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100 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abate
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to reduce in amount, degree, or severity
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abscond
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to leave secretly
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abstain
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to choose not to do something
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abyss
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an extremely deep hole
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adulterate
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to make impure
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advocate
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to speak in favor of
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aesthetic
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concerning the appreciation of beauty
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aggrandize
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to increase in power influence and reputation
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alleviate
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to make more bearable
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amalgamate
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to combine, to mix together
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amalgam
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a mixture, especially of two metals
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ambiguous
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doubtful or uncertain, able to be interpreted several ways
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ameliorate
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to make better, to improve
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anachronism
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something out of place in time
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analogous
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similar or alike in some way, equivalent to
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anomaly
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deviation from what is normal
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antagonize
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to annoy or provoke to anger
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antipathy
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extreme dislike
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apathy
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lack of interest or emotion
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arbitrate
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to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
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archaic
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ancient, old fashioned
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ardor
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intesne and passionate feeling
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articulate
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able to speak clearly and expressively
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assuage
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to make something unpleasant less severe
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attenuate
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to reduce in force or degree, to weaken
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audacious
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fearless and daring
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austere
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severe or stern in appearance, undecorated
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banal
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predictable, boring
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bolster
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to support, to prop up
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bombastic
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pompous in speech and manner
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cacophony
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harsh jarring noise
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candid
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impartial and honest in speech
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capricious
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changin one's mind quickly and often. syn. mercurial
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castigate
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to punish or criticize harshly
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catalys
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something that brings about a change in something else
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caustic
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biting in wit
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chaos
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great disorder or conufsion
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chauvinist
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someone prjudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
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chicanery
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deception by means of craft or guile
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cogent
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convincing and well reasoned
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condone
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to overlook, pardon or disregard
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convoluted
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intricate and complicated
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corroborate
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provide supporting evidence
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credulous
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too trusting, gullible
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crescendo
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steadily increasing volume or force
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decorum
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approrateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
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deference
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respect, courtesy
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deride
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speak of or treat with contempt
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derisive
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in a mocking manner
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dessicate
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to dry out thoroughly
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desultory
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jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
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diatribe
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an abusive condemnatory speech
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diffident
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lacking self confidence
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dilate
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to make large, to expand
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dilatory
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intended to delay
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dilettante
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someone with an amatuerish and superficial interest in topic
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dirge
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a funeral hymm or mounful speech
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disabuse
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to set right, free from error
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discern
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to perceive, to recognize
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disparate
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fundamentally different, entierely unlike
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dissemble
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to present a false appearance, to disguise one's real intentions or character
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dissonance
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a harsh and disagreeable combination often of sounds
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dogma
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a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
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dogmatic
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dictatorial in one's opinions
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dupe
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to deceive, a person who is easily decieved
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eclectic
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selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
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efficacy
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effectiveness
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elegy
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sorrowful poem or speech
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eloquent
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persuasive and moving, especially in speech
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emulate
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to copy
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enervate
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to reduce in strength, to weaken
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engender
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to produce, cause or bring about. syn. beget, generate
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enigma
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puzzle mystery
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enumerate
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to count, list or itemize
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ephemeral
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lasting a short time, fleeting
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equivocate
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use epxressions of double meaning in order to mislead
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erratic
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wandering and unpreductable
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erudite
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learned scholarly
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esoteric
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known or understood by only a few
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estimable
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admirable; esteem, high reagard
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eulogy
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speech in praise of someone
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euphemism
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use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distatsteful one
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exacerbate
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to make worse
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excuplate
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clear from blate, prove innocent
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exigent
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urgent, requiiring immediate attention.
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exonerate
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clear of blame
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explicit
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clearly satated or shown, forthright in expression
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fanatical
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acting exceesively enthusiastica, filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
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fawn
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to grovel. syn: to pander
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fervid
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intensely emotional, feverish
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florid
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excessively decorated, or embellished
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foment
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to arouse or incite
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frugality
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tendency to be thrifty or cheap
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garrulous
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tending to talk a lot. syn. loquacious
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gregacious
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outgoing sociable
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guile
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deceit or trickery
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gullible
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easily deceived
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homogenous
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of a similar kind
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iconoclast
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one who opposes established beliefs, customs and insitutions
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imperturbable
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not capable of being disturbed
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