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100 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
acrid |
sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes) |
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boorish |
ill-mannered |
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cynical |
believing that people act only out of selfish motives |
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epistle |
a letter (form of communication) |
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heresy |
against orthodox opinion |
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lance |
spear; spike; javelin |
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obscure |
difficult to understand; partially hidden |
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poignant |
deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions |
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respite |
a break; intermission |
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terse |
concise; to the point |
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acrophobia |
fear of heights |
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bourgeois |
middle class |
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debility |
weakness; incapacity |
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epistolary |
concerned with letters; through correspondence |
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hiatus |
interruption; pause |
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languid |
tired; slow |
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obscured |
hidden; covered; buried |
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poised |
calm; collected; self-possessed |
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resplendent |
shinning; glowing |
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therapeutic |
medicinal; curative |
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acuity |
sharpness (mental or visual) |
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braggat |
someone who boasts |
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debunking |
exposing false claims or myths |
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epitomized |
typified; characterized; personified |
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hidebound |
rigid in opinions |
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languish |
decay; fade away; get weaker |
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obsequious |
servile; submissive
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polemical |
causing debate or argument |
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restorative |
a tonic |
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thwart |
prevent; frustrate |
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adamant |
force; inflexible |
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brawny |
muscular |
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decathlon |
an athletic competition with ten events |
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equivocate |
speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth |
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hieroglyphics |
1. picture writing 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic |
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larceny |
theft; robbery; stealing |
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obsession |
a dominating concern |
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ponderous |
weighty; slow and heavy |
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retention |
preservation; withholding |
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timorous |
cowardly; fearful |
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adroit |
skillful |
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brevity |
being brief |
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decrum |
dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)] |
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err |
make a mistake |
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hinder |
obstruct |
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largess |
generosity |
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obsolete |
no longer valid |
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pontificate |
speak pompously or dogmatically |
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reticent |
restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative |
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tirade |
stream of verbal abuse |
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adulation |
strong admiration; worship |
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bristle |
to show irritation |
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decoy |
lure; trap; trick |
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erratic |
wandering; irregular |
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histrionic |
theatrical; exaggerated |
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laud |
praise |
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obstreperous |
noisy and boisterous |
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portend |
foretell |
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retraction |
withdraw; cancellation of a statement |
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titter |
giggle quietly |
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adversity |
hardship |
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broach |
start to discuss; approach |
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deference |
respect |
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esoteric |
obscure and difficult to understand |
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hoary |
old |
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lavish |
on a grand scale; wasteful |
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obtuse |
mentally dull |
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portent |
a warning sign; omen |
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revere |
worship |
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tome |
large book |
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advocate |
support |
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brusque |
blunt; abrupt |
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defoliate |
cause leaves to fall off |
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espouse |
promote; take up; support |
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hone |
sharpen; increase; whet |
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lax |
careless; not strict |
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obviate |
avoid; make unnecessary |
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poseur |
someone who puts on an act |
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riddled |
full of (usually full of holes) |
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torpid |
inactive; lazy; stagnant |
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aesthetic |
concerning art or beauty |
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bulwark |
fortification; barricade; wa;; |
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defunct |
no longer in existence |
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etymology |
the study of word origins |
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hyperbole |
grossly exaggerated speech |
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legend |
1. key of map 2. myth or story |
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odious |
hateful |
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posterity |
future generations |
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rife |
common |
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torpor |
dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity |
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affable |
friendly; social; easygoing |
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bureaucracy |
officialdom |
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degradation |
deprivation; poverty; debasement |
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eulogy |
praise |
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hypochondriac |
a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illness |
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legion |
in large numbers |
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officious |
domineering; intrusive; meddlesome |
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posthumorous |
after death |
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rigor |
thoroughness |
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totter |
walk unsteadily |