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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
adulterate
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(v.) to corrupt, make worse by the addition of something of lesser value
Synonyms: contaminate pollute sully Antonyms: purify, purge, expurgate Hospitals take strict precautions to assure that nothing adulterates the blood supply. |
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ambidextrous
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(adj.) able to use both hands equally well; very skillful; deceitful, hypocritical
Synonyms: versatile, facile Antonyms: clumsy, all thumbs, maladroit Occasionally a teacher will come across a child who displays ambidextrous abilities when taught to write. |
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augment
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(v.) to make larger, increase
Synonyms: enlarge, supplement, amplify Antonyms: decrease, diminish Many couples have to augment their income in order to pay the mortgage on a new home. |
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bereft
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(adj., part.) deprived of; made unhappy through a loss
Synonyms: bereaved Antonyms: replete, well provided Individuals who live to be very old may eventually find themselves completely bereft of friends and family. |
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deploy
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(v.) to position or arrange; to utilize; to form up
Synonyms: station, organize A bugle call is a signal used to deploy troops for inspection, parade, or battle. |
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dour
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(adj.) stern, unyielding, gloomy, ill-humored
Synonyms: harsh, bleak, forbidding, saturnine Antonyms: cheery, inviting, genial Dicken's Mr Gradgrind in the novel "Hard TImes" is an example of a character with a dour and sullen disposition. |
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fortitude
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(n.) courage in facing difficulties
Synonyms: resolve, steadfastness, mettle Antonyms: fearfulness, timidity, faintheartedness The residents of the Mississippi delta showed remarkable fortitude during and after the flood that destroyed their homes and businesses. |
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gape
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(v.) to stare with open mouth; to open them outh wide; to open wide
Synonyms: gawk, ogle First-time visitors to Niagara Falls can be expected to gape at the spectacular sights nature has provided for them. |
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gibe
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(v.) to utter taunting words; (n.) an expression of scorn
Synonyms: (v.) ridicule, mock, deride, jeer Antonyms: (n.) compliment, praise The recruits rushed into battle so that no one could gibe at them for cowardice. Voters may reject a candidate who resorts to personal gibe instead of discussing the issues. |
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guise
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(n.) an external appearance, cover, mask
Synonyms: costume, semblance, pretense The thieves gained entry to the home by presenting themselves in the guise of police officers. |
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insidious
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(adj.) intended to deceive or entrap; sly, treacherous
Synonyms: cunning, underhanded, perfidious Antonyms: frank, ingenuous, aboveboard The investigators uncovered an insidious scheme to rob people of their life savings. |
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intimation
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(n.) a hint, indirect suggestion
Synonyms: clue, indication, inkling They were too proud to give any intimation of their financial difficulties. |
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opulent
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(adj.) wealthy, luxurious; ample; grandiose
Synonyms: rich, lavish, plentiful, abundant Antonyms: poverty-stricken, wretched, destitute The tour guide showed us the opulent living quarters of the royal family. |
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pliable
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(adj.) easily bent, flexible; easily influenced
Synonyms:supple, adaptable, resilient Antonyms: rigid, inflexible, recalcitrant Spools of pliable copper wire are standard equipment for many kinds of maintenance, |
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reiterate
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(v.) to say again, repeat
Synonyms: restate, rehash, recapitulate Effective speakers often reiterate an important statement for emphasis. |
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stolid
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(adj.) not easily moved mentally or emotionally; dull, unresponsive
Synonyms: impassive, phlegmatic Antonyms: emotional, oversensative, high-strung Stolid people can generally be expected to take the most things in stride. |
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tentative
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(adj.) experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant
Synonyms: provisional, inconclusive Antonyms: definite, conclusive, confirmed Negotiators have come up with a tentative agreement that will keep both sides at the bargaining table past the strike deadline. |
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unkempt
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(adj.) not comber;untidy; not properly maintained; unpolished, rude
Synonyms: sloppy, disheveled, disordered, rough Antonyms: well-groomed, tidy, neat, natty According to my parents, the latest fashions make me and my friends look unkempt. |
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verbatim
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(adj., adv.) word for word; exactly as written or spoken
Synonyms: (adj.) exact; (adv.) precisely Antonyms: (adj.) paraphrased Newspapers often publish the verbatim text of an important political speech. At the swearing-in ceremony, the Chief Justice reads each line of the Oath of Office, and the new President repeats it verbatim. |
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warily
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(adv.) cautiously, with great care
Synonyms: carefully, prudently, gingerly Antonyms: recklessly, heedlessly, incautiously The hikers made their way warily up the steep and rocky hill. |