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160 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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approbation
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the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval
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assuage
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to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench
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coalition
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a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose
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decadence
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decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence
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elicit
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to draw forth, bring out from some sourse (such as another person)
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expostulate
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to attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning
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hackneyed
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used so often as to lack freshness or originality
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hiatus
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a gap, opeing, brak (in the sense of having an element missing)
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innuendo
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a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)
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intercede
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to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement
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jaded
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wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)
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lurid
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causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint
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meritorious
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worthy, deserving recognition and praise
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petulant
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peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset
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prerogative
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a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence
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provincial
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pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony
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simulate
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to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of
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transcend
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to rise above or beyond, exceed
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umbrage
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shade cast by trees; foilage giving shade; an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; a vague suspicion
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unctuous
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excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impreesion or earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty, oily; pliable
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ameliorate
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to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming
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aplomb
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poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity
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bombastic
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pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas
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callow
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without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers
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drivel
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saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless, talkor thinking; nonsense; to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away follishly
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epitome
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a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality
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exhort
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to urge strongly; advise earnestly
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ex officio
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by virtue of holding a certain office
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infringe
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to violate, treapss, go beyond recognized boundaries
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ingratiate
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to make oneself aggeeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense)
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interloper
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one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder
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intrinsic
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belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherernt; originating in a bodily organ or part
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inveigh
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to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval
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lassitude
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weariness of body or mind, lack of energy
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millennium
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a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy
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occult
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mysterious, magical, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; to hide, conceal, eclipse; matters involving the supernatural
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permeate
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to spread through, penetratem soak through
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precipitate
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to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form to; characterized by excessive haste; moisture; the product of an action or process
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stringent
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strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste
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surmise
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to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; likely idea that lacks definite proof
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abominate
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to have an intense dislike or hatred for
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acculturation
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the modification of the socials patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend
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adventitious
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resulting from chance rather than inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquireed, not congenital
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ascribe
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to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute
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circuitous
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roundabout, not direct
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commiserate
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to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress
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enjoin
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to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit
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expedite
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to make easy, cause to progress faster
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expiate
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to make amends, make up for; to avert
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ferment
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a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action
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inadvertent
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resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental
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nominal
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existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously
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noncommittal
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not decisive of definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no
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peculate
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to steal something that has been given into one's trust; to take improperly for one's own use
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proclivity
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a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)
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sangfroid
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composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances
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seditious
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resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government
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tenuous
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thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported
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vitiolic
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bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like strong acid)
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wheedle
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to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end
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affable
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courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to
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aggrandize
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to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater
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amorphous
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shapeless, witjout definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion
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aura
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that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality
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contraband
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illegal traffic, smuggled goods; illegal, prohibited
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erudite
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scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic
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gossamer
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thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; a very thin, light cloth
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infer
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to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought; to hint, suggest, imply
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inscrutable
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incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically
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insular
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relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience
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irrevocable
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incapable of being changed or called back
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propensity
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a natural inclination or predilection toward
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querulous
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peevish, complaining, fretful
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remonstrate
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to argue or plead with someone against something, protest againnst, object to
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repudiate
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to disown, reject, or deny the validity of
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resilient
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able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly
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reverberate
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to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly
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scurrilous
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coarsely abusive, vulgar, low (especially in language), foul-mouthed
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sedulous
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persistent, showing industry and determination
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sleazy
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thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethnically low, mean, or disreputable
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amnesty
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a general pardon for an offense against a government in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution
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autonomy
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self-government, political control
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axiomatic
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self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule
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blazon
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to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely
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cavear
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a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior
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equitable
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fair, just, emboduing principles of justice
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extricate
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to free from entangles or difficulties; to remove with effort
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filch
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to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts
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flout
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to mock, treat with contempt
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fractious
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tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable
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precept
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a rule of conduct or action
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salutary
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benficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome
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scathing
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bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm
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scourge
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to whip, punish severly; a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism
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sepuchral
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funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal
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soporific
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tending to cause sleep, relating ti sleepiness or lethargy; something that induces sleep
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straitlaced
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extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical
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transient
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lasting only a short time, fleeting; one who stays only a short time
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unwieldly
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not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity
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vapid
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dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force
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anomalous
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abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual
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aspersion
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a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming
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bizarre
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extremely strange, unusual, atypical
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brusque
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abrupt, blunt, with no formalities
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cajole
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to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts or false promises
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castigate
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to punish severely; to criticize severely
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contrive
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to plan in ingenuity, invent; to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan
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demagogue
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a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power
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disabuse
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to free from deception or error, set right in ideas or thinking
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ennui
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weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest, boredom
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fetter
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a chain or shackle placed on the feet (often used in plural), anything that confines or restrains; to chain or shackle; to render helpless or impotent
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heinous
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very wicked, offensive, hateful
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immutable
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not subject to change, constant
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insurgent
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one who rebels or rises against authority; rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority; surging or rushing in or on
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megalomania
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a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc., far in excess of reality
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sinecure
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a position requiring little or no work; an easy job
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sureptitious
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stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation; made or accomplished by fraud
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transgress
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to go beyond a limit or boundary; to sin, violate a law
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transmute
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to change from one nature, substance, or form to another
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vicarious
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performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another
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austere
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severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple, plain; harsh or sour in flavor
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beneficent
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performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good
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cadaverous
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pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse
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concoct
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to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as a dish), to devise, invent, fabricate
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crass
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coarse, infeeling; stupid
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debase
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to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to detiorate
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desecrate
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to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute
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disconcert
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to confuse; to disturb the composure of
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grandoise
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grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affectation or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated
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inconsequential
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trifling, unimportant
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infraction
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a breaking of a law or obligation
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mitigate
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to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity
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pillage
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to rob of goods by open force (as in war), plunder; the act of looting; booty
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prate
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to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion
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punctilious
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very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquette or propriety
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redoubtable
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inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent
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reprove
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to find fault with, scold, rebuke
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restitution
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the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; making good on a loss or damage
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stalwart
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strong and sturdy; brave; resolute; a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes an uncompromising position
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vulnerable
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open to attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected
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acrimonious
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stinging, bitter in temper or tone
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bovine
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resembling a cow or ox; sluggish; unresponsive
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consternation
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dismay, confusion
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corpulent
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fat; having a large, bulky body
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disavow
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to deny responsibility for or connection with
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dispassionate
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impartial; calm, free from emotion
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dissention
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disagreement, sharp difference of opinion
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dissipate
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to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure
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expurgate
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to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify
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gauntlet
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a armored or protective glove; a challenge; two lines of men armed with weapons with which to beat a person forced to run between them; an ordeal
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hypothetical
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based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation
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ignoble
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mean, low, base
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impugn
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to call into question; to attack as false
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intemperate
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immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement
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odium
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hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct
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perfidy
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faithlessness, treachery, betrayal
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relegate
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to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish
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squeamish
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inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined
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subservient
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subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end
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susceptible
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open to; easily influenced; lacking in resitance
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