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abscond
- (v): to leave secretely
- Ex: The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door.
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abyss
- (n): an extremely deep hole
- ex: the submarine dove into the abyss to chart the previously unseen depths
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aggrandize
- (v): to increase in power, influence, and reputation
- ex: the supervisor sought to AGGRANDIZE herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own.
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AMALGAMATE
- (v): to combine; to mix together.
- ex: Giant industries AMALGAMATED with Mega products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.
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AMELIORATE
- (v): to make better; to improve
- ex: the doctor was able to AMELIORATE the patient's suffering using painkillers.
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ANACHRONISM
- (n): something out of place in time
- ex: The aged hippie used ANACHRONISTIC phrases like groovy and far out that had not been popular for years.
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ANTIPATHY
- (n): extreme dislike
- ex: The ANTIPATHY between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare.
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ARBITRATE
- (v): to judge a dispute between two opposing parties.
- ex: Since the couple could not come to agreement, a judge was forced to ARBITRATE their divorce proceedings.
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ARCHAIC
- (adj): ancient, old-fashioned
- ex: Her ARCHAIC commodore computer could not run the latest software.
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ARDOR
- (n): intense and passionate feeling
- ex: Bishop's ARDOR for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.
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ASSUAGE
- (v): to make something unpleasant less severe
- ex: Serena used aspirin to ASSUAGE her pounding headache.
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ATTENUATE
- (v): to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
- ex: The Bill of Rights ATTENUATED the traditional power of governments to change laws at will.
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AUSTERE
- (adj): severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
- ex: The lack of decoration makes military barracks seem AUSTERE to the civillian eye.
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BANAL
- (adj): predictable, cliched, boring
- ex: He used BANAL phrases like Have a nice day, or Another day, another dollar.
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BOMBASTIC
- (adj): pompous in speech and manner
- ex: The ranting of the radio talk-show host was mostly BOMBASTIC; his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact.
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CACOPHONY
- (n): harsh, jarring noise
- ex: The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable CACOPHONY as they tried to tune their instruments.
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CANDID
- (adj); impartial and honest in speech
- ex: The observations of a child can be charming since they are CANDID and unpretentious.
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CAPRICIOUS
- (adj): changing one's mind quickly and often
- ex: Queen Elizabeth 1 was quite CAPRICIOUS; her courtiers could never be sure which of their number would catch her fancy.
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CASTIGATE
- (v): to punish or criticize harshly
- ex: Many Americans are amazed at how harshly the authorities in Singapore CASTIGATE perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in the United States.
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CAUSTIC
- (adj): biting in wit
- ex: Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults.
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