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Iconoclast (n):
A person who destorys religious images or attacks beliefs or institutions
The iconoclasts in our government are attempting to eliminate all mention of God from our nation's history.
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Immutable (adj):
not capable of or susceptible to change
Knowing her father's decision was immutable, Erica realized she would not be attending the dance.
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Impugn (v):
to assail, oppose, or attack as false or lacking integrity
- We have to assume the opposing counsel will attempt to impugn our most valuable expert witness.
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Indolent (adj):
lazy, averse to activity
Some believe the three-toed sloth is an indolent creature, but it is merely content to stay in one place.
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Inertia (n):
failure to move
After Hurricane Katrina, the government's inertia and red tape delayed assistance to New Orleans.
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Innocuous (adj)
producing no injury; harmless
Telling your children the Tooth Fairy is real seems to be an innocuous lie--until they find out the truth!
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Insipid (adj):
lacking taste or qualities that interest
When I took my daughter to see "Hotel Transylvania," I found it so insipid that I fell asleep.
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Integral (adj):
essential to completeness, essential
- The eye witness was so integral to the prosecutor's case that without her the case would be lost.
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Intrinsic (adj):
inherent, belonging to the essential nature or consitution of a thing
Animals in the wild have an intrinsic ability to sense a nearby threat.
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Irascible (adj):
marked by a hot temper; easily provoked
Soccer parents exhibit irascible behavior by yelling and fighting with the referees
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Juxtapose (v):
To place side by side
The Science Center designed the exhibit to juxtapose the prehistoric era with the modern era--the clever placement enhanced their differences.
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Loquacious (adj):
full of excessive talk; wordy
I don't have time to talk on the phone with a loquacious friend when I have an assignment due the next day.
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Lascivious (adj):
Lewd, lecherous, lustful
The court found Sandusky guilty for his lewd and lascivious behavior with young boys.
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Lugubrious (adj):
Mournful; especially exaggerated
Her demeanor seemed rehearsed and lugubrious; everyone said she was crying crocodile tears.
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Magnanimous (adj):
Generous, noble spirit
Because of Harriet's magnanimous gifts to charity, she is invited to numerous charitable events each year.
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Metamorphosis (n):
Transformation; a magical change in form
My daughter's metamorphosis from an awkward tween to a beautiful teen has been extraordinary!
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Metaphor (n):
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them
Wait staff say they are "in the weeds" as a metaphor when they are running behind.
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Morose (adj):
Having a sullen & gloomy disposition
Scientists believe elephants become depressed; their behavior morose when they have lost a member of their herd.
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Myopic (adj):
Unable or unwilling to act prudently; shortsighted; lacking foresight
The banks capitalized on our myopic, instant-gratification society which led to the market collapse.
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Neolithic (adj):
Belonging to an earlier age and now outmoded
My daughter thinks talking on the phone is a neolithic mode of communication;she prefers to text.
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Nemesis (n):
One that inflicts retribution or vengeance; a formidable and usually victorious rival.
The defense attorney's shoulders slumped in defeat when he realized the prosecutor was his old nemesis.
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Nettle (v):
To irritate; sting; arouse sharp but transitory annoyance or anger.
The toddler seemed to nettle the shoppers with his loud, irritating shrieks.
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Obfuscate (v):
To make obscure; darken; to confuse
When I help my daughter with her Algebra homework, it seems to obfuscate her instead of help her.
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Officious (adj):
Nosey, obtrusive; volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed; meddlesome
I do not ask for her officious, meddlesome advice.
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Omniscient (adj):
Having an infinite awareness, understanding & insight; possessed of universal or complete knowledge
My daughter believes I am omniscient because I always know what she is up to--as if I have eyes in the back of my head!
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Ossify (v):
To become hardened or conventional & opposed to change
We cannot allow these events to ossify our hearts and minds--we must continue to believe.
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Ostensible (adj):
Intended for display; open to view; apparent
The ad showed an ostensible offer that seemed to be a bait and switch to draw in unwary customers.
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Panacea (n):
A remedy for all ills or difficulties; a cure-all
Unfortunately, one man is not the panacea to fix all that is wrong with the government.
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Paradox (n):
A tenet contrary to received opinion; contradiction
States legalizing marijuana causes a paradox because it is a direct violation of federal law.
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Pejorative (n) or (adj):
A word or phrase that has a negative connotation or that is intended to disparage or belittle
Having negative connotations; especially tending to disparage or belittle
Handicapped is now a pejorative term--the more politically correct, acceptable term is "handi-capable."
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Perfunctory (adj):
Characterized by routine or superficiality; lacking in interest or enthusiasm
- My drive to and from school has become so perfunctory that it seems as if I am on autopilot.
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Perspicuous (adj):
Plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation.
The legislature does not write laws to be perspicuous; they seem to prefer to be ambiguous.
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Petulant (adj):
Insolent or rude speech or behavior; rude, cranky; ill-tempered
The judge chose to ignore her rude, petulant remarks about the plaintiff.
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Pique (n):
A transient feeling of wounded vanity; resentment; provoke; arouse
The defense attempted to pique the plaintiff's temper during his cross-examination.
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Platitude (n):
The quality or state of being dull or insipid; banal, trite or stale remark
The populace seems to have been swayed by his platitudes and promises.
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Plethora (n):
Excess, superfluity; abundance
Because of the plethroa of evidence, the prosecution easily won their case.
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Preclude (v):
To prevent something from happening; to make impossible by necessary consequence
Failing this class will preclude him from completing his degree this year.
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Proclivity (n):
An inclination or predisposition toward something; a strong inherent inclination toward something objectionable
Many famous composers showed a proclivity for music at an early age.
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Prodigious (adj):
Extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree; exciting amazement or wonder
In an effort to prepare for a catostrophe, they stored a prodigious amount of food in their bunker.
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Prognosticate (v):
To predict; foretell from signs or symptoms
It is better to properly prepare for the case than to prognosticate that we will win.
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Promulgate (v):
To make known or public; declare
They wanted to promulgate the law in December, but they had to delay the announcement.
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Pugnacious (adj):
Having a quarrelsome or combative nature; inclined to fight; antagonistic
There is always that one person who is so pugnacious that they will disagree just for spite.
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Punctilious (adj)
Marked by or concerned about precise accordance or details
Her obsessive-compulsive disorder caused her to be punctilious about even the smallest details--nothing could be out of place.
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Rapacious (adj):
Excessively grasping or covetous; greedy
This entitlement mentality has produced a group of rapacious youth who envy the fortunate while coveting their success.
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Raze (v):
To destroy to the ground; tear down
In order to build a new shopping center, the demolition company had to raze the old farmhouse.
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Recant (v):
To withdraw or repudiate a statement; revoke
If the witness decides to recant her testimony, the court may prosecute her for perjury.
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Rectitude (n):
Moral integrity; righteousness, state of being correct in judgment
I assumed paralegal students had a higher sense of rectitude--then I saw my classmates cheating.
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Remittent (adj):
Recurring; abating for a time or at intervals
Her habit for incurring debt seems to be chronic and remittent.
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Remunerate (v):
To pay an equivalent; compensate
Punitive damages are not awarded to remunerate the victim, they are meant to punish the perpetrator.
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Reparation (n):
The act of making amends; indemnification; paying back
The criminal's apology was not a sufficient reparation for his heinous crime.
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Replicate (v):
Duplicate, repeat
Attempting to replicate another person's signature is considered forgery.
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Reproach (n):
An expression of rebuke or disapproval; to scold
Apparently this man is beyond reproach; he can do no wrong.
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Recrimination (n):
The act of making a bitter counterclaim; a retaliatory accusation
An effective leader should not use recrimination and bitterness to inspire his people.
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Rudimentary (adj):
Elementary; basic; of a primitive kind
The tools of early man were rudimentary at best and would not be useful today.
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