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285 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
inscrutable
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incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically
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insular
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relating to, characteristic of, or situation on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience
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irrevocable
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incapable ot being changed or called back
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propensity
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a natural inclination or predilection toward
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querulous
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peevish, complaining, fretful
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remonstrate
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to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to
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repudiate
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to disown, reject, or deny the validity of
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resilient
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able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly
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reverberate
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to re-echo, resound
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scurrilous
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coarsely abusive, vular or low (esp in language), foul mouthed
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sedulous
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persistent, showing industry and determination
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sleazy
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thin or flimsy in texture, cheap or inferior in quality or character
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amnesty
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a general pardon for an offense against a government, any act of forgiveneness or absolution
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axiomatic
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self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule
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blazon
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to adorn or emebllish, to display conspiculously, to publish, to prolaim widely
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caveat
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a warning or caution to prevent misunderstading or discourage behavior
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equitable
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fair, just, embodying principles of justice
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extricate
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to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort
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filch
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to steal (esp in a sneaky way in petty amounts)
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flout
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to mock, treat with contempt
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fractious
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tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, unpredictable
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precept
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a rule of conduct or action
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salutary
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beneficial, helpful; healthy, wholesome
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scathing
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bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm
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scourge
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to whip, punish severely; a cause of affliction or suffering
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sepulchral
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funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal
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soporific
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tending to cause sleep, relating to sleapiness or lethargy; (n) something that induces sleep
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straitlaced
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extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical
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transient
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lasting only a short time, fleeting; (n) one who stays only a short time
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unwieldy
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not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity
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vapid
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dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness
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anomalous
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abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual
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aspersion
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a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming
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bizarre
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extremely strange, unsual, atypical
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brusque
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abrupt, blunt, with no formalities
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cajole
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to coax, persuade through flattery or atifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts or false promises
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castigate
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to punish severely; to criticize severely
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contrive
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to plan with ingenuity, invent; to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan
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demagogue
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a leader who exploits popular prejudices and flase claims and promises in order to gain power
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disabuse
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to free from deception or error, set right in ideas or thinking
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ennui
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weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest, boredom
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fetter
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a chain or shackle placed on the feet; to chain or shackle, to render helpless or impotent
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heinous
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very wicked, offensive, hateful
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immutable
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not subject to change, constant
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insurgent
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one who rebels or rises against authority;(adj) rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority
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megalomania
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a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent
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sinecure
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a position requiring little or no work; an easy job
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surreptitious
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stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation;
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transgress
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to go beyond a limit or boundary; to sin, violate a law
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transmute
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to change from one nature, substance, or form to another
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vicarious
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performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another
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austere
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severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury
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beneficent
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performing acts of kindness or charity; doing good
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cadaverous
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pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse
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concoct
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to prepare by combining ingredients; to devise, invent, fabricate
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crass
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coarse, unfeeling, stupid
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debase
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to lower in character, quality, or value, to degrade
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desecrate
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to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently, to contaminate, to pollute
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disconcert
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to confuse, to disturb the compusure of
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grandiose
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grand in an impressive or stately way, marked by pompous affectation or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated
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inconsequential
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trifling, unimportant
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infraction
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a breaking or a low or obligation
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mitigate
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to make milder or softer; to moderate in force or intensity
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pillage
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to rob of goods by open force, plunder; (n) the act of looting, booty
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prate
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to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimles fashion
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punctilious
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very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquette or propriety
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redoubtable
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inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent
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reprove
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to find fault with, scold, rebuke
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restitution
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the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or psotion; making good on a loss or damage
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stalwart
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strong and sturdy; brave (n) a brave, song person, a strong supporter
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vulnerable
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open to attack, unprotected
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acrimonious
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stinging, bitter in temper or tone
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bovine
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resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive
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consternation
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dismay, confusion
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corpulent
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fat, having a large, bulky body
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disavow
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to deny responsibility for or connection with
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dispassionate
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impartial, calm, free from emotion
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dissension
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disagreement, sharp differences of opinion
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dissipate
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to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel, to spend foolishly; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure
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expurgate
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to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify
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gauntlet
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a challenge, an ordeal
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hypothetical
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based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation
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ignoble
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mean, low, base
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impugn
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to attack as false, to call into question
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intemperate
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immoderate, lackign in self-control, inclement
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odium
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hatred, contempt, disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct
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perfidy
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faithlessness, treachery
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relegate
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to place in a lower position, to assign, refer, turn over; to banish
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squeamish
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inclined to nausea, easily shocked or upset
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subservient
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subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient
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susceptible
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open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance
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abate
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to make less in amount, degree, etc., to subside, become less, to nullify; to deduct, to omit
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adulation
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praise or flattery that is excessive
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anathema
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an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denuciation
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astute
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shrewd, craft, showing practical wisdom
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avarice
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a greedy desire, particularly for wealth
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culpable
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deserving blame, worthy of condemnation
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dilatory
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tending to delay or procastinate; not prompt; intended to delay or postpone
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egregious
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conspicious, standing out from the mass (unfavorably)
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equivocate
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to speak or act in way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous
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evanescent
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vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy
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irresolute
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unable to make up one's mind, hesitating
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nebulous
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cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color, not transparent; vague,confused, indistinct
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novice
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one who is just a beginner at some activity requring skil and experience
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penury
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extreme poverty, barrenness, insufficiency
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pretentious
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done for show, striving to make a big impression; ambitious
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recapitulate
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to review a series of facts; to sum up
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resuscitate
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to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence
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slovenly
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untidy, dirty, careless
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supposition
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something that is assumed or taken for granted withotu conclusive evidence
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torpid
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inactive, sluggish, dull
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accrue
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to grow or accumulate over time; to happen as a natural result
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annotation
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a critical or explanatory note or comment, especially for a literary work
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bedlam
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a state or scene of uproar and confusion
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covert
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hidden, disguised, purposefully kept secret; sheltered, secluded (n) a sheltered place, a hiding place
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debonair
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pleasant, courteous, lighthearted; smooth and polished n manner and appearance
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dun
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to demand insistently, especially in payment of a debt, (n) a creditor, (adj) dull, dark, dingy
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efficacious
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effective, producing results
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equanimity
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calmness, compuse, refusal to panic
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fortuitous
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accidental, occurring by a happy chance
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gist
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the essential part, main point, or essence
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gratuitous
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freely given, not called for by circumstances
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imperious
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overbearing, arrogant; seeking to dominate; pressing, compelling
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invective
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a strong denunciation or condemnation; abusive language; (adj) abusive
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motley
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showing great variety, composed of different elements or many colors; (n) a jester's costume, a jester
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munificent
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extremely generous
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procastinate
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to delay, put off until later
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recondite
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exceeding ordinary knowledge and understanding
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reprobate
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a depraved, vicious, or unprincipled person, scoundrel, (adj) wicked corrupt, or unprincipled; (v) to disapprove of, condemn
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sedentary
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characterized by or calling for continued sitting; remaining in one place
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absolve
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to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt
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caricature
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a representation in which the subject's characteristic features are deliberately exaggerated
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clangor
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a loud, ringing sound; to make a loud ringing noise
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contiguous
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side by side; touching, near
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cupidity
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an eager desire for something, greed
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deleterious
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harmful, injurious
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enhance
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to raise to a higer degree; to increase the vaule or desirability of
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enthrall
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to captivate, charm, hold spellbound, to enslae, to improve
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extenuate
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to lessen the seriousness or magnitude or an offense by making partial excuses
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implicit
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implied or understood though unexpressed
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incisive
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sharp, keen, penetrating
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ostentatious
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marked by pretentious display, showy
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paragon
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a model of excellence or perfection
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paraphrase
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to restate in other words, (n) a statement that presents a given idea in new language
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politic
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prudent, artful, expedient
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prosaic
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dull, lacking in distinction and originality
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redundant
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extra, excess, more than is needed; wordy, repetivie, profuse, lush
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sanctimonious
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making a show of virtue or righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or pious
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scintillating
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sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant
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winsome
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charming, attractive, pleasing
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abet
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to encourage, to assist, to aid, to support
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aver
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to affirm, declare confidently
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blatant
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noisy in corase, offensive way; obvious or conspicuous
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broach
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to bring up or begin to talk about (a subject), to announce, to introduce; (n) a tool for tapping casks
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buttress
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to support, prop up, strengthen; (n) a supporting structure
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carousal
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a noisy revelery or merrymaking (alcohol)
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collate
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to compare critically in order to note differences, similarities; to arrange in order for some specific purpose
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connoisseur
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an expert; one who is well qualified to pass critical judgements, especially in one of the fine arts
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disconsolate
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deeply unhappy or dejected; without hope, beyond consolation
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encumber
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to weigh down or burden; to fill up, block up, hinder
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foment
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to promote trouble or rebellion, to apply warm liquids
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grisly
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frightful, horrible, ghastly
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herculean
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characterized by great strength; hard to due because it resuires unusual strength
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impassive
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showing no feeling or emotion; inanimate, motionless
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inauspicious
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unfavorable, unlucky, suggesting back luck for the futre
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incontrovertible
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unquestionable, beyond dispute
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nonplussed
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puzzled, not knowing what to do
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opportune
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suitable for a particular purpose, occurring at an appropriate time
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prolific
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abundantly productive; abundant, profuse
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rejoinder
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a reply to a reply, esp from the defendant in a legal suit
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amenable
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willing to follow adice or authority
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berate
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to scold sharply
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carnage
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a large-scale slaughter or loss of life
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credulous
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too ready to believe, easily deceived
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criterion
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a rule, test, a standard for judgement
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deplete
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to use up as a result of spending or consumption; to diminish greatly
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expatiate
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to expand on, write or talk at length or in detial; to move about freely
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extraneous
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coming from the outside, foreign; present but not essential, irrelevant
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inception
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the beginning, start, earliest stage of some process
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infirmity
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a weakness or ailment
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jejune
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lacking in nutritive value, immature, juvenile
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obdurate
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stubborn, unyielding
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potpourri
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a collection of diverse or miscellaneous items;a general mixture
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precocious
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showing unusually early development
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sadistic
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delighting in cruelty; excessively cruel
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sententious
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self-righteous, characterized by moralizing; saying much in few words, pithy
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supplicate
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to beg earnestly and humbly
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surfeit
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an excess or overindulgence, as in eating or drinking; to feet or supply with anythign to excess
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tortuous
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winding, twisted, crooked; highly involved, complex
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turgid
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swollen, boated, filled to excess; overdecorated or excessive in language
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adamant
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firm in purpose or opinion; (n) an extremely hard substance
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brouhaha
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a confused hodgepodge of sounds
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bulwark
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a strong defense or protection; (v) to provide such defense or protection
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choleric
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easily made angry, bad-tempered
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cloy
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to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence
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curtail
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to cut short, bring to a halt or end sooner than expected, to reduce
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deference
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courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect makred by submission, as to a superior
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definitive
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conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done
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demeanor
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the way a person behaves, overally impression made by manner
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enigmatic
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puzzling, perplexing
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impromptu
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w/o preparation
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mawkish
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excessively and objectionably sentimental
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mollify
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to soften, make gentle, pacify, to calm, assuage, appease, to reduce in intensity
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onus
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something that is heavy or burdensome; blame
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presentiment
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a vague sense of approaching misfortune
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profligate
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given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; (n) a person given to self-induglent and wild spending
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remit
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to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a penalty or punishment), forgive, pardon; to lessen
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requisite
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needed, necessary, regarded as essential
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sartorial
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of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes and dress
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thwart
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to prevent, to oppose successfully, frustrate
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abjure
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to recant solemnly; renounce or repudiate; to renounce under oath, forswear
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abrogate
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to abolish, to away with, or annual,esp by authority
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abstemious
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eating and drinking in moderation; characterized by abstinence or moderation
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acument
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quickness and keenness of judgement or insight
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antebeullum
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belonging to the period before a war, esp the civil war
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auspicious
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marked by success, prosperous; attended by favorable cirumstances
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belie
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to give a false representation to, misrepresent; to show to be false, contradict
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bellicose
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warlike or hostile in manner or temperament
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bowdlerize
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to remove material that is considered onjectionable or offensive from; to expurgate
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chicanery
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deception by trickery or sophistry
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churlish
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having a bad disposition, surly
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circumlocution
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the use of unnecesarily wordy and indirect language
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circumnavigate
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to proceed completely around
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deciduous
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shedding or losing foliage at end of the growing season; not lasting
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diffident
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lacking or marked by a lack of self confidence, shy and timid
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enervate
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to weaken or destroy the strenth or vitality of
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enfranchise
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to endow the rights of citizenship, esp right to vote; to free, as from slavery or bondage
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epiphany
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a christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi; a sudden manifestation of the essence or meanign of something; a revelation
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equinox
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either of the 2 times during a year when the sun crosses the celestial equator and when the lenth of day and ngiht are equal
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evanescent
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vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor
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facetious
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playfully jocular, humorous
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fatuous
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foolish or silly, esp in a smug or self satisfied way
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feckless
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lacking in purpose or vitatlity; carless and irrespsonsibly
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fiduciary
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of or relatining to a holding of something in trust for antoher, held in trust
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filibuster
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the use of obstructionist tractics, esp prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaing legislative action
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gauche
|
lakcing grace or social polish; awkward or tactless
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hegemony
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the predominant influence of a state, region, or group over others
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homogeneous
|
uniform in structure or composition; of the same or similar nature or kind
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hubris
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overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance
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impeach
|
to make an accusation against; to charge with improper conduct in fofice before a proper tribunal
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incognito
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with one's identity disguised or concealed
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inculcate
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to impress upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or repition; to teach by repittion
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infrastructure
|
the basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society; the basic system or underlying structure of an organization
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interpolate
|
to insert or introduce between other elements or parts
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kowtow
|
to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep respect, worship, or submission as foremely done in China
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lexicon
|
a dictionary; a vocabulary; a stock of terms used in a particular profession, subject, or style
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loquacious
|
very talkative, garrulous
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lugubrious
|
mournful, dismal, or gloomy, esp to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
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metamorphosis
|
a marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function
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moiety
|
a half, a part, portion, or share; either of two kinship groups based on unilateral descent that togetehr make up a tribe or society
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nanotechnology
|
the science and technology of building devices, such as electronic circuits, from individual atoms and molecules
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nihilism
|
an extreme form of skepticism that denies that existence is real; the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated
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nonsectarian
|
not limited to or associated with a particular religious denomination
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notarize
|
to certify or attest to as a notary public (the validy of a signature on a documentf or example)
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obsequious
|
full or of exhibiting servile compliance, fawning
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oligarchy
|
government by a few, esp by a small faction of persons or families
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omnipotent
|
having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force; all powerful
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orthography
|
the art or study of correct spelling according to established usage; the aspect of language study concerned with letters and their sequences in words
|
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oxidize
|
to combine with oxygen
|
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paradigm
|
one that serves as a pattern or model
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pecuniary
|
of or relating to money; requiring payment of money
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precipitous
|
resembling a precipice, extremely steep; extremely rapid or abrupt
|
|
quasar
|
an extremely distant, and thus old, celestial object whose power output is several thousand times that of the entire mily way galaxy
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quotidian
|
commonplace or ordinary, as from everyday experience
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recipriocal
|
existing, done, or experienced on both sides
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reparation
|
the act or process of makign amends for a wrong
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repiration
|
the act of inhaling and exhahling, breathign
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sanguine
|
cheerfuly confident, optomistic
|
|
soliloquy
|
a dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts when alone or unaware of the presence of other characters
|
|
subjugate
|
to bring under control; conquer
|
|
suffragist
|
to advocate of the extension of political voting rights, especially to women
|
|
supercilious
|
feeling or showing haughty disdain
|
|
tautology
|
needless repition of the same sense in different words; redundancy; an instance of such repition
|
|
tetonic
|
of or relating to the forces involved in forming the geological features, such as mountains, continents, and oceans, of the earth's lithosphere
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tempestuous
|
characterized by violent emotions or actions, tumultuous, stormy
|
|
totalitarian
|
of, relating to, being a form of govt in which the political authory exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life
|
|
unctuous
|
characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness
|
|
usurpt
|
to seize and hold by force and without legal authority; to take over or occupy w/o right
|
|
vacuous
|
lacking intelligence, stupid; devoid of matter, empty
|
|
vehement
|
forceful or intense in expression, emotion, or conviction; fervid
|
|
vortex
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a spiral motion of fluid
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winnow
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to examine closely in order to separate the good from the bad; sift
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wrougth
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put together, created (v) past tense of work
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xenophobe
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a person fearly or contemptuous of that which is foreign, esp of strangers or foreign peoples
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yeoman
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an attendent, servant, or lesser official in a royal or noble household
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