Term
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Definition
adj. mentally quick and observant; having insight.
Because he was considered the most __________ member of the firm, he was assigned the most difficult cases.
Synonyms: gnostic, insighted, insightful, knowing, knowledgeable, perceptive, sagacious, sage, wise-hearted
Antonyms: undiscerning |
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Term
discordant
(dis-KOHR-dehnt) |
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Definition
adj. inharmonious; conflicting.
She tried to unite the __________ factions.
Synonyms: 1. inconsonant, uncongenial, unharmonious
2. conflicting, disconsonant, discrepant, dissonant, incompatible, incongruent, incongruous, inconsistent, unmixable
Antonyms: concordant |
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Term
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Definition
v. treat with scorn or contempt.
You make enemies of all you ________.
Synonyms: abhor, contemn, look down, scorn, scout
Antonyms: admire |
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Term
disinclination
(dis-in-kli-NAY-shun) |
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Definition
n. unwillingness.
Some mornings I feel a great ___________ to get out of bed.
Synonyms: aversion, bad books, disfavor, disliking, displeasure, disrelish, dissatisfaction, distaste, indisposition
Antonyms: inclination |
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Term
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Definition
v. belittle
Do not ________ anyone's contribution; these little gifts add up to large sums.
Synonyms: decry, abuse, belittle, depreciate. derogate, detract (from), dispraise, downcry, minimize, write off
Antonyms: none |
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Term
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Definition
n. difference; condition of inequality
The __________ in the ages made no difference at all.
Synonyms: disproportion, imparity, inequality, unevenness
Antonyms: parity |
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Term
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Definition
v. scatter.
The police fired tear gas into the crowd to __________ the protesters.
Synonyms: dispel, dissipate
Antonyms: assemble, congregate; collect |
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Term
disseminate
(dis-SEHM-i-nayt) |
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Definition
v. scatter (like seeds).
The invention of the radio has helped propagandists to ___________ their favorite doctrines very easily.
Synonyms: circulate, diffuse, disperse, distribute, propagate, radiate, strew
Antonyms: none |
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Term
dissonance
(DIS-suh-nuhns) |
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Definition
n. discord
Some contemporary musicians deliberately use __________ to achieve certain effects.
Synonyms: conflict, contention, difference, disaccord, disharmony, dissension, dissidence, strife, variance
Antonyms: none |
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Term
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Definition
v. expand; swell out.
I can tell when he is under stress by the way the veins ________ on his forehead.
Synonyms: amplify, dilate, inflate, swell
Antonyms: constrict |
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Term
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Definition
adj. differing; deviating.
The two witnesses presented the jury with remarkably ___________ accounts of the same episode.
Synonyms: disparate, dissimilar, distant, diverse, unalike, unequal, unlike, unsimilar, various
Antonyms: convergent |
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Term
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Definition
adj. positive; arbitrary.
Do not be so _________ about that statement; it can be easily refuted.
Synonyms: authoritarian, authoritative, dictative, doctrinaire, magisterial
Antonyms: none |
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Term
duplicity
(doo-PLIS-i-tee) |
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Definition
n. double-dealing.
People were shocked and dismayed when they learned of his __________ in this affair, as he had always seemed honest and straightforward.
Synonyms: cunning, dissemblance, dissimulation, guile
Antonyms: none |
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Term
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Definition
adj. selective in choosing from a variety of sources.
The reviewers praised the new restaurant's _______ selection of dishes, which ranged from Oriental stir fries to French ragouts and stews.
Synonyms: 1. discriminating, select, selective
2. catholic
Antonyms: distinctive, narrow, new, original |
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Term
effervescent
(eh-fer-VEH-sehnt) |
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Definition
adj. exuberant; bubbly and excited.
Nothing depressed her for long; she was so naturally ____________ that she was soon as high-spirited as ever.
Synonyms: brash, ebullient, high-spirited, vivacious
Antonyms: none |
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Term
elaboration
(ee-lab-oh-RAY-shun) |
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Definition
n. addition of details; intricacy.
Tell what happened simply, without any ____________.
Synonyms: 1. Byzantine, complicated, daedal, gordian, intricate, involved, knotty, labyrinthine, sophisticated
2. complicated, fancy, intricate
Antonyms: simple |
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Term
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Definition
n. expressiveness; persuasive speech.
The crowds were stirred by Martin Luther King's ___________.
Synonyms: expression, expressiveness, expressivity, facundity
Antonyms: none |
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Term
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Definition
adj. evasive; baffling; hard to grasp.
His _______ dreams of wealth were costly to those of his friends who supported him financially.
Synonyms: elusory, evasive, intangible
Antonyms: none |
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