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(v) to deny; to oppose
After I easily won the Pac-Man tournament, my competitors could no longer ____ my video-game dominance.
contradict |
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(v) to skip about playfully
After months in their winter den, the polar bear cubs finally emerged and ______ed in the snow.
frolic |
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(v) to gather and save; to store up
The talented actor continued to _____ accolades despite his brushes with the law.
amass |
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(adj) pointlessly talkative; talking too much
I just wanted the ____ waiter to stop rambling and take my order.
loquacious |
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(adj) crude; awkward
Asking how much the property cost at the housewarming party was _______.
tactless |
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(adj) relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
Greg could have cut out several sentences from his essay that were not ____ to this thesis statement.
applicable |
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(adj) marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth
Your _____ response to my question lets me know that you don'ttake me seriously.
superficial |
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(adj) delicate; insubstantial or tenuous
Light filtered in through the ______ curtains.
diaphonous |
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(n) pompous speech or expression
The nominee ended up losing votes because his _______ annoyed his audience at every campaign speech.
bombast |
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(adj) unnecessary; uncalled for
Constructive comments wills help me improve, but ________ criticism just makes me defensive.
unprovoked |
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(adj) sociable; outgoing; enjoying the campany of other people
The ________ employees liked to get together after work.
affable |
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(n) artfulness; trickery; duplicity
Pulling off slight-of-hand tricks successfully requires dexterity and _____.
deceit |
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(adj) rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage.
"You win some, you lose some" is an example of a ______ saying.
banal |
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(adj) calm and peaceful
I'm looking forward to a _______ vacation on a secluded beach.
serene |
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(adj) holy; consecrated
Strawberry Fields in Central Park is ________ed ground for fans of John Lennon.
revered |
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(v) to deliver a pompous speech or tirade
Sonny _______d his brother for returning the car with no gas.
hassle |
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(n) something that signals what is to come
the Grim Reaper, with his cloack and scythe is a _____ of death.
forerunner |
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(v) to distress; to cause agony to
The child's unctrollable outbursts at home ________ed his parents.
torment |
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(n) devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses
Monks lead a quiet, ascetic life devoid of ________.
debauchery, indulgence |
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(n) the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others.
At its height, the Roman Empire exercised _____ over the entire Mediterranean area.
predominance, leadership |
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(adj) dissenting from established dogma
Some might find it _______ to put celery in a grilled-cheese sandwich, but I recommend trying it before passing judgment.
unorthodox |
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(adj) sealed; airtight
When you buy a bottle of medicine, check the ______ seal to make sure it not broken.
impervious |
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(adj) unorthodox; iconoclastic
The _____ dessert combined bits of bacon and chocolate.
heretical |
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(n) a sermon or morally instructive lecture
the priest's _______ encouraged people to be generous toward their enemies.
admonition |
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(n) arrogant presumption or pride
The governor's _____ was in appointing his son to lead the commmission.
conceit |
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(n) one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
Socrates was put on trial and accused of being an ______ on matteres of politics and religion.
radical, rebel |
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(adj) attacking cherished beliefs
The controversial artist's _______ work both stunned and impressed critics.
irreverent |
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(adj) given to intense or excessive devotion to something
My son's ____ adoration of his grandmother is overwhelming; I think he loves her more than me!
committed |
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(n) a carefree, lighthearted partoral or romantic episode
Often while riding the subway to her monotonous job, she daydreamed of a tropical _____.
carefree scene |
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(adj) shameful; undignified
The senator's corruption scandal cast an ____ shadow over his career.
humiliating |
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(n) difficult or bitter situation
The governor was caught in an ______ over misappropriated funds.
entanglement, disagreement |
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(adj) about to happen
The police have identified a suspect and an arrest is _______.
impending |
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(adj) not capable of change
Gravity is an ______ law of nature.
permanent |
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(adj) revealing no emotion
The defendant looked surprisingly ____ after the judge sentenced him to life in prison.
apathetic, imperturbable |
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(adj) lacking funds; without money
The _______ author survived on the generosity of her friends until she sold her first manuscript.
destitute |
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(adj) commanding; arrogant; haughty
Writers and photographers feared the editor-in-chief because of her _____ attitude.
domineering |
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(adj) marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness.
After an hour of meditation, Ivan is _____ and nothing will faze him.
unflappable |
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(adj) hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehemont
Teenagers often make ____ decisions that they later regret.
reckless |
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(adj) not capable of being appeased or significantly changed.
Sadly, Irina is an ______ pessimist and will never see the brighter side of any situation.
uncompromising |
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(v) to ask incessantly; to beg; to nag
The actor ______ed the director to give him a bigger part in the play.
exhort |
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(v) to challenge; to call into question
The candidate _______ed his opponent's flawless record in office.
discredit |
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(n) immunity from punishment or penalty
I was granted ____ for my repeated absences from work due to serious medical problems.
exemption |
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(adj) in an initial stage; not fully formed
the more experiences engineers sent his original, ____ proposal back for revision.
rudimentary, amorphous |
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(adj) beginning to come into being or to become apparent
Fortunately, the dcoto detected the patient's ______ tumor during a routine check-up.
developing |
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(adj) dogged; tireless
The shark's _______ pursuit of the seal was eventually rewarded.
unflagging |
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(adj) having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice
Some buyers are ______ to shipping costs and will order items online with no regard for the extra charges.
disinterested |
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(adj) lazy; listless
the fat, ____ cat didn't even stir when the mouse skittered across the kitchen.
lethargic |
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(n) imcompetence
The _____ of the new assistant was maddening; he forgot to take meeting minutes and misplaced the packages he was supposed to send out.
incapacity |
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(adj) unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
The overweight dog is ____ and refused to go for a walk.
motionless |
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(adj) unfortunate; inappropriate
An uncomfortable silence fell over the dinner table after one of the guestes made an _____ comment to the hostess.
malapropos, ill-chosen |
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