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180 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abate
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to reduce in amount
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abscond
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to leave secretly
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abstain
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to choose not to do something
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abyss
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an extremely deep hole
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aesthetic
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concerning the appreciation of beauty
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advocate
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to speak in favor of
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aggrandize
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to increase in power
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aldulterate
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to corrupt
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ambiguous
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doubtful or uncertain
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amalgamate
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to combine and mix together
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alleviate
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to make more bearable
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apathy
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lack of emotion
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antipathy
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extreme dislike
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antagonize
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to annoy or provoke
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anomaly
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deviation from what is normal
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analogous
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similar or alike in some way
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anachronism
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something out of place in time
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ameliorate
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to make better/improve
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arbitrate
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to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
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archaic
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ancient
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ardor
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intense and passionate
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articulate
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able to speak clearly
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assuage
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to make something unpleasant less severe
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attenuate
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to reduce or weaken
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audacious
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fearless, daring
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austere
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severe in appearance
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banal
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predictable, boring
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bolster
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support, prop up
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bombastic
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pompous in speech and manner
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cacophony
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harsh noise
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candid
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impartial and honest
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capricious
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changing one's mind quickly
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castigate
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to punish
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caustic
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biting in wit
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catalyst
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something that brings about change in something else
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chaos
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great confusion
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chauvinist
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someone prejudiced
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chicanery
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deception by means of craft (guile)
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crescendo
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steadily increasing volume
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credulous
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too trusting, gullible
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corroborate
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to provide supporting evidence
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convoluted
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intricate and complicated
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condone
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to overlook, pardon, disregard
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cogent
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convincing, well reasoned
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decorum
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appropriateness of behavior
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deference
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respect, courtesy
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deride
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to mock, speak with contempt
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desultory
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jumping from one thing to another (disconnected)
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desiccate
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to dry out thoroughly
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diatribe
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an abusive, condemnatory speech
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dilate
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to make larger, to expand
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diffident
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lacking self confidence
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dilatory
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intended to delay
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dilettante
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someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
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dirge
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a funeral hymn
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disabuse
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to set right; to free from error
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discern
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to perceive, to recognize
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disparate
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fundamentally different
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dissemble
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to present a false appearance
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dissonance
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a harsh and disagreeable combination
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dogma
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a firmly held opinion
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dogmatic
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dictorial in one's opinion
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dupe
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to deceive a person who is easily deceived
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eclectic
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made up from a variety of sources
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efficacy
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effectiveness
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elegy
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a sorrowful poem, speech
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eloquent
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persuasive and moving (in a speech)
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emulate
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to copy, to try to equal or excel
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enervate
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to reduce in strength
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engender
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to produce, cause or bring about
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enigma
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a puzzle, a mystery
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enumerate
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to count, list
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ephemeral
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lasting a short time
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equivocate
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use expressions of double meaning to mislead
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erratic
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wandering and unpredictable
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erudite
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learned, scholarly, bookish
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esoteric
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known or understood only by a few
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estimable
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admirable
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eulogy
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speech in praise of someone
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euphemism
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use of an inoffensive work, phrase in place of a more distasteful one
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exacerbate
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to make worse
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exculpate
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prove innocent
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exigent
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urgent
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exonerate
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to clear of blame
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explicit
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clearly stated or shown
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fanatical
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acting excessively enthusiastic
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fawn
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to grovel
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fervid
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intensely emotional
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florid
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excessively decorated
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foment
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to arouse
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frugality
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thrifty
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garrulous
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talk a lot
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gregarious
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outgoing
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guile
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deceit, trickery
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gullible
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easily deceived
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homogenous
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of a similar kind
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iconoclast
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one who opposes established beliefs, customs and institutions
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imperturbable
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not capable of being disturbed
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impervious
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impossible to penetrate, cannot be affected
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impetuous
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quick to act without thinking
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implacable
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unable to be calmed down
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inchoate
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disorganized
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ingenuous
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showing childlike innocence
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inimical
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unfriendly, hostile
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innocuous
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harmless
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insipid
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lacking interest
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intransigent
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uncompromising
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inundate
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to overwhelm
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irascible
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easily made angry
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laconic
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using a few words
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lament
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to express sorrow
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laud
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to give praise
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lavish
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extremely generous
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lethargic
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acting slow, sluggish
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loquacious
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talkative
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lucid
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clear and easily understood
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luminous
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bright, brilliant, glowing
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malinger
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evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
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malleable
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changeable
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metaphor
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a figure of speech comparing two different things
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meticulous
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extremely careful about details
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misanthrope
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a person who dislikes others
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mitigate
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to soften, to lessen
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mollify
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to calm or make less severe
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monotony
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lack of variation
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naive
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lacking sophistication or experience
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obdurate
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hardening in feeling, resistant to persuasion
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obsequious
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overly submissive, eager to please
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obstinate
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stubborn, unyielding
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obviate
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to prevent (unnecessary)
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occlude
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to stop up, prevent passage
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onerous
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troublesome, burdensome
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opaque
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impossible to see through
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opprobrium
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public disgrace
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ostentation
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excessive showiness
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paradox
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dilemma
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paragon
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model of excellence/perfection
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pedant
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someone who shows off learning
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perfidious
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willing to betray one's trust
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perfunctory
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done in a routine way
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permeate
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penetrate
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philantropy
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charity
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placate
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soothe, pacify
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plastic
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able to be molded
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plethora
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excess
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pragmatic
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practical as opposed to idealistic
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precipitate
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to throw violently or bring about abruptly
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prevaricate
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to lie
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pristine
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fresh and clean, uncorrupted
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prodigal
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lavish, wasteful
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proliferate
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to increase in number quickly
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propitiate
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to conciliate, to appease
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propriety
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correct behavior
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prudence
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wisdom, caution, restraint
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pungent
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sharp and irritating to senses
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quiescent
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motionless
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rarefy
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to make thinner, or sparser
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repudiate
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to reject the validity of
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reticent
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silent, reserved
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rhetoric
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effective writing or speaking
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satiate
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to staisfy fully, overindulge
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soporific
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causing sleep or lethargy
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specious
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deceptively attractive
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stigma
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a mark of shame or discredit
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stolid
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unemotional
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sublime
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lofty or grand
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tacit
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done without using words
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taciturn
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silent, not talkative
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tirade
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long, harsh speech or verbal attack
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torpor (torpid)
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extreme mental and physical sluggishness
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transitory (transient)
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temporary, lasting a brief time
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vacillate
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to swap physically, to be indecisive
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venerate
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to respect deeply
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veracity
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filled with truth and accuracy
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verbose
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wordy
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vex (vexation)
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to annoy
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volatile
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easily aroused or changeable
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waver
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to fluctuate between choices
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whimsical
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acting in a fanciful manner
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zeal (zealous)
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passion, excitement
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