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297 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Acuity
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sharpness (mental or visual)
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Braggart
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someone who boasts
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Debunking
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exposing false claims or myths
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Epitomized
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typified, characterized, personified
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Hidebound
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rigid in opinions
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Languish
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decay, fade away, get weaker
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Obesquious
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servile, submissive
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Polemical
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causing debate or argument
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Restorative
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a tonic
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Thwart
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prevent, frustrate
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Adamant
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forceful, inflexible
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Brawny
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muscular
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Decathlon
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an athletic competition with ten events
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Equivocate
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speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth
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Hieroglyphics
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picture writing; writing difficult to read; enigmatic
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Acrid
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sharp, pungent (used of smells and tastes)
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Boorish
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ill-mannered
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Cynical
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believing that people act only out of selfish motives
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Epistle
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a letter (form of communication)
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Heresy
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against orthodox opinion
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Lance
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spear, spike, javelin
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Obscure
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difficult to understand, partially hidden
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Poignant
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deeply moving, strongly affecting the emotions
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Respite
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a break, intermission
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Terse
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concise, to the point
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Acrophobia
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fear of heights
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Bourgeois
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middle class
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Debility
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weakness, incapacity
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Epistolary
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concerned with letters, through correspondence
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Hiatus
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interruption, pause
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Languid
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tired, slow
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Obscured
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hidden, covered, buried
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Poised
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calm, collected. self-possessed
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Resplendent
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shining, glowing
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Theraputic
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medicinal, curative
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Brevity
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briefness or conciseness in speech or writing
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Concise
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using few words in speaking and writing
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Laconic
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using few words in speech
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Pithy
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brief and full of meaning and substance;concise
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Quiescent
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quiet; still; inactive
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Reticent
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not talking much; reserved
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succinct
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clearly and briefly stated; consice
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Taciturn
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silent; sparing of words; close-mouthed
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Terse
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using only the words that are needed to make the point; very concise, sometimes to the point of rudeness
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Bombastic
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using language in a pompous, showy way; speaking to impress others
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Circumlocution
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speaking in circles; roundabout speech
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Colloquial
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pertaining to common everyday speech; conversational
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Diffuse
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spread out, not concise; wordy
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Digress
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to wander off from the subject or topic spoken about
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Eloquence
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artful ease with speaking; speech that can impact people's feelings
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Garrulous
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talkative; loquacious
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Grandiloquent
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using big fancy words when speaking for the purpose of impressing others
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Loquacious
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very talkative; liking to talk; garrulous
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Prattle
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to speak on and on in a senseless and silly manner; to talk foolishly
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Ramble
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to talk on and on pointlessly, without clear direction
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Rant
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to talk very loudly, even wildly
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Rhetorical
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relating to speech that is used to persuade or have some effect; insincere in expression
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Larceny
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theft, robbery, stealing
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Obsession
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a dominating concern
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Ponderous
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weighty, slow and heavy
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Retention
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preservation, withholding
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Timorous
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cowardly,fearful
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Adroit
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skillful
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Brevity
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being brief
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Decorum
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dignified, decent, correct behaviour (adj. Decorous)
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Err
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make a mistake
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Hinder
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obstruct
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Largess
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generosity
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Obsolete
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no longer valid
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Pontificate
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speak pompously, dogmatically
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Reticent
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restrained, holding something back, uncommunicative
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Tirade
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stream of verbal abuse
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Adulation
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strong admiration, worship
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Bristle
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to show irritation
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Decoy
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lure, trap, trick
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Erratic
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wandering, irregular
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Histrionic
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theatrical, exaggerated
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Laud
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praise
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Obstreperous
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noisy and boisterous
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Portend
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foretell
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Retrication
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withdrawal, cancellation of a statement
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Titter
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giggle quietly
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Adversity
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hardship
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Broach
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start to discuss, approach
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Deference
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respect
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Esoteric
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obscure and difficult to understand
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Hoary
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old
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Lavish
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on a grand scale, wasteful
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Obtuse
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mentally dull
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Portent
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a warning sign, omen
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Revere
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worship
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Tome
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large book
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Advocate
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support
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Brusque
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blunt, abrupt
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Defoliate
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cause leaves to fall off
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Espouse
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promote, take up, support
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Hone
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sharpen, increase, whet
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Lax
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careless, not strict
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Obviate
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avoid, make unnecessary
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Poseur
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someone who puts on an act
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Riddled
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full of (usually full of holes)
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Torpid
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inactive, lazy, stagnant
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Aesthetic
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concerning art or beauty
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Bulwark
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fortification, barricade, wall
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Defunct
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no longer in existence
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Etymology
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the study of word origins
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Hyperbole
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grossly exaggerated speech
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Legend
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1) key to map 2) myth or story
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Odious
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hateful
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Posterity
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future generations
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Rife
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common
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Torpor
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dormancy, sluggishness, inactivity
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Affable
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friendly, social, easygoing
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Bureaucracy
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officiadom
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Degradation
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deprivation, poverty, debasement
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Eulogy
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praise
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Hypochondriac
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a person obsessed with health; having imaginery illnesses
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Legion
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in large numbers
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Officious
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domineering; instrusive; meddlesome
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Posthumous
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after death
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Rigor
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thoroughness
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Totter
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walk unsteadily
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Alacrity
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eagerness, enthusiam, quickness
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Burgeon
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grow, flourish, put forth new shoots
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Deleterious
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harmful
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Euphemism
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a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant
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Hypocritical
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insincere
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Lethargic
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tired, without energy
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Ogle
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stare at, observe in an obvious manner
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Postulate
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hypothesize, propsose
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Robust
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strong, healthy, tough
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Tractable
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obendient, dutiful, polite
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Alchemy
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medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold
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Burnish
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polish
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Deliberate
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to think over deeply
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Euphony
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pleasant sounds
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Iconoclast
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person who opposes orthodoxy
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Levity
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flippancy, joking about serious matters
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Olfactory
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concerned with the sense of smell
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Potable
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suitable for drinking
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Rotund
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round
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Tranquil
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peaceful
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Alibi
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an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene
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Buttress
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strengthen, support
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Delineation
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demarcation, explanation, definition, outlining
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Evacuate
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vacate, empty, abandon
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Idiosyncracy
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a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual
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Libertarian
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someone who opposes tyranny
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Ominous
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threating
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Potent
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powerful, compelling, strong
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Ruminate
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think over something, ponder
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Transcribe
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copy
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Allay
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to lessen
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Byline
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the line that tell you who wrote an article
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Demur
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hesitate, refuse
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Exacerbate
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make worse
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Ignominious
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shameful
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Liniment
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soothing lotion
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Omnipotent
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all-powerful
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Pragmatic
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practical
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Ruse
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trick, stratagem
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Transgress
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go astray, disobey, commit a sin
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Alleviate
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make less servere
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Cacophony
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discordant loud noises
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Denounce
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condem, speak out against
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Exasperate
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frustrated, annoyed
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Ignominy
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shame (adj. ignominious means shameful)
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Lithe
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flexable, supple
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Omniscient
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all-knowing
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Pragmatist
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concerned with usefullness
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Saccharin
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falsely sweet
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Transient
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short-lived, ephemeral
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Aloof
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distant, detached, cold
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Cajole
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coax
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Deplete
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use up, lessen
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Exceptionable
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very bad (something which we should object to)
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Illuminate
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to light up or make clear
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Livid
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very angry
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Onerous
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burdensome, hard to undertake
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Preamble
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introductory material
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Sacrosanct
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very holy, hard to undertake
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Traverse
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cross
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Altruism
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putting others first, being self-sacrificing
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Caldron
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huge cooking pot
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Deplore
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regret
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Exculpate
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free someone from blame, pardon, acquit
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Illusory
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deceptive, false, misleading
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Lobbyist
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tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause
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Onus
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burden
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Precarious
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unstable, risky
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Sagacious
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wise
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Trepidation
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fear
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Amass
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accumulate
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Callow
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immature
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Depravity
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moral corruption
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Execrable
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very, very bad
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Immoderate
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excessive, extreme, flattering
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Lofty
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snooty, arrogant, haughty
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Opaque
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does not let light through
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Precedent
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a previous occurence used as a guide
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Sage
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a wise person
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Trinket
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something of little value, knick-knack
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Ambiguity
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uncertainly, vagueness
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Candid
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frank, honest
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Deprecate
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criticize, denounce
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Exegesis
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scholarly explanation or interpretation
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Immutable
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unchanging, permanent
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Amass
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accumulate
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Callow
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immature
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Depravity
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moral corruption
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Execrable
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very, very bad
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Immoderate
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excessive, extreme, flattering
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Lofty
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snooty, arrogant, haughty
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Opaque
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does not let light through
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Precedent
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a previous occurence used as a guide
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Sage
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a wise person
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Trinket
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something of little value, knick-knack
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Ambiguity
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uncertainly, vagueness
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Candid
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frank, honest
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Deprecate
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criticize, denounce
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Exegesis
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scholarly explanation or interpretation
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Immutable
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unchanging, permanent
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Longevity
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long life
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Opulent
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wealthy, rich, magnificent
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Precept
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guiding principle
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Salacious
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lecherous, erotic
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Trite
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unoriginal, dull
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Ambiguous
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unclear in meaning, can be interpreted in different ways
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Candor
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frankness, openess
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Deride
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ridicule, make fun of, mock
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Exemplary
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outstandingly good, setting a fine example
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Impartial
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unbiased, neutral
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Loquacious
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talkative
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Ordain
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destine; confer holy orders on a priest
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Precinct
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district of a city
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Sallow
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yellowish
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Trivial
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unimportant
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Ambivalence
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lack of clarity, wavering, being indecided
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Cantankerous
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bad-tempered, quarrelsome
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Derogatory
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uncomplimentary
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Exemplify
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to serve as a good example
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Imecunious
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having no money
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Lucid
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clear
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Ornate
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highly decorated
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Precipice
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steep slope
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Salubrious
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health-giving
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Truant
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shirker, someone absent without permission
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Ambulatory
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able to walk around (used of hospital patients)
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Capacious
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spacious
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Desecrate
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to damage or pollute a holy place
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Exhaustive
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complete and throrough
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Impious
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wicked, profane
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Ludicrous
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ridiculous, silly
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Orthodox
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conventional
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Precipitous
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done in a hurry
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Salutary
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something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial
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Truncate
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cut short
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Ameliorate
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make better
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Capitulate
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surrender, give in to
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Desercration
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spoiling something holy
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Exonerates
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acquits, absolves, removes blame
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Impoverished
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destitute, poor
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Lukewarm
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unenthusiastic; neither hot nor cold
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Ossify
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turn to bone, become fixed and rigid
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Preclude
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prevent or make impossible
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Sanctimonious
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hypocritically holy
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Tumult
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uproar, noise
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Amelioration
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improvement
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Carping
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constant criticism
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Desist
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stop, discontinue, cease
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Exorcism
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getting free/rid of, eliminating (especially demons)
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Impromptu
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unrehearsed, spontaneous
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Lummox
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clumsy person
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Ostentatious
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showy
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Precocious
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developing early
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Sanction
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give approval to
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Turpitude
|
depravity
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Amiable
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friendly
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Cartographer
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person who makes maps
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Despondent
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having no hope, miserable
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Expatriate
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refugee, emigrant, someone living away from his own country
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Inadvertent
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not intentional
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Luscious
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juicy, moist, succulent
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Oust
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push out of position
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Predecessor
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one who came before
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Sanguinary
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bloodthirsty, bloody
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Tyro
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novice, beginner
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Amity
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friendship
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Castigate
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scold strongly
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Destitution
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hardship, poverty, misery
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Expedient
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convenient, practical
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Incantation
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chant, invocation, prayer
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Lynch
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assassinate, kill, illegal hanging
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Overt
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obvious, not hidden
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Predicament
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dilemma; difficult situation
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Sanguine
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optimistic, cheerful
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Ubiquitous
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found everywhere, omnipresent
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