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398 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abdicate
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to give up position, right, or power
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abjure
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to reject, abandon formally
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ablution
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act of cleansing
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abnegate
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to deny, or renounce
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abrogate
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to abolish or invalidate by authority
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abstemious
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consuming moderately
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abstruse
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difficult to comprehend
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abut
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to touch, be in contact with
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acerbic
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bitter, sharp in taste or temper
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acme
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highest point, summit
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acquiesce
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to agree or comply in silence
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adroit
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skillful, accomplished, highly competent
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adumbrate
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to sketch, outline in a shadowy way
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aerie
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nook or nest built high in the air
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altruism
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unselfish concern for others' welfare
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ambulatory
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itinerant; walking around
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amortize
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to diminish by installment payments
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ancillary
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accessory, subordinate; helping
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antediluvian
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prehistoric, ancient beyond measure; coming before biblical flood
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anthropomorphic
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attributing human qualities to nonhumans; having human qualities
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apblomb
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poise, confidence
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apostate
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one who renounces a religious faith
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apothegm
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a short, instructive saying
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arboreal
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relating to trees, living in trees
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assiduous
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diligent, persistent, hardworking
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bacchanalian
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drunkenly festive
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balk
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to refuse, shirk, prevent
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beatific
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saintly, angelic
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behemoth
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huge creature
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belie
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to misrepresent, expose as fake
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benison
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blessing
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bifutcate
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divide in two parts
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bilious
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easily irritated
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bonhomie
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good-natured geniality; atmosphere of good cheer
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bulwark
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defense wall;anything serving as defense
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cajole
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to flatter, coax; persuade
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calamitous
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disastrous, catastrophic
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calumny
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false and malicious accusation, misrepresentation, slander
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canard
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a lie
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carom
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to strike and rebound
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cavalcade
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a procession
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chagrin
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shame, embarrassment, humiliation
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charlatan
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quack, a fake
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chattel
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piece of personal property
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chimerical
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fanciful, imaginary, visionary; impossible
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choleric
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easily angered
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churlish
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rude
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cistern
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tank for rainwater
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coalesce
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to grow together; cause to unite as one
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coffer
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strongbox, large chest for money
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cognomen
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family name; any name, especially a nickname`
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comeliness
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physical grace and beauty
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commodious
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roomy, spacious
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compunctious
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feeling guilty or having misgivings
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conciliatory
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overcoming distrust or hostility
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conflagration
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big, destructive fire
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congenial
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familiar in tastes and habits
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consanguineous
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of the same origin; related by blood
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contentious
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quarrelsome, disagreeable, beligierant
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contumacious
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rebellious
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corpulence
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obesity, fatness
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corrugate
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to mold in a shape with parallel grooves and ridges
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cosset
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to pamper, treat with great care
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coterie
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small group of persons with a similar purpose
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coven
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group of witches
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curmudgeon
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cranky person`
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declivitiy
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downward slope
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deleterious
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harmful, destructive, detrimental
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deluge
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flood
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demagogue
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leader or rabble rouser who usually uses appeals to emotion of prejudice.
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denigrate
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to slur or blacken someone's reputaton
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descry
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to discover or reveal
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diaphanous
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allowing light to show through; delicate
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dictum
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authoritative statement; popular saying
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didactic
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excessively instructive
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diluvial
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relating to a flood
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diminutive
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small
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discomfit
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to cause perplexity and embarrassment
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distaff
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the female branch of the family
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dither
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to move or act confusedly or without clear purpose
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diurnal
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daily
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doctrinaire
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rigidly devoted to theories
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dolor
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sadness
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doughty
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courageous
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droll
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amusing in a wry, subtle way
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dyseptic
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suffering from indigestion; gloomy and irritable
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ebbullient
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exhilarated, full of enthusiasm and high spirits
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effluva
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outpouring of gases or vapors
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effulgent
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brilliantly shining
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egregious
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conspicuously bad
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emend
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to correct a text
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emollient
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having soothing qualities, especially for skin
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encomium
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warm praise
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endemic
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belonging to a particular area, inherent
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ennui
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boredom, lack of interest and energy
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epicure
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person with refined taste in food and wine
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ersatz
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fake
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eschew
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to abstain from, avoid
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evince
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to show clearly, display, signify
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exorcise
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to expel evil spirits
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expatiate
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to wander, to discuss, or describe at length
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expiate
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to atone for, make amends for
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expunge
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to erase, eliminate completely
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expurgate
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to censor
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extemporaneous
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unrehearsed on the spur of the moment
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extol
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to praise
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extrapolate
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to estimate
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facetious
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witty in an inappropriate way
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fatuous
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stupid; smugly foolish; unconsciously foolish `
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fealty
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intense loyalty
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fecund
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fertile, fruitful, productive
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fetid
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foul smelling; putrid
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fey
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doomed
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filch
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to steal
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filial
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appropriate for a child
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flaccid
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limp, flabby, or weak
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foliate
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to grow, sprout leaves
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forswear
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to repudiate, renounce, disclaim, reject
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fracas
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noisy dispute
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fractious
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unruly, rebellious
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frenetic
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wildly fanatic
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fulminate
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to explode with anger
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fulsome
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excessive, overdone, sickeningly abundant
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furtive
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secret, stealthy, ninja, julie olive
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gainsay
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to deny
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gambol
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to dance or skip around playfully
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gauche
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crude, socially awkward
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germinate
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to begin to grow
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gibe`
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to make heckling, taunting remarks
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glib
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fluent in an insincere manner;offhand, casual
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gnostic
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having to do with knowledge
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grandiloquence
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pompous talk, fancy but meaningless language
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gratuitous
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free, voluntary; unnecessary, and unjustified
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gustatory
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relating to sense of taste
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hackneyed
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worn by over use
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harangue
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a pompous speech
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hegemony
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leadership, domination, usually by a country
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heretical
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opposed to an established religious orthodoxy
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hermetic
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tightly sealed
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hoary
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very old; whitish or gray from age
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husband
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to farm; manage carefully and thriftily
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idiosyncrasy
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peculiarity of temperament, eccentricity
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IGNOMINIOUS
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disgraceful and dishonorable
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ilk
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type of kind
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illusory
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unreal, deceptive`
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imbue
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to infuse;dye;wet, moisten
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impecunious
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poor, having no money
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imperious
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arrogantly self assured, domineering, overbearing
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impolitic
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unwise
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impromptu
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unplanned, spontaneous
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impugn
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to call into question, attack verbally
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incarnate
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having bodily form
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incedndiary
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combustible, flammable, burning easily
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inculcate
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to teach; impress in the mind
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inculpate
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to blame; charge with a crime
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indefeatigable
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never tired
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indignant
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very poor
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indolent
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habitually lazy, idle
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indubitable
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unquestionable
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inert
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unable to move, tending to inactivity
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infallible
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incapable of making a mistake
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ingenious
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original, clever, intentive
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ingatiate
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to bring oneself purposely into another's good graces
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ingress
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entrance
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innuendo
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indirect and subtle criticism, insinuation
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insidious
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sly, treacherous, devious
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insuperable
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insurmountable, unconquerable
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interidict
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to forbid, prohibit
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interlocutor
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someone taking part in a dialogue
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interloper
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trespasser; meddler in others' affairs
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internecine
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deadly to both sides
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interpolate
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to insert; change by adding new rods or material
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interstice
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a space between things
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intimation
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clue, suggestion
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intrepid
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fearless
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instrinsic
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inherent, internal
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inure
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to harden; accustom; become used to
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inveterate
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confirmed, long standing, deeply rooted
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invidious
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likely to provoke ill will, offensive
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itinerant
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wandering from place to place, unsettled
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jibe
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to shift suddenly from one side to the other
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jingoism
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belligerent support of ones country
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jocular
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jovial, playful, humorous
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juggernut
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huge force destroying everything in its path
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jurisprudence
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philosophy of law
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kismet
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fate
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knell
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sound of a funeral bell; omen of death of failure
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lachrymose
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tearful
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lambaste
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disapprove angrily
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lapidary
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relating to precious stones
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largess
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generosity;gift
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lassitude
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lethargy, sluggishness
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legerdemain
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trickery
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levity
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humor, frivolity, gaiety
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lexicon
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dictionary
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libidnous
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lustful
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licentious
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immoral; unrestrained by society
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limpid
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clear and simple in style
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liniment
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medical liquid used externally to ease pain
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lionize
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to treat as a celebrity
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lissome
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easily flexed, limber, agile
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lugubrious
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sorrowful, mournful
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macabre
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gruesome, producing horror
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machination
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plot or scheme
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malapropism
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humorous misuse of a word
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malevolent
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ill willed; causing evil or harm to others
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manifold
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diverse, varied; comprised of many parts
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martinet
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strict disciplinarian; one who rigidly follows the rules`
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maudlin
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overly sentimental
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mawkish
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sickeningly sentimental
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megalomania
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mental state with delusions of wealth and power
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mendacious
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dishonest
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mendicant
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beggar
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mercurial
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quick, shrewd, and unpredictable
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meritorious
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deserving reward or praise
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minatory
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menacing, threatening
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mnemonic
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relating to memory; designed to assist memory
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molt
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to shed hair, skin, or an outer layer periodically
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mordacious
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caustic, biting
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mote
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small particle, speck
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multifarious
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diverse
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munificent
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generous
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nadir
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lowest point
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nascent
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starting to develop, coming into existence
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nebulous
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vague, cloudy
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necromancy
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black magic
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nefarious
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vicious, evil
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neologism
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new work or expression
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neophyte
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novice, beginner
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nihilism
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belief that existence and all traditional values are meaningless
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noisome
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stinking, putrid
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noxious
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harmful, unwholesome
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numismatics
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coin collecting
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obfuscate
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to confuse, obscure
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obstreperous
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troublesome, boisterous, unruly
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omnipotent
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having unlimited power
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omniscient
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having infinite knowledge
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oscillate
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to move back and forth
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ouster
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expulsion, ejection
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paean
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a song of praise or thanksgiving
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palliate
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to make less serious, ease
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panacea
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cure all
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panegyric
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elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
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panolply
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impressive array
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parley
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discussion, usually between enemies
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parochial
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of limited scope or outlook, provincial
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parsimony
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stinginess
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pastiche
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piece of literature of music imitating other works
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paucity
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scarcity, lack
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peccadillo
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minor sin or offense
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peculation
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theft of money or goods
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penchant
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inclination
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penultimate
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next to the last
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penumbra
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partial shadow
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perambulate
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walk about
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perphrastic
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using circumlocation
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pernicious
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very harmful
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perspicacious
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shrewd, astute, keen witted
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pertinacious
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persistent, stubborn
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phalanx
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massed group of soldiers
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philistine
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narrow-minded person, someone lacking appreciation for art or culture
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plait
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to braid
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plagnent
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resounding; plaintive
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plaudit
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applause
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pneumatic
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relating to air; worked by compressed air
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polemic
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controversy
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polyglot
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speaker of many languages
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posit
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to put in position; to suggest an idea
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precept
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principle; law
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precursor
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forerunner, predecessor
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predilection
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preference, liking
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prescient
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having foresight
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privation
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lack of usual necessities or comforts
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probity
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honesty, high mindedness
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progenitor
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originator, forefather, ancestor in a direct line
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prognosticate
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to predict
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prolific
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productive, fertile
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prolix
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tedious; wordy
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promulgate
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to make known publicly
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propinquity
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nearness
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propitious
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favorable, advantageous
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proselytize
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to induce someone to convert to a particular belief or religion
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prostrate
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lying face downward, lying flat on the ground
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protagonist
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main character in a play or story, hero
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provident
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prudent, frugal
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provincial
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rustic, unsophisticated, limited in scope
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prurient
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lustful, exhibiting lewd desires
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puerile
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childish, immature, silly
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pulchritude
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beauty
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pundit
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an authority or critic
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pusillanimous
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cowardly`
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querulous
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inclined to complain
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quotidian
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occurring daily, commonplace
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raconteur
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a witty, skillful story teller
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raillery
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lighthearted jesting
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rancor
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bitter hatred
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rapacious
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greedy;predatory
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rapprochement
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reestablishing a cordial relationship
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raze
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to tear down, demolish
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recalcitrant
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resisting authority or control
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recidivism
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tendency to repeat previous behavior
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recondite
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relating to obscure learning; known only to a few
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recreant
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disloyal;cowardly
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redress
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relief from wrong or injury
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rejoinder
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response
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renege
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to go back on ones word
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renitent
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resisting pressure, obstinate
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repast
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meal
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reprobate
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morally unprincipled person
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requite
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to return or repay
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respite
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interval of relief
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restive
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impatient, uneasy, restless
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retinue
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group of attendants with an important person
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revelry
|
boisterous festivity
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ribald
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humorous in a vulgar way
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riposte
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a retort
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rococo
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very highly ornamented
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rotound
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round in shape; fat
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ruminate
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to contemplate; reflect upon
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sacrosanct
|
extremely sacred; beyond criticism
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sagacious
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shrewd, wise
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salacious
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lustful
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salubrious
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healthful
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sanguine
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ruddy; cheerfully optimistic
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saptient
|
wise
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scabbard
|
sheath for sword
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scintilla
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very small amount
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scintillate
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to sparkle, flash
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scurrilous
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vulgar, low, indecent
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sedition
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behavior promoting rebellion
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senescent
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aging, growing old
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sentient
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aware, conscious, able to perceive
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sepulchral
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typical of a place of burial
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seraphic
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angelic, pure, sublime
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shirk
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to avoid a task due to laziness or fear
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simper
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to smirk, smile foolishly
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sinecure
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well paying job or office that requires little or no work
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sinuous
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winding;intricate, complex
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slake
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to quench or moderate
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slovenly
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untidy
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sojourn
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visit, stay
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solecism
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grammatical mistake
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solipism
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belief that the self is the only reality
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somnambulist
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sleepwalker
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sonorous
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producing a full, rich sound
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sophist
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person good at arguing deviously
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sportive
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frolicsome, playful
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squalid
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filthy;morally repulsive
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staid
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self restrained, strait laced
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stentorian
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extremely loud
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striate
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striped, grooved
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stringent
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imposing severe, rigorous standards
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stymie
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to block or thawrt
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subterfuge
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trick or tactic used to avoid
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sully
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to soil, stain, tarnish, tain. or, the cutest dog EVER.
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superlicious
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arrogant, haughty, overbearing
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surly
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rude and bad tempered
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surreptitious
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characterized by secrecy
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sybarite
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person devoted to pleasure and luxury
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sycophant
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self-serving flatterer, yes-man
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syncopation
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temporary irregularity in musical rhythym
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tableau
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vivid description, striking incident or scene
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talisman
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something producing a magical effect
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tantamount
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equivalent in value or significance
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temerity
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recklessness
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temporal
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relating to time; chronological
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tenable
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defensible, reasonable
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tenet
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belief, doctrine
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tenuous
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weak, insubstantial
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threnody
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a sad poem or song
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trammel
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to impede or hamper
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trenchant
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acute, sharp, incisive; forceful, efective
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trite
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shallow, superficial`
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truculent
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savage and cruel; fierce; ready to fight
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turgid
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swollen, bloated
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turpitude
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inherent vileness, foulness, depravity
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tyro
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novice
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umbrage
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offense, resentment
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unctuous
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greasy, oily; smug and falsely earnest
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unfettered
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free, unrestrained
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unsullied
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clean ( :( )
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untoward
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not favorable; unruly
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urbane
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courteous, refined, suave
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usury
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lending money at exorbitant rates
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vacuous
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empty; void, lacking intelligence
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variegated
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varied; marked with different colors
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virile
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manly, having qualities of an adult male
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viscous
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thick, syrupy, sticky
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vitate
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reduce in value or effectiveness
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vitriolic
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burning, caustic; sharp, bitter
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vituperate
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to abuse verbally
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vociferous
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loud, vocal, and noisy
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voluble
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speaking much and easily; talkative
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waspish
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easily irriated
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wizened
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withered, shriveled, wrinkled`
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wraith
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a ghost
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xenophobia
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`fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers
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zenith
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highest point, summit
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