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330 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Factious |
(adj.) causing disagreement |
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Ignoble |
(adj.) dishonorable, shameful |
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boor |
(n.) a rude or impolite person |
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aegis |
(n.) a shield; protection |
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perspicacity |
(n.) keenness of judgement |
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fervent |
(adj.) eager; earnest |
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rectify |
(v.) to correct; make right |
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enervate |
(v.) to weaken |
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besiege |
(v.) to overwhelm; to surround and attack |
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ephemeral |
(adj.) lasting only a brief time; short-lived |
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altruism |
(n.) a concern for others; generosity |
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carrion |
(n.) decaying flesh |
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erotic |
(adj.) pertaining to sexual love |
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amorphus |
(adj.) shapeless, formless, vague |
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opulent |
(adj.) rich, luxurious; wealthy |
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fus- or fun- |
"melt" or "pour out" |
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-ion |
"the act of" |
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grad- or gress- |
"step" or "go" |
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-el |
"little" |
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con- |
"together" |
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di-, dif-, and dis- |
"apart" |
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e- |
"out" or "from" |
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impotent |
(adj.) powerless; lacking strength |
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antithesis |
(n.) an exact opposite; an opposite extreme |
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maelstrom |
(n.) whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind |
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emendation |
(n.) a correction |
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chagrin |
(n.) embarrassment; a complete loss of courage |
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bauble |
(n.) a showy but useless thing |
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diaphanous |
(adj.) very sheer and light |
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labyrinth |
(n.) a complicated network of winding passages; a maze |
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gloat |
(v.) to look at or think about with great satisfaction |
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impediment |
(n.) a barrier; obstruction |
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bestial |
(adj.) savage; brutal |
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effete |
(adj.) worn out; barren |
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shard |
(n.) a fragment |
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bland |
(adj.) mild; tasteless; dull |
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nihilism |
(n.) a total rejection of established laws
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somn- |
"sleep" |
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pot- |
"to drink" |
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vac- |
"empty" |
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sid- |
"to sit" or "to settle" |
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e- |
"out" or "completely" |
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in- |
"not" |
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dis- |
"not" or "apart" |
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pre- |
"before" or "in front of" |
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pedestrian |
(adj.) ordinary or dull |
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bona fide |
(adj.) in good faith |
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adventitious |
(adj.) accidental; nonessential |
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fecund |
(adj.) fertile; productive |
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deviate |
(v.) to turn aside from a course; to stray |
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obfuscate |
(v.) to confuse; to bewilder |
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impale |
(v.) to pierce with a sharp stake through the body |
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extenuate |
(v.) to lessen seriousness by providing partial excuses |
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parochial |
(adj.) local; narrow; limited |
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glower |
(v.) to stare angrily |
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edify |
(v.) to improve someone morally |
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ambiguous |
(adj.) open to more than one interpretation |
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cataclysm |
(n.) a violent change |
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optimum |
(adj.) best; most favorable; ideal |
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importune |
(v.) to ask persistently; to beg |
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-merge- |
"to plunge" or "to immerse" |
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-integr- |
"whole", "intact", or "perfect" |
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-lat- |
"to carry" or "to bear" |
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-ence and -ance |
"the quality of -ing" |
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trans- |
"across" or "through" |
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celibate |
(adj.) abstaining from intercourse |
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fortuitous |
(adj.) happening by chance or accident |
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recapitulate |
(v.) to summarize; to repeat briefly |
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perfunctory |
(adj.) done without care; in a routine fashion |
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baroque |
(adj.) overly decorated |
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hedonism |
(n.) pursuit of pleasure, especially the senses |
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obloquy |
(n.) strong disapproval; a bad reputation resulting from public criticism |
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debacle |
(n.) a complete failure; a total collapse |
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quasi |
(adj.) resembling; seeming; half |
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besmirch |
(v.) ro make dirty; to stain |
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imperative |
(adj.) extremely necessary; vitally important |
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sacrosanct |
(adj.) extremely holy |
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sadistic |
(adj.) deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on others |
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demeanor |
(n.) behavior; manner of conducting oneself |
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facticious |
(adj.) comical; jocular; flippant |
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-clin- |
"to lean" of "to bend" |
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-pon- and -pos- |
"to put" or "to place" |
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-hyper- |
"excessive" |
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-therm- |
"heat" |
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com- |
"together" |
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im- |
"into" |
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dis- |
"apart" |
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de- |
"down |
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fop |
(n.) an excessively fashion-concious man |
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imprecation |
(n.) a curse |
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non sequitur |
(n.) something that does not logically follow |
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sanguine |
(adj.) cheerful; optimistic |
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bowdlerize |
(v.) to remove offensive passages of a play, novel, etc. |
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impair |
(v.) to weaken; to cause to become worse |
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panegyric |
(n.) an expression of praise |
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quandary |
(n.) a puzzling situation; a dilemma |
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ebullient |
(adj.) enthusiastic |
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deference |
(n.) respect; consideration |
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carnal |
(adj.) relating to physical appetite, especially sexual |
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nebulous |
(adj.) hazy, vague, uncertain |
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rakish |
(adj.) dashingly stylish and confident |
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elegy |
(n.) a sad or mournful poem |
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pedantic |
(adj.) tending to show off one's learning |
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-petr- |
"stone" |
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-sist- |
"to stand", "to stop" or "to set" |
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-ous |
"full of" |
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-viv- and -vit- |
"to live" |
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-glyph- |
"to carve" |
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-sub |
"under" |
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-id |
"tending to" |
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-al |
"pertaining to" |
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antipathy |
(n.) an intense dislike |
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elucidate |
(v.) to make clear |
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imminent |
(adj.) likely to happen |
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banal |
(adj.) common, ordinary |
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obdurate |
(adj.) stubborn; hardheaded |
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peruse |
(v.) to read carefully; to scrutinize |
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bedlam |
(n.) a noisy uproar; a scene of wild confusion |
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affluence |
(n.) wealth; richness |
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scurrilous |
(adj.) coarsely abusive; vulgar |
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pardoy |
(n.) a work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner |
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sedulous |
(adj.) hard working; diligent |
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onerous |
(adj.) burdensome; heavy; hard to endure |
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amoral |
(adj.) lacking a sense of right and wrong |
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eschew |
(v.) to keep away from; to avoid; to shun |
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denoument |
(n.) an outcome; result |
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-pel- |
"to push" or "to drive" |
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-sum- and -sumpt- |
"take" |
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-celer- |
"swift" |
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dis- |
"apart" or "in different directions" |
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ex- |
"out" or "from" |
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-ator |
"one who does" |
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-ion |
"the act of" |
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adroit |
(adj.) skillful; clever |
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macroscopic |
(adj.) visible to the naked eye |
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fatuous |
(adj.) foolish; inane |
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bovine |
(adj.) pertaining to cows or cattle |
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ferret |
(v.) to search or drive out |
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affectation |
(n.) a phony attitude; pose |
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knell |
(n.) a sound made by a bell, often rung slowly for a death or funeral |
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dichotomy |
(n.) a division into two parts |
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callow |
(adj.) young and inexperienced |
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laconic |
(adj.) using few words; short; concise |
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quiddity |
(n.) an essential quality |
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patent |
(adj.) evident of obvious |
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peccadillo |
(n.) a minor offense; a misdeed |
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sagacious |
(adj.) wise; having keen perception and sound judgement |
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rationalize |
(v.) to make an excuse for |
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-tach- |
"swift" or "speed" |
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-mid-, -med-, -meso- |
"middle" |
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-bol- |
"to throw" or "to put" |
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-prov- or -porb- |
"good" or "to test" |
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meta- |
"changed" |
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-meter |
"measure" |
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inter- |
"among" |
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em- and -im |
"in" |
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sym- |
"with" or "together" |
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deride |
(v.) to ridicule; to mock |
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censure |
(v.) to criticize sharply |
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gambol |
(v.) to frolic; to romp about playfully |
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immolate |
(v.) to kill someone as a sacrificial victim, usually by fire |
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recondite |
(adj.) difficult to understand; profound |
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martinet |
(n.) a strict disciplinarian; taskmaster |
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quagmire |
(n.) a swamp; a difficult or inextricable situation |
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gibe |
(v.) to scoff; to ridicule |
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agape |
(adj.) open-mouthed; surprised; agog |
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carcinogen |
(n.) causing cancer |
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olfactory |
(adj.) pertaining to smell |
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imperious |
(adj.) domineering; haughty |
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grotesque |
(adj.) absurd; distorted |
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neologism |
(n.) a new word or expression |
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hackneyed |
(adj.) commonplace; overused |
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-ive |
"relating to" or "tending to" |
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-ced- and -ces- |
"to yield", "to stop", "to go" |
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pro- |
"for" |
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ante- |
"before" |
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trans |
"across" or "through" |
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-mot- |
"to move" |
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machination |
(n.) an evil design or plan |
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pejorative |
(adj.) having a negative effect; insulting |
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harbinger |
(n.) an omen or sign |
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nubile |
(adj.) suitable for marriage in age and physical development, referring to a female |
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sapient |
(adj.) wise; full of knowledge |
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chimerical |
(adj.) imaginary; fantastic |
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masochist |
(n.) one who enjoys his or her own pain and suffering |
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finesse |
(n.) diplomacy; tact; artful management |
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heterogeneous |
(adj.) different; dissimilar |
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eclectic |
(adj.) choosing from various sources |
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grandiose |
(adj.) impressive; showy; magnificent |
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raiment |
(n.) clothing; garments |
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blanch |
(v.) to whiten; to make pale |
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hybrid |
(n.) anything of mixed origin |
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idiosyncrasy |
(n.) a peculiar personality trait |
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dia- |
"across" |
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-vad- and -vas- |
"go" |
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-trud- and -trus- |
"thrust" |
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-verb- |
"word" |
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-ab- |
"away" of "from" |
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-gram |
"written" |
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-meter |
"measure" |
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-tele- |
"afar" |
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idolatry |
(n.) excessive or blind adoration; worship of an object |
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adulterate |
(v.) to make impure; to contaminate |
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emanate |
(v.) to come forth; to send forth |
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garish |
(adj.) tastelessly gaudy |
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immutable |
(adj.) unchangeable; fixed |
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diadem |
(n.) a crown |
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bucolic |
(adj.) pertaining to the countryside; rural; rustic |
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redolent |
(adj.) having pleasant odor; suggestive or evocative |
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impecunious |
(adj.) without money; penniless |
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sedition |
(n.) rebellion or resistance against the government |
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defile |
(v.) to pollute; to corrupt |
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gratuitous |
(adj.) unnecessary or uncalled for |
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onus |
(n.) a burden; a responsibility |
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impious |
(adj.) disrespectful towards God |
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caveat |
(n.) a warning |
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-leg-, -lig-, and -lect- |
"to choose", "to read", "to gather" |
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-neg- |
"to deny" |
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re- |
"again" |
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se- |
"apart" |
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-ion |
"the act of" |
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elixir |
(n.) a supposed remedy for all ailments |
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desiccated |
(adj.) dried up |
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cessation |
(n.) a stopping; a discontinuance |
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juxtapose |
(v.) to place side-by-side for comparison |
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kinetic |
(adj.) pertaining to motion |
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garrulous |
(adj.) talkative |
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fetish |
(n.) a object that receives respect or devotion |
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scintillate |
(v.) to sparkle; to twinkle; to sparkle intellectually |
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lachrymose |
(adj.) tearful; weepy |
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fissure |
(n.) an opening; a groove; a split |
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epitome |
(n.) a typical example |
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languid |
(adj.) sluggish; drooping from weakness |
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delineate |
(v.) to describe, to depict |
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legerdemain |
(n.) sleight of hand; deception |
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libertine |
(n.) one who leads an immoral life |
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-ver- |
"true" |
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-fic- |
"to do" or "to make" |
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-cra- |
"to mix" |
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-sacr- |
"sacred" |
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-idi- |
"peculiar" or "one's own" |
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e- |
"completely" |
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pro- |
"in front of" |
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-fy |
"to make" |
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suf- |
"under" |
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-syn- |
"together" |
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halcyon |
(adj.) calm; pleasant |
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fastidious |
(adj.) hard to please; fussy |
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badinage |
(n.) playful, teasing talk |
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malapropism |
(n.) a word humorously misused |
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garner |
(v.) to gather; to acquire |
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kismet |
(n.) destiny; fate; fortune |
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hegira |
(n.) flight; escape |
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paradigm |
(n.) a model; an example |
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debauchery |
(n.) corruption; self indulgence |
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milieu |
(n.) environment; setting |
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regress |
(v.) to move backward |
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bilious |
(adj.) bad tempered; cross |
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necromancy |
(n.) magic, especially that practiced by a witch |
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gumption |
(n.) courage and initiative; common sense |
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blandishment |
(n.) flattery |
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-greg- |
"flock" or "herd" |
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-val- and -vail- |
"to be strong" or "to be worthy" |
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-ven-, -vent-, and -venu- |
"to come to" or "to approach" |
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co- |
"with" or "together" |
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seg- |
"apart" |
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a- |
"away" or "from" |
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ambi |
"both" or "around" |
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in- |
"not" |
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nirvana |
(n.) a condition of great peace or happiness |
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salutary |
(adj.) healthful; wholesome |
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despicable |
(adj.) contemptible; hateful |
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harlequin |
(n.) a clown |
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empathy |
(n.) an understanding of another's feelings |
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brevity |
(n.) briefness; short duration |
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savant |
(n.) a person of extensive learning; an imminent scholar |
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obsequious |
(adj.) excessively submissive or overly attentive |
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redundant |
(adj.) repetitious; using more words than needed |
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offal |
(n.) garbage; waste parts |
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hoi polloi |
(n.) the common people; the masses |
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sentient |
(adj.) conscious; capable of feeling or perceiving |
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impinge |
(v.) to encroach; to trespass |
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cataract |
(n.) a large waterfall |
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animosity |
(n.) hatred |
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-anim- |
"feeling", "spirit", "life" |
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-sec- and -sect- |
"cut" |
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-cand- |
"to shine" |
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-magn- |
"great" |
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-un- |
"one" |
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-ence- |
"of" |
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bombast |
(n.) impressive but meaningless language |
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orthography |
(n.) correct spelling |
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paleontology |
(n.) a science dealing with prehistoric life through the study of fossils |
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recoil |
(v.) to retreat; to draw back |
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panache |
(n.) self-confidence; a showy manner |
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saturnine |
(adj.) gloomy; sluggish |
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endemic |
(adj.) confined to a particular country or area |
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mendacious |
(adj.) lying; false; deceitful |
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obviate |
(v.) to prevent; to get around |
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paroxysm |
(n.) a sudden outburst; a fit |
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aggrandize |
(v.) 1. to increase the range of; to expand 2. to make appear larger |
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deign |
(v.) to lower oneself before an inferior |
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flaunt |
(v.) to show off |
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shibboleth |
(n.) a word or pronunciation that distinguishes someone as of a particular group |
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elicit |
(v.) to draw forth; to call forth |
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-mon- |
"to advise", "to remind", "to warn" |
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-volv- and -volut- |
"to roll" or "to turn" |
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-ambulare- |
"to walk" |
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-ance |
"state of" or "quality of" |
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per- |
"through", "completely" |
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orifice |
(n.) mouth; opening |
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hallow |
(v.) to make holy |
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perdition |
(n.) damnation; ruin; hell |
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chaff |
(n.) worthless matter |
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aesthetic |
(adj.) pertaining to beauty |
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empirical |
(adj.) based on practical experience rather than theory |
|
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germane |
(adj.) relavant; fitting |
|
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hermetic |
(adj.) tightly sealed |
|
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meretricious |
(adj.) attractive in a cheap and flashy way |
|
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querulous |
(adj.) complaining; grumpy |
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flaccid |
(adj.) flabby |
|
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hospice |
(n.) a shelter for travelers, orphans, or the ill and destitute |
|
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egregious |
(adj.) remarkably bad; outrageous |
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ratiocinate |
(v.) to reason; to think |
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foment |
(v.) to stir up; to incite |
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-flect- and -flex- |
"bend" |
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-ity |
"quality of" |
|
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-nox- |
"night" |
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sub- |
"secretly" |
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-fug- |
"flee" |
