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273 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abandon
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total lack of inhibition
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abase
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to humble; disgrace
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abate
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decrease, reduce
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abdicate
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to give up a position, right, or power
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aberration
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something different from the usual
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abet
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to aid; act as accomplice
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abhor
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to loathe, detest
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abject
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miserable, pitiful
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abolitionist
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one who opposes the practice of slavery
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abortive
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interrupted while incomplete
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abridge
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to condense, shorten
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abrogate
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to put an end to, abolish by authority
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abscond
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to depart secretly
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absolve
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to forgive, free from blame
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abstain
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to choose not to do something
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accolade
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praise, distinction
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accrue
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to accumulate, grow by additions
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acerbic
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bitter, sharp in taste or temper
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acme
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highest point; summit
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acquiesce
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to agree; comply quietly
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acrid
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harsh, bitter
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acrimony
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bitterness, animosity
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acuity
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sharpness
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acumen
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sharpness of insight
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adage
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old saying or proverb
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adamant
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uncompromising, unyielding
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adapt
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to accommodate; adjust
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adhere
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to cling or follow without deviation
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adjacent
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next to
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admonish
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to caution or reprimand
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adroit
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skillful, accomplished, highly competent
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adulation
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high praise
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adumbrate
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to sketch, outline in a shadowy way
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adversarial
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antagonistic, competitive
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aerie
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nook or next built high in the air
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aesthetic
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pertaining to beauty or art
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affable
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friendly, easy to approach
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affected
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prententious, phony
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affluent
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rich, abundant
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affront
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personal offense, insult
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agenda
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plan, schedule
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agile
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well coordinated, nimble
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agitation
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commotion, excitement; uneasiness
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agrarian
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relating to farming or rural matters
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alacrity
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cheerful willingness, eagerness; speed
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alias
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assumed name
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alienated
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distanced, estranged
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allegory
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symbolic representation
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alleviate
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to relieve, improve partially
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allure
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to entice by charm; attract
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allusion
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indirect reference
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aloof
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detached, indifferent
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altruism
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unselfish concern for others' welfare
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ambiguous
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uncertain; subject to multiple interpretations
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ambivalence
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attitude of uncertainty; conflicting emotions
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ameliorate
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to make better, improve
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amenable
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agreeable, cooperative
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amend
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to improve or correct flaws in
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amenity
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pleasantness; something increasing comfort
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amiable
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friendly, pleasant, likable
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amicable
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friendly, agreeable
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amoral
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unprincipled, unethical
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amorphous
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having no definite form
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amphibian
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creature equally at home on land or in water
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ample
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abundant, plentiful
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amulet
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ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
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anarchronistic
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outdated
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anarchy
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absence of governemnt or law; chaos
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animation
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enthusiasm, excitement
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animosity
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hatred, hostility
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annul
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to cancel, nullify, declare void, or make legally invalid
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anomaly
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irregularity or deviation from the norm
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anonymity
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condition of having no name or an unknown name
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antagonist
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foe, opponent, adversary
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antecedent
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coming before in place or time
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anthology
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collection of literary works
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antipathy
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dislike, hostility; extreme opposition or aversion
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antiquated
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outdated, obsolete
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antiquity
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ancient times; the quality of being old
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antithesis
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exact opposite or direct contrast
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apathy
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lack of feeling or emotion
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aphorism
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old saying or short, pity statement
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apocryphal
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not genuine; fictional
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appease
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to satisfy, placate, calm, pacify
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approbation
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praise; official approval
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appropriate
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to take possesssion of
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arable
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suitable for cultivation
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arbitrary
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depending solely on individual will; inconsistent
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arboreal
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relating to trees; living in trees
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arcane
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secret, obscure, known only to a few
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archaic
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antiquated, from an earlier time; outdated
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archipelago
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large group of islands
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ardent
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passionate, enthusiastic, fervent
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arduous
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extremely difficult, laborious
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arid
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extermely dry or deathly boring
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arsenal
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ammunition storehouse
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articulate
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well spoken, expressing oneself clearly
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artisan
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craftsperson; expert
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ascend
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to rise or climb
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ascetic
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self-denying, abstinent, austere
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ashen
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resembling ashes; pale
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askew
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crooked, titled
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aspersion
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false rumor, damaging report, slander
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aspire
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to have great hopes; to aim at a goal
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assail
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to attack, assault
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assiduous
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diligent, persistent, hard-working
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assuage
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to make less severe, ease, relieve
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astringent
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harsh, severse, stern
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astute
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having good judgement
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atone
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to make amends for a wrong
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atrocious
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monstrous, shockingly bad
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attain
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to accomplish, gain
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attenuate
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to make thin or slender; weaken
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audacious
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bold, daring, fearless
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audible
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capable of being heard
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augment
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to expand, extend
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august
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dignified, awe inspiring, venerable
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auspicious
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having favorable prospects, promising
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austere
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stern, strict, unadorned
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authoritarian
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extremely strict, bossy
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autocrat
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dictator
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avarice
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greed
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avenge
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to retaliate, take revenge for an injury or crime
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aver
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to declare to be true, affirm
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aversion
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intense dislike
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avert
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to turn (something) away; prevent, hinder
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aviary
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large enclosure housing birds
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awry
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crooked, askew, amiss
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baleful
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harmful
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ballad
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folk song, narrative poem
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balm
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soothing, healing influence
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banal
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trite, overly common
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bane
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something causing death, destruction, or ruin
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banter
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playful conversation
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bastion
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fortification, stronghold
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bay
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to bark, especially in a deep, prolonged way
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beguile
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to deceive, mislead; charm
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behemoth
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huge creature
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belabor
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to insist repeatedly or harp on
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belie
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to misrepresent; expose as false
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belligerent
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hostile, tending to fight
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benefactor
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someone giving aid or money
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beneficent
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kindly, charitable; doing good deeds; producing good effects
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benighted
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unenlightened
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benign
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kindly, gentle, or harmless
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bequeath
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to give or leave through a will; to hand down
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berate
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to scold harshly
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beseech
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to beg, plead, implore
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bestial
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beastly, animal-like
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bias
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prejudice, slant
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bibliography
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list of books
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bisect
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to cut into two (usually equal) parts
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blanch
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to pale; take the color out of
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blandish
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to coax with flattery
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blasphemous
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cursing, profane, irreverent
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blatant
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glaring, obvious, showy
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blight
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to afflict, destroy
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boisterous
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rowdy, loud, unrestrained
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bombastic
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using high-sounding but meaningless language
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boor
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crude person, one lacking manners or taste
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botanist
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scientist who studies plants
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bovine
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cowlike; relating to cows
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brazen
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bold, shameless, impudent; of or liek brass
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broach
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to mention or suggest for the first time
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burgeon
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to sprout or flourish
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burnish
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to polish, make smooth and bright
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buttress
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to reinforce or support
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cacophony
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jarring, unpleasant noise
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cajole
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to flatter, coax, persuade
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callous
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thick-skinned, insensitive
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callow
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immature, lacking sophistication
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candor
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honesty of expression
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canny
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smart; founded on common sense
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capitulate
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to submit completely, surrender
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capricious
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implusive, whimsical, without mcuh thought
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caricature
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exaggerated portrait, cartoon
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cartography
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science or art of making maps
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castigate
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to punish, chastise, criticize severely
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catalyst
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something causing change without being changed
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catholic
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universal; broad and comprehensive
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caucus
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smaller gorup within an organization; a meeting of such a group
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caustic
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biting, sarcastic; able to burn
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cede
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to surrender possession of something
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censorious
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severely critical
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cessation
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temporary or complete halt
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chagrin
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shame, embarrassment, humiliation
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champion
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to defend or support
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chaotic
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extremely disorderly
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charlatan
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quack, fake
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chary
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watchful, cautious, extremely shy
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chastise
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to punish, discipline, scold
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chide
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to scold, express disapproval
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chromatic
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relating to colro
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circuitous
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roundabout
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circumference
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boundary or distance aroudn a cicle or sphere
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circumscribe
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to encircle; set limits on, confine
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circumspect
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cautious, wary
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citadel
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fortress or stronghold
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civil
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polite; relating to citizens
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clairvoyant
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having ESP, psychic
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clamor
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to make a noisy outcry; a noisy outcry
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clandestine
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secretive
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clamency
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merciful leniency
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cloister
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to confine, seclude
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coalesce
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to grow together or cause to unite as one
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coddle
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to baby, treat indulgently
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coerce
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to compel by force or intimidation
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cogent
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logically forceful, compelling, convincing
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coherent
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intellible, lucid, understandable
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collateral
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accompanying
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colloquial
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characteristic of informal speech
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collusion
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collaboration, complicity, conspiracy
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commensurate
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porportional
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commodious
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roomy, spacious
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communicable
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transmittable
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commute
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to change a penalty to a less severe one
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compensate
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to repay or reimburse
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complacent
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self-satisfying, smug
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complement
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to complete, perfect
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compliant
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submissive and yielding
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complicity
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knowing partnership in wrongdoing
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compunction
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feeling of uneasiness caused by guilt or regret
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convace
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curving inward
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concede
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to yield, admit
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conciliatory
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overcoming distrust or hostility
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concur
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to agree
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condone
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to pardon or forgive; overlook, justify, or excuse a fault
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conduit
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tube, pipe, or similar passage
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conflagration
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big, destructive fire
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confound
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to baffle, perplex
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congeal
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to become thick or solid, as a liquid freezing
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congenial
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similar in tastes and habits
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conglomerate
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collected group of varied things
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conjecture
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speculation, prediction
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conscientious
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governed by conscience; careful and thorough
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consecrate
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to declare sacred; dedicate to a goal
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consensus
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unanimity, agreement of opinion or attitude
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consolation
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something providing comfort or solace for a loss or hardship
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consolidate
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to combine, incorporate
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constrained
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forced, compelled; confined, restrained
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construe
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to explain or interpret
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contentious
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quarrelsome, disagreeable, belligerent
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continence
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self-control, self-constraint
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contravene
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to contradict, deny, act contrary to
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contrite
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deeply sorrowful and repentant for a wrong
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conundrum
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riddle, puzzle or problem with no solution
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convalescence
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gradual recovery after an illness
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convene
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to meet, come together, assemble
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conventional
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typical, customary, commonplace
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convex
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curved outward
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convoluted
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twisted, complicated, involved
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copious
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abundant, plentiful
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corroborate
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to confirm, verify
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cosmetic
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relating to beauty; affecting the surface of something
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cosmopolitan
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sophisticated, free from local prejudices
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coterie
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small group of persons with a similar purpose
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covert
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hidden; secret
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covet
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to desire strongly something possessed by another
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crass
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crude, unrefined
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craven
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cowardly
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credence
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acceptance of something as true or real
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credulous
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gullible, trusting
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creed
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statement of belief of principle
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cryptic
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puzzling
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cuisine
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characteristic style of cooking
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culmination
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climax, final stage
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culpable
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guilty, responsible for a wrong
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cupidity
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greed
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curmudgeon
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cranky person
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cursory
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hastily done, superficial
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curt
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abrupt, blunt
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curtail
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to shorten
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cynic
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person who distrusts the motives of others
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