephemeral
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adj. lasting a short time; fleeting
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discerning
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adj. able to judge people and situations clearly
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pugnacious
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adj. eager to fight; belligerent
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censure
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to criticize strongly
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amicable
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adj. showing goodwill; peaceable
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affable
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adj. easy to talk to; easy to approach; friendly; kind; amiable
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mollify
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vb. to pacify, sooth, or appease; to make less severe or violent
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austere
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having great economy; showing self-control when it comes to foregoing luxuries and frills; stern in manner or appearance
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reprove
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to speak in a disapproving manner; to scold
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impassioned
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adj. filled with passionate emotion
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aplomb
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n. social poise; composure; skill in challenging situations
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chastise
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to punish or scold harshly
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banal
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adj. dull or stale because of overuse; trite; hackneyed
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fanatical
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adj. full of great enthusiasm or devotion
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irony
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n. an unexpected outcome or unanticipated twist of events presented in literature and in life
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mediate
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vb. to act as a go-between in settling conflicts or disputes between people or opposing sides
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rhetorical
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adj. relating to speech that is used to persuade or have some effect; insincere in expression
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artisan
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n. a person who is skillful with his or her hands
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captious
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made for the sake of quarrelling
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vaporize
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vb. to turn to vapor, foam, or mist
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avid
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adj. showing enthusiasm; ardent
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indigenous
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adj. native; originating in a specific country or region
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convalesce
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vb. to recover from an illness
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allay
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vb. to lessen fear; to calm; to relieve pain
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penurious
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stingy; relating to great poverty
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accessible
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adj. available; ready for use
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thrifty
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showing care with how money and resources are spent or used
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cordial
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adj. warm and friendly; cordial
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impudent
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adj. rude; disrespectful
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derivative
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adj. unoriginal; taken from something already existing
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loquacious
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adj. talkative, liking to talk, garrulous
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delectable
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adj. Delicious
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pitfall
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n. an unseen danger, risk or drawback
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copious
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adj. abundant; much; plentiful
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prattle
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vb. to speak on and on in a senseless and silly manner; to talk foolishly
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perspicacious
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adj. using wise judgement; sharp-minded
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deleterious
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harmful to one's health or overall welfare
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ameliorate
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vb. to make better; to lessen pain, difficulty, or tension
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amiable
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adj. friendly; kind
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succinct
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clearly and briefly stated
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supercilious
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adj. looking down on others; proud and scornful
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palatable
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adj. pleasing to the taste buds
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emaciated
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adj. very, very thin due to lack of food
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contentious
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adj. quarrelsome; belligerent
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aloof
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uninterested; emotionally removed
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euphemism
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n. a more pleasant word or phrase that replaces another that is too direct, distasteful, or offensive
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impassive
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lacking emotion or drive
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laud
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v. to praise; extol
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quagmire
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a difficult or troubling situation; a swampy ground, bog, mire
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spurious
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adj. false; counterfeit; lacking logic; specious
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animosity
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n. hatred; ill will
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deride
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to ridicule or make for of; to scoff at
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meticulous
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adj. very careful; fussy; finicky; fastidious
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savvy
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adj. smart; informed
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charlatan
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n. a fraud; a quack or imposter
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shrewd
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adj. insightful; clever
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orator
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n. a skillful public speaker
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egalitarian
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adj. pertaining to equal political, social and economical rights for all mankind
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cliché
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n. an idea or expression that has become stale due to overuse
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cryptic
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hidden; mysterious; hard to understand
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adversary
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n. an opponent
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exalt
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v. to praise or glorify; to lift up in status, dignity, or power
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oxymoron
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n. contradictory terms, appearing side by side, used for rhetorical effect
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compunction
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n. a feeling of remorse for doing something wrong; regret; shame
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vilify
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vb. to slander or defame someone's name or reputation
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mercenary
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greedy for self-gain; thinking only of money-making
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tentative
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adj. hesitant; not definite
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subservient
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obedient
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enigma
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a riddle or mystery
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eclectic
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adj. taken from many different sources
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frugal
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careful with money; thrifty
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gratify
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vb. to please or indulge
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quandary
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a dilemma
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quiescent
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adj. quiet; still; inactive
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glacial
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adj. very cold or very slow moving (in both cases like a glacier)
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coalesce
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vb. to have different opinions join together; fuse; converge
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detrimental
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harmful
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brevity
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n. briefness or conciseness in speech or writing
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heedful
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adj. paying careful attention to
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antiquity
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n. ancient times
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scrupulous
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adj. showing great care and honesty, based on personal belief of what is right and proper
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ponderous
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adj. very heavy or bulky; dull or lifeless
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raucous
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adj. coarse-sounding; loud and unruly
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sly
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adj. underhanded; furtive
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extraneous
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adj. not necessary; not an essential part; not relevant
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inception
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n. the start, the beginning of something
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laconic
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adj. using few words in speech
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discrepancy
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n. a difference or inconsistency
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congenial
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adj. compatible; having kindred needs or tastes; sympathetic
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irrelevant
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adj. not relating to the matter at hand
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lofty
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adj. very high; towering; grand or noble
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vociferous
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adj. loud and noisy regarding one's own voice, especially shouting; demandingly clamorous
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carp
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to find fault; to be critical
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trifling
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adj. lacking significance; unimportant
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recount
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vb. to tell a story
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epicurean
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adj. having to do with relishing the pleasure of eating and drinking (n. epicure)
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relic
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n. a custom or object that has been around for a very, very long time
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eulogize
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v. to praise, as in a eulogy; to say good things about
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gingerly
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adj. very carefully
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surpass
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vb. to be better than; to excel
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taciturn
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adj. silent; sparing of words
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mock
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vb. to make fun of; to imitate
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surfeit
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n. an oversupply
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presumptuous
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adj. too forward or bold; overstepping proper bounds
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prodigal
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wasteful; lavish
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hidebound
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adj. strongly opinionated; narrow-mindedly stubborn
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soporific
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sleep-inducing; sleepy
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braggart
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n. one who boasts a great deal
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castigate
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to scold or punish severely
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virulent
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extremely poisonous; deadly; full of spiteful hatred
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opportunist
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n. a person who seeks self-gain, even at the expense of others, without regard to values or moral principles
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debacle
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a failure or breakdown that is often nonsensical
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peripatetic
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adj. moving or walking about; itinerant
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turmoil
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a turbulent scenario or situation
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lithe
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adj. nimble and flexible; agile; supple
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accolade
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n. an award given as a sign of appreciation or respect
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magnanimous
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generous in overlooking insult by others; rising above pettiness
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rigor
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"n. harshness; severity; strict adherence to standards
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euphony
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n. pleasing sound
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deprecate
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to show mild disapproval
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ramble
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vb. to talk on and on pointlessly, without clear direction
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arrogant
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adj. overbearing; proud; haughty
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ominous
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pertaining to an evil omen; foreboding
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aesthetic
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adj. having to do with artistic beauty
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remote
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emotionally distant
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din
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n. ongoing loud sound; noise
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narcissistic
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adj. having to do with extreme self-adoration and a feeling of superiority to everyone
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nefarious
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very mean and wicked
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subordinate
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inferior
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rebuff
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to snub; to bluntly refuse
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antediluvian
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adj. very, very old; antiquated
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insolent
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rude
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sluggish
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slow and lazy
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panegyrize
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v. to praise a person or event in a formal speech or in writing; to praise highly
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pithy
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adj. brief and full of meaning and substance
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innovation
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n. something new
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hardy
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adj. healthy and strong; robust
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fervent
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adj. filled with passion or intensity
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listless
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lacking interest in something; spiritless
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reticent
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not talking much; reserved
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iniquitous
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showing a lack of fairness; wicked; vicious
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lavish
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generous in giving to others or in spending money
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anecdote
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n. a short biographical account or snippet from someone's past, usually humorous
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diffuse
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adj. spread out; not concise; wordy
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fawning
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gaining the favor of another by acting overly kind
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grandiloquent
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adj. using big and fancy words when speaking for the purpose of impressing others
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parable
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n. a brief story, told or written in order to teach a moral lesson
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exuberant
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adj. overflowing with vitality and good spirits
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torpid
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lacking energy
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baneful
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causing ruin; pernicious
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insurgent
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n. a rebel; one who revolts against a government or political party; maverick (adj. rebellious)
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servile
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slave-like
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allusion
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n. an indirect reference, often to a character or theme found in another work of literature
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rancorous
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deeply hateful or spiteful; malicious
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inconsequential
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adj. irrelevant; of no significance; unimportant
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obstinate
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adj. stubborn; inflexible
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conscientious
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adj. relating to doing what one knows is right; scrupulous
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antidote
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n. something that relieves or prevents; a remedy that counteracts the effects of poison
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verbose
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adj. using too many words; long-winded
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hyperbole
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n. an exaggeration used to a creative effect
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languor
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a weak or lifeless feeling
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advocate
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n. a supporter; proponent
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bombastic
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adj. using language in a pompous, showy way; speaking to impress others
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compliant
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submissive
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placate
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vb. to make calm; to soothe
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pernicious
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very destructive or harmful, usually in an inconspicuous and relentless way
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submissive
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voluntarily obeying another
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candor
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n. honesty; sincerity
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savory
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adj. tasty or good smelling
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obtuse
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adj. stupid; not clear or precise
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idiosyncratic
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adj. of or relating to strange or odd behavioral habits that are peculiar to the individual
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apathetic
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indifferent
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itinerant
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adj. wandering about; tending to move around, travel
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melancholy
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adj. a feeling of sadness and gloominess
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chary
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adj. cautious; wary
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egotistical
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adj. excessively self-absorbed; very conceited
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uniformity
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n. sameness; regularity
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transitory
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adj. Fleeting
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virtuoso
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"n. a highly skilled performer, usually a music performer
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novel
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adj. New
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arid
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adj. dry; lacking water
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exacting
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adj. requiring a great deal of care or effort; painstaking
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belligerent
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adj. taking part in war or fighting; ready to figh
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lavish
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abundant; in excess
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irrefutable
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adj. unable to be argued against; indisputable
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nurture
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vb. to care for; to nourish
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antiquated
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adj. very old and no longer in use; obsolete
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tranquility
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n. peacefulness; calmness
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capricious
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adj. changeable; fickle; volatile; mercurial (also n. caprice: a whim or fancy)
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digress
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vb. to wander off from the subject or topic spoken about
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frivolous
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adj. not having substance, a sense of importance or seriousness; silly; trivial; trifling
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sagacious
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adj. wise
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levity
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n. lightheartedness; gaiety
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adulate
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v. to praise or flatter too greatly; fawn over
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whimsical
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adj. fanciful; changeable
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ascetic
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n. a person who refrains from indulging in earthly pleasures
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cynical
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adj. believing that all others are motivated by self-interest
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respite
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n. period of inactivity; a lull; a reprieve
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negligible
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adj. able or likely to be neglected or bypassed due to smallness or lack of importance
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ponderable
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adj. important enough to require a lot of thought
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appease
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"vb. to make tranquil or quiet, especially by giving into another's demands; to pacify
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mitigate
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vb. to make or become less severe; to lessen pain or damage
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metaphor
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n. a figurative device in which a direct comparison is made, without using "like" or "as"
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sardonic
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adj. scornful or bitter; sarcastic
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zealous
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adj. filled with enthusiasm; fervent
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voluble
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adj. talking a great deal with ease; glib
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incisive
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"adj. decisive, keen and directly to the point
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labyrinth
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a maze from which it is very hard to extricate oneself
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superficial
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adj. lacking in depth or importance; on the surface
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peripheral
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adj. only marginally connected to what is truly important; minor or incidental; at the edge of one's field of vision
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insipid
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adj. lacking flavor or taste; unexciting
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devious
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dishonest or deceptive
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mellifluous
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adj. sweet and smooth sounding
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mimetic
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adj. pertaining to imitation or mimicry; biological or otherwise
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indignant
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adj. angry; resentful
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stealthy
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adj. secretive; sly
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strident
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adj. shrill; high-pitched
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myriad
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adj. or n. countless; a very large number
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gregarious
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adj. sociable, outgoing
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impugn
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to oppose or attack someone or something as false or refutable
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swagger
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vb. to walk around in a proud, showy manner; to boast in a load manner
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stagnant
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lacking movement or energy
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voracious
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adj. greedy; gluttonous; ravenous; insatiable
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ambivalent
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"adj. having conflicting feelings or opinions about something; unsure
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raze
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vb. to tear down, destroy
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alleviate
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vb. to lessen pain or discomfort
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eloquence
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n. artful ease with speaking; speech that can influence people's feelings
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prolific
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adj. abundant; producing a great deal; fertile
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ample
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adj. abundant; plentiful; enough, or more than enough
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vigilant
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adj. carefully alert and watchful
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ardent
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adj. full of passion and emotion
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profuse
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adj. abundant; more than enough
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vibrant
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adj. lively; full of vitality
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complementary
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adj. serving to complete another
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pariah
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n. a social outcast
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pedantic
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adj. showy in one's learning; overly instructive
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evanescent
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adj. vanishing quickly; fleeting
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fleeting
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adj. short-lived
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quell
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vb. to pacify; to subdue; to quiet down
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proximity
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n. nearness in time, location, or relation
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intractable
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adj. stubborn; hard to manage
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portentous
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adj. very meaningful with regard to events to come; ominous; foreshadowing
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willful
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adj. stubborn
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plethora
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n. excess; abundance
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allusion
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n. an indirect reference, often to a character or theme found in some work of literature
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linger
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vb. to hang around; to stay
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thrive
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vb. to grow strong; to flourish
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circumspect
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adj. careful and cautious before acting
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replete
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adj. filled-up; overflowing
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concise
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adj. using few words in speaking or writing
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hamper
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vb. to hinder; to prevent something from happening
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parsimonious
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overly miserly
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philanthropic
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showing a desire to help others by giving gifts
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prudent
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adj. careful, cautious, and wise
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assuage
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"vb. to alleviate; to lessen pain or conflict; pacify
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platitude
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n. quality of being dull; an obvious remark uttered as if it were original
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mundane
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adj. commonplace; ordinary
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cantankerous
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adj. bad-tempered or irritable; quarrelsome
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discordant
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adj. lacking harmony or agreement
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axiom
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n. a true or wise saying; a maxim
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dilettante
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n. one who dabbles in the arts and sciences but is an expert in neither
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querulous
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adj. whining; complaining
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clandestine
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adj. hidden; secret; concealed
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acute
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adj. keen-minded; sharp
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indifferent
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apathetic
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haughty
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having great pride in oneself and dislike for others
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acclaim
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v. to express strong approval or praise; hail
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obsequious
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obeying or performing a service for someone in an overly attentive manner
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catharsis
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n. an emotional cleansing or release of emotional tensions, fears, or pity
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rebuke
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to reprimand or scold sharply
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disdainful
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adj. full of bitter scorn and pride; aloof
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wary
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adj. cautious; careful
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covert
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"adj. secret; hidden
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petty
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adj. minor or trivial; small in quantity; paltry
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hedonist
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n. a person who lives for pleasure
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conflagration
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a huge fire
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berate
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to scold in a harsh tone
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effervescent
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adj. lively; full of uplifted spirit; vivacious
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audacious
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adj. very bold
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excerpt
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n. a portion of a text or musical piece that is taken, or extracted, from the whole
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surreptitious
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adj. done or made in a secret, stealthy way
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venerate
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v. to feel or show deep respect for, especially due to age or tradition; to honor
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lethargic
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having little or no energy
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intrepid
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adj. fearless; brave
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precarious
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dangerous or risky; uncertain
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glutton
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n. one who overindulges in food and drink
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autonomous
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adj. Independent
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indigent
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adj. poor; impoverished; needy
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incidental
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adj. less important; minor
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variegated
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adj. having different patterns, colors, or appearance; dappled
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contemptuous
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adj. lacking respect; scornful
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trite
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unoriginal and stale due to overuse
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ebullient
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adj. filled with a bubbly excitement, as if boiling over with excitement
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scrutinize
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vb. to read or look at very closely and carefully
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