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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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Accost
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(v) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
syn: buttonhole, approach, confront ant: evade, avoid, shun |
The nobleman was _____ by beggars on his way to the castle.
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Animadversion
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(n) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
Syn: Rebuke, reproof ant: Praise, compliment |
The inexperienced filmmaker was disheartened by the ___ of the film critic.
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Avid
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(adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager
Syn: Keen, enthusiastic, grasping Ant: Reluctant, indifferent, unenthusiastic |
Most writers are also ____ readers who have loved books since childhood.
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brackish
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(adj.) Having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink
Syn: Briny, saline Ant: reluctant, indifferent, unenthusiastic |
the shipwrecked passengers adrift on the lifeboat became ill after drinking the ____ water
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celerity
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(n.) Swiftness, rapidity of motion of action
syn: promptness, alacrity, speed Ant: slowness, sluggishness, dilatoriness |
Although the heavy snowfall was not expected, the highway department responded with surprising ____.
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devious
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(adj.) Straying or wandering fro ma straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way
syn: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful Ant: Direct, straightforward, open, above |
the interrogator used ____ methods to try to get the suspect to incriminate himself.
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gambit
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(n) in chess, an opening move that involves risks or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type
syn: Ploy, stratagem, ruse, maneuver |
Asking an interesting stranger about his or her job is a popular party _____.
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halcyon
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(n) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent
syn: tranquil, serene, placid, palmy ant: turbulent, chaotic, tumultuous |
The teacher read the legend of the ___ a mythic bird that nested in the calm sea.
The woman often spoke of the ___ days of t her childhood. |
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histrionic
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(adj.) pertaining to actors in their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
syn: affected, stagy ant: low-keyed, muted, nontheatrical, subdued |
Upon receiving his award, the young actor gave a ___ speech.
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incendiary
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(adj.) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n.) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife
syn: (adj) inflammatory, provocative, (n) firebrand ant: (adj) soothing, quieting, (n) peacemaker |
The arsonist planted an ____ device in the basement of the store
the radical ____ was sentenced to life imprisonment |
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Maelstrom
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(n) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction
syn: vortex, chaos, turbulence, tumult |
Many innocent people caught in the ___ of the revolution lost their lives and property.
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Myopic
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(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
syn: shortsighted ant: farsighted |
The ____ foreign policy of the last administration has led to serious problems with out allies.
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Overt
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(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized
syn: clear, obvious, manifest, patent ant: secret, clandestine, covert, concealed |
In order for Congress to declare war, the President must demonstrate an ____ threat
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Pejorative
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(adj) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling
ant: complimentary, ameliorative |
The lawyer was accused of making a ____ remark when referring to the defendant's background.
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Propriety
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(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable
syn: fitness, correctness, decorum ant: unseemliness, inappropriateness |
The social worker questioned the ___ of the police's request to see confidential records.
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sacrilege
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(n) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred
syn: desecration, profanation, defilement |
The anthropologist was accused of committing a ___ when she disturbed an ancient burial ground
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Summarily
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(adv) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely
syn: promptly, peremptorily, abruptly |
As soon as there was evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the official was ___ ousted from his post
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suppliant
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(adj) asking humbly and earnestly; (n) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor
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he made a ____ address to the parole board.
Stranded in the deserted city of Moscow, Napoleon had to turn to the Czar not as a conqueror but as a ____ |
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talisman
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(n) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish
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Most people do not believe that rabbit's feet and other ___ actually bring good luck
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undulate
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(v) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form
syn: ripple, fluctuate, rise and fall |
The baseball fans began to ____ as they cheered, so that they appeared to move in a wave.
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