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showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm.
"Amy's ebullient nature could not be repressed. She was always bubbling over with excitement." |
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selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources.
"His style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishings from widely divergent periods, strikingly juxtaposed to create a unique decor." |
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the power to produce a desired effect.
"The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage." |
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impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness.
"When the boss told Frank she was firing him for laziness and insubordination, he had the effrontery to ask her for a letter of recommendation." |
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a poem or song expressing lamentation.
"On the death of Edward King, Milton composed the elegy "Lycidas." |
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to draw out by discussion.
"The detectives tried to elicit where he had hidden his loot." |
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to adorn, ornament, enhance, as a story.
"The costume designer embellished the leading lad's ball gown with yards and yards of ribbons and lace." |
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based on experience.
"He distrusted hunches and intuitive flashes; he placed his reliance entirely on empirical data." |
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to imitate; to rival.
"In a brief essay, describe a person you admire, someone whose virtues you would like to emulate." |
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prevailing among a specific group of people in a specific area or country.
"This disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than 80 percent of the population are at one time or another affected by it." |
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to weaken.
"She was slow to recover from her illness; even a short walk to the window enervated her." |
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to cause; to produce.
"To receive praise for real accomplishments engenders self-confidence in a child." |
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to increase; improve.
"You can enhance your chances of being admitted to the college of your choice by learning to write well; an excellent essay will enhance any application." |
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short-lived; fleeting.
"The mayfly is an ephemeral creature; its adult life lasts little more than a day." |
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calmness of temperament; composure.
"Even the inevitable strains of caring for an ailing mother did not disturb Bea's equanimity." |
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to lie; to mislead; to attempt to conceal the truth.
"No matter how bad the news is, give it to us straight. Above all, don't equivocate." |
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learned or scholarly.
"Unlike much scholarly writing, Huizinga's prose was entertaining as well as erudite, lively as well as learned." |
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hard to understand; known only to the chosen few.
"New Yorker short stories often include esoteric allusion to obscure people and events. The implication is, if you are in the in-crowd, you'll get the reference; if you come from Cleveland, you won't." |
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an expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death.
"Instead of delivering a spoken eulogy at Genny's memorial service, Jeff sang a song he had written in her honor." |
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a mild expression in the place of an unpleasant one.
"The expression "he passed away" is a euphemism for "he died." |
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to worsen; to embitter.
"The latest bombing exacerbated England's already existing bitterness against the IRA, causing the Prime Minister to break off the peace talks abruptly." |
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to clear from blame.
"She was exculpated of the crime when the real criminal confessed." |
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an urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; the state of requiring immediate attention.
"The exigencies of war gave impetus and funding to computer research in general and in particular to the development of code-breaking machines."
"Denmark's Gustav I proved to be a harsh master and an exigent lord, known for his heavy taxes and capricious demands." |
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projection or conjecture.
"Based on their extrapolation from the results of the primaries on Super Tuesday, the networks predicted that George W. Bush would be the Republican candidate for the presidency." |
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