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99 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
abhor
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to hate intensely
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abtruse
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difficult to comprehend or understand
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accolade
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an expression of approval or praise; laudatory notice or recognition, such as a prize
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amalgamation
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the process or resut of combining or mixing two or more things
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ameliorate
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to make better or improve
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amorphous
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having no definiteform or character; shapeless or characterless
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anathema
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a person or thing condemned, accused, damned, cursed, or generally loathed
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anecdote
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a brief narrative of an amusing or interesting event
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aspersion
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an insulting or derogatory remark; a slanderous, defamatory statement
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assuage
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to pacify or soothe; to lessen another's fear, distress, or pain
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attenuate
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to weaken or make thin
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auspices
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a favorable sign or omen; sponsorship or patronage; an emblem or symbol
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behoove
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to be incumbent upon, suited to, or proper for
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beleaguer
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to surround; besiege
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besmirch
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to soil or tarnish,, especially a person's honor or reputation; to defile
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bilious
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irritable or irascible; unpleasant or distasteful
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brackish
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having a somewhat salty taste, usually unpleasantly so
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brevity
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briefness; conciseness
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callow
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inexperienced; immature
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canvass
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to solicit votes, sales, opinions, etc.
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celerity
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quickness; swiftness
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cozen
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to cheat; swindle; deceive; defraud
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cynosure
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the center of attention or interest; a celebrity
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dearth
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scarcity; lack; insufficiency
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decimate
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to kill or destroy all or a large proportion of
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dilatory
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delaying or procrastinating
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dispatch
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to send off, esp. quickly
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duress
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compulsion or procurement by threat, coercion, or restraint
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efface
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to obliterate, wipe out or rub out
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egregious
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shocking, extraordinary, or outstanding
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eminent
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distinguish; high in stature or rank; prominent
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epithet
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a word of phrase describing the person (e. g. "Ivan the terrible")
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espouse
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to advocate, support, promote, or argue for
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evanescent
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fleeting; fading quickly; passing away; vanishing
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exacerbate
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to increase in harshness or severity; aggrevate
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exculpate
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to free from blame; clear from a charge
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foment
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to instigate; stir up; incite; stimulate; arouse
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foppish
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excessively vain about one's dress, manner or general appearance
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forensic
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pertaining to debate or rhetoric; suitable as evidence in a court of law
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garrulous
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excessively talkative or wordy
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grandiloquent
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given to using pompous, high sounding language
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iconoclast
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one who attacks cherished beliefs or traditions
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impecunious
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lacking money; penniless; indigent
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impetuous
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impulsive; rash; spontaneous
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impudent
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rude; brazen
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impunity
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license; priviledge; exemption
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indolence
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laziness; aversion to exertion; slothfulness; sluggish
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intransigent
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stubborn; unwilling to compromise; inflexible
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intrepid
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fearless; courageous
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inundate
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to flood or overflow; deluge; overwhelm
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invidious
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likely to create ill will, animosity, or envy
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jocular
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not serious; joking; facetious; jesting
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juxtapose
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to put side by side, usually to compare or contrast
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languish
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to lose strength or vitality; weaken; become feeble, droop; fade
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lurid
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sensational or shocking; shining with an unnatural glow; gruesome or revolting
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maladroit
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bungling; awkward; clumsy
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marshal
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to put in proper order; assemble; arrange clearly
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maudlin
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overly sentimental; foolishly tearful
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mellifluous
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sweet sounding; flowing smoothly
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miasma
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noxious, dangerous, or unwholesome emissions, atmosphere, or influence
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multifarious
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very diversified; varying.
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nefarious
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extremely wicked
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nepotism
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favoritism bestowed upon family members or close friends, especially in business or politics
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obstreperous
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resisting control in an unruly, noisy manner
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ostracize
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to banish, exile, or exclude
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pandemic
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affecting a majority of a population or area
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peregrination
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a journey or travel
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plenary
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absolute, complete, or full
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portend
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to indicate in advance; foretell; predict
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presage
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anything that foreshadows future events; an omen or sign of what is to come
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profligate
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recklessly extravagant or wasteful; shamelessly immoral
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propitious
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favorable to advantageous
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punctilious
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exacting in the observance of niceties and formalities of conduct
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quandry
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a perplexing or difficult situation; dilemma; predicament; "catch-22"
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querulous
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full of complaints; whinning
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repudiate
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to reject, disown, or cast off as unbinding, non-authoritative, or without force
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reticent
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reluctant to speak; reserved
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retinue
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a group of attendants or servants
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rhapsodic
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exaggerated or exalted enthusiasm, especially as expressed in writing, speech or music
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ruminate
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to think over; ponder; mull over; "chew on"
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salubrious
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favorable to or promoting health; healthful
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sanguine
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hopeful; confident; optimistic; cheerful
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schism
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a split, division, or disunion
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scintilla
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a spark or trace; shred; small particle; tiny bit
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surfeit
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excess; overindulgence, esp. in eating or drinking
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temerity
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rash or foolhardy boldness; audacity; effrontery
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temporal
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pertaining to time, especially the present time; short-lived; secular
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torpor
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a state of suspended activity powers; dormancy; sluggishness or lethargy
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tribulation
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a great suffering, distress, or trouble
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truncate
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to shorten by cutting off a portion
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turgid
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swollen; inflated; bombastic; pompous
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unctuous
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oily; fervently and overly pious or moralistic; having a suave, smooth, insincere manner
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usurp
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to take control or seize and hold by force or without right
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vacuous
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expressionless; empty-headed or simpleminded
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veritable
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truly; very much so; genuine
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vilify
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to belittle or speak slightly of in the extreme; slander; defame
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virulent
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poisonous; extremely injurious; deadly
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wangle
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to obtain or accomplish something by trickery, scheming, or deception
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zealous
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overly enthusiatic or passionate, esp. in devotion or activity
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