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Bombastic
bom BAS tik
Given to pompous speed or writing
The principal's bombastic speech bombed in the eyes of the students; it only furthered their impression of him as a pompous jerk.
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Ebullience
eh BOO li ents
Intense enthusiasm
A sense of ebullience swept over the lacrosse fans crowd when their team won the game.
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Exorbitant
eg ZOR bit int
Exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness
I wanted to buy a Porsche, but the price was exorbitant, so instead I purchased a used mail truck.
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Exuberant
eg ZOO bur ent
Full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy
William was exuberant when he found out that he'd gotten into the college of his choice.
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Embellish
em BELL ish
To ornament or decorate; to exaggerate
One can never trust that Anwar's stories are realistic; his details are almost always embellished so that his experiences sound more interesting than they really are.
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Flagrant
FLAY grent
Extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
Too many flagrant fouls can get you kicked out of a basketball game.
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Gratuitous
gruh TOO uh tus
Given freely; unearned; unnecessary
The film was full of gratuitous sex and violence inessential to the story.
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Lavish (adj.)
LAV ish
Extravagant
Lavanya's wedding was a lavish affair.
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Lugubrious
luh GOO bree yus
Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree.
Lucas's lugubrious eulogy for his pet lobster quickly became ridiculous.
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Opulent
OP yoo lent
Displaying great wealth
The ophthalmologist's opulent home was the envy of his friends; the crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and teak furniture must have cost a fortune.
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Ornate
or NAYT
Elaborately decorated
The wood carvings were so ornate that you could examine them many times and still notice things you had not seen before.
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Penchant
PEN chent
A strong inclination or liking
Penny's penchant for chocolate-covered ants led her to munch on them all day.
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Redundant
ree DUN dint
Needlessly repetitive
The author's speech was terribly redundant, repeating the same phrases, saying the same thing over and over, and constantly reiterating the same point.
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Ubiquitous
yoo BIK wit us
Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent
Kenny had a ubiquitous little sister; wherever he turned, there she was.
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Vicarious
vie KA ree us
Felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or felling of another
Stan, who was never athletic but loved sports, lived vicariously through his bother, a professional basketball player.
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Vignette
vin YET
A short scene or story
The poodle vignette in my new film expresses the true meaning of Valentine's Day.
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Amalgam
uh MAL gum
A combination of diverse elements; a mixture
The song was an amalgam of many different styles, from blues to hip hop to folk.
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Inundate
IN un dayt
To overwhelm as if with a flood; to swamp
The day after the ad ran, Martha was inundated with phone calls.
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Multifarious
mul ti FAYR ee us
Diverse; various
The multifarious achievements of Leonardo da Vinci, ranging from architecture and painting to philosophy and science, are unparalleled in our century.
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Multiplicity
mul tuh PLI sit ee
State of being various or manifold; a great number
A multiplicity of views is essential to a healthy multicultural democracy.
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Alleviate
uh LEE vee ayt
To ease a pain or burden
Alvin meditated to alleviate the pain from the headache he got after taking the SAT
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Ameliorate
uh MEEL yor ayt
To make something better; improve
Winning a silver medal quickly meliorated Amelia's angst at losing the gold.
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Beneficial
ben uh FISH ul
Producing or promoting a favorable result; helpful
- According to my doctor, tea's beneficial effects may include reducing anxiety.
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Curative
KYUR uh tiv
Able to heal or cure
The aloe had a curative effect on my sunburn; within hours, the flaking had stopped.
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Palliative
PAL lee uh tiv
Relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without effecting a cure
Watching professional polo on TV became a palliative fore the screaming child; it was the only thing that would quiet him.
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Therapeutic
thair uh PYOO tik
Having or exhibiting healing powers
The therapeutic air of the Mediterranean cured Thomas of his asthma.
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Complement (n)
KOM plem ent
Something the completes, goes with, or brings to perfection
The lovely computer is the perfect complement to the modern furnishings in Abby's apartment.
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Epitome
ep IT o mee
A representative or example of a type
She is the epitome of selflessness; no matter how much or little she has, she always gives to others.
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Felicitous
fuh LIH sih tus
Admirably suited; apt
Jamie Foxx made a felicitous speech when he won his Oscar.
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Belie
bee LIE
To misrepresent or disguise
He smiled in order to belie his hostility.
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Debunk
duh BUNK
To expose untruths, shams, or exaggerated claims
The university administration debunked the myth that bunk beds are only for children by installing them in every dorm on campus.
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Dubious
DOO bee us
Doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
Jerry's dubious claim that he could fly like Superman didn't win him any summer job offers.
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Duplicitous
doo PLIS uh tus
Deliberately deceptive
The duplicitous man duplicated dollars and gave the counterfeits to unsuspecting vendors.
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Fabricate
FAB ruh kayt
To make up in order to deceive
Fabio fabricated the story that he used to play drums for Metallica; he has never actually held a drumstick in his life.
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Fallacy
FAL uh see
A false notion
The idea that there is only one college for you is a fallacy.
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Mendacious
men DAY shus
Lying; untruthful
John's mendacious statements on the stand scaled his fate; he was found guilty of lying to the court about his role in the crime.
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Specious
SPEE shus
Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually false
Susie's specious argument seemed to make sense; but when I looked more closely, it was clearly illogical.
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Ambiguous
am BIG yoo us
Open to more than one interpretation
Big's eyes were an ambiguous color: in some lights, brown, and in others, green.
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Ambivalent
am BIV uh lint
Simultaneously feeling opposing feelings; uncertain
Amy felt ambivalent about her dance class: on one hand, she enjoyed the exercises, but on the other, the choice of dances bored her.
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Apathetic
ap uh THET ik
Feeling or showing little emotion
The apathetic students didn't even bother to vote for class president.
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Capricious
kuh PREE shus
Impulsive and unpredictable
The referee's capricious behavior angered the players; he would call a foul for minor contact, but ignore the elbowing and kicking.
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Equivocal
e KWIV uh kul
Open to two or more interpretations and often intended to mislead; ambiguous (antonym: unequivocal)
The politician made so many equivocal statements during the scandal that no one could be sure what, if anything, he had admitted to.
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Erratic
e RAT ik
Markedly inconsistent
Erroll's erratic behavior made it difficult for his friends to predict what he would do in a given moment.
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Impetuous
im PET choo us
Suddenly and forcefully energetic or emotional; impulsive and passionate
Mr. Limpet was so impetuous that we never knew what he would do next.
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Sporadic
spo RAD ik
Occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time.
Storms in Florida are sporadic; it's hard to predict when they're going to occur.
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Impetus
IM pit us
An impelling force or stimulus
A looming deadline provided Imelda with the impetus she needed to finish her research paper.
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Vacillate
VA sil ayt
To sway from one side to the other; oscillate
The cook vacillated between favoring chicken and preferring fish; he just couldn't decide which to prepare.
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Whimsical
WIM zi kul
Characterized by whim; unpredictable
Egbert rarely behaved as expected; indeed, he was a whimsical soul whose every decision was anybody's guess.
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Flag (v.)
FLAG
To decline in vigor or strength; to tire; to droop
After several few days climbing mountains in pouring rain, our enthusiasm for the hiking trip began to flag.
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Jaded
JAY did
Worn out; wearied
Jade's experience had jaded her; she no longer believed that the junk stacked in her garage was going to make her rich.
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