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224 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abate
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to lessen in intensity or degree
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accolade
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an expression of praise
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adulation
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excessive praise; intense adoration
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aesthetic
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dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
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ameliorate
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to make better or more tolerable
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ascetic
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one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion
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avarice
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greed, esp. for wealth (adj. avaricious)
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axiom
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a universally recognized principle
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burgeon
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to grow rapidly or flourish
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bucolic
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rustic and pastoral, characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
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cacophony
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harsh, jarring, discordant sound, dissonance
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canon
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an established set or principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
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castigation
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severe criticism or punishment (verb - castigate)
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catalyst
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a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing, a person or thing that causes change
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caustic
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burning or stinging, causing corrosion
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chary
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wary, cautious, sparing
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cogent
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appealing forcibly to the mind or reason, convincing
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complaisance
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the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
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contentious
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argumentative, quarrelsome, causing controversy or disagreement
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contrite
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regretful, penitent, seeking forgiveness
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culpable
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deserving blame (noun - culpability)
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dearth
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smallness of quantity or number, scarcity, a lack
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demur
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to question or oppose
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didactic
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intended to teach or instruct
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discretion
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cautious reserve in speech, ability to make responsible decisions
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disinterested
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free or bias or self-interest, impartial
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dogmatic
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expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or unprovable principles
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ebullience
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the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
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eclectic
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composed of elements drawn from various sources
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elegy
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a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead
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emollient
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soothing, esp. to the skin, making less harsh, mollifying, an agent that softens or smooths the skin
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empirical
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based on observation or experiment
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enigmatic
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mysterious, obscure, difficult to understand
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ephemeral
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brief, fleeting
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esoteric
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intended for or understood by a small, specific group
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eulogy
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a speech honoring the dead
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exonerate
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to remove blame
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facetious
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playful, humorous
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fallacy
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an invalid or incorrect notion, a mistaken belief
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furtive
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marked by stealth, covert, surreptitious
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gregarious
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sociable, outgoing, enjoying the company of other people
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harangue
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to deliver a pompous speech or tirade, a long pompous speech
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heretical
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violating accepted dogma or convention
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hyperbole
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an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
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impecunious
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lacking funds, without money
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incipient
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beginning to come into being or to become apparent
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inert
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unmoving, lethargic, sluggish
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innocuous
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harmless, causing no damage
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intransigent
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refusing to compromise
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inveigle
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to obtain by deception or flattery
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morose
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sad, sullen, melancholy
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odious
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evoking intense aversion or dislike
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opaque
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impenetrable by light, not reflecting light
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oscillation
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the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
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penurious
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penny pinching, excessively thrifty, ungenerous
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peruse
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to examine with great care
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pious
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extremely reverent or devout, showing strong religious devotion
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precursor
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one that precedes and indicates or announces another
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preen
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to dress up, to primp, to groom oneself with elaborate care
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prodigious
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abundant in size, force or extent, extraordinary
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prolific
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producing large volumes or amounts, productive
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putrefy
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to rot, to decay and give off a foul odor
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quaff
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to drink deeply
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quiescence
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stillness, motionlessness, quality of being at rest
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redoubtable
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awe-inspiring, worthy of honor
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sanction
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authoritative permission or approval, a penalty intended to enforce compliance, to give permission or authority to
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satire
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a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
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squalid
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sordid, wretched and dirty as from neglect
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stoic
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indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain, steadfast
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supplant
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to take the place of, supersede
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torpid
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lethargic, sluggish, dormant
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ubiquitous
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existing everywhere at the same time, constantly encountered, widespread
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urbane
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sophisticated, refined, elegant
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vilify
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to defame, to characterize harshly
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viscous
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thick, sticky
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acumen
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keen, accurate judgment or insight
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adulterate
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to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
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amalgamate
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to combine several elements into a whole
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archaic
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outdated, associated with an earlier, more primitive time
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aver
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to state as a fact, to declare or assert
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bolster
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to provide support or reinforcement
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bombastic
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pompous, grandiloquent
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diatribe
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a harsh denunciation
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dissemble
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to disguise or conceal, mislead
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eccentric
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departing from norms or conventions
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endemic
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characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region or peoploe
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evanescent
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tending to disappear like vapor, vanishing
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exacerbate
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to make worse or more severe
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fervent
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greatly emotional or zealous
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fortuitous
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happening by accident or chancce
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germane
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relevant to the subject at hand, appropriate in subject matter
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grandiloquence
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pompous speech or expression
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hackneyed
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rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage
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halcyon
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calm and peaceful
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hedonism
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devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp. to the pleasures of the senses
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hegemony
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the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others
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iconoclast
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one who attacks or undermines conventions or institutions
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idolatrous
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given to intense or excessive devotion to something
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impassive
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revealing no emotion
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imperturbable
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marked by extreme calm, impassivity and steadiness
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implacable
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not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
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impunity
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immunity from punishment or penalty
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inchoate
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in an initial stage, not fully formed
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infelicitous
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unfortunate, inappropriate
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insipid
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without taste or flavor, lacking in flavor, bland
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loquacious
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extremely talkative
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luminous
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characterized by brightness and the emission of light
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malevolent
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having or showing often vicious ill will, spite or hatred
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malleable
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capable or being shaped or formed, tractable, pliable
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mendacity
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condition of being untruthful, dishonesty
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meticulous
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characterized by extreme and and precision, attentive to detail
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misanthrope
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one who hates all other humans
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mitigate
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to make or become less severe or intense, to moderate
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obdurate
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unyielding, hardhearted, intractable
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obsequious
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exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
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occlude
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to obstruct or block
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opprobrium
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disgrace, contempt, scorn
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pedagogy
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the profession or principles of teaching or instructing
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pedantic
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overly concerned with trivial details of learning or education, show-offish about one's knowledge
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penury
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poverty, destitution
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pervasive
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having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout
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pine
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to yearn intensely, to languish, to lose vigor
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pirate
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to illegally use or reproduce
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pith
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the essential or central part
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pithy
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precise and brief
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placate
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to appease, to calm by making concessions
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platitude
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a superficial remark, one offered as meaningful
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plummet
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to plunge or drop straight down
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polemical
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controversial, argumentative
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prodigal
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recklessly wasteful, extravagant, profuse, lavish
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profuse
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given or coming forth abundantly, extravagant
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proliferate
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to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
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queries
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questions, inquiries, doubts in the mind, reservations
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rancorous
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characterized by bitter, long-lasting resement
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recalcitrant
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obstinately defiant or authority, difficult to manage
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rescind
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to invalidate, to repeal, to retract
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repudiate
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to refuse to have anything to do with, disown
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reverent
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marked by, feeling or expressing a feeling of profound awe and respect
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rhetoric
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art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
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salubrious
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promoting health or well-being
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solvent
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able to meet financial obligations, able to dissolve another substance
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specious
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seeming true, but actually being fallacious, misleadingly attractive, plausible but false
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spurious
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lacking authenticity or validity, false, counterfeit
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subpoena
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a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
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succinct
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brief, concise
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superfluous
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exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
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surfeit
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an overabundant supply, excess, to feed or supply to excess
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tenacity
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the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued, persistent determination
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tenuous
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having little substance or strength, flimsy/weak
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tirade
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a long and extremely critical speech, a harsh denunciation
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transient
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fleeting, passing quickly, brief
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zealous
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fervent, ardent, impassioned, devoted to a cause
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acerbic
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having a sour or bitter taste or character, sharp, biting
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aggrandize
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to increase in intensity, power, influence or prestige
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alchemy
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a medieval science aimed as the transmutation of metals, esp. into gold
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amenable
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agreeable, responsive to suggestion
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anachronism
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something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context
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astringent
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having a tightening effect on living tissue, harsh, sever, something with a tighetning effect
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contiguous
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sharing a border, touching, adjacent
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convention
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a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude
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credulous
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tending to believe too readily, gullible
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cynicism
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an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
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decorum
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polite or appropriate conduct or behavior
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derision
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scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment
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desiccate
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to dry out or dehydrate, to make dry or dull
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dilettante
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one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
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disparage
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to slight or belittle
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divulge
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to disclose something secret
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fawn
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to flatter or praise excessively
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flout
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to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention
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garrulous
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pointlessly talkative, talking too much
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glib
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marked by ease or informality, non-chalant, lacking in depth, superficial
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hubris
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overbearing presumption or PRIDE, arrogance
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imminent
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about to happen
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immutable
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not capable of change
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impetuous
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hastily or rashly energetic, impulsive or vehement
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indifferent
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having no interest or concern, showing no bias or prejudice
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inimical
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damaging, harmful, injurious
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intractable
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not easily managed or directed, stubborn, obstinate
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intrepid
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steadfast and courageous
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laconic
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using few words, terse
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maverick
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an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
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mercurial
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characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
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mollify
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to calm or soothe, to reduce in emotional intensity
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neophyte
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a recent convert, a beginner, a novice
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obfuscate
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to deliberately obscure, to make confusing
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obstinate
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stubborn, hardheaded, uncompromising
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ostentatious
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characterized by or given to pretentious display, showy
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pervade
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to permeate throughout
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phlegmatic
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calm, sluggish, unemotional
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plethora
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an overabundance, a surplus
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pragmatic
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practical rather than idealistic
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presumptuous
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overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy), taking liberties
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pristine
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pure, uncorrupted, clean
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probity
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adherence to highest principles, complete and confirmed integrity, uprightness
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proclivity
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a natural predisposition or inclination
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profligate
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excessively wasteful, recklessly extravagant
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propensity
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a natural inclination or tendency, penchant
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prosaic
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dull, lacking in spirit or imagination
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pungent
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characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste
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quixotic
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foolishly impractical, marked by lofty romantic ideals
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quotidian
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occurring or recurring daily, commonplace
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rarefy
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to make or become thin, less dense, to refine
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recondite
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hidden, concealed, difficult to understand, obscure
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refulgent
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radiant, shiny, brilliant
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renege
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to fail to honor a commitment, to go back on a promise
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sedulous
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diligent, persistent, hard-working
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shard
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a piece of broken pottery or glass
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soporific
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causing drowsiness, tending to induce sleep
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sparse
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thin, not dense, arranged at widely spaced intervals
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spendthrift
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one who spends money wastefully
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subtle
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not obvious, elusive, difficult to discern
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tacit
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implied, not explicitly stated
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terse
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brief and concise in wording
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tout
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to publicly praise or promote
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trenchant
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sharply perceptive, keen penetrating
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unfeigned
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genuine, not false or hypocritical
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untenable
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indefensible, not viable, uninhabitable
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vacillate
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to waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another
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variegated
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multicolored, characterized by a variety of patches of different color
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vexation
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annoyance, irritation
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vigilant
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alertly watchful
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vituperate
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to use harsh, condemnatory language, to abuse or censure severely or abusively, berate
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volatile
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readily changing to a vapor, changeable, fickle, explosive
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