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100 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abbreviate
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to shorten, abridge
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abstinence
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the act of refraining from pleasurable activity, e.g., eating or drinking
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adulation
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high praise
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adversity
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misfortune, an unfavorable turn of events
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aesthetic
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pertaining to beauty or the arts
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amicable
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friendly, agreeable
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anachronistic
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out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period
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anecdote
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short, usually funny account of an event
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anonymous
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nameless, without a disclosed identity
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antagonist
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foe, opponent, adversary
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arid
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extremely dry or deathly boring
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assiduous
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persistent, hard-working
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asylum
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sanctuary, shelter, place of refuge
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benevolent
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friendly and helpful
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camaraderie
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trust, sociability among friends
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censure
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to criticize harshly
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circuitous
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indirect, taking the longest route
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clairvoyant
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exceptionally insightful, able to foresee the future
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collaborate
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to cooperate, work together
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compassion
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sympathy, helpfulness or mercy
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compromise
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to settle a dispute by terms agreeable to both sides
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condescending
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possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing
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conditional
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depending on a condition, e.g., in a contract
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conformist
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person who complies with accepted rules and customs
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congregation
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a crowd of people, an assembly
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convergence
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the state of separate elements joining or coming together
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deleterious
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harmful, destructive, detrimental
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demagogue
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leader, rabble-rouse, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice
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digression
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the act of turning aside, straying from the main point, especially in a speech or argument
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diligent
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careful and hard-working
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discredit
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to harm the reputation of, dishonor or disgrace
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disdain
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to regard with scorn or contempt
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divergent
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separating, moving in different directions from a particular point
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empathy
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identification with the feelings of others
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emulate
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to imitate, follow an example
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enervating
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weakening, tiring
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enhance
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to improve, bring to a greater level of intensity
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ephemeral
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momentary, transient, fleeting
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evanescent
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quickly fading, short-lived, especially an image
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exasperation
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irritation, frustration
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exemplary
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outstanding, an example to others
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extenuating
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excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g., of mitigating factors
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florid
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red-colored, flushed; gaudy, ornate
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fortuitous
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happening by luck, fortunate
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frugal
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thrifty, cheap
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hackneyed
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cliched, worn out by overuse
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haughty
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arrogant and condescending
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hedonist
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person who pursues pleasure as a goal
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hypothesis
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assumption, theory requiring proof
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impetuous
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rash, impulsive, acting without thinking
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impute
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to attribute an action to a particular person or group
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incompatible
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opposed in nature, not able to live or work together
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inconsequential
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unimportant, trivial
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inevitable
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certain, unavoidable
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integrity
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decency, honesty, wholeness
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intrepid
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fearless, adventurous
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intuitive
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instinctive, untaught
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jubilation
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celebration, exultation
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lobbyist
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person who seeks to influence political events
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longevity
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long life
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mundane
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ordinary, commonplace
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nonchalant
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calm, casual, seeming unexcited
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novice
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apprentice, beginner
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opulent
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wealthy
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orator
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lecturer, speaker
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ostentatious
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showy, displaying wealth
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parched
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dried up, shriveled
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perfidious
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faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy
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precocious
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unusually advanced or talented at an early age
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pretentious
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pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured
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procrastinate
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to unnecessarily delay, postpone, put off
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prosaic
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relating to prose; dull, commonplace
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prosperity
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wealth or success
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provocative
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tending to provoke a response, e.g., anger or disagreement
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prudent
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careful, cautious
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querulous
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complaining, irritable
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rancorous
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bitter, hateful
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reclusive
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preferring to live in isolation
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reconciliation
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the act of agreement after a quarrel, the resolution of a dispute
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renovation
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repair, making something new again
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resilient
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quick to recover, bounce back
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restrained
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controlled, repressed, restricted
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reverence
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worship, profound respect
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sagacity
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wisdom
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scrutinize
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to observe carefully (or to feel overly examined)
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spontaneity
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impulsive action, unplanned events
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spurious
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lacking authenticity, false
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submissive
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tending to meekness, to submit to the will of others
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substantiate
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to verify, confirm, provide supporting evidence
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subtle
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hard to detect or describe; perceptive
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superficial
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shallow, lacking in depth
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superfluous
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extra, more than enough, redundant
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suppress
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to end an activity, e.g., to prevent the dissemination of information
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surreptitious
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secret, stealthy
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tactful
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considerate, skillful in acting to avoid offense to others
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tenacious
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determined, keeping a firm grip on
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transient
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temporary, short-lived, fleeting
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venerable
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respected because of age
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vindicate
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to clear from blame or suspicion
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wary
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careful, cautious
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