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180 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abate
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reduce in amount, degree, severity
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abscond
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leave secretly
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abstain
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choose not to do something
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abyss
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extremely deep hole
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adulterate
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make impure
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advocate
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speak in favor of
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aesthetic
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concerning the appreciation of beauty
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aggrandize
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to increase in influence, power, reputation
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alleviate
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make more bearable
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amalgamate
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to combine
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ambiguous
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doubtful, uncertain, able to interpret several ways
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ameliorate
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make better
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anachronism
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something out of place in time
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analogous
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similar or alike
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anomaly
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deviation from normal
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antagonize
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to annoy/provoke in anger
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antipathy
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extreme dislike
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apathy
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lack of interest/emotion
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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, old fashioned
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ardor
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intense passionate feeling
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articulate
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able to speak clearly, expressively
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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 in force, to weaken
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audacious
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fearless, daring
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austere
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severe or stern in appearance
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banal
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predictable, cliched, boring
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bolster
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to support, prop up
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bombastic
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pompous in speech and manner
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cacophany
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harsh, jarring noise
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candid
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impartial and honest in speech
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capricious
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changing ones mind quickly and often
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castigate
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to punish/criticize harshly
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catalyst
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something that brings about a change in something else
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caustic
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biting in wit
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chaos
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disorder/confusion
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chauvinist
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someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
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chicanery
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deception by means of craft or guile
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cogent
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convincing/well reasoned
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condone
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to overlook, pardon, disregard
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convoluted
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intricate, complicated
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corroborate
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provide supporting evidence
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credulous
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too trusting/gullible
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crescendo
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steadily increasing volume
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decorum
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appropriateness of behaviour or conduct
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deference
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respect, courtesy
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deride
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to mock, treat with contempt
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dessicate
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to dry out
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desultory
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disconnected
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diatribe
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abusive, condemnary speech
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diffident
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lacking self-confidence
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dilate
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make larger/expand
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dilatory
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intended to delay
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dillettante
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someone with amateurist and superficial interest in a topic
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dirge
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funeral hymn/mournful speech
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disabuse
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to set right/free from error
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discern
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to percieve/recognize
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disparate
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fundamentally different/unlike
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dissemble
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to present a false appearance, to disguise ones real intentions
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dissonance
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harsh/disagreeable combinations ie sounds
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dogma
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firmly held opinion
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dogmatic
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dictatorial in ones opinions
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dupe
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to decieve
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eclectic
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selecting from/made from a variety of sources
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efficacy
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effectiveness
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elegy
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sorrowful poem/speech
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eloquent
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persuasive and moving, in speech
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emulate
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copy/equal/excel
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enervate
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reduce in strength
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engender
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produce/cause/bring about
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enigma
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puzzle, mystery
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enumerate
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to count, list, itemize
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ephemeral
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short lived
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equivocate
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use expressions of double meanings to mislead
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erratic
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wandering/unpredictable
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erudite
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learned, scholarly, bookish
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esoteric
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known/understood by 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 word or phrase in place of a distaseful one
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exacerbate
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to make worse
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exculpate
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to clear from blame/prove innocent
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exigent
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urgent/requiring immediate actiosn
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exonerate
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clear of blame
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explicit
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clearly stated/shown
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fanatical
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acting excessively enthusiastic
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fawn
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grovel
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fervid
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emotional, feverish
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florid
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excessively decorated/embellished
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foment
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to arouse/incite
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frugality
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thrifty/cheap
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garrulous
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tending to talk a lot
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gregarious
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outgoing, sociable
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guile
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deciet, trickery
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gullible
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easily decieved
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homogeneous
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similar kind
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iconoclast
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one who opposed established beliefs, customs, institutions
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imperturbable
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not capable of being disturbed
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impervious
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incapable of being 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/made peaceful
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inchoate
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not fully formed/disorganised
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ingenuous
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showing innocence or childlike simplicity
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inimical
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hostile, unfriendly
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innocuous
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harmless
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insipid
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lacking interest or flavour
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intransigent
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uncompromising/refusing to be reconciled
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inundate
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to overwhelm/cover with water
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irascible
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easily made angry
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laconic
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using few words
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lament
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to express sorrow/grieve
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laud
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to glorify/give praise
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lavish
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give sparingly/extravagent
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lethargic
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acting sluggish/indifferent
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loquacious
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talkative
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lucid
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clear/easily understood
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luminous
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bright/brilliant/glowing
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malinger
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to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
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malleable
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capable of being shaped
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metaphor
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figure of speech/symbol
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meticulous
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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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soften/lessen
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mollify
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to calm/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/experience
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obdurate
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resistant to persuasion
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obsequious
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overly submissive/easy to please
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obstinate
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stubborn/unyeilding
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obviate
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to prevent/make unnecessary
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occlude
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prevent passage of/stop up
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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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contradiction/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 ones trust
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perfunctory
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done in a routine way/indifferent
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permeate
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penetrate
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philanthropy
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charity/desire to promote goodness
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placate
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soothe/pacify
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plastic
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able to be molded, bent
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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/bring about abruptly
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prevaricate
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to lie/deviate from the truth
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pristine
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fresh/clean/uncorrupted
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prodigal
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lavish, wasteful
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proliferate
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increase in number quickly
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propritiate
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to appease
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propriety
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correct behaviour, obedience to rules and customs
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prudence
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wisdom, caution, constraint
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pungent
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sharp, 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/sparser
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repudiate
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to reject validity of
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reticent
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silent, reserved
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rhetoric
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effective writing/speaking
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satiate
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to satisfy fully
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soporific
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causing sleep/lethargy
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specious
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deceptively attractive/plausable but fallacious
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stigma
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a mark or shame of discredit
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stolid
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unemotional/insensitive
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sublime
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lofty/grand
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tacit
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done with out 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
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torpor
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extreme mental, physical sluggishness
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transitory
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temporary/lasting a brief time
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vacillate
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sway physically/undecisive
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venerate
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respect deeply
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veracity
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filled with truth, accuracy
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verbose
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wordy
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vex
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annoy
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volatile
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easily aroused, explosive
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waver
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fluctuate between choices
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whimsical
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acting in fanciful, capricious manner/unpredictable
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zeal
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passion/excitement
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