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resurgent
- DEFINITION: to rise again; to sweep or surge back
- SENTENCE: Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, and under his leadership, the resurgent company introduced the iPod and iPhone.
- SYNONYMS: comeback, revived, returned
- ANTONYMS: regression, weakned, remission
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deleterious
- DEFINITION: going down in the sense of having a harmful effect; injurious
- SENTENCE: Excess weight can have a number of deleterious effects, including increases in heart disease, asthma, and diabetes.
- SYNONYMS: harmful, destructive, hurtful
- ANTONYMS: aiding, assisting, helpful
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decry
- DEFINITION: to put down in the sense of openly condemning; to express strong disapproval
- SENTENCE: Upton Sinclair decried the era's rampant materialism and conformity. SYNONYMS: criticize, blame, condemn
- ANTONYMS: applaud, compliment, praise
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despondent
- DEFINITION: feeling downcast; very dejected; forlorn
- SENTENCE: Giselle experienced what it is like to be despondent when a New York City beggar stole her tiara and left her crying alone in the pouring rain.
- SYNONYMS: desperate, depressed, glum
- ANTONYMS: cheerful, happy, hopeful
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denounce
- DEFINITION: to put down in the sense of a making a formal accusation; to speak against
- SENTENCE: Voltaire denounced the Old Regime, William Lloyd Garrison denounced slavery.
- SYNONYMS: condemn, scold, censure
- ANTONYMS: approve, commend, praise
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demise
- DEFINITION: to go all the way down in the sense of ending by death; the cessation of existence or activity
- SYNONYMS: Dinosaurs and the Whig Party both met with a sudden and unexpected demise.
- SYNONYMS: death, failure, downfall
- ANTONYMS: birth, beginning, start
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debunk
- DEFINITION: to put down by exposing false and exaggerated claims
- SENTENCE: Grand Master Larry debunked K-Fed's hopelessly inept songs.
- SYNONYMS: disprove, ridicule, disparage
- ANTONYMS: prove, uphold, support
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deride
- DEFINITION: to put down with contemptuous jeering; to ridicule or laugh at
- SENTENCE: In the movie "Happy Gilmore" Shooter McGavin derided Happy as an incompetent novice.
- SYNONYMS: scorn, scoff, jeer
- ANTONYMS: commend, flatter, praise
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devoid
- DEFINITION: to go down in the sense of being empty; completely lacking in substance or quality; bereft
- SENTENCE: "Glitter" and "Godzilla" were both movies panned by critics for being devoid of all redeeming value.
- SYNONYMS: lack, barren, deficient
- ANTONYMS: full, filled, complete
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impeccable
- DEFINITION: having no flaws; perfect
- SENTENCE: Opening doors for your girlfriend and saying "yes, sir" demonstrates having impeccable manners.
- SYNONYMS: infallible, flawless, perfect
- ANTONYMS: flawed, imperfect, defective
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implacable
- DEFINITION: not capable of being placated or appeased
- SENTENCE: The United States and al Qaeda are implacable enemies locked in a deadly struggle that cannot be avoided.
- SYNONYMS: inconsolable, disconsolate, forlorn
- ANTONYMS: consolable, understanding, appeased
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inexorable
- DEFINITION: not capable of being stopped; relentless; inevitable
- SENTENCE: The Titanic was unfortunately on an inexorable course to hit the iceberg. SYNONYMS: dogged, unyielding relentless
- ANTONYMS: lenient, yielding, flexible
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incoherent
- DEFINITION: not coherent and therefore lacking organization; lacking logical or meaningful connections
- SENTENCE: An example of an incoherent statement: "So okay, like right now the Haitians need to come to America. But some people are like, about the strain on our resources. It's like when I had a garden party, I said RSVP cause it was a sit-down dinner. May I remind you that it does not say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty..."
- SYNONYMS: disjointed, jumbled, indistinct
- ANTONYMS: understandable, intelligible, coherent
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insurmountable
- DEFINITION: not capable of being surmounted or overcome
- SENTENCE: The once insurmountable task of building a transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869.
- SYNONYMS: indomitable, overwhelming, unbeatable
- ANTONYMS: attainable, defeatable, surmountable
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irreverent
- DEFINITION: lacking proper respect or seriousness, disrespectful
- SENTENCE: The writers of the Simpsons and S.Colbert are renowned for their irreverent jokes.
- SYNONYMS: rude, impudent, insolent
- ANTONYMS: reverent, respectful, proper
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circumspect
- DEFINITION: to look carefully around and therefore to be cautious and careful; prudent
- SENTENCE: Someone who prefers a wait-and-see approach to new styles is a circumspect person.
- SYNONYMS: attentive, meticulous, judicious
- ANTONYMS: careless, rash, negligent
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circuitous
- DEFINITION: circular and therefore indirect in language, behavior, or action
- SENTENCE: Ben follows a chain of clues that takes him on a circuitous chase that begins in Paris and then takes him to Buckingham palace, and finally Mt. Rushmore.
- SYNONYMS: indirect, meandering, circular
- ANTONYMS: straightforward, linear, direct
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circumvent
- DEFINITION: to circle around and therefore bypass; to avoid by artful maneuvering
- SENTENCE: Illegal business continue to circumvent laws established by our country. SYNONYMS: mislead, deceive, trick
- ANTONYMS: straightforward, honest, candid, frank
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circumscribe
- DEFINITION: to draw a line around and therefore to narrowly limit or restrict actions
- SENTENCE: Juliet wanted to live with Romeo but couldn't because her family circumscribed her freedom by insisting she marry Count Paris.
- SYNONYMS: restrain, confine, limit
- ANTONYMS: free, loosen, open
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magnanimous
- DEFINITION: filled with generosity and forgiveness; forgoing resentment and
- revenge
- SENTENCE: After Lee's surrender at Appomattox, Grant magnanimously allowed the Confederate officers to keep their die arms and permitted soldiers to keep personal horses.
- SYNONYMS: generous, altruistic, considerate
- ANTONYMS: selfish, petty, stingy
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erroneous
- DEFINITION: filled with errors; wrong
- SENTENCE: Portuguese sailors erroneously believed that boiling seas filled with monsters awaited ships venturing south of Portugal.
- SYNONYMS: inaccurate, false, flawed
- ANTONYMS: correct, true, valid
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momentous
- DEFINITION: filled with importance; significant
- SENTENCE: Carl made a momentous decision to attach thousands of balloons to his home and sail for South America.
- SYNONYMS: consequential, crucial, meaningful
- ANTONYMS: insignificant, trifling, trivial
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mellifluous
- DEFINITION: smooth and sweet; flowing like honey
- SENTENCE: Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye are both known for their mellifluous voices. SYNONYMS: sweet, fluid, soothing
- ANTONYMS: discordant, cacophony, harsh
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ominous
- DEFINITION: filled with menace; threatening
- SENTENCE: Rising sea levels and rising temperatures are both ominous signs that global warming is getting worse.
- SYNONYMS: threatening, lurking, dangerous
- ANTONYMS: happy, auspicious, promising
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acrimonious
- DEFINITION: filled with bitterness; sharpness in words; rancorous
- SENTENCE: Celebrity magazines are happy to chronicle all the acrimonious statements made by the stars and their lawyers.
- SYNONYMS: acerbic, bitter, caustic
- ANTONYMS: kind, soothing, sweet
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