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ABDICATE
(v) to step down from a position of power
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ABRIDGE
(v.) to shorten, condense, or lessen in length
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ABSOLVE
(v) to forgive or free from blame
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ABYSMAL (A-BIZ-MAL)
(adj) extremely wretched, bottomless
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ACQUIESCE (AK-WEE-ESS)
(v) to comply passively, to give in
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ADVOCATE
(v) to support, or be in favor of
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AESTHETIC (ES-THET-TIC)
(adj) concerned with or appreciative of beauty
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AFFINITY
(n) sympathy, attraction, kinship
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AGENDA
(n) program, things to be done
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AGGRANDIZE
(v) to make great
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ALLUSION (A-LOO-ZHUN)
(n) an indirect reference
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ALTRUISTIC (AL-TROO-IS-TIC)
(adj) unselfish concern with the welfare of others
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AMNESTY
(n) an official pardon for a group of people violate a law
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ANIMOSITY
(n) ill will, active dislike
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ANOMALOUS (A-NOM-A-LUS)
(adj) irregular, abnormal, unusual
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ARDUOUS
(adj) difficult to do, laborious
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AUGMENT
(v) to increase or enlarge
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AUSTERE (AWE-STEER)
(adj) stern in manner or appearance, strict in morals
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AVERSION
(n) strong or fixed dislike, a feeling of repugnance
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BANAL (BUH-NAL)
(adj) commonplace, trite, unoriginal
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BAROQUE (BUH-ROKE)
(adj) extravagantly ornate, flamboyant, characterized by bold ornamentation
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BEGRUDGE
(v) to envy another's possession, to concede reluctantly
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BENEDICTION
(n) a blessing, a good wish
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BENIGN (BUH-NINE)
(adj) gentle, not harmful, kind
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BLITHE (BLYTHE)
(adj) happily, lighthearted, joyful
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BOTCH
(v) to bungle, to foul up
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BRACING
(adj) invigorating; (v) to prepare
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BROACH
(v) to open up a subject for discussion
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BUFFOON
(n) clown or fool
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BULWARK
(n) something used as a defense, a strong protection
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CACHE (CASH)
(n) a hiding place, something hidden in a secret place
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CALLOUS (CAL-LUS)
(adj) unfeeling and insenitive
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CANDOR
(adj) truthfulness, great honesty, frankness
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CAPITULATE
(v) to surrender, to stop resisting
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CATHARSIS
(n) an emotional release, an emotional purification
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CAUSTIC (CAW-STICK)
(adj) biting in humor
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CENSURE (SEN-SHUR)
(n) the act of blaming or condemning
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CHASTISE
(v) to criticize severely
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CHRONIC (KRON-ICK)
(adj) constant, lasting a long time
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CIRCUMSPECT
(adj) careful, thought through
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CLEMENCY
(n) disposition towards mercy, mildness
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CLIQUE (KLEEK)
(n) an elusive group
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COALESCE (CO-A-LESS)
(v) to come together as one, to fuse or unite
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COHERENT (CO-HERE-ENT)
(adj) making sense, organized and logical
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COLLOQUIAL (COL-O-KWEE-UL)
(adj) conversational, used in informal speech
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COMPATIBLE
(adj) able to get along well
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CONVEY
(v) to conduct, to transport, to communicate
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CONVICTION
(n) determination, state of being convinced
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COPIOUS
(adj) abundant, lavish
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CORROBORATE
(v) to support with evidence
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CRITERION (CRY-TEER-EE-ON)
(n) standard for judging (plural) criteria
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CURSORY
(adj) brief, without much attention to detail
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DEARTH (DURTH)
(adj) a shortage
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DEFERENCE
(n) respect, courtesy
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DELINEATE
(v) to describe or picture in words, to detail
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DELUDE
(v) to deceive; to have false illusions
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DEPRAVITY
(n) moral corruption
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DEPRECIATE (DE-PREE-SHE-ATE)
(v) to lessen in value, to belittle
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DESECRATE
(v) to treat with disrespect
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DESTITUTE
(adj) very poor, totally lacking
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DIATRIBE (DIE-A-TRIBE)
(n) a denunciation, a biting speech
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DIDACTIC
(adj) instructive, intended to educate
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DIFFUSE
(adj) wordy, not concentrated; (v) to spread wildly
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DIGRESS
(v) to stray from the main subject
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DISCERNING (DIS-EARNING)
(adj) keenly perceptive, shrewd
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DISCOUNT
(v) to deduct, to disregard
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DIVA (DEE-VA)
(n) an opera singer, a prima donna, a temperamental, conceited person,
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DOCILE (DOS-EYEL)
(adj) easily taught, submissive,
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DOGMATIC
(adj) arrogantly assertive, positive about unproven ideas
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DORMANT
(adj) as though asleep, not actively growing
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DUPE (DOOP)
(v) to deceive, to trick,
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EBB
(v) to decline, to recede
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ECCENTRIC (EK-SEN-TRIK)
(adj) nonconventional, a little kooky
-
ECCLECTIC (EK-KLEC-TIC)
(adj) drawn from many sources
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EFFACE (EE-FACE)
(v) to erase, to rub away the features, to obscure
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EGOCENTRIC (EE-GO-SEN-TRIK)
(adj) self-involved, selfish
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EGREGIOUS (UH-GREE-JUS)
(adj) extremely bad, flagrant
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ELUCIDATE (E-LOO-SI-DATE)
(v) to make clear
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EMBELLISH
(v) to add to, to exaggerate, garnish, ornament
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EMIGRATE
(v) to move to new country, to move to a new place
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EMISSARY
(n) a messenger or representative, an agent
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EMULATE
(v) to imitate, to strive to equal
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ENGAGING
(adj) charming, interesting
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ENIGMA
(n) a puzzle, a baffling situation, something obscure
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ENSHROUD
(v) to cover, to enclose with a dark cover
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EULOGIZE (YOU-LO-JIZE)
(v) to speak in praise of someone, to pay written or spoken tribute
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EXACERBATE (EX-AS-SIR-BATE)
(v) to make worse or more severe
-
EXACTING
(adj) greatly demanding, requiring close attention
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EXALT
(v) to raise high, to glorify
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EXORBITANT
(adj) extravagant, exceeding what is usual
-
EXPEDITE
(v) to make faster or easier, to carry out prompty
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EXPLICIT (EX-PLI-SIT)
(adj) clearly stated, precisely shown
-
EXPUNGE
(v) to erase, to strike out
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EXTOL
(v) to praise highly
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FACADE (FA-SOD)
(n) the principal front of a building, a false appearance
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FACTION
(n) a group or part of a large group, united on an issue
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FALLACY (FAL-A-SEE)
(n) a false idea, a mistaken belief, an implausible argument
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FAWNING
(v) to show excessive affection, to be overly flattering in return for favor
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FEIGN (FANE)
(v) to pretend, give a false impression, to invent falsely
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FIDELITY
(n) state of being faithful, loyal
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FINESSE (FIN-ESS)
(adj) delicacy of workmanship, subtlety, skillful maneuvering
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