Term
admonish
Verb
3 Syllables
The librarian had to admonish the noisy students several times before they settled down. |
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Definition
to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty
Syn: warn, call on the carpet
Ant: praise, pat on the back |
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Term
breach
Noun/Verb
1 Syllable
Because of a serious breach of the rules, two players were ejected from the game. |
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Definition
(n) an opening, gap,rupture, rift; a violation or infraction; (v) to create an opening, break through
Ant:(v) close, seal |
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Term
brigand
Noun
2 Syllables
Ancient caravans passing through desolate areas were somethimes attacked by brigands. |
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Definition
| a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman |
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Term
circumspect
Adjective
3 Syllables
it is important for a dipolmat to behave in a manner that is both discreet and circumspect. |
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Definition
careful, cautious
Syn: wary, prudent, guarded
Ant: incautious, rash, reckless, heedless |
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Term
commandeer
Verb
3 Syllables
Under certain circumstances the U.S. government has the right to commandeer private property. |
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Definition
to seize for military or official use
Syn: take over, requisition, expropiate |
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Term
cumbersome
Adjective
3 Syllables
The bus was filled with capacity with holiday shoppers carrying large and cumbersome packages. |
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Definition
clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving
Syn: unweidly, ponderous
Ant: manageable, easy to handle |
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Term
deadlock
Noun/Verb
2 Syllables
After fifteen innings, the score remained a frustrating 3-to-3 deadlock. |
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Definition
(n) a standhill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions; (v) to bring such a standhill
Syn:(n) standoff, stalemate, impasse
Ant:(n) agreement, accord, breakthrough |
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Term
debris
Noun
2 Syllables
After the storm, the beach was littered with driftwood and other debris. |
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Definition
scattered fragments, wreckage
Syn: rubble, detrits, flotsam and jetsam |
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Term
diffuse
Verb/Adjective
2 Syllables
The scent of lilacs slowly diffuse through the open window. |
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Definition
(v) to spread or scatter freelyor widely; (adj) wordly, longwinded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread
Syn: (v) disperse; (adj) rambling, verbose, prolix
Ant: (v) concentrate; (adj) brief, concise, succinct |
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Term
dilemma
Noun
3 Syllables
During the crisis the Prsident found himself caught in a painful dilemma. |
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Definition
a difficult or perplexing situation or problem
Syn: predicament, quandary, pickle, bind
Ant: cinch |
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Term
efface
Verb
2 Syllables
Time had efface almost all signs of the struggle that took place on that famous battlefield. |
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Definition
to wipe out: to keep oneself from being noticed
Syn: blot out, erase, obliterate, expunge |
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Term
muddle
Verb/Noun
2 Syllables
Too much stress and too little sleep will almost certainly muddle a persons ability to conecentrate. |
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Definition
(v) to make a mess of; muddle thorough: to get by; (n) a hopeless mess
Syn:(v) jumble, mess up; (n) confusion, disorder
Ant:(n) orderlines, tidiness, neatness |
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Term
opinionated
Adjective
5 Syllables
My boss is not too opinionated to listen to a reasonable proposal. |
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Definition
stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to one's own ideas, having a closed mind
Syn: obstinate, pigheaded, inflexible
Ant: open-minded, reasonable |
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Term
perennial
Adjective/Noun
4 Syllables
Pizza is a perennial favorite of young and old alike in the United States. |
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Definition
(adj) lasting for a long time, persistent; (n) a plant that lives for many years
Syn:(adj) enduring, recurring
Ant:(adj) brief, short-lived, fleeting, ephemeral |
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Term
predispose
Verb
3 Syllables
My genetic makeup seems to predispose me to colds and sore throats. |
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Definition
to incline to beforehand
Syn: make susceptible to
Ant: immunize against, shield from |
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Term
relinquish
Verb
3 Syllables
Severe illness forced me to relinquish my role in the school play. |
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Definition
to let go, give up
Syn: surrender, abandon
Ant: hold on to, keep, retain, cling to |
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Term
salvage
Verb/Noun
2 Syllables
Fortunately, we were able to salvage a few things from the fire. |
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Definition
(v) to save from fire or shipwreck; (n) property thus saved
Syn: (v) rescue, recover, retrieve, reclaim
Ant: (v) abandon, scrap, junk |
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Term
spasmodic
Adjective
3 Syllables
Spasmodic flashes of lightening and booming thunderclaps were accompanied by torrential rain. |
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Definition
sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent
Syn: irregular, occasional
Ant: steady, continuous, chronic |
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Term
spurious
Adjective
3 Syllables
Manufacturers who make spurious claims for their products may face fines or lawsuits. |
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Definition
not genuine, not true, not valid
Syn: false, counterfeit, fraudulent, bogus
Ant: genuine, authentic, bona fide, valid |
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Term
unbridled
Adjective
3 Syllables
Sometimes the unbridled enthusiasm of sports fans can get a little out of hand. |
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Definition
uncontrolled, lacking in restraint
Syn: unrestrained, unchecked
Ant: restrained, held in check, muted |
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