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422 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
abate |
to reduce or lessen
|
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aberration
|
a deviation or departure from the norm
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abeyance
|
temporary inactivity or suspension
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abjure
|
to forswear or abstain from; to give up
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abrade |
to wear down or rub away the surface of something
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abridge
|
to reduce the length of or diminish in scope
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abrogate
|
to end or do away with something
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abscond
|
to withdraw and hide, typically to avoid arrest
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absurd
|
extremely ridiculous or completely lacking reason
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abysmal
|
very profound or deep; very bad
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accretion
|
a gradual increase in the amount or size of something
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acquisitive
|
characterized by a strong desire to gain or retain information or objects
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acrid
|
harsh or bitter taste or smell
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acute
|
quick and precise, intense; sharp, keen
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adhere
|
to stick fast; to remain in support of
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adjacent
|
in the nearest position; next to
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adroit
|
showing skill and experience
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aesthetic
|
appealing to the senses because it is beautiful
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affinity
|
natural attraction; inherent similarity
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alienate
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to isolate oneself from others or another person from oneself
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ambiguous
|
unclear or capable of having more than one meaning
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ambivalent
|
characterized by uncertainty; unable to decide between opposites
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amenable
|
responsive to suggestion; willing
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amiable
|
friendly and pleasant
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anachronism |
something existing or happening out of its time in historical order
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annotate
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to provide with extra notes or comments
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anomaly
|
something that is different from the norm
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apathy
|
a lack of any emotion or concern
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ardor
|
intense feelings; passion
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articulate
|
verb: to clearly explain. adj: the quality of being able to speak clearly
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ascribe
|
to attribute to a specific source; to assign a characteristic
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asperity
|
roughness or severity
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assay
|
noun: an analysis or examination. verb: to subject to analysis; to examine
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assert
|
to demonstrate power; to defend a statement as true
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assiduous
|
characteristic of careful and persistent effort
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assimilate
|
to incorporate into; to make similar
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assuage
|
to lessen or ease
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assumption
|
something believed to be true without proof; unstated evidence
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aver
|
to declare as true; to maintain
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aversion
|
strong dislike
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banish
|
to force to leave
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benevolence
|
an inclination to be kind or charitable
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benign
|
kind, mild, harmless
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bequest
|
the act of passing on; something that is passed on
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bereft
|
deprived or despondent
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blithe
|
carefree or joyous; casual
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bolster
|
noun: a narrow cushion. verb: to support or strengthen
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brazen
|
bold or shameless; insolent
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burgeoning
|
thriving or growing rapidly
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cadge
|
to beg
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capricious
|
impulsive; prone to sudden change
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castigate
|
to punish or critize severely
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catalyst
|
something that causes something else to happen, usually without being directly involved in or changed by the process; a trigger for an event
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censure
|
noun: a formal criticism or intense disproval. verb: to express a formal criticism
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chronicle
|
noun: a detailed narrative. verb: to document or record
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circumspect
|
mindful of potential consequences; prudent
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cite
|
to quote as an example or proof
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coalesce
|
to unite or come together
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coerce
|
to force or threaten someone into acting a certain way; to compel
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cogent
|
convincing and reasonable
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cognitive
|
relating to conscious intellectual activity such as thinking, reasoning, and learning
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coherence
|
the quality of being logical and clear
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coincidental
|
occurring by chance
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commensurate
|
corresponding in size, degree, or duration
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complaisant
|
showing a willingness to please; obliging
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comprise
|
to consist of; to include
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concede
|
to admit or reluctantly yield; to surrender
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conducive
|
contributive; favorable
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consternation
|
alarm or fear
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converge
|
to meet or come together at a common point
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convivial
|
festive and sociable
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cordial
|
friendly; gracious
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correlate
|
to have corresponding characteristics
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corroborate
|
to confirm, to substantiate with evidence
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countenance
|
noun: facial features or expression
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credulous
|
easily deceived; believing too readily
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cryptic
|
mystifying; hidden or concealed meaning
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culmination
|
completion or climax
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culpable
|
deserving of blame; guilty
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debilitate
|
to weaken or impair
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decimate
|
to destroy large numbers of; to inflict great damage upon
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decry
|
to denounce or criticize
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defamation
|
a malicious or abusive attack on one's character
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delve
|
to deeply search through
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demise
|
the end of existence; death
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denigrate
|
to speak ill of; to belittle
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depict
|
to represent or describe
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deplore
|
to condemn; disapprove of or regret
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derision
|
use of ridicule to show contempt
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derivative
|
adj: copied or adapted. noun: something derived
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desultory
|
inconsistent and irregular, aimless
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dexterity
|
skill and ease of movement, especially of the hands; cleverness
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diatribe
|
an abusive, insulting verbal attack
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didactic
|
intented for the puposes of moral teaching or instructing, even when such instruction is not necessary or welcome
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dilate
|
to make larger; expand
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diligent
|
continously putting in great effort
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disabuse
|
to free someone of believing something that is untrue
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discern
|
to differentiate or distinguish; to perceive
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disconcerting
|
unsettling
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dislodge
|
to remove from a former position
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disparity
|
the state of being different or unequal
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disperse
|
to scatter or spread out
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dissemble
|
to disguise or conceal
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dissident
|
adj: disagreeable. noun: one who disagrees
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dissipate
|
to drive away; scatter
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dissonance
|
lack of harmony; discord
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diverge
|
to move apart, or extend in different directions; to differ in opinion
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divest
|
to get rid of
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docile
|
easy to train or teach
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dubious
|
unsure, skeptical
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|
eccentric
|
adj: departing from convention. noun: one who deviates from the norm
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|
eclectic
|
combining elements from many different sources or styles
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|
effrontery
|
rude and presumptuous behaviour
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egregious
|
noticeably bad or offensive
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eloquent
|
very clear and precise; quality of being skilled in clear and precise speech
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elucidate
|
to clarify
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emancipation
|
the act of freeing or liberating
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emollient
|
adj: softening or soothing. noun: a softening agent
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empirical
|
based on or provable by observation and experiment
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emulate
|
to follow an admirable example; imitate
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endorse
|
to support or sign
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engender
|
to give rise to; originate
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enigmatic
|
unexplainable, puzzling
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entity
|
a discrete unit or being
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enumerate
|
to state things in a list
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ephemeral
|
temporary, fleeting
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equivocal
|
uncertain or ambiguous
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erudite
|
learned; having great knowledge
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esoteric
|
understood by few people; mysterious
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espouse
|
to choose to follow or support something
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estimable
|
admirable; deserving of esteem
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ethical
|
in line with the principles of right and wrong
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euphemism
|
an inoffensive expression substituted for one that is deemed offensive
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exacerbate
|
to intensify bitterness or violence
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exceptional
|
having uncommonly great qualities
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excoriate
|
to denounce; to chafe
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exculpate
|
to remove blame; acquit
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exhort
|
to urge or try to persuade
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exigent
|
demanding immediate attention; urgent
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explicate
|
to explain or make comprehensible
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expunge
|
to get rid of or erase
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extant
|
currently existing
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extenuating
|
partially justifiable
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extol
|
to praise or glorify
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extrovert
|
a person characterized by concern with things outside of himself or herself; an outgoing or gregarious person
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extricate
|
to free or disentangle
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exultant
|
gleeful because of success
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fallacy
|
an error in reasoning
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familial
|
relating to the family
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fathom
|
verb: to come to understand the meaning of something. noun: a measure of distance equal to six feet
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fatuous
|
foolish or delusive; smug
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feckless
|
lacking in purpose; careless
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feign
|
to fabricate or deceive
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feint
|
noun: a deceptive, diversionary action. verb: to make a deceptive show of
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fidelity
|
faithfulness or allegiance; often used to denote faithfulness in a romantic relationship, or faithfulness to a particular religion
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florid
|
flushed with colour; ornate
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foil
|
to keep from being successful
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foment
|
to incite or agitate
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forage
|
to search for food or provisions
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formidable
|
capable of arousing fear or awe
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fortuitous
|
happening by accident or chance
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forum
|
a public meeting place; a medium for open discussion
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fracas
|
a noisy fight; a brawl
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gainsay
|
to deny or contradict
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garrison
|
a military post; the troops stationed at a military post
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garrulous
|
very talkative
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genre
|
a type, class, or category
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gist
|
main idea
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glib
|
seemingly slick and clever, but lacking sincerity
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gratuitous
|
for no reason or at no cost
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gregarious
|
sociable; enjoying the company of others
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grievous
|
causing grief or pain; serious
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guile
|
cunning; shrewdness
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hackneyed
|
unoriginal, overused
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harrow
|
to torment or cause suffering and agony
|
|
hierarchy
|
a way to rank or place things in order
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heterogenous
|
made up of dissimilar elements; not homogenous
|
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hypothesis
|
a tentative explanation that can be tested by further investigation and experimentation
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idiosyncrasy
|
a peculiar characteristic
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immutable
|
not subject to change
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impending
|
threatening to occur
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imperturbable
|
hard to excite or upset, very calm
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|
impetus
|
a stimulus encouraging a particular activity
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|
implosion
|
a violent, inward collapse
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|
inadvertant
|
unintentional, often related to carelessness
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inchoate
|
poorly formed or formless
|
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incinerate
|
to set fire to and burn until reduced to ashes
|
|
incongruous
|
inconsistent; lacking in harmony
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incorrigible
|
impossible to change or reform
|
|
indigenous
|
native; innate
|
|
inevitable
|
impossible to avoid; predictable
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|
infer
|
to conclude from evidence
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ingenuity
|
cleverness or imagination
|
|
inherent
|
naturally occurring, permanent element or attribute
|
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inimical
|
harmul or unfriendly
|
|
innate
|
possessed at birth; a natural characteristic
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inscrutable
|
difficult to understand; having an obscure nature
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|
insinuate
|
to subtly imply or insert
|
|
insipid
|
dull; lacking in flavor or zest
|
|
insular
|
isolated; narrow-minded
|
|
integral
|
essential or necessary
|
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intercede
|
to mediate, or plead on another's behalf
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interpolate
|
to insert or introduce between, often to falsify
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|
intractable
|
difficult to manage; stubborn
|
|
inundate
|
to quickly overwhelm or exceed capacity
|
|
inure
|
to cause to accept something that is undesirable; habituate
|
|
invariable
|
not subject to question or change; constant
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irascible
|
easily angered
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|
jovial
|
full of joy and happiness
|
|
judicious
|
sensible, having good judgment
|
|
juxtapose
|
to place things next to each other in order to compare or contrast
|
|
keen
|
quick-witten, sharp
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|
kudos
|
praise for achievements
|
|
lambaste
|
to scold or criticize sharply, to beat
|
|
languish
|
to exist in a dreadful or gloomy situation; to become weak
|
|
latter
|
the second of two things mentioned; nearer to the end
|
|
laudable
|
deserving praise; favourable
|
|
lavish
|
adj: elaborate and luxurious. verb: to freely and boundlessly bestow
|
|
lenient
|
easy-going, tolerant
|
|
lethargic
|
deficient in alertness; lacking energy
|
|
listless
|
characterized by a lack of energy
|
|
loathsome
|
offensive, disgusting
|
|
loquacious
|
very talkative or rambling
|
|
lucid
|
easily understood; clear
|
|
ludicrous
|
laughable or foolish
|
|
magnanimous
|
courageous, generous, or noble
|
|
malevolent
|
purposefully wishing harm on others
|
|
manifest
|
adj: clearly recognizable. verb: to make clear. noun: a list of transported goods or passengers used for record keeping
|
|
mar
|
to inflict damage or blemishes on
|
|
melancholy
|
adj: glum. noun: deep contemplative thought
|
|
melodramatic
|
overly emotional or sentimental
|
|
mercurial
|
prone to sudden unpredictable change; volatile
|
|
metamorphosis
|
a transformation or change
|
|
meticulous
|
devoting a high amount of attention to detail
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|
mettle
|
courage
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minuscule
|
extremely small; unimportant
|
|
miscreant
|
villain; evildoer
|
|
mitigate
|
causing something to be less intense, forceful, or harmful
|
|
mollify
|
to calm down or alleviate; to soften
|
|
munificence
|
the act of liberally giving
|
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nascent
|
just beginning to exist
|
|
negligent
|
characterized by carelessness and neglectfulness
|
|
negligible
|
meaningless and insignificant
|
|
nostalgia
|
a bittersweet longing for the past
|
|
noxious
|
unwholesome or harmful
|
|
obdurate
|
firm, stubborn
|
|
obscurity
|
the condition of being unknown
|
|
obsolete
|
no longer in use; outmoded or old-fashioned
|
|
obstuse
|
lacking intellectual clarity; blunt, or slow-witted
|
|
obviate
|
to render unnecessary
|
|
odious
|
arousing or deserving strong hatred
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onerous
|
very troublesome or oppressively difficult
|
|
ostracize
|
to elimate from a group
|
|
paradox
|
a self-contradiction; something that appears to be self-contradictory
|
|
paragon
|
an example of excellence
|
|
parse
|
to break down into components
|
|
pedantic
|
characterized by a narrow concern for detail, particularly in academics
|
|
penchant
|
a tendency or fondness
|
|
perceive
|
to become aware of something, usually through the senses
|
|
percolate
|
to slowly pass through
|
|
peripatetic
|
adj: moving or traveling from place to place. noun: one who travels frequently from place to place
|
|
periphery
|
the outermost boundary of an area
|
|
perjury
|
knowingly lying under oath
|
|
perpetuate
|
to prolong the existence or idea of; to make everlasting
|
|
pertinent
|
relevant or appropriate
|
|
peruse
|
to examine or review something
|
|
pervasive
|
capable of spreading or flowing througout
|
|
phenomenon
|
observable fact or event; an unusual, significant, or outstanding occurrence. Plural is phenomena.
|
|
pith
|
significance, importance
|
|
placate
|
to calm
|
|
placid
|
calm or quiet
|
|
plagiarize
|
to copy another's work and pretend that it is original
|
|
plausible
|
reasonable, likely
|
|
plethora
|
excess or overabundance
|
|
poignant
|
profoundly moving; incisive
|
|
polarity
|
the possession of two opposing attributes or ideas
|
|
postulate
|
to put forth or assert
|
|
pragmatic
|
practical
|
|
precarious
|
in a dangerous state, lacking security or stability
|
|
precedent
|
an example or event that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time; custom arising from long-term practice
|
|
precept
|
a guiding rule or principle
|
|
precipitate
|
to cause something to happen very suddenly or prematurely
|
|
preclude
|
to prevent or make impossible
|
|
precursor
|
one that precedes or suggests the approach of another
|
|
presage
|
an omen or other warning sign
|
|
prescience
|
foresight; the power to see the future
|
|
presume
|
to take something for granted as being fact
|
|
prevaricate
|
to lie
|
|
probity
|
integrity and uprightness
|
|
prodigal
|
wasteful; extravagant
|
|
profuse
|
plentiful or abundant
|
|
progeny
|
offspring or product
|
|
prognosis
|
forecast or prediction
|
|
proliferate
|
to grow or inrease rapidly
|
|
promulgate
|
to proclaim; usually in reference to rules or laws
|
|
propagate
|
to cause to multiply or spread
|
|
prototype
|
an original form of something
|
|
protract
|
to lengthen or prolong
|
|
prowess
|
great skill or ability in something
|
|
prudish
|
exaggeratedly proper; righteous
|
|
quaff
|
to drink heartily
|
|
querulous
|
characterized by constant complaining or whining
|
|
quixotic
|
unpredictable and impractical
|
|
quotidian
|
ordinary, occurring daily
|
|
rancor
|
bitter resentment
|
|
recalcitrant
|
stubbornly resistant; defiant
|
|
recluse
|
someone who is withdrawn from society
|
|
recompense
|
noun: a payment in return for something. verb: to award compensation to
|
|
reconciliation
|
the reestablishing of cordial relations
|
|
recondite
|
difficult to understand
|
|
refute
|
to prove to be false; to deny the truth of
|
|
relegate
|
to refer or assign to a particular place or category
|
|
renounce
|
break; reject
|
|
reparation
|
compensation given to make amends
|
|
reproach
|
to express disapproval
|
|
repudiate
|
to reject or refuse as valid
|
|
resolute
|
definite, determined
|
|
resonant
|
strong and deep; lasting
|
|
resplendent
|
dazzling or brilliant in appearance
|
|
resurrect
|
to bring back to life
|
|
rhetoric
|
effective use of language; a style of speaking or writing
|
|
rigor
|
strictness or severity
|
|
sage
|
one revered for experience and wisdom
|
|
sanctimonious
|
feigning piety or righteousness
|
|
saction
|
noun: authoritative permission. verb: to give offical approval to
|
|
satirize
|
to insult using witty language
|
|
sedulous
|
persevering, industrious
|
|
skepticism
|
an attitude of doubt or disbelief
|
|
solace
|
comfort, safety
|
|
solicitous
|
concerned; thoughtful
|
|
specious
|
appearing to be true or genuine but actually deceptive
|
|
speculate
|
to theorize on the basis of inconclusive evidence
|
|
spontaneous
|
arising without apparent external cause; unrestrained
|
|
squelch
|
to crush or silence
|
|
stanch
|
to stop or check the flow of
|
|
static
|
fixed or stationary
|
|
stint
|
a length of time spent in a particular way
|
|
stoic
|
indifferent or unaffected
|
|
subjective
|
depending or based on someone's personal attitudes or opinions
|
|
substantiate
|
to validate or support
|
|
subsume
|
to contain or include
|
|
subvert
|
to undermine, ruin, or overthrow
|
|
surfeit
|
an overabundance or excess
|
|
susceptible
|
easily influence or likely to be affected
|
|
synchronized
|
occcurring at the same time and at the same rate
|
|
tacit
|
using no words
|
|
tangential
|
slightly connected; superficially relevant
|
|
temperance
|
moderation and self-restraint
|
|
tenuous
|
very thin or consisting of little substance
|
|
torpor
|
state of physical or mental sluggishness
|
|
tout
|
to promote or solicit
|
|
tractable
|
easy to control or work with
|
|
transcend
|
to go above and beyond; to rise above
|
|
transgress
|
to exceed or violate
|
|
transpose
|
to reverse the order of; interchange
|
|
unalloyed
|
pure; complete
|
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unilaterally
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performed in a one-sided manner
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unprecedented
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having no previous example
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unstinting
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very generous; bestowed liberally
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urbanity
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refinement and elegance
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utilitarian
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useful or practical
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vacillate
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to swing or waver
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variegated
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having a variety of colors or marks
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vehement
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forceful; displaying extreme emotion
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venal
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corruptible, open to bribery
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venerable
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highly esteemed or respected; commanding respect
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veracity
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truthfulness
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verbose
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wordy; long-winded
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verisimilitude
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the quality of appearing to be true or real
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veritable
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genuine or authentic
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versatile
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having many uses or a variety of abilities
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vilify
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to make negative statements about; to malign
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vindicate
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to clear someone or something from blame
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virtually
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in almost all instances; simulated as by a computer
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vituperate
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to criticize in an abusive way
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voluminous
|
large in volume or bulk
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voracious
|
excessively greedy; ravenous
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wane
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to gradually decrease
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wary
|
cautious and untrusting
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whet
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to sharpen or stimulate
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wily
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very sly, deceptive
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xenophobic
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distrustful of strangers or foreign people
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zealous
|
very passionate or enthusiastic
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zenith
|
the peak point
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arrogate |
take or claim (something) for oneself without justification |
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acrimonious |
angry/bitter, caustic |
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apocryphal |
of doubtful authenticity although widely circulated |
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inimical |
tending to obstruct/harm, hostile, unfriendly |
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histrionic |
emotional, dramatic, theatrical |
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congenial |
suitable, appropriate, pleasant, enjoyable |
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brusque |
in a very breif, direct and unfriendly way |
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gregarious |
enjoying the company of others |
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scurrilous |
said or done unfairly to make people have a bad opinion of someone |
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arcane |
secret, mysterious known or understood by a few |
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deride |
criticize, insult |
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abjure |
to formally reject |
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supercilious |
pompous, arrogant |
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sardonic |
disrespect, scorn Showing disapproval humorously |
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fatuous |
foolish, stupid |
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catholic |
diverse, widespread |
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ribald |
crude, offensive |
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ignomious |
causing disgrace or shame |
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waggish |
silly and playful |
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vociferous |
expressing feelings and opinions in a very loud and forceful way |
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precarious |
not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse. "a precarious ladder" dependent on chance; uncertain. "she made a precarious living by writing"
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torrid |
1. unusually hot/dry 2. sexual |
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laconic |
using few words |
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orotund |
1. fullness, strength and clarity of sound 2. pompous, bombastic |
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picayune |
1. petty, worthless 2. a small coin of little value, especially a 5-cent piece |
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opine |
hold and state as one's opinion (put forward: weak) |
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aver |
state or assert to be the case (law: strong) |
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obviate |
remove (a need or difficulty). "the Venetian blinds obviated the need for curtains"
avoid; prevent. |
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conflagration |
1. a large destructive fire 2. a war or conflict |
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slipshod |
(typically of a person or method of work) characterized by a lack of care, thought, or organization. "he'd caused many problems with his slipshod management" archaic (of shoes) worn down at the heel. |
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burnish |
1. polish (something, especially metal) by rubbing 2. enhance or perfect (something such as a reputation or a skill). |
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proscribe |
1. forbid, especially by law. "strikes remained proscribed in the armed forces" 2. denounce or condemn. "certain practices that the Catholic Church proscribed, such as polygyny" 3. historical -aroutlaw (someone). |
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rapacious |
aggressively greedy or grasping |
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consummate |
1. sex 2. showing a high degree of skill and flair; complete or perfect. |
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egregious |
outstandingly bad; shocking |
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aquiesce |
accept something reluctantly but without protest. |
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capitulate |
cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; surrender. |
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exigency |
an urgent need or demand. |