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159 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Adjunct
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(n.)- something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic;
(adj.)- added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity. (s.)- associate, addition, accessory |
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Bellwether
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(n.) the male sheep that leads the lock to the slaughterhouse; la leader, as in a desperate or violant undertaking; an indicator of trends
(s.) ringleader, initiator, barometer (A.) Follower, imitator, emulator |
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Caterwaul
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To howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; a harsh or noisy cry; a racket
(s.)- whine, wail, screech |
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Chimerical
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-absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible
(s.)- fanciful, visionary, quixotic, pie-in-the-sky (a.)- realistic, down-to-earth, practicable |
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Effete
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- Lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date
(s.)- decadent, enfeebled, outmoded (a.)- thriving, burgeoning, vigorous, dynamic |
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Fait accompli
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- An accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action
(s.) accomplished fact |
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hidebound
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- narrow minded and ridgid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative
(s.)- intolerant, inflexable (a.) open minded, tolerant, libral, progressive |
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Hierarchy
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-any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order or rank, wealth, class, etc.
(s.)- Chain of command, pecking order |
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liturgy
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- a religous service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship
(s.) ceremony, observance |
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mirage
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-something illusory, withour substance, or without a basis in reality; an illusion
(s.)- optical illusion |
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Morass
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-a patch of law soft wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand
(s.)- bog, quagmire (a.)- solid ground, bedrock, terra firma |
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Noisome
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-offensive or discusting; foul smelling; harmful or injurious
(s.) fatid, noxious, vile, loathsome (a.) wholesome, pleasant, sweet smelling |
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Oblivious
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forgetful unaware
(s.) insensible (a.) aware, mindful, cognizant, alert |
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poltroon
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-a base coward
(s.)-craven, dastard,"chicken" (a.)-hero, stalwart, gallant |
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proselyte
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-a convert; a disciple
(s.)- novice, neophyte (a.)- maste, teacher, guide, guru |
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quasi
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- resembling but not actually benig; seemingly but not actually or completely
s.- kind of, semi-, as if a. totally, completely, actually, in fact |
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Raillery
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- good humored ridicule; teasing
s.- banter, persiflage |
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ribald
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-irreverantly mocking; course, vulgar, or indecent in language
s. bawdy, risque a.- seemly proper, decorous |
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supine
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-lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive
s. prone, prostrate; inert a. upright, erect, perpendicular, vertical |
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vignette
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- a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of the book or at the beginning or end of a chapter
s.- thumbnail sketch, anecdote a.- epic, full-length, treatment |
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aegis
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-protection; patronage; sponsorship
s.- auspices |
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apprise
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-to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice
-accquaint, notify a.- keep secreat, withhold information |
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bibulous
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-fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent
s.- inebrious, alcoholic a.- teetotaling, abstemious, temperate |
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clague
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-a group od people hired to applaud a perfor,er or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat
s.- fan club, flatters, hangers-on |
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deracinate
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- to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate, to eliminate all traces of
s.- extirpate, eradicate, expunge a. implant, nurture, foster, instill |
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eleemosynary
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-charitable; dependant upon or supported by charity; derived from or provided by charity
s.-philanthropic, beneficent a.-selfish, self-seeking, uncharitable |
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indigenous
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-originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn; inherent
s.- endemic, domestic, homegrown a.- foreign, alien, exoteric, imported |
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lachrymose
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givin to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious
s.-tearful, doleful, dolorous a.- dry-eyed, cheerful, merry, hilarious |
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lexicon
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dictionary of language; the special vocab of a person, group, or subject; a compendium
s. wordbook, glossary |
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melee
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- a confused struggle; a violent-free-for-all; a tumultous mingling
s.- fracas, brawl, scuffle, donnybrook a.- friendly chat, peace and quiet |
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microcosm
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a mini world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system
s.- epitome, world in little a.- universe, macrocosm, cosmos, totality |
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minuscule
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-very small, tiny; a lowercase letter
s.- infinitesimal, insignificant a.- huge, massive, monumental |
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obfuscate
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- to darkeb or obscure; to confuse or bewilder
s.- muddy the waters a.- clarify, elucidate, explicate (clear and explain) |
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paternalism
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-the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children
s.- benevolence, solicitude, fatherliness |
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polarize
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-to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cayse light to vibrate in a pattern
s.- split, divide, alienate, astrange a.- unite, unify, reconcile |
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purview
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-the range, extent or scope of something in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute
s. jurisdiction, orbit |
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sanguine
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--ahving a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful confident, or optimistic outlook
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solecism
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-a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake
s.- misusage, blunder, faux pas a.- correct usage |
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vassal
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- a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependant; a servant; subservient
s.- menial, minion, servile a.- overlord |
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verisimilitude
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-the quality of apperaring to be true, real, likley, or probable
s.- realism, lifelikeness, authenticity |
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ancillary
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-subordinate or supplementary
s.- auxiliary, subsidiary, accessory a.- central, key, primary, principal, main |
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bowdlerize
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-to remove material considered offensive ( from a book, play,film. etc.)
s.- censor, purge, expurgate |
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condescend
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to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a partonizing manner
s.- deign |
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cozen
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- to trick; to cheat or swindle
s.- dupe, decieve, beguile, inveigle |
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enclave
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-an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character
s.- island, subgroup |
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forte
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a person's strong point; what a person does best
s.- gift, aptitude, specialty a.- weakness, shortcoming, foible |
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gratis
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-free, with out charge
s.- on the house, freely a.- for a price |
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icon
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a representation or image or a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion
s.- emblem, idol |
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interstice
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-a small, narrow space between things or parts of things
s.- gap, slot, crevice, interval, lacuna |
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marcocosm
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-the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something
s.- cosmos, entirety a.- model, imiature, microcosm |
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mountebank
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- a trickster or swindler; a charlatan
s.- imposter, quack a.- sucker, dupe, "mark", "pigeon" |
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paean
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- a song of praise, joy, or triumph
s.- hymn, ode, anthem a.- dirge, elegy. lament. threnody |
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persiflage
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-lighthearted joking, talk, or writing
s.- banter, jesting, repartee, badinage |
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plethora
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- overfullness; superabundance; superfluity
s.- surplus, surfeit, glut, excess a.- shortage, paucity, dearth, scarcity |
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pragmatic
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-concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in on's opinions
s.- down- to earth, businesslike a. idealistic, impractical, visionary |
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quizzical
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-puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal
s.- peculiar, perplexed, mystified, derisive a.- unequivocal, crystal- clear, unambiguous |
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rapacity
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-inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder
s.- avarice, cupidity, voraciousness a.- liberality, generosity, altruism |
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schism
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- a formal split in A religous organization; any division or seperation of a group or organization into hostile factions
s.- rift, breach a.- united front, reconciliation |
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therapeutic
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-having the power to heal or cure; beneficial
s.- curative, salutary, salubrious a.- harmful, injurious, deleterious |
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virtuoso
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-a brillant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; masterly or brillant
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affinity
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-a natural attraction to a person, thing, or activity; a relationship, connection
s.- inclination, penchant a.- distaste, aversion |
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billious
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-peevish or irritable; sickeningly inpleasant
s.- choleric, irascible, peevish, splenetic a.- sweet- tempered, genial, pleasant, delightful |
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cognate
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-closely related in orgin, essemtial nature or funtction; such a person or thing
s.- allied, affililated; relative a.- dissimilar, inrelated |
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corollary
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-a proposition that follows from one already proven ; a natural consequence or result; resultant or consequent
s.- deduction, conclusion a.- axiom, postulate, premise |
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cul-de- sac
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-a blind alley or dead end street; any situation in which furthur progress in impossible ; an impasse
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derring-do
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-valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heros)
s.- audacity, bravado, pyrotechnics a.- cowardice, timidity, poltroonery |
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divination
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-the art or act of prdicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge
s.- prophecy, augury |
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elixir
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- a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaning life indefinatley; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vechicle in medicines
s.- cure-all, nostrum, tonic |
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folderol
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-foolish talk, ideas, procedures, nonsense; a trifle
s.- hoopla, gibberish a.- sense, significance |
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gamut
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-an wntire range or series
s. scope, compass, sweep |
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hoi polloi
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- the common people, the masses
s.- rank and file a.- aristocracy, elite, upper class |
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ineffable
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- not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered
s.- inexpressiblt, indescribable |
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lucubration
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-alaborious study or thought, especially at night; the result of such work
s.- burning the midnight oil, deep thought |
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mnemonic
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-relating to or designed to assist the momory; a device to aid the memort
s.- reminder cue |
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obloquy
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-public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment
s.- discredit, opprobrium, ignominy, dishonor a.- praise, acclaim, approbation. |
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parameter
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-a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary
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pundit
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-a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions
s.- expert, authority, savant a.- layman, amateur, dilattante |
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risible
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-pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable
s.- droll ludicrous a.- depressing, poignant, heartrending |
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symptomatic
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-typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease
s.- indicative |
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volte-face
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-an about-face; a complete reversal
s.-turnabout |
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aficionado
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-an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan
s.- devotee, enthusiast |
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browbeat
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-to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully
s.- cow, coerce a.- coax, cajole, wheedle, sweet-talk |
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commensurate
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-equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measureable by the same standards
s.- comparable, corresponding, coordinate |
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diaphanous
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-very sheer and light; almost completely transparent
s.- tranlucent, gossamer a.- opaque, course, dense |
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emolument
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-profit derived from an office or position or from employment a fee or salary
s.- pay, wadges, compensation |
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foray
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-a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor; to make such a raid.
s.- sally, sortie, venture a.- retreat, strategic withdrawl |
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genre
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-a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition; a style of painting which everyday scenes are realistically depicted
s.- species, sort, school |
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homily
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-a sermon stressing moral principals; a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse
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immure
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-to enclose or confine with in walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate
s.- incarcerate, mew up a.- release, liberate, emancipate |
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insouciant
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-blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky
s.- nonchalant, blase, devil-may-care a.-worried, careworn, agitated, distraught |
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matrix
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-a mold; the surrounding situation or enviornment
s.-pattern, model |
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obsequies
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-funeral rites or ceremonies
s.- last rites, funeral services |
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panache
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-a confident and stylish manner, dash; a strikingly elaborate ot colorful display
s.- style, verve, elan, eclat, flamboyance |
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persona
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-a character in a novel or play; the outward characteristic or role that a person assumes
s.- personality, image, role |
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philippic
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-a bitter verbal attack
s.- harangue, tirade, diatribe a.- encomium, panegyric, tribute |
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prurient
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-having lustful desires or intrests; tending to arouse sexual desires
s.- lascivious, salscious, lewd, titillating a.-prudish, demure, innocent |
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sacrosanct
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-very sacred or holy; inviolable; set apart or immune from questioning or attack
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systemic
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of or pertaining to the entire body; relating to a system or systems
s.- extensive, comprhensive, system-wide a.- localize, specific, isolated, confined |
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tendentious
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-intended to promoet a particular point of view, docterine or cause; biased or partisan
s.- partial a.-fair, impartial, equitable, disinterested |
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vicissitude
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-a change, variation, or alteration; successive or changing phases or conditions
s.- fluctuation, vacillation a.- sameness, evenness |
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abortive
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-falling to accomplish an intended aim or purpose; only partially or imperfectly developed
s.-miscarried, fruitless, premature a.- successful, realized, consummated |
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contumelious
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-insolent or rude in speech or behavior; insultingly abusive; humiliating
s.- vitperative,scurrilous, excoriating a.- laudatory, commendatory, deferential |
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dictum
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-a short saying; an authoritative statement
s.- maxim, precept, aphorism, axiom |
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ensconce
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-to settle comfortably and firmly in position; to put or hide in a safe place
s.- nestle, lodge, entrench a.- unseat, displace, oust |
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iconoclastic
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-attacking or seeking to overthrow popilar or traditional beliefs, ideas, or institutions
s.- image-breaking, irreverent, heretical a.- orthodox, conservative, reverant |
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in medias res
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-in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things
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internectine
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-mutally destructive; characterized by great slaughter and bloodshed
s.- murderous, savage, ruinous a.- peaceful, harmonious, constructive |
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maladroit
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-lacking skill or dexterity; lacking tact, perception, or judgement
s.- inept, awkward, clumsy, gauche a.- skillful, dexterous, deft, tactful |
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maudlin
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-excessicley or effusively sentimental
s.- mushy, mawkish |
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modulate
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-to change or vary the intensity or pitch; temper or soften; to regulate, ajust
s.-adapt, moderate |
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portentous
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-forshadowing an event to come; causing wonder or awe; self-consciously weighty,pompous
s.- foreboding, ominous, pretentious a.- auspicious, propitious, encouraging |
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prescience
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-knowledge of events or actions before they happen, foresight
s.- forknowledge a.- hindsight |
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salubrious
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-conductive to health or well- beuing; wholesome
s.- beneficical, healthy, invigorating a.- harmful, unhealthy, deleterious, noxious |
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quid pro quo
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-something given in exchange or return for something else
s.-swap, trade |
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saturnalian
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-characterized by riotous or unrestrained reverlry or licentiousness
s.- dissipated, debauched, orgiastic a.- sedate,prim, decorous, seemly |
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touchstone
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- a means of testing worth or genuineness
s.-criterion, yardstick, benchmark |
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traumatic
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-so shocking to the emotions as to cause lasting and substantial psychological damage
s.- jolting a.-soothing, comforting, agreeable, pleasant |
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vitiate
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-to weaken, debase, or corrupt; to impair the quality or value of
s.- degrade, undermine a.- purify, fortify, stengthen, enhance |
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waggish
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-fond of making jokes; characteristics of a joker; playfully humorous or droll
s.-whimsical, jocular a.- serious, grave, grim, dour, humorless |
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abeyance
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a state of being temporarialy inactive, suspended or set aside.
s.- deferment, postponement, suspension |
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ambivalent
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-having opposite and conflicting feelings about someone or something
s.- equivocal, ambiguous, of 2 minds a.- unequivocal |
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belesguer
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- to sat upon from all sides; to surround with an army; to trouble, harass
s.- besiege, encircle, pester |
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carte blanche
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-full freedom or authority to act at on'e own discretion
s.- blank check, free rein |
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cataclysm
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-a sudden, violent, or devestation upheaval; surging flood, deluge
s.- disaster, catastrophe |
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debauch
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-to corrupt morally, seduce; to indulge to dissipation; an act or occasion of dissipation or vice
s.- carouse, spree,orgy a.- elevate, uplift, inspire, purify |
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eclat
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-dazzling or conspicuous success or aclaim; great brillance (of performance or achievement)
s.- celebrity a.- dullness, insipidity, mediocrity |
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fastidious
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-overly demanding or hard to please; excessively careful in regard to details; easily disgusted
s.- precise, meticulous, exacting, finicky a.- careless, sloppy, messy, untidy, slovenly |
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gambol
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-jump or skip anout playfully
s.- frolic, romp, cavort, caper a.- lumber, trudge, plod |
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inbue
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-to soak or stain thoroughly; to fill the mind
s.- infuse, instill, inculcate a.- remove, expunge, eradicate, erase |
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inchoate
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-just begining; not fully shaped or formed
s.- incipient, embryonic, rudimentary a.- mature, developed, complete |
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lampoon
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a malicous satire; to satirize ridicule
s.- burlesque, parody a.- compliment, flattery, homage. |
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malleable
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-capable of being formed into different shapes; capable of being altered, adapted, or influenced
s.- pliable, impresionable, adaptable a.- rigid, inflexible, unyielding, intractable |
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nemesis
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-an agent or force inflicting vengeance or punishment retribution itself; unbeatable rival
s.- comeuppance, avenger a.- guardian angel, ally, patron |
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opt
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-to make a choice or decision
s.- choose select, decide |
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philistine
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-lacking in , hostile to , or smugly indifferent to cultural and artistic values or refinments; such a person
s.- boorish, lowbrow, yahoo a.- refined, cultivated, esthete, high brow |
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picaresque
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-involving or characteristic of clever rogues or adventures
s.- rogish, rascally, rakish |
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queasy
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-nauseated or uneasy; causing nausea or uneasiness troubles
s.- unsettled a.- slam, untroubled, confident |
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refractory
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-stubborn; hard or difficulte to manage; not responsive to treatment or cure
s.- unruly, disobedient, willful, mulish a.- docile, tractable, dutiful, obedient |
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Savior faire
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-the abilty to say and do the right thing in any situation; social compentence
s.- tact, finesse, suavity, sophisticaton a.- tactlessness, gaucherie, boorishness |
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aberration
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-a departure from what is proper, right, expected or normal; a lapse from a sound mental state
s.- devation, anomaly, irregularity |
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ad hoc
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for this specific purpose; improvised; with respect to this
s.- makeshift a.- permanent, long standing |
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bane
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-the source or cause of fatal injury death, detruction or ruin; death or ruin itself; posion
s.-spoiler, bete, noire a.- blessing, comfort, solance, balm |
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bathos
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the intrusion of commonplace or trite material into a context whose tone is lofty or elevated; grossly insincere or exaggerated sentimentality; the lowest pahse, nadir; an anti climax, come down
s.- mawkishness, mush, schmaltz |
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cantankerous
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-ill-tempered, quarrelsome; difficult to get along or deal with
-cranky, testy, pevish, irascible, ornery a.- good natured, sweet tempered, genial |
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casuistry
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-the determination of right and wrong in questions of coduct or conscience by the application of general ethical principles; specious(false) argument
s.- sophistry, quibbling |
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de facto
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-actually existing or in effect, although not legally required or sanctioned, in reality actually
s.- in actuality, in point of fact a.- de jure, by right |
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depredation
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-the act of preying upon or plundering
s.- lootinh, pillage, outrage |
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empathy
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-a sympathetic understanging of or identification with the feelings , thoughts,or attitudes od someone or something else
s.- sympathy, compassion a.- insensitivity, callousness, detachment |
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harbinger
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-a fore runner, herald; to hearld the approach of
s.- precursor, presage a.- aftermath, epilogue, sequel |
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hedonism
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-the belief that the attainment od pleasure is lifes main aim; devoltion to or pursuit of pleasure
s.- pleasure seeking, sensuality, sybaritism a.- asceticcism, puritanism, self- denial |
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lackluster
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-lacking brillance or vitality; dull
s.- vapid, insipid, drab, flat a.- brillant, radiant, dazzling |
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malcontent
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discontented with or in open defiance of prevailing conditions; such a person
s.- dissatisfied, disgruntled; grumbler a.- satisfied, contented, complacent, smug |
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melliflous
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-flowing sweetly or smoothly; honeyed
s.- euphonious, musical a.- shrill strident, harch, grating |
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nepotism
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-undue favoritism to or excessive partonage of on'e relatives
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pander
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-to cater to or provide satisfaction for the low tastes or vices of others; a person who does this
s.- indulge, pimp, procurer |
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peccadillo
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-a minor sin offense; a trifling fault or short coming
s.- indiscretion a.- felony, mortal sin, enormity, atrocity |
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piece de resistance
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-the prinipal dish of a meal; the principal event; incident, or item; an outstanding accomplishment
s.- centerpiece, chefd'oeuvre a.-preliminary, hors d'oeuvre |
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remand
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-to send or order back; in law; to send back to jail or to a lower court
s.- remit, return a.- forward to, send on, release |
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syndrome
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-A group of symptoms or signs that collectivley characterize or indicate a disease, disorder, abnormality etc.
s.- complex, pattern |
