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abstruse
difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
-
acumen
shrewdness shown by keen insight
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affable
diffusing warmth and friendliness
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alacrity
liveliness and eagerness
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altruism
the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
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amalgam
a combination or blend of diverse things
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ambiguous
having more than one possible meaning
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ambivalent
uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
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anachronistic
chronologically misplaced
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archaic
so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
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ascertain
learn or discover with certainty
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assimilate
make similar
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astute
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
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aural
of or pertaining to hearing or the ear
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austere
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
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autonomy
immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority: political independence
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averse
(usually followed by `to') strongly opposed
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belie
be in contradiction with
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belligerent
characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
-
benign
kindness of disposition or manner
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bombastic
ostentatiously lofty in style
-
burgeon
grow and flourish
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cacophony
loud confusing disagreeable sounds
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cajole
influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
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cantankerous
stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
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capricious
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
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castigate
inflict severe punishment on
-
bolster
support and strengthen
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cathartic
strongly laxative
-
censure
harsh criticism or disapproval
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chicanery
the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
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circumspect
heedful of potential consequences
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clandestine
conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
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complement
something added to complete or embellish or make perfect
-
conciliatory
making or willing to make concessions
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conjecture
to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
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conspicuous
obvious to the eye or mind
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contentious
inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits
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contiguous
having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching
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convoluted
rolled longitudinally upon itself
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copious
large in number or quantity (especially of discourse)
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curative
tending to cure or restore to health
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dearth
an insufficient quantity or number
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debacle
a sudden and violent collapse
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debilitate
make weak
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debunk
expose while ridiculing; especially of pretentious or false claims and ideas
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defunct
no longer in force or use; inactive
-
deleterious
harmful to living things
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demure
affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way
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deride
treat or speak of with contempt
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derogatory
expressive of low opinion
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didactic
instructive (especially excessively)
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diffidence
lack of self-confidence
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dilatory
wasting time
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dirge
a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
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disaffected
discontented as toward authority
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disseminate
cause to become widely known
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distend
cause to expand as it by internal pressure
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docile
easily handled or managed
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duplicitous
marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another
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ebullience
overflowing with eager enjoyment or approval
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eclectic
selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
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effrontery
audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to
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embellish
make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
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empathetic
showing empathy or ready comprehension of others' states
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ephemeral
anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form
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epitome
a standard or typical example
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eradicate
destroy completely, as if down to the roots
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erratic
liable to sudden unpredictable change
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erudition
profound scholarly knowledge
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esoteric
confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
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euphemism
an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh
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exacerbate
make worse
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exonerate
pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
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exorbitant
greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
-
expedient
appropriate to a purpose; practical
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extol
praise, glorify, or honor
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extraneous
not belonging to that in which it is contained; introduced from an outside source
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extrapolate
draw from specific cases for more general cases
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exuberant
joyously unrestrained
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fabricate
put together out of artificial or natural components or parts
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fallacy
a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning
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fastidious
giving careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness
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felicitous
exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style
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flag
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
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flagrant
conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
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flippant
showing inappropriate levity
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gratuitous
unnecessary and unwarranted
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idiosyncrasy
a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual
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ignominy
a state of dishonor
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impetus
a force that moves something along
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impugn
attack as false or wrong
-
impetuous
characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation
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incontrovertible
impossible to deny or disprove
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indict
accuse formally of a crime
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ingenuous
lacking in sophistication or worldliness
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innocuous
not injurious to physical or mental health
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inscrutable
of an obscure nature
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insipid
lacking interest or significance or impact
-
insolent
marked by casual disrespect
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insular
relating to or characteristic of or situated on an island
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intransigence
the trait of being intransigent; stubbornly refusing to compromise
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inundate
fill or cover completely, usually with water
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jaded
exhausted
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jocular
characterized by jokes and good humor
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juxtapose
place side by side
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laudatory
full of or giving praise
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lavish
very generous
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litigious
of or relating to litigation
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lugubrious
excessively mournful
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magnanimous
noble and generous in spirit
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maverick
someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action
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mercenary
a person hired to fight for another country than their own
-
meticulous
marked by precise accordance with details
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modicum
a small or moderate or token amount
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multifarious
having many aspects
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multiplicity
the property of being multiple
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nefarious
extremely wicked
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novel
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
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obsequious
attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
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obstinate
tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
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onerous
not easily borne; wearing
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opulent
rich and superior in quality
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palliative
moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear
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parity
functional equality
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paucity
an insufficient quantity or number
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pedantic
marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects
-
pejorative
expressing disapproval
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penchant
a strong liking
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pernicious
exceedingly harmful
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perspicacious
mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
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placid
(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves
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portent
a sign of something about to happen
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potentate
a ruler who is unconstrained by law
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precocious
characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)
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prescience
the power to foresee the future
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prodigious
so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
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proliferate
grow rapidly
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prosaic
lacking wit or imagination
-
prospectus
a formal written offer to sell securities (filed with the SEC) that sets forth a plan for a (proposed) business enterprise
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quell
suppress or crush completely
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quiescent
being quiet or still or inactive
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rancorous
showing deep-seated resentment
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reciprocate
act, feel, or give mutually or in return
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rectitude
righteousness as a consequence of being honorable and honest
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redolent
having a strong pleasant odor
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redouble
double again
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redundant
more than is needed, desired, or required
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relinquish
turn away from; give up
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remiss
failing in what duty requires
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repudiate
refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
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repugnant
offensive to the mind
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reticent
reluctant to draw attention to yourself
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sanguine
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
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scintillating
having brief brilliant points or flashes of light
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scrupulous
characterized by extreme care and great effort
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solicitous
full of anxiety and concern
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soporific
sleep inducing
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specious
plausible but false
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squander
spend thoughtlessly; throw away
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squelch
suppress or crush completely
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staid
characterized by dignity and propriety
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stratify
form, arrange, or deposit in layers
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stymie
hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
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substantiate
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
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subterfuge
something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity
-
superfluous
more than is needed, desired, or required
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supplant
take the place or move into the position of
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surreptitious
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed