| Terms |
Definitions |
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ebullient
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(adj) extremely lively, enthusiastic
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cajole
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Fred's buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.
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diffident
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(adj) shy, quiet, modest
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replete
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(adj) full, abundant
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abjure
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To prove his honesty, the president abjured the civil policies of his wicked predecssor.
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trenchant
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(adj) effective, articulate, clear-cut
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usurp
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(v) to seize by force, take possession of without right
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modicum
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Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity, Henrietta announced her boss's affiar in front of the entire office.
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pallid
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Dr. van Helsing feared that Lucy's pallid complexion was due to an unexplained loss of blood.
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concomitant
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His dislike of hard work carried with it a concomitant lack of funds.
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manifold
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(adj) diverse, varied
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adjunct
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The librarian's adjunct was an apprentice, but she knew just as much about library science as her mentor.
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servile
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The servile porter crept around the hotel lobby, bowing and quaking before the guests.
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solipsistic
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Colette's solipsistic attitude completely irnored the plight of the homeless people on the street.
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parsimony
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Many relatives believed that my aunt's wealth resulted from her parsimony.
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expiate
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(v) to make amends for, atone
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temerity
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(n) audacity, recklessness
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obsequious
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Mark acted like Janet's servant, obeying her every request in an obsequious manner.
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extol
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to praise, revere
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abdicate
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to yeild, give up
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salient
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(adj) significant, conspicuous
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boon
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(n) a gift or blessing
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surreptitious
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(adj) stealthy
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sycophant
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Some see the people in the cabinet as the president's closest advisors, but others see them as sycophants.
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clemency
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(n) mercy
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inexorable
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(adj) incapable of being persuaded or placated
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pellucid
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Wishing his book to be pellucid to the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger.
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tenuous
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Your argument is very tenuous, since it relies so much on speculation and hearsay.
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somnolent
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(adj) sleepy, drowsy
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garrulous
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(adj) talkative, wordy
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spurious
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Using a spurious argument, John convinced the others that he had won the board game on a tecnicality.
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quixotic
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(adj) idealistic, impractical
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oblique
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Martin's oblique language confused those who listened to him.
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perfunctory
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showing little interest or enthusiasm
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opulent
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(adj) characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation
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invective
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My boether irrational invective against the way I dress only made me decide to dye my hair green.
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plethora
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(n) an abundance, excess
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approbation
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(n) praise
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ascetic
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The piest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory goods, and other pleasures.
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intransigent
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(adj) refusing to compromise, often on an extreme opinion
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deprecate
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Always over-modes, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity.
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ribald
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While some giggled at the ribald jobke involving a parson's daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.
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querulous
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If deprived of his pacifier, young Brendan becomes querulous.
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impertinent
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Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don't wish to dignify them with an answer.
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zenith
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(n) the highest peak, culminating point
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cacophony
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(n) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound
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accountrement
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A mountain climber tackling Everest must enlist the help of a reliable accountrement.
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adduce
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She would adduce to win the debate--and her examples would be so well-thought of that she would actually win.
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laconic
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The author's laconic style has won him many followers who dislike wordiness.
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pellucid
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(adj) easily intelligible, clear
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implacable
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(adj) incapable of being appeased or mitigated
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fallacious
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(adj) incorrect, misleading
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hackneyed
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A girl can hear "I love you" only so many times nrgotr iy nrhind yo dounf hackneyed and meaningless.
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languid
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(adj) sluggish from fatique or weakness
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protean
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(adj) able to change shape; displaying great variety
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myriad
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It was difficult to decide what to do Friday night because the city presented as with a myriad possibilities for fun.
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juxtaposition
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The interior designer admired my justaposition of the yellow couch and green table.
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pallid
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(adj) lacking color
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defile
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(v) to make unclean, impure
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fractious
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(adj) troublesome or irritable
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winsome
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(adj) charming, pleasing
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cursory
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Late for the meeting, she cast a cursory glance at the agenda.
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rancor
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When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I could see the rancor in her eyes.
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ineffable
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(adj) unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words
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fastitious
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(adj) meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards
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desiccated
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The skin of the desiccated mummy looked like old paper.
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vicissitude
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The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next.
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stupefy
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Veronica's audacity and ungratefulness studpefied her best friend, Heather.
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impassive
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(adj) stoic, not susceptible to suffering
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cajole
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(v) to urge, coax
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pugnacious
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Aaron's pugnacious nature led him to start several barrom brawls each month.
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impervious
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Beacuse of their thick layer of fur, many seals are almost impervious to the cold.
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wistful
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Since her pet rabbit died, Edda missed it terribly and was wistful all day long.
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accretion
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The accretion of a new building to the south side of the campus attracted many students.
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scurrilous
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(adj) vulgar, coarse
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aboveboard
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I went aboveboard when I confessed my sins to the priest because I trusted his vow of confidence.
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stolid
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Charles's stolid reaction to his wife's funeral differed from the passion he showed at the time of her death.
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jubilant
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(adj) extremely joyful, happy
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abase
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to humiliate; to humble; to lower
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abrade
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After exposed to years of thudding rainfall, rock tends to adrade; erosion is natural.
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zephyr
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(n) a gentle breeze
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sanctimonious
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The sanctimonious Bertrand delivered sterm lectures on the Ten Commandments to anyone who would listen, but thought nothing of stealing cars to make come cash on the side.
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expunge
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(v) to obliterate, eradicate
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iconoclast
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(n) one who attacks common beliefs or institutions
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verdant
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(adj) green in tint or color
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serendipity
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In an amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station.
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surmise
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(v) to infer with little evidence
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surfeit
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After partaking of the surfeit of tacos and tamales at the All-You-Can-EAt Taco Tamale Lunch Special, Beth felt rather sick.
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sacrosanct
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In the Uunited States, the Constitution is often thought of as a sacrosanct document.
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imperious
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(adj) commanding, domineering
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vilify
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(v) to lowever in importance, defame
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ingenuous
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(adj) not devious; innocent and candid
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obstreperous
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Billy's obstreperous behavior prompted the librarian to ask him to leave the reading room.
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execrable
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Her pudding is so execrable that it makes me sick.
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impinge
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(v) to impact, affect, make an impression
(v) to encroach, infringe
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licentious
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Marilee has always been fascinated by the licentious private lives of politicians.
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temerity
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Tom and Huck entered the scary cave armed with nothing but their own temerity.
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panacea
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Doctors wish there was a single panacea for every disease, but sadly there is not.
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effulgent
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(adj) radiant, splendorous
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dececrate
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They feared the the consturction of a golf course would desecrate the preserved wilderness.
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abase
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Susan abased the child, who ran out of the room, humiliated.
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panacea
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(n) a remedy for all ills or difficulties
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vacillate
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(v) to fluctuate, hesitate
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perfidious
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disloyal, unfaithful
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palliate
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The doctor trusted that the new medication would palliate her patient's discomfort.
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turgid
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The haughty writer did not realize how we all really felt about his turgid prose.
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vicarious
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All of my lame friends learned to be social through vicarious involvement in my amazing experiences.
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abjure
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(v) to reject, renounce
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expiate
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To expiate my selfishness, I gave all my profits to charity.
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acclivity
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upward slope
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largess
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(n) the gnerous giving of lavish gifts
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pathos
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(n) an emotion of sympathy
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cacophony
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The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital.
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ad lib
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If a politician spoke ad lib, he would probably neither win a debate nor an election.
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tansient
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Because virtually everyone in Parlm Beath is a tourist, the population of the town is quite transient.
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accord
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According to our accord, you agreed to serve ten consecutive months, but you have served only five so far!
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ruse
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Oliver concocted an elaborate ruse for sneaking out of the house to meet his girlfriend while simultaneously giving his mother the impression that he was asleep in bed.
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proclivity
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In a sick twist of fate, Harold's childhood proclivity for toruring small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.
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execrable
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(adj) loathsome, detestable
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zephyr
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If not for the zephyrs that were blowing and cooling us, our room would've been unbearably hot.
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pugnacious
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(adj) quarrelsome, combative
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invective
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(n) an angry verbal attack
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acerbic
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Jill became extrememly acerbic and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends.
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fallacious
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Emily offered me cigarettes on the fallacious assumption that I smoked.
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abscond
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It is rarely that case that a high schooler, wishing to rebel against parental cerfew, does not abscond on a dark night.
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hackneyed
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(adj) unoriginal, trite
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acrophobia
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fear of heights
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reprove
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(v) to scold, rebuke
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somnolent
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The somnolent student kept falling asleep and waking up with a jerk.
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maudlin
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Although many people enjoy romantic comedies, I usually find them maudlin and shallow.
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contrite
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(adj) penitent, eager to be forgiven
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abeyance
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a temporary postponement
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prosaic
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(adj) plain, lacking liveliness
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vitriolic
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When agnry, the woman would spew vitriolic insults.
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wizened
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(adj) dry, shruken, wrinkled
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rectitude
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The priest's rectitude gave him the moral authority to counsel his parishioners.
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cupidity
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(n) greed, strong desire
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alacrity
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(n) eagerness speed
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abrade
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to wear away
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acumen
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Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out in minutes the problems that took other students hours.
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accrue
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The books would accrue dust until a thick gray blanket covered them.
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reprobate
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The reprobate criminal sat sneering in the cell.
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obfuscate
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The detective did not want to answer the newspaperman's questions, so he obfuscated the truth.
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abrogate
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(v) to abolish, usually by authority
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punctilious
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(adj) eager to follow rules or conventions
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acerbic
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(adj) biting, bitter in tone or taste
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accretion
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an increase; an addition
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arrogate
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(v) to take without justification
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ruse
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(n) a trick
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ubiquitous
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It seems that everyone in the United States has a television; the technology is ubiquitous here.
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neophyte
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(n) someone who is young or inexperienced
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capricious
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(adj) subject to whim, fickle
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vicissitude
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(n) event that occurs by chance
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vapid
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The professor's comment about the poem were surprisingly vapid and dull.
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usurp
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The rogue army general tried to usurp control of the government, but he failed cecause most of the army backed the legally elected president.
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precocious
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(adj) advanced, developing ahead of time
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garrulous
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Some talk0show hosts are so garrulous that their guests can't get a word in edgewise.
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quagmire
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(n) a difficult situation
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fatuous
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(adj) silly, foolish
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pithy
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(adj) concisely meaningful
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inure
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(v) to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation
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limpid
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Mr. Johnson's limpid writing style greatly pleased readers who disliked complicated novels.
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adumbrate
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To coach adumbrated a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do.
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solicitous
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Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the solicitous attentions of his mother, who bought him soup and extra blankets.
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cursory
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(adj) brief to the point of being superficial
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deride
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The bullies derided the foreign student's accent.
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ephemeral
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(adj) short-lived, fleeting
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pulchritude
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Several of Shakespearee's sonnets explore the pulchritude of a lovely young man.
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quixotic
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Edward entertained a quixotic desire o fall in love at first sight in a laundromat.
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pertinacious
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Harry's parents were frustrated with his pertinacious insistence that a monster lived in his closet; then they opened the closet door and were eaten.
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paragon
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(n) a model of excellence or perfection
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brusque
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(adj) short, abrupt, dismissive
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dither
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(v) to be indecisive
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pariah
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Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a paraiah in all academic circles.
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ostensible
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Jack's ostensible reason for driving was that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.
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blandish
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(v) to coax by using flattery
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adduce
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to give an example in proving something
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alacrity
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For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could; so when his mother asked him to set the table, he did so with alacrity.
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effrontery
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(n) impudence, nerve, insolence
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eschew
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George hates the color green so much that he eschews all green food.
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magnanimous
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Although I had already broken most of her dishes, Jacqueline was magnanimous enough to continue letting me use them.
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florid
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The writer's florid prose belongs on a sentimental Hallmark card.
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hapless
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(adj) unlucky
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pulchritude
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(adj) physical beauty
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propitious
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(adj) favorable
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impervious
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(adj) impenetrable, incapable of being affected
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credulity
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His credulity made him an easy target for con men.
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nefarious
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Althoug Dr. Meanman's nefarious plot to melt the polar icecaps was terrifying, it was so impractical that nobody really worried about it.
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proscribe
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(v) to condemn, outlaw
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prurient
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David's mother was shocked by the prurient reading material hidden beneath her son's mattress.
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variegated
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(adj) diversified, distinctly marked
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malediction
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(n) a curse
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transmute
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(v) to change or alter in form
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accord
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agreement
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ennervate
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Writing these sentences ennervates me so much that I will have to take a nap after I finish.
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venerate
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The tribute to John Lennon sought to venerate his music, his words, and his legend.
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ubiquitous
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(adj) existing everywhere, widespread
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plethora
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The wedding banquet included a plethora of oysters piled almost three feet high.
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puerile
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The judge demanded order after the lawyer's puerile attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor.
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vicarious
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(adj) experiencing through another
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sanguine
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Polly reacted to any bad news with a sanguine smile and the chirpy cry, "When life hand you lemons, make lemonade!"
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promulgate
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to proclaim, make known
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multifarious
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(adj) having great diversity or variety
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upbraid
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The last thing Lindsay wanted was for Lisa to upbraid her again about missing the rent payment.
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fetid
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(adj) having a foul odor
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grandiloquence
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The student thought her grandiloquence would make her sound smart, but neither the class nor the teacher bought it.
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fatuous
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He considers himself a serious poet, but in truth , he only writes fatuous limericks.
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obsequious
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(adj) excessively compliant or submissive
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taciturn
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Thought Jane never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite taciturn.
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maelstrom
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(n) a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects
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propitious
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The dark storm cloud visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be propitious for sailing.
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surreptitious
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The surreptitious CIA agents were able to get in and out of the house without anyone noticing.
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prescient
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(adj) to have foreknowledge of events
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portent
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When a black cat crossed my sister's path while she was walking to school, she took it as a portent that she would do badly on her spelling test.
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abstruse
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hard to understand
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vex
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(v) to confuse or annoy
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ephemeral
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She promised she'd love me forever, but her "forever" was only ephemeral: she left me after one week.
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imperious
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The imperious nature of your manner led me to dislike you at once.
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platitude
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an uninspired remark, cliche
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ad lib
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to act or speak without preparation
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abet
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Mrs. Lowe would abet the striving psychologist to become a school junior counselor.
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upbraid
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(v) to criticize or scold severly
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rescind
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(v) to take back, repeal
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inveterate
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I'm the first to admit that I'm an inveterate coffee drinker--I drink four cups a day.
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implacable
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Watch out: Once you shun Grandma's cooking, she is totally implacable.
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expunge
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Fearful of an IRS investigation, Paul tried to expunge all incriminating evidence from his tax files.
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nadir
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(n) the lowest point of something
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extol
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Violet extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving brother.
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accrue
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to gather; to accumulate
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pertinacious
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(adj)stubbornly persistent
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variegated
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Each wire in the engineering exam was variegated by color so that the students could figure out which one was which.
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palliate
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(v) to reduce the severity of
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petulance
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The nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate the child's petulance.
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buttress
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(v) The column butresses the roof above the statue.
(n) The buttress supports the roof above the statues.
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obtuse
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(adj) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect
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propensity
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(n) an inclination, preference
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perspicacity
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(adj) shrewdness, perceptiveness
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jubilant
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The crowd was jubilant when the firefighter carried the woma from the flaming building.
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ostensible
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(adj) appearing as supalliatech, seemingly
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paucity
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(adj) small in quantity
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impertinent
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(adj) rude, insolent
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diaphanous
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(adj) light, airy, transparant
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impudent
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The impudent young man looked the princess up and down and told her she was hot even though she hadn't asked him.
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unctuous
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The unctuous receptionist seemed untrustworty, as if she was only being helpful because she thought we might give her a big tip.
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evince
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Christopher's hand-wringing and nail-biting evince how nervous he is about the upcoming English test.
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opulent
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The opulent furnishings of the dictator's private compound contrasted harshly with the measger accommodations of her subjects.
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abjure
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to give up (rights)
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credulity
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(n) readiness to believe
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ablution
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I attempted to eradicate the blue dye from my fingers in an ablution--but it just would not wash off!
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tacit
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(adj) expressed without words
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acrophobia
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After falling from the staircase and onto the pavement as a child, I developed acrophobia and insisted on keeping my feet on the ground if at all possible.
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diffident
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While eatcing dinner with the adults, the diffident youth did not speak for fear of seeming presumptuous.
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turgid
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(adj) swollen, excessively embellished in a style or language
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approbation
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The crould welcomed the heros with approbation.
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quagmire
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We'd all like to avoid the kind of military quagmire characterized by the Vietnam War.
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vilify
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After the Watergate scandal, almost any story written about President Nix sought to vilify him and criticize his behavior.
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laconic
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(adj) terse in speech or writing
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veracity
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With several agencies regulating the reports, it was difficult for Latifah to argue against its veracity.
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ablution
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a washing, cleansing
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inimical
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I don't see how I could ever work for a company that was so cold and inimical to me during my interviews.
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accolade
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honor; award; approval.
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pejorative
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The evening's headline news covered an international scandal caused by a pejorative senator had made in reference to a foreign leader.
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incontrovertible
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Only stubborn Tina would attempt to disprove the incontrovertible laws of physics.
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staid
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(adj) sedate, serious, self-restrained
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assiduous
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(adj) hard-working, diligent
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tacit
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I interpreted my parents' refusal to talk as a tacit acceptance of my request.
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perspicacity
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The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his perspicacity was the reason for his professional success.
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nefarious
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(adj) heinously villainous
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acumen
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(n) keen insight
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adipose
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fatty
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demure
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Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure.
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exigent
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(adj) urgent, critical
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vacuous
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(adj) lack of content or ideas, stupid
|
|
fetid
|
I can tell from the fetid smell in your refrigerator that your milk as spoiled.
|
|
demure
|
)edj) quiet, modest, reserved
|
|
indefatigable
|
(adj) incapable of defeat, failure, decay
|
|
rectitude
|
(n) uprightness, extreme morality
|
|
deprecate
|
(v) to belittle, depreciate
|
|
timorous
|
(adj) timid, fearful
|
|
surmise
|
After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight.
|
|
boon
|
The good wather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach.
|
|
wanton
|
Vicky's wanton demeanor often made the frat guys next door very excited.
|
|
tenuous
|
(adj) having little substance or strength
|
|
puerile
|
(adj) juvenile, immature
|
|
wistful
|
(adj) full of yearning; musginly sad
|
|
magnanimous
|
(adj) nobel, generous
|
|
gregarious
|
(adj) drawn to the company of others, sociable
|
|
salient
|
One of the salient differences between Alison and Nancy is that Alison is a foot taller.
|
|
munificence
|
(n) generosity in giving
|
|
hegemony
|
Britain's hegemony over its colonies was threatened once nationalist sentiment began to spread around the world.
|
|
dissemble
|
Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she dissembled and hid her intention to sell her ailing father's stamp collection.
|
|
polemic
|
My brother launched into a polemic against my argument that capitalism was an unjust economic system.
|
|
sacrosanct
|
(adj) holy, something that should not be criticized
|
|
abeyance
|
Sorry for the abeyance; this postponement shall not last long.
|
|
nascent
|
(adj) in the process of being born or coming into existence
|
|
multifarious
|
The Swiss Army knife has multifarious functions and capabilities; among other things, it can act as a knife, a saw, a toothpick, and a slingshot.
|
|
clemency
|
After he forgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg Maria for clemency.
|
|
primeval
|
original, ancient
|
|
acrimony
|
Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.
|
|
rebuke
|
(v) to scold, criticize
|
|
buffet
|
(v) The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them.
(n) Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food fro mour buffet and ate standing up.
|
|
obdurate
|
The obdurate old man refused to take pity on the kittens.
|
|
discursive
|
The prefessor's discursive lectures seemed to be about every subject except the one initially described.
|
|
inexorable
|
Although I begged for hours, Mom was inexorable and refused to let me stay out all night after the prom.
|
|
deride
|
)v_ to laugh at mockingly, scorn
|
|
punctilious
|
Punctilious bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules.
|
|
impertinent
|
Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don't wish to dignify them with an answer.
|
|
discursive
|
(adj) rambling, lacking order
|
|
viscous
|
(adj) not free flowing, syrupy
|
|
iniquity
|
"Your iniquity," said the priest to the practical joker, "will be forgiven."
|
|
tantamount
|
(adj) equivalent in value or significance
|
|
morass
|
When Theresa lost her job, she could not get out of her financial morass.
|
|
vitriolic
|
(adj) having caustic quality
|
|
intransigent
|
the intransigent child said he would have 12 scoops of ice cream or he would bang his head against the wall until his mother fainted from fear.
|
|
undulate
|
(v) to move in waves
|
|
adumbrate
|
(v) to sketch out in a vague way
|
|
replete
|
The unedited version was replete with naughty words.
|
|
wanton
|
(adj) undisciplined, lewd, lustful
|
|
fecund
|
The fecund tree bore enough apples to last us through the entire season.
|
|
vituperate
|
(v) to berate
|
|
sycophant
|
(n) one who flatters for self-gain
|
|
impinge
|
(v) The hail impinged the roof, leaving large dents.
(v) I aplogize for impinging upon you like this, but I really need to use your bathroom. Now.
|
|
acclivity
|
The acclivity of the mountain reminded me of linear equations we had learned in algebra; it was difficult to keep my mind off thoughts on slope.
|
|
iconoclast
|
Jane goes to one protest after another, but she seems to be an iconoclast rather than an activist with a progressive agenda.
|
|
ignominious
|
It was really ignominious to be kicked out of the dorm for having an illegal gas stove in my room.
|
|
stupefy
|
(v) to astonish, make insensible
|
|
malevolent
|
The malevolent old man sat in the park all day, tripping unsuspecting passersby with his cane.
|
|
proscribe
|
The town council voted to proscribe the sale of alcohol on weekends.
|
|
exculpate
|
My discovery of the ring behind the dresser exculpated me from the charge of having stolen it.
|
|
torpid
|
(adj) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion
|
|
licentious
|
(adj) displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints
|
|
reprobate
|
(adj) evil, unprincipled
|
|
accost
|
to appraoche and speak to
|
|
serendipity
|
(n) luck, finding good things without looking for them
|
|
defile
|
She defiled the calm of the religious building by playing her banjo.
|
|
prosaic
|
Heather's prosaic recital of the poem bored the audience.
|
|
rebuke
|
When the cops showed up at Sarah's arty, they rebuked her for disturbing the peace.
|
|
contrite
|
Blake's contrite behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him.
|
|
abut
|
to touch; to rest on or against
|
|
abnegate
|
Yes, Anthony, I abnegate your request to go to that party; you are NOT ALLOWED!
|
|
repudiate
|
Kwame made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words.
|
|
accede
|
to agree to
|
|
rancor
|
(n) deep, bitter resentment
|
|
impudent
|
(adj) Casually rude, insolent, impertinent
|
|
effulgent
|
The golden palace was effulgent.
|
|
probity
|
(n) virtue, integrity
|
|
dececrate
|
(v) to violate the sacredness of a thing or place
|
|
winsome
|
After such a long, frustrating day, I was grateful for Chris's winsome attitude and childish naivete.
|
|
transmute
|
Ancient alchemists believed that it was possible to transmute lead into gold.
|
|
umbrage
|
He called me a lily0livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult.
|
|
scurrilous
|
When Bruno heard the scurrilous accusation being made about him, he could not believe it because he always tried to be nice to everyone.
|
|
antipathy
|
I know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you.
|
|
accountrement
|
equipment, outfit
|
|
limpid
|
(n) clear, transparent
|
|
harangeue
|
(n) Everyone had heard the teacher's harangue about gum chewing in class before.
(v) But this time the teacher harangued the classs about the imporance of brushing our teech after chewing gum.
|
|
dissemble
|
(v) to conceal, fake
|
|
conflagration
|
(n) great fire
|
|
adjudicate
|
The judge will adjudicate on THAT, missy!
|
|
deleterious
|
She experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon without streatching her muscles enough beforehand.
|
|
congent
|
Irene's argument in favor of abstinence were so cogent that i could not resist them.
|
|
spurious
|
(adj) false but designed to seem plausible
|
|
truculent
|
(adj) ready to firhgt, cruel
|
|
insiduous
|
lisa's insiduous chocolate cake tastes so good,but makes you feel so sick later on!
|
|
calumny
|
(n) an attempt to spoil someone else's reputation by spreading lies
|
|
neophyte
|
As a neophyte in the literary world, Malik had trouble finding a publisher for his first novel.
|
|
effrontery
|
When i told my aunt that she was boring, my mother scolded me for my effrontery.
|
|
verdant
|
The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look emerald.
|
|
perfunctory
|
The radio broadcaster announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly perfunctory manner.
|
|
indefatigable
|
Even after traveling 62 miles, the indefatigable runner kept on moving.
|
|
restive
|
The restive audience pelted the band with mud and yelled nasty comments.
|
|
primeval
|
The first primates to walk on two legs, called Australopithecus, were the primeval descendants of modern man.
|
|
maudlin
|
(adj) weakly sentimental
|
|
abut
|
Leila was so exhausted at the end of the evening that she abutted against her boyfriend, Max, who guided her home.
|
|
solicitous
|
(adj) concerned, attentive
|
|
impetuous
|
(adj) rash; hastily done
|
|
arrogate
|
The king arrogated the right to order executions to himself exclusively.
|
|
pejorative
|
(adj) derogatory, uncomplimentary
|
|
feral
|
(adj) wild, savage
|
|
desiccated
|
(adj) dried up, dehydrated
|
|
exculpate
|
(v) to free from guilt or blame, exonerate
|
|
vapid
|
(adj) lacking liveliness, dull
|
|
anathema
|
I never want to see that murderer; he is an anathema to me.
|
|
abjure
|
After the women's suffrage, it was hard to believe that women would ever agree to abjure their right to vote.
|
|
mercurial
|
(adj) characterized by rapid change or temperamentality
|
|
odious
|
Mark was assigned the odious task of cleaning the cat's litter box.
|
|
proclivity
|
(n) a strong inclination toward something
|
|
legerdemain
|
Smuggling the French plans through customs by claiming that they were fake was a remarkable bit of legerdemain.
|
|
propensity
|
Dermit has a propensity for dangerous activities such a bungee jumping.
|
|
grandiloquence
|
lofty, pompous language
|
|
acrimonious
|
harsh in speech or behavior
|
|
addendum
|
The addendum to the list of required reading for the AP English class was composed of light literature.
|
|
acrimonious
|
Martha's parents were strict disciplinarians and often struck acrimonious to outsiders.
|
|
maelstrom
|
Little did the explorers know that as they turned the next bend of the calm river, a vicious maelstrom would catch their boat.
|
|
odious
|
(adj) instilling hatred or intense displeasure
|
|
burnish
|
(v) to polish, shine
|
|
abrogate
|
The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a gree press.
|
|
latent
|
(adj) hidden, but capable of being exposed
|
|
mendacious
|
The mendacious content of the tabloid magazines is at least entertaining.
|
|
recalcitrant
|
(adj) defiant, unapologetic
|
|
decry
|
The kind video rental clerk decried the policiy of charging customers late fees.
|
|
ascetic
|
(adj) practicing restraing as a means of self-discipline, usually religious
|
|
inimical
|
(adj) hostile
|
|
myriad
|
(adj) consisting of a very great number
|
|
decry
|
(v) to criticize openly
|
|
abstemious
|
It would be an oxymoron to label abstinate Joey the alcoholic as abstemious Joe.
|
|
wizened
|
Agatha's grandmother, Stephanie, had the most wizened counenance, full of leathery wrinkles.
|
|
prescient
|
Questioning the fortune cookie's prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be prescient.
|
|
sanguine
|
(adj) optimistic, cheery
|
|
sagacity
|
With remarkable sagacity, the wise old man predicted and thwarted his children's plan to ship him off to a nursing home.
|
|
mendacious
|
(adj) having a lying, false character
|
|
insiduous
|
(adj) appealing bt imperceptibly harmful, seductive
|
|
restive
|
(adj) resistant, stubborn, impatient
|
|
morass
|
(n) a wet, swampy bog; figuratively, something that traps and confuses
|
|
deleterious
|
(adj) harmful
|
|
vex
|
My little brother vezes me by poking me in the ribs for hours on end.
|
|
surfeit
|
(n) an overabundant supply or indulgence
|
|
evanescent
|
(adj) fleeting, momentary
|
|
impertinent
|
(adj) rude, insolent
|
|
fecund
|
(adj) fruitful, fertile
|
|
ineffable
|
It is said that the experience of playing with a dolphis is ineffacle and can only be understood through direct encounter.
|
|
antipathy
|
(n) a strong dislike, repungnance
|
|
adipose
|
Hey, adipose! This is the smart way of insulting an overweight person.
|
|
exigent
|
The patient has an exigent need for medication, or else he will lose his sight.
|
|
abnegate
|
to deny; to reject
|
|
paragon
|
The mythical Helen of Troy was considered a paragon of female beauty
|
|
rescind
|
The company rescinded its offer of employment after discovering that Jane's resume was full of lies.
|
|
timorous
|
When dealing with the unknown, timorous Tallulah almost always broke into tears.
|
|
rife
|
Surprisingly, the famous novelist's writing was rife with spelling errors.
|
|
adjunct
|
a subordinate; an assistant
|
|
iniquity
|
(n) wickedness or sin
|
|
aspersion
|
(n) a curse, expression of ill-will
|
|
congent
|
(adj) intellectualy convincing
|
|
manifold
|
The popularity of Dante's Inferno is partly due to the fact that the work allows for manifold interpretations.
|
|
concomitant
|
(adj) accompanying in a subordinate fasion
|
|
gregarious
|
Well, if you're not gregarious, I don't know why you would want to go to a singles party!
|
|
extant
|
My mother's extant love letters to my father are in the attic trunk.
|
|
pernicious
|
(adj) extremely destructive or harmful
|
|
veracity
|
(n) truthfulness, accuracy
|
|
obfuscate
|
(v) to render incomprehensible
|
|
trenchant
|
The directions that accompanied my new cell phone were trenchant and easy to follow.
|
|
aberration
|
The nonfiction passage in the fictional book was an aberration of the weirdest sort.
|
|
adjudicate
|
to judge
|
|
vacuous
|
Beyonce realized that the lyrics she had just penned were completely vacuous and tried to add more substance.
|
|
officious
|
Brenda resented Allan's officious behavior when he selected colors that might best improve his artwork.
|
|
tractable
|
The horse was so tractable, Myra didn't even need a bridle.
|
|
obdurate
|
(n) unyeilding to persuasion or moral influences
|
|
pathos
|
Martha filled with pathos upon discovering the scrawny, shivering kitten at her door.
|
|
nascent
|
Unfortunately, my brilliant paper was only in its nascent form on the morning that it was due.
|
|
abstruse
|
You are abstruse, stupid SAT CR; you are hard to understand.
|
|
precocious
|
Dereck was so academically precocious that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.
|
|
diaphanous
|
Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains, brightening the room.
|
|
acrimony
|
(n) bitterness, discord
|
|
fastitious
|
Mark is so fastidious that he is never able to finish a project because it always seems imperfect to him.
|
|
abet
|
to aid, encourage
|
|
zenith
|
I was too nice to tell Nelly that she had reached the absolute zenith of her career with that one hit of hers.
|
|
tantamount
|
When it comes to sports, fearing your opponent is tantamount to losing.
|
|
aberration
|
abnormality; deviation
|
|
anathema
|
(n) a cursed, detested person
|
|
largess
|
My boss demonstrated great largess by giving me a new car.
|
|
ingenuous
|
He must have writers, but his speeches seem to ingenuous that it's hard to believe he's not speaking from his own heart.
|
|
abscond
|
to leave secretly; to flee
|
|
sanctimonious
|
(adj) giving a hypocritical appearance of piety
|
|
brusque
|
The captain's brusque manner offended the passengers.
|
|
harangeue
|
(n) a ranting speech
(v) to give such a speech
|
|
accede
|
I do not accede to this nonsence, and I shall never agree!
|
|
buttress
|
(v) to support, hold up
(n) something that offers support
|
|
recalcitrant
|
Even when scolded, the recalcitrant young girl simply stomped her foot and refused to finish her lima beans.
|
|
turpitude
|
Sir Marcus's chivalry often constrasted with the turpitude he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern.
|
|
pithy
|
My father's long0winded explanation was a stark constrast to his unusually pithy statements.
|
|
conflagration
|
The conflagrationi consumed the entire building.
|
|
unctuous
|
(adj) smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, manner
|
|
mawkish
|
Although some nineteenth-century critics viewed Dicken's writing as mawkish, contemporary readers have found great emotional depth in his works.
|
|
torpid
|
The torpid whale floated, wallowing in the water for hours.
|
|
eschew
|
(v) to shun , avoid
|
|
querulous
|
(adj) whiny, complaining
|
|
parsimony
|
(n) frugality, stinginess
|
|
impetuous
|
Hilda's hasty slaying of the king was an impetuous, thoughtless action.
|
|
ribald
|
(adj) coarsely, crudely humorous
|
|
dither
|
Not wanting to offend either friend, he dithered about which of the two birthday parties he should attend.
|
|
inchoate
|
(adj) unformed or formless, in a beginning stage
|
|
portent
|
(n) an omen
|
|
polemic
|
(n) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion
|
|
languid
|
In the summer months, the great heat makes people languid and lazy.
|
|
petulance
|
(n) rudeness, irritability
|
|
truculent
|
This club doesn't really attract the ganderout types, so why was that bouncer being so truculent?
|
|
obstreperous
|
(adj) noisy, unruly
|
|
accost
|
The flock of students accosted the exchange student to greet him.
|
|
pariah
|
(n) an outcast
|
|
pernicious
|
The new government feared that the Communist sympathizers would have a pernicious influence on the nation's stability.
|
|
undulate
|
As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to undulate to an increasing degree.
|
|
incontrovertible
|
(adj) indisputable
|
|
penurious
|
Stella complained that her husband's penurious ways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.
|
|
mawkish
|
characterized by sick sentimentality
|
|
extant
|
(adj) existing, not destroyed or lost
|
|
munificence
|
The royal family's munificence made everyone else in their country rich.
|
|
malevolent
|
(adj) wanting harm to befall others
|
|
accolade
|
Marci won the accolade of her teachers when she received the prestigious scholarship.
|
|
obtuse
|
Political opponents warned that the prime minister's obtuse approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.
|
|
vacillate
|
I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept vacillating between the distinct options available to us.
|
|
probity
|
Because he was never viewed as a man of great probity, no one was surprised by Mr. Samson's immoral behavior.
|
|
protean
|
Among Nigel's protean talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.
|
|
aspersion
|
The rival politicians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others' integrity.
|
|
addendum
|
something added as a supplement
|
|
umbrage
|
(n) resentment, offsense
|
|
legerdemain
|
(n) deception, slight-of-hant
|
|
inchoate
|
The country's government is still inchoate and, because it has no great tradition, quite unstable.
|
|
reprove
|
Lara reproved her son for sticking each and every one of his fingers into the strawberry pie.
|
|
solipsistic
|
(adj) believing that oneself is all that exists
|
|
taciturn
|
(adj) not inclined to talk
|
|
florid
|
(adj) flowery, ornate
|
|
abstemious
|
moderate or sparing in eating or drinking
|
|
impassive
|
Stop being so impassive; it's healthy to cry every now and then.
|
|
sagacity
|
(n) shrewdness, souncess of perspective
|
|
blandish
|
Rachel's assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deal.
|
|
conundrum
|
(n) puzzle, problem
|
|
fractious
|
Although the child insisted he wasn't tired, his fractious behavior--especially his decision to crush his heese and crackers all over the floor--convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.
|
|
stolid
|
(adj) expressing little sensibility, unemotional
|
|
aboveboard
|
honest; frank, open
|
|
perfidious
|
After the official was caught selling government secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his perfidious ways.
|
|
conundrum
|
Interpreting Jane's behavior was a constant conundrum.
|
|
cupidity
|
His cupidity made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers.
|
|
assiduous
|
The construction workders erected the skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.
|
|
latent
|
Sigmund's dream represented his latent paranoid obsession with other people's shoes.
|
|
calumny
|
The local officials calumny ended up ruining his opponent's prospect of winning the election.
|
|
ignominious
|
(adj) humiliating, disgracing
|
|
prurient
|
(adj) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex
|
|
ebullient
|
She became ebullient upon receiving and accpetance letter from her first-choice college.
|
|
capricious
|
The young girl's captricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.
|
|
viscous
|
The viscous syrup took three minutes to pour out of the bottle.
|
|
hegemony
|
(n) domination over others
|
|
juxtaposition
|
(n) the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparision
|
|
feral
|
That beast looks so feral that I would fear being alone with it.
|
|
vituperate
|
Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he would be vituperated for his unseemly behavior.
|
|
tractable
|
(adj) easily controlled
|
|
turpitude
|
(n) depravity, moral corruption
|
|
platitude
|
After reading over her paper, Helene concluded that what she had thought were profound insights were actually just platitudes.
|
|
nadir
|
My day was boring, but the nadir came when I accidentally spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head.
|
|
evince
|
(v) to show, reveal
|
|
paucity
|
Gilbert lamaented the paucity of twentieth-century literature courses available at the college.
|
|
repudiate
|
(v) to reject, refuse to accept
|
|
staid
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The said butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.
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mercurial
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Though he was widely respected for his mathematical proofs, the mercurial genius was impossible to live with.
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rife
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(adj) abundant
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ennervate
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(v) to weaken exhaust
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promulgate
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The film professor promulgated that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery's James Bond was superior to Roger Moore's.
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burnish
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His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before setting the table.
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penurious
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(adj) miserly, stingy
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oblique
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(adj) diverging from a straight line or course
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tansient
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(adj) passing through briefly; passing into and out of existence
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buffet
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(v) to strike with force
(n) an arrangment of food set out on a table
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modicum
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(n) a small amount of something
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malediction
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When I was arrested for speeding, I screamed maledictions against the policemen and the entire police department.
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servile
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(adj) subservient
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hapless
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My poor, hapless family never seems to pick a sunny week to go on vacation.
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evanescent
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My joy at getting promoted was evanescent because I discovered that I would have to work much longer hours in a less friendly office.
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inveterate
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(adj) subbornly established by habit
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inure
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Twenty years in the salt mines inured the man to the discomforts of dirt and grime.
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abdicate
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When Mary discovered that her arugment against Jake was futile, she abdicated.
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officious
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(adj) offering one's services when they are neither wanted nor needed
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venerate
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(v) to regard with respect or to honor
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