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158 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abate |
to reduce in amount, degree or severity |
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abscond |
to leave secretly
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adulterate |
to make impure
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aggrandize |
to increase in power, influence and reputation
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anachronism
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something our of place in time
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antipathy
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extreme dislike
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apathy |
lack of interest or emotion
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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; cliched, boring
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bombastic
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pompous in speech and manner
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capricious
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changing one's mind quickly and often
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castigate
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to punish or criticize harsly
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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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convoluted
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intricate and complicated
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corroborate
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to provide supporting evidence
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credulous |
too trusting; gullible
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desiccate
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to dry out thoroughly
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desultory
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jumping from one thing to another; disconected
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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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dilatory
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intended to delay
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dilettante
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someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
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disabuse
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to set right; to free from error
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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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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 deceived
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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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a sorrowful poem or speech
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engender
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to produce, cause or bring about
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enigma
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a puzzle; a mystery
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ephemeral
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lasting a short time
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equivocate
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to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
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erudite
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learned, scholarly, bookish
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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
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eulogy
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speech in prase of someone
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exculpate
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to clear from blame; prove innocent
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exigent
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urgent; requiring immediate action
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fawn
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to grovel
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foment
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to arouse or incite
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guile
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deceit or trickery
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iconoclast
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one who opposes established beliefs, customs and institutions
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impervious
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impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
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impetuous
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quick to act without thinking
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inchoate
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not fully formed; disorganized
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ingenuous
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showing innocence or childlike simplicity
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inimical
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hostile, unfriendly
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insipid
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lacking interest or flavor
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intransigent
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uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
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irascible
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easily made angry
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laconic
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using few words
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malinger
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to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
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misanthrope
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a person who dislikes others
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mitigate
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to soften, to lessen
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mollify
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to calm or make less severe
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obdurate
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hardened in feelings; resistant to persuasion
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obsequious
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overly submissive and eager to please
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obviate
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to prevent; to make unnecessary
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occlude
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to stop up; to prevent the passage of
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onerous
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troublesome and oppresive; burdensome
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opprobrium
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public disgrace
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paragon
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model of excellence or perfection
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perfidious
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willing to betray one's trust
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perfunctory
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done in a routine way; indifferent
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philanthropy
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charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
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plethora
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excess
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precipitate
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to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
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prevaricate
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to lie or deviate from the truth
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prodigal
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lavish, wasteful
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proliferate
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to increase in number quickly
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propitiate
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to conciliate; to appease
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propriety
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correct behavior, obedience to rules and customs
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prudence
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wisdom, caution or restraint
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quiescent
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motionless
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repudiate
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to reject the validity of
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reticent
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silent, reserved
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soporific
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causing sleep or lethargy
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specious
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deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
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stigma
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a mark of shame or discredit
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stolid
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unemotional; lacking sensitivity
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taciturn
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silent, not talkative
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torpor
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extreme mental and physical sluggishness
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veracity
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filled with trust and accuracy
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apathy
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lack of interest or emotion
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atrohpy
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the wasting away of body tissue
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abdicate
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to renounce or relinquish a throne
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exacerbate
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to increase bitterness or violence
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antipathy
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aversion
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benign
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having a kindly disposition
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benevolent
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desiring to do good to others
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circuitous
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roundabout, indirect
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preclude
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to prevent the presense of
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accretion
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an increase by natural growth
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dilatory
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inclined to delay or procrastinate
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promulgate
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to make known by open declaration
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diffuse
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to pour out and spread
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doctrinate
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a particular principle advocate, as of a government or religion
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indoctrinate
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to imbue someone with learning
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indolence
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state of being lazy or slothful
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euphony
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pleasantness of sound
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effigy
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sculpture or model or person
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forestall
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to prevent by advance action
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refractory
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stubborn, rebellious
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fractious
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irritable, peevish
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diffuse
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to spread widely or thinly
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infusion
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liquid extract so obtained
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congenital
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existing or as such from birth
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heterodox
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different from acknowledged standard; holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines
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hypocritical
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affecting virtues or qualities one does not have
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indolence
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showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful
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adjoin
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to be next to and joined with
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rejoinder
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to reply, retort
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abjure
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to renounce on oath
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delude
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to mislead the mind of judgment of, deceive |
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ablution
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act of cleansing
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magnate
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a powerful or influential person |
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admonish
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to counsel against something; caution
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permutation
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a complete change; transformation
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nascent
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starting to develop
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autonomy
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independence, self-governance |
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neophyte
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a recent convert |
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oblique
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having a slanting or sloping direction |
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obfuscate
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to render indistinct or dim |
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panoply
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a wide-ranging and impressive array or display |
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pathogenic
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causing disease
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pusillanimous
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lacking courage or resulution
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puerile
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childish, immature
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perfunctory
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performed merely as routine duty |
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perspicacious
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shrewd, astute
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peripatetic
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walking or traveling about; itinerant
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impetuous
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characterized by sudden rash action or emotion
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duplicity
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deceitfulness in speech or conduct; double-dealing |
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approbation
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praise, consideration
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opprobrium
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the disgrace incurred by shameful conduct
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probity
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honesty, high-mindedness
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impugn
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to challenge as false
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querulous
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full of complaints
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arrogate
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to claim unwarrantably or presumptuously
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salient
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prominent or conspicuous
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insolent
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boldly rude or disrespectful
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desultory
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at random, unmethodical
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unconscionable
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unscrupulous
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prescient
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having knowledge of things before they happen
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circumscribe
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to draw a line around
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sedition
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incitement of discontent or rebellion aginst a government
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obsequious
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fawning
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perspicacious
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having keen mental perception and understanding
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assuage
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to make less severe
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tenable
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capable of being held, maintained or defended
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intransigent
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refusing to agree or compromise
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verity
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truthfulness
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malevolent
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characterized by or expressing bad will
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volition
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free choice, free will; act of choosing
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voracious
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having a great appetite
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omnivorous
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eating or absorbing everything
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