Term
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Definition
| to lessen in intensity or degree |
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Term
Accolade (noun)
[ak-uh-leyd |
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Definition
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Term
Adulation (noun)
[aj-uh-ley-shuhn] |
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Definition
| excessive praise; intense adoration |
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Term
Aesthetic (adj.)
[es-thet-ik] |
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Definition
| dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful |
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Term
Ameliorate (verb)
[uh-meel-yuh-reyt] |
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Definition
| to make better or more tolerable |
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Term
Ascetic (noun)
[uh-set-ik] |
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Definition
| one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion |
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Term
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Definition
| greed, esp. for wealth (adj. form: varicious) |
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Term
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Definition
| a universally recognized principle (adj. form: axiomatic) |
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Term
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Definition
| to grow rapidly or flourish |
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Term
Bucolic (adj.)
[byoo-kol-ik] |
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Definition
| rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants |
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Term
Cacophony (noun)
[kuh-kof-uh-nee] |
|
Definition
| harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance (adj. form: cacophonous) |
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Term
|
Definition
| an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature (adj. form: canonical) |
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Term
Castigation (noun)
[kas-ti-geyt] |
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Definition
| severe criticism or punishment (verb form: castigate) |
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Term
Catalyst (noun)
[kat-l-ist] |
|
Definition
| a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change |
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Term
|
Definition
| burning or stinging; causing corrosion |
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Term
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Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
| appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing |
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Term
Complaisance (noun)
[kuhm-pley-suhns] |
|
Definition
| the willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adj. form: complaisant) |
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Term
Contentious (adj.)
[kuhn-ten-shuhs] |
|
Definition
| argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement |
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Term
Contrite (adj.)
[kuhn-trahyt] |
|
Definition
| regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (noun form: contrition) |
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Term
Culpable (adj.)
[kuhl-puh-buhl] |
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Definition
| deserving blame (noun form: culpability) |
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Term
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Definition
| smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
Didactic (adj.)
[dahy-dak-tik] |
|
Definition
| intended to teach or instruct |
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Term
Discretion (noun)
[dih-skresh-uhn] |
|
Definition
| cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj. form: discrete) |
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Term
Disinterested (adj.)
[dis-in-tuh-res-tid] |
|
Definition
| free of bias or self-interest; impartial |
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Term
Dogmatic (adj.)
[dawg-mat-ik] |
|
Definition
| expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles (noun form: dogma) |
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Term
Ebullience (noun)
[ih-buhl-yuhns] |
|
Definition
| the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adj. form: ebullient) |
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Term
Eclectic (adj.)
[ih-klek-tik] |
|
Definition
| composed of elements drawn from various sources |
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Term
|
Definition
| a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead (adj. form: elegiac) |
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Term
Emollient (adj.)/(noun)
[ih-mol-yuhnt] |
|
Definition
| soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smooches the skin |
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Term
Empirical (adj.)
[em-pir-i-kuhl] |
|
Definition
| based on observation or experiment |
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Term
Enigmatic (adj.)
[en-ig-mat-ik] |
|
Definition
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand (noun
form: enigma) |
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Term
Ephemeral (adj.)
[ih-fem-er-uhl] |
|
Definition
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Term
Esoteric (adj.)
[es-uh-ter-ik] |
|
Definition
| intended for or understood by a small, specific group |
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Term
Eulogy (noun)
[yoo-luh-jee] |
|
Definition
| a speech honoring the dead (verb form: eulogize) |
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Term
Exonerate (verb)
[ig-zon-uh-reyt] |
|
Definition
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Term
Facetious (adj.)
[fuh-see-shuhs] |
|
Definition
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Term
Fallacy (noun)
[fal-uh-see] |
|
Definition
| an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief (adj. form: fallacious) |
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Term
|
Definition
| marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious |
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Term
Gregarious (adj.)
[gri-gair-ee-uhs] |
|
Definition
| sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people |
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Term
Harangue (verb)/(noun)
[huh-rang] |
|
Definition
| to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech |
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Term
Heretical (adj.)
[huh-ret-i-kuhl] |
|
Definition
| violating accepted dogma or convention (noun form: heresy) |
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Term
Hyperbole (noun)
[hahy-pur-buh-lee] |
|
Definition
| an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adj. form: hyperbolic) |
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Term
Impecunious (adj.)
[im-pi-kyoo-nee-uhs] |
|
Definition
| lacking funds; without money |
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Term
Incipient (adj.)
[in-sip-ee-uhnt] |
|
Definition
| beginning to come into being or to become apparent |
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Term
|
Definition
| unmoving; lethargic; sluggish |
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Term
Innocuous (adj.)
[ih-nok-yoo-uhs] |
|
Definition
| harmless; causing no damage |
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Term
Intransigent (adj.)
[in-tran-si-juhnt] |
|
Definition
| refusing to compromise (noun form: intransigence) |
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Term
Inveigle (verb)
[in-vey-guhl] |
|
Definition
| to obtain by deception or flattery |
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Term
|
Definition
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Term
Odious (adj.)
[oh-dee-uhs] |
|
Definition
| evoking intense aversion or dislike |
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Term
|
Definition
| impenetrable by light; not reflecting light |
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Term
Oscillation (noun)
[os-uh-ley-shuhn] |
|
Definition
| the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm (verb form: oscillate) |
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Term
Penurious (adj.)
[puh-noor-ee-uhs] |
|
Definition
1.penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
2.extremely harmful; potentially causing death |
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Term
|
Definition
| to examine with great care (noun form: perusal) |
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Term
|
Definition
| extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion (noun form: piety) |
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Term
Precursor (noun)
[pri-kur-ser] |
|
Definition
| one that precedes and indicates or announces another |
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Term
|
Definition
| to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care |
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Term
Prodigious (adj.)
[pruh-dij-uhs] |
|
Definition
| abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary |
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Term
Prolific (adj.)
[pruh-lif-ik] |
|
Definition
| producing large volumes or amounts; productive |
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Term
Putrefy (verb)
[pyoo-truh-fahy] |
|
Definition
| to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor (adj. form: putrid) |
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Term
|
Definition
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Term
Quiescence (noun)
[kwee-es-uhnt] |
|
Definition
| stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest(adj. form: quiescent) |
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Term
Redoubtable (adj.)
[ri-dou-tuh-buhl] |
|
Definition
| awe-inspiring; worthy of honor |
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Term
Sanction (noun)/(verb)
[sangk-shuhn] |
|
Definition
| authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority to |
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Term
Satire (noun)
[sat-ahyuhr] |
|
Definition
| a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision (adj. form: satirical) |
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Term
|
Definition
| sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect (noun form: squalor) |
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Term
|
Definition
| indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast(noun form: stoicism) |
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Term
Supplant (verb)
[suh-plant] |
|
Definition
| to take the place of; to supersede |
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Term
|
Definition
| lethargic; sluggish; dormant (noun form: torpor) |
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Term
Ubiquitous (adj.)
[yoo-bik-wi-tuhs] |
|
Definition
| existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread |
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Term
|
Definition
| sophisticated; refined; elegant (noun form: urbanity) |
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Term
Vilify (verb)
[vil-uh-fahy] |
|
Definition
| to defame; to characterize harshly |
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Term
|
Definition
| thick; sticky (noun form: viscosity) |
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