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admonish
- to caution, criticize, reprove
- Joe’s mother admonished him not to ruin his appetite by eating cookies before dinner.
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adorn
- to decorate
- We adorned the tree with ornaments
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advocate
- to argue in favor of something
- Arnold advocated turning left at the stop sign, even though everyone else thought we should turn right
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affluent
- rich, wealthy
- Mrs. Grebelski was affluent, owning a huge house, three cars, and an island near Maine
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affront
- an insult
- Bernardo was very touchy, and took any slight as an affront to his honor.
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trifle
- a thing of little value or importance
- people should't get upset for things that make trifle changes to their lives
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onset
- the beginning of something, especially something unpleasant.
- the onset of winter
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procure
- obtain (something), especially with care or effort.
- food procured for the rebels
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clammy
- unpleasantly damp and sticky or slimy to touch
- his skin felt cold and clammy
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jolt
- push or shake (someone or something) abruptly and roughly
- a surge in the crowd behind him jolted him forward
- push, thrust, jar, bump, knock, bang
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subpar
below an average level
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askew
- not in a straight or level position
- the door was hanging askew on one twisted hinge
- crooked, lopsided, tilted
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merit
Merit is another way of saying "deserve."
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induct
- admit (someone) formally to a position or organization.
- Some schools induct only students who meet their pre-entrance standards.
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venom
a poisonous substance secreted by animals such as snakes, spiders, and scorpions
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gorge
- 1. a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it.
- ravine, canyon, gully, defile
- 2. the throat.
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quackery
- There are good quacks and bad quacks. A good quack is the sound a duck makes. A bad quack is someone pretending to be a doctor.
- Quackery is when someone poses as a doctor.
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skew
- having an oblique or slanting direction or position
- askew; crooked
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hedge
A hedge is a living fence made of closely planted bushes, which, as they grow and get trimmed and shaped, form a wall of green.
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moniker
A moniker is a nickname. Basketball player Charles Barkley had the moniker "The Round Mound of Rebound."
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elaboration
act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining
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flop
fall, move, or hang in a heavy, loose, and ungainly way
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atrocity
Atrocities, acts of outrageous cruelty, are often committed during wars and armed conflicts.
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salvage
To salvage something is to save it...before it's too late. You might try to salvage your damaged reputation by defending yourself
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scoff
speak or laugh at someone or about something in a scornfully derisive or mocking way.
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crooked
Something crooked is not straight, like a trail through the woods, or your cousin's unfortunate set of teeth.
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arrant
- complete, utter
- what arrant nonsense!
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dodged
avoid (someone or something) by a sudden quick movement.
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squat
If you crouch down very low and sit on your heels, you squat. If you have to talk to a small child, you might have to squat to talk face-to-face
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crouch
To crouch is to bend your knees, pull your body in, and sit on your heels.
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repentance
sincere regret or remorse
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intrusion
An intrusion is a deliberate move into someone else's territory — either literal or figurative.
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slope
If you find yourself on a slippery slope, watch out, you could be sliding down a hill. Land that is not level is called a slope.
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endeavor
- try hard to do or achieve something.
- A determined student might endeavor to get straight A on his final exam
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determined
having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it.
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resolved
firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination
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insatiable
(of a person) having an insatiable appetite or desire for something, especially sex.
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crave
To crave something is to have a great desire for it, as one might crave love, fame, or French fries.
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aggrandize
- to increase or make greater
- Joseph always dropped the names of the famous people his father knew as a way to aggrandize his personal stature
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aggrieved
- distressed, wronged, injured
- The foreman mercilessly overworked his aggrieved employees.
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nimble
- quick and light in movement or action; agile
- with a deft motion of her nimble fingers
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deft
- neatly skillful and quick in one's movements.
- What you want to see in football or basketball is some deft handling of the ball.
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aisle
a passageway between rows of seats
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alias
- false name or identity
- He snuck past the guards by using an alias and fake ID.
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allege
- to assert, usually without proof
- The policeman had alleged that Marshall committed the crime, but after the investigation turned up no evidence, Marshall was set free.
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amorous
- showing love, particularly sexual
- Whenever Albert saw Mariah wear her slinky red dress, he began to feel quite amorous
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antecedent
- something that came before
- The great tradition of Western culture had its antecedent in the culture of Ancient Greece
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appraise
- to assess the worth or value of
- (A realtor will come over tonight to appraise our house.
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apprehend
- 1. to seize, arrest
- The criminal was apprehended at the scene
- 2. to perceive, understand, grasp
- The student has trouble apprehending concepts in math and science
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profligate
recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
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profuse
exuberantly plentiful; abundant
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prolix
something has too many words and goes on too long; tediously lengthy
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propitious
giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable
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protuberant
curving outward; bulging
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provident
making or indicative of timely preparation for the future.
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prudence
the quality of being prudent; cautiousness
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puerile
childishly silly and trivial
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pungency
The quality of affecting the sense of smell.
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pyre
A heap of combustibles arranged for burning a dead body.
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combustible
able to catch fire and burn easily
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heap
A great big pile of something is a heap. Your sloppy brother might keep all of his clothes in a heap on his bedroom floor.
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quandary
a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation
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quibble
An utterly trivial objection or criticism.
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quotidian
Of an everyday character; ordinary.
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ramify
form branches or offshoots; spread or branch out
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reactionary
Pertaining to, of the nature of, causing, or favoring reaction.
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recrudescent
breaking out afresh or into renewed activity; revival or reappearance in active existence.
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revival
- an improvement in the condition or strength of something
- improvement, recovery
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vigor
physical strength and good health
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redoubtable
- formidable, especially as an opponent.
- awe-inspiring, fearsome, daunting
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refractory
Imagine yourself pulling a dog who doesn't want to walk. The dog is refractory, or stubbornly resisting your authority.
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amenable
open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled
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regicide
The killing of a king or sovereign.
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reiterate
To say or do sometning again and again for a number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity
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relapse
To suffer a return of a disease after partial recovery.
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remonstrate
- To present a verbal or written protest to those
- who have power to right or prevent a wrong.
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repast
A meal; figuratively, any refreshment.
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repel
To force or keep back in a manner, physically or mentally
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repine
feel or express discontent; fret.
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brooding
showing deep unhappiness of thought.
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faultfinding
persistent petty and unjustified criticism
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fretfulness
an irritable petulant feeling
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reprobate
- One abandoned to depravity and sin.
- an unprincipled person
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scoundrel
a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue
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repulsive
arousing intense distaste or disgust
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requite
You can requite a friend’s kindness by doing your friend a favor or by being kind in return. Requite means "to repay or return."
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restive
Resisting control.
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retinue
- a group of advisers, assistants, or others accompanying an important person
- entourage, escort, company, court
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revere
To regard with worshipful veneration
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ribald
referring to sexual matters in an amusingly rude or irreverent way.
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indecent
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
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bawdy
dealing with sexual matters in a comical way; humorously indecent
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risible
- Risible describes something that is laughable or amusing, like seeing a very large man trying to get into a very tiny car.
- laughable, ridiculous, absurd, comical
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ruffian
A lawless or recklessly brutal fellow.
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salient
- If something stands out in a very obvious way, it can be called salient.
- outstanding, prominent, spectacular, striking, conspicuous
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satiate
To satisfy fully the appetite or desire of.
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