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(n) one who hates all other humans
The movie about an adorable young child who wins the heart of a _______.
cynic |
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(n) one who hates women
Sometimes I wonder if my boss is a _____ because none of the female employees get promotions.
sexist |
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(v) to make or become less severe or intense; to moderate
Aspritin can ______ pain.
lessen |
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(v) to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity
Mariena tried to _____ her angry neighbor by offering to pay for the broken window.
pacify |
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(adj) sad; sullen
Alan's _____ attitude made him an unpopular dinner guest.
melancholy |
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(adj) of the world; tpical of or concerned with the ordinary
You might think that an office is too ____ a setting for a comedy, but popular TV shows prove otherwise.
commonplace, everyday, banal |
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(n) generosity
I respoect Bill Gates for his _______; he has funded much of the research to cmbat malaria in developing countries.
bounteousness |
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(n) low point
At my emotional ____, I considered some drastic options to relieve my pain.
rock bottom |
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(adj) coming into being; in early developmental stages
My novel is still in its ______ form, so I'm hesitant to describe the plot.
emerging, embryonic, burgeoning |
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(adj) trimly neat and tidy
The ____ young man always wore a well-pressed suit to the office.
dapper |
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(adj) vague; cloudy; lacing clearly defined form
My plans for tomorrow are ____, but I'll contact you later to work out the details.
hazy, unformulated, unclear |
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(adj) wicked
Some of the most ____ criminal in the world are held in that maximum-security prison.
sinful |
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(n) a new word, expression, or usage
Many _______s arise from technology, including "spam," "mouse," and "Internet."
coinage (of a word or phrase) |
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(n) a recent convert; a beginner
The freshman senator is a ______ to the conventions of Capitol Hill
tyro, novice |
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(n) a connection; tie or link
Greenich Village became a _____ for artists and writers during the 1920's.
core |
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(adj) offensive, especially to one's sense of smell
We took out the garbage, but the ____ stench remained.
foul |
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(adj) baffled; at a loss for what to say or do
When I first saw that I had the winning lottery numbers I was _______, but I soon recovered and went on a shopping spree.
bewildered |
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(n) panacea; questionable remedy
Chocolate chip cookies were an effective ____ for the crying child.
cure-all |
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(adj) harmful; injurious
I think my old car is leaking ______ gases becuase whenever I drive it, I get a headache.
toxic, poisonous, deleterious |
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(adj) trifling; inconsequential
Out meeting was derailed because we discussed ____ details instead of matters of substance.
piddling |
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(adj) unyeilding; hardhearted
the ____ ruler would not change his policies, even to ease the suffering of his people.
intractable |
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(v) to deliberately obscure; to make confusing
The politician _______d the tuth about his corruption by accusing his opponent of having an affair.
confound |
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(n) sharp criticism; abusively detractive language
After the judge was arrested for accepting bribes, she became the target of public _____.
calumny |
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(adj) exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
Roger thought fawning over teh boss would hlkep get promoted, but his ________ behavior annoyed his co-workers.
kowtowing |
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(adj) stubborn; hardheaded
Otto was ______ and refused to compromise even on trivial issues.
uncompromising |
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(adj) lacking sharpness of intellect; nt clear or precise in thought or expression
My father is ____ when it comes to computers; he doesn't even know how to turn one on.
thickheaded, simple-minded, dull-witted |
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(v) to anticipate and make unnecessary
Streaming movies online ______ the need to go to a video store.
intervene, preclude, avert |
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(v) to obstruct or block
The last mile of the trail was _____d b overgrown brush and fallen trees.
clog, congest |
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(adj) evoking intense aversion or dislike
Rotting eggs cause an ODIOUS smell.
repugnant |
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(adj) meddlesome; pushy in one's services
My neighbor is extremely OFFICIOUS; she keeps offering to set me up wit her nephew.
intrusive |
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(n) a person who investigates citizens' complaints
The newspaper's OMBUDSMAN fielded phone calls from readers who complained about factual errors in the front-page story.
mediator |
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(adj) troubling; burdensome
Shoveling out the stables is a more ONEROUS task than feeding the chickens.
adruous, grueling, laborious |
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(adj) impernetrable by light; not reflecting light
The OPAQUE curtains prevent the early morning light from waking me up.
turbid |
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(n) disgrace; contempt
Allegations of steroid use brought such OPPROBRIUM that the athlete lost several sponsors.
scorn |
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(adj) tending to become more rigid; coventional; turned into bone
At what point is it no longer possile to change the OSSIFIED opinions of someone from an older generation?
hardened |
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(adj) seeming; appearing as such
The OSTENSIBLE purpose of college is for children to learn about different academic areas, but what they really learn are life skills and responsibility.
outward |
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(adj) characerized by or given to pretentiousness
The economic downturn is causing some wealth people to curtail their OSTENTATIOUS lifestyles.
showy |
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(adj) presumptuously arrogant; overbearing
The OVERWEENING pride of the celebrity is unbearable; he showed up at the restaurant with an entourage adn expected to be seated immediately.
excessive |
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(v) to make something appear less serious; to make less severe
I tried to PALLIATE the throbbing migraine with aspirin and deep breathing, but what I really neeeded to do was go home and sleep.
mitigate |
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(n) formal praise
At the retirement dinner, Juan's PANEGYRIC on loyalty and friendship brought trears to a few people's eyes |
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(n) an outcast; a rejected and desprised person
His abrasive attitude and angry outburtsts made him a PARIAH at the office.
leper |
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