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99 Cards in this Set
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ABERRANT
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adj.
abnormal; straying from the normal and usual path Also in the wide-ranging AP questionnaire in 1992, Huckabee said, "I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk." |
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ABSTEMIOUS
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adj.
Not self-indulgent, sparing in use of food or drinks “We only had a bottle.” “Very abstemious of you.” |
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ACERBIC
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adj.
sour or bitter in taste or manner (tart, harsh) "Dan had an enormous talent and an acerbic, biting wit," Carpenter said of O'Bannon. "He had a very high IQ, but I think he was under-appreciated and under-served by the film business. He took a stand against all manner of authority." |
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ALACRITY
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n.
cheerful promptness or speed The federal government, King pointed out, was appropriating "military funds with alacrity and generosity" - but "poverty funds with miserliness." |
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ALLUDE
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v.
to refer indirectly to something (insinuate) "She had a way of alluding to Jean but never saying her name." |
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ALLUSION
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n.
an indirect reference (often literary); a hint "I have now realized that I used an inappropriate allusion, and so am retracting my remarks and apologizing to all those who were offended," Aso told reporters Friday. |
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ALTRUISM
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n.
unselfish devotion to the welfare of others rather than self As King said, "Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." |
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AMALGAM
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n. a mixture or combination (often of metals)
a curious amalgam of the traditional and the modern |
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AMALGAMATE
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v. to mix, merge, combine
Mr Brown said there was "no proposal to merge the use of aircraft carriers" and pledged that in relation to defence cooperation with Paris, "we will work together, not merge; not amalgamate". |
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AMELIORATE
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v.
to improve or make better "The reform did much to ameliorate living standards." |
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ANACHRONISM
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n. something out of place in time (e.g., an airplane in 1492)
everything was as it would have appeared in centuries past apart from one anachronism, a bright yellow construction crane |
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ANOMALY
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n.
an oddity, inconsistency; a deviation from the norm "The apparent anomaly that those who produced the wealth were the poorest." |
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ANTIPATHY
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n.
a natural dislike or repugnance (aversion, repugnance, distaste, repulsion) "Growing up as a socialist, his had a fundamental antipathy towards capitalism." |
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APPOSITE
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adj. suitable; apt; relevant
the observations are apposite to the discussion |
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ARCANE
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adj.
obscure; secret; mysterious (occult, esoteric) "The book contained modern math and its arcane notation." |
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ARCHETYPE
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n. the first model from which others are copied; prototype
The new "Solar, Volume 1" arrived last month, with a character Shooter describes as "the premier archetype of energy-empowered heroes, real-science-based heroes and heroes whose power level approaches being godlike. |
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ARDUOUS
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adj.
laborious, difficult, sternuous "After playing with an authentic leather ball your whole life and going to a composite was very difficult, but after playing with it every day you become used to it," Nash said. "It's going to be another arduous time for us to adjust back." |
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ARID
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adj.
extremely dry, parched; barren, unimaginative |
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ASCETIC (n.)
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n. one who leads a simple life of self-denial
an ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and manual labor; |
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ASCETIC (adj.)
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adj.
rigorously abstinent, hermit |
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ASEPTIC
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adj. germ free
aseptic surgical instruments |
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ASPERSION
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n.
slanderous statement; a damaging or derogatory criticism (calumny or obolquy) "I replied that is was a nickname of endearment and not an aspersion on the chap's character. People are strange," Dahl writes, before signing the letter "Lofty" - his own wartime nickname. |
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ASSIDUOUS
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adj. carefully attentive; industrious
she was assiduous in pointing out every feature |
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ASSUAGE
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v.
to relieve; ease; make less server (pacify, allay, mitigate, mollify, salve, abate) "We are convinced that the best way to assuage Russia's concerns ...... will be to abandon such plans and turn to a truly collective project," Lavrov told reporters. |
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ASTRINGENT
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n.
a substance that contracts bodily tissues "It was an astringent skin lotion." |
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ATROPHY
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adj.
causing contraction; tightening; stern, austere "Without a plan," warned Leo Gerard, president of United Steelworkers International, "American manufacturing will continue to atrophy." |
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ATTENUATE
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v. to make thin or slender; to weaken or dilute
the trees are attenuated from being grown too close together; her intolerance was attenuated by a rather unexpected liberalism |
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AUTOCRACY
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n.
an absolute monarchy; goverment where one person holds power |
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AUTOCRAT
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n.
an absolute ruler |
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BALEFUL
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adj. harmful, malign, detrimental
She stared right into the camera with that baleful glare," Crews said. "Break your back with that stare. |
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BANAL
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adj.
trite, without freshness or originality The experiment, as the Post reporter Gene Weingarten wrote, was "an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?" |
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BENEFICENT
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adj.
conferring benefits; kindly; doing good Lincoln said the nation should observe "a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens." |
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BILATERAL
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adj.
pertaining to or affecting both sides or two sides; having two sides (mutual, reciprocal) "The bilateral hearing is essential for sound location." |
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BOMBAST
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n.
pompous speech; pretentious words (grandiloquence) "Because of his mild-mannered persona, people are surprised that he has been so opinionated and so direct," said Bob Costas, the show's host. "And yet he does it without bombast and without malice. |
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BURGEON
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v.
to grow or develop quickly "Manufacturers are keen to cash in on the burgeoning demand." |
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CACOPHONY
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n. a harsh, inharmonious collection of sounds; dissonance
a cacophony of deafening alarm bells |
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CANT
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n.
insincere or hypocritical statements of high ideals; the jargon of a particular group or occupation "The liberal case against all censorship is often cant." |
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CAPRICE
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n.
a sudden, unpredictable, or whimsical change "We can't keep waiting for the terrorists' caprice. It is time to play hard to promote the rescue of hostages by military force," Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said in a statement Tuesday. |
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CATHARSIS
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n.
a purging or relieving of the body or soul "It's as old as Greek drama," Clinton said. "There's a catharsis. Everybody comes, and they want to yell and scream and have their opportunity, and I think that's all to the good." |
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CHICANERY
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n. trickery or deception
an underhanded person who schemes corruption and political chicanery behind closed doors |
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CHURLISHNESS
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n.
crude or surly behavior of a peasant (boorish, uncouth) "On India's contribution for Pakistan's flood relief operations, Tharoor said "considering the churlishness of the recipient, we were hugely generous."" |
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CLOTURE
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n. a parlimentary procedure to end debate and begin to vote
If it's not at the point where I think it needs to be with the improvements that I'm pushing -- and they've made a lot of them -- then I will not vote for cloture on the motion to end debate," Nelson said in an interview on KLIN radio in Nebraska. |
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CLOYING
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adj.
too sugary; too sentimental or flattering "A romantic, rather cloying story." "The first long sip gives a malty taste that never cloys." |
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CODA
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n.
in music, a concluding passage "His new novel is a kind of coda to his previous books." |
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CODIFY
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v. to organize law or rules into a systematic collection (code)
In mid-December, Mr. Bush said, "If necessary, I will support a constitutional amendment which would honor marriage between a man and a woman, codify that. |
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COGENT
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adj.
to the point; clear; convincing in its clarity and presentation Ms Goldie said: "I think it (is] extremely important there is a robust and cogent argument presented for Scotland to the defence review." |
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COGITATE
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v.
to think hard; ponder, mediate "He stroked his beard and tired to cogitate." |
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COGNITIVE
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adj.
possessing the power to think or mediate; meditative; capable of perception "I asked the doctor, `If he can read the letter and answer questions about it, would that be a test of his cognitive ability?'" Fielding said. "The doctor said `Yeah.'" |
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COGNIZANT
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adj.
aware of; perceptive "We're going to ramp up a little bit, but nothing dramatic," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on his weekly radio show. "We'll take a little bit of extra precaution. Some of you will notice, some of you won't - but we have to be cognizant." |
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COHERENT
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adj.
sticking together; connected; logical; consistent "She was lucid and coherent and did not appear to be injured." |
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COHESION
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n.
the act of sticking together "The work at present lacks cohesion." |
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COMELINESS
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n. beauty; attractiveness in appearance or behavior
Hallow the body as a temple to comeliness and sanctify the heart as a sacrifice to love love recompenses the adorers |
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COMMODIOUS
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adj.
spacious and convenient; roomy (capacious) "I can't speak as an architect or reviewer," Stern said, but the new Garden will be "quite extraordinary, quite commodious, and it's going to be quite a treat for the fans of New York." |
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COMPLAISANCE
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n. the quality or being agreeable or eager to please
Here a person sees & converses with people of all ranks, of all tempers," Dickinson wrote. "He acquires an ease & freedom of behaviour with his superiors, complaisance and civility to his inferiors. |
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COMPLIANT
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adj.
complying; obeying; yielding |
"They were good-humored, eagerly compliant girls."
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CONNOTATIVE
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adj.
containing associated meanings in addition to the primary one |
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CONSTRAIN
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v. to force, compel; to restrain
McConnell, R-Kentucky, said in a statement that he does not have "confidence that if she were confirmed to a lifetime position on the Supreme Court she would suddenly constrain the ardent political advocacy that has marked much of her adult life. |
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CONTENTIOUS
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adj.
quarrelsome, moot, litigious, cantankerous, debatable "A contentious amateur politician who has offended minority groups." |
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CONTIGUOUS
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adj. touching; or adjoining and close; but not touching
The United States has made clear that we expect it to be a viable and contiguous state when it is created," said Rice. |
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CONTRAVENE
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v. to act contrary to; to oppose or contradict
this contravened Washington's commitment to its own proposal |
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CONUNDRUM
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n.
puzzle or riddle "This may be one of the most difficult conundrums for the experts." |
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CONVERGE
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v.
to move toward one point (opposite: diverge) |
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COTERIE
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n.
a clique; a group who meet frequently, usually socially "A coterie of friends and advisers." |
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CRASS
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adj. stupid, unrefined; gross
the crass assumptions that men make about women |
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DEBACLE
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n.
disaster; collapse; a rout "The economic debacle that became known as the Great Depression." |
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DEBILITATE
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v.
to enfeeble; to wear out (enervate) "He has a weakness that debilitates him despite his overwhelming physical might." |
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DECOROUS
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adj.
suitable, proper, seemly "It's a matter of paring down," Mr. Sylvian said. "You just try to keep the arrangement of the piece sparse and not decorous. There's a freedom or liberation in the eradication of any recognizable form." |
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DELETERIOUS
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adj.
harmful, hurtful; noxious, nocuous, baleful, inimical "Without federal help ...... what we will have to do is just make continuing cuts and-or raise taxes, both of which would have a further deleterious effect on our states' economy. We simply need help," Rendell told reporters. |
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DENIGRATE
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v.
to defame, to blacken or sully; to belittle I maintain my innocence, my intentions were never to denigrate cricket or anyone," Hayden said in a statement after the hearing. "But the umpire has made his decision......and in the spirit of cricket I respect and accept the decision. |
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DEPRECATE
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v. to express disapproval of; to protest against
The author modestly deprecated the importance of his work. Her self-deprecating account of her career both amused and charmed the audience. |
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DERIDE
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v.
to laugh at with contempt; to mock "Critics derided the proposals as clumsy attempts to find a solution." |
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DERISION
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n.
the act of mocking; ridicule, mockery (gibe, jeer, scorn) "My stories were greeted with derision and disbelief." |
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DIATRIBE
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n.
a bitter or abusive speech "A diatribe against the Roman Catholic Church." |
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DICHOTOMY
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n.
a division of two parts "a rigid dichotomy between science and mysticism " |
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DIFFIDENT
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adj. timid; lacking self-confidence
I stood behind him like a rock," Narasimha Rao said in a recent interview. "I encouraged him when I found him diffident. I gave him political support through thick and thin. |
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DIFFUSE
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adj.
spread out; verbose (wordy); not focused |
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DISCOURSE
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v.
to converse; to communicate in orderly fashion |
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DISCRETE
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adj. separate; individually distinct; composed of distinct parts
speech sounds are produced as a continuous sound signal rather than discrete units |
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DISINGENUOUS
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adj.
not frank or candid; deceivingly simple (opposite: ingenuous) "Any speculation in the region about the United States losing interest in Asia strikes me as either preposterous, or disingenuous, or both," Mr. Gates said, noting that he had served under seven US presidents. |
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DISINTERESTED
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adj.
neutral; unbiased (alternate meaning: uninterested); Not influenced by considerations of personal advantage Adams called his decision to defend them "one of the most gallant, generous, manly, and disinterested actions of my whole life, and one of the best pieces of service I ever rendered my country." |
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DISPARATE
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adj.
unequal, dissimilar, different "This disparate treatment, unappealing as it is, appears unavoidable," Mr. Bernanke said. "Our economic system is critically dependent on the free flow of credit." |
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DISPUTATIOUS
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adj.
argumentative; inclined to disputes (contentious, irascible) Rice wrote, "It's simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outside. My conscience will allow nothing else." |
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DISSEMBLE
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v. to pretend; to feign; to conceal be pretense
she smiled, dissembling her true emotion; an honest, sincere person with no need to dissemble |
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DISSONANCE
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n.
musical discord; a mingling of inharmonious sounds; nonmusically, disagreement, lack of harmony |
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DISSONANT
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adj.
not in harmony, in disagreement |
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EBULLIENCE
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n.
an overflowing of high spirits (effervescence, ebullition) Late Gani, according to Ukiwe was "a man of sharpened intelligence, with capacity and ebullience to rouse the people from stupor to action and motivate the national leadership into action if reluctant. |
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ELLIPSIS
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n.
omission of words that would make the meaning clear (suomi) Perry, saying he is running harder than ever before, told his supporters including local elected officials, "This race : (ellipsis) is not going to the chronic complainer or the shrillest critic. This race is going to go to the strongest leader." |
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ELUCIDATE
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v.
to make clear; to explain (expound) "He's very eager to sort of roll up his sleeves and apply his knowledge in a way that gets to things that are fundamentally important about the world, how it operates and how to elucidate policy," Oppenheimer said. |
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EMOLLIENT
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adj.
softening or soothing to the skin; Attempting to avoid confrontation or anger; soothing or calming "Everyone respected the president's emollient approach to differences." |
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ENCOMIUM
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n.
high praise |
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ENDEMIC
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adj.
native to a particular area or people |
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ENERVATE
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v. to weaken; to deprive of nerve or strength
the enervate slightness of his frail form |
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ENGENDER
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v.
to bring about; beget, to bring forth "In the spirit of living with others, they should be cognizant of the feelings of others and try to find a location that doesn't engender the deep feelings that currently exist about this site," Mr. Silver said." |
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EPHEMERAL
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adj.
very short-lived; lasting only a short time "People need to understand that all of the river systems in the State's south west are ephemeral, so the flows can only be taken when the rivers actually run," Mr Wallace said. |
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EULOGY
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n.
words of praise, especially for the dead |
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EVANESCENT
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adj. vanishing quickly, dissipating like a vapor
a shimmering evanescent bubble |
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EXIGENT
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adj.
requiring immediate action; urgent, pressing |
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EXTEMPORIZE
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v.
to improvise, ad-lib, vamp "He extemporized at the piano." |
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EXTRAPOLATE
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v.
to estimate the value of something beyond the scale; to infer what is unknown from something known "The researchers attempt to extrapolate likely human cancers from laboratory studies." |
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