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astute
(adj.) very clever, crafty
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asylum
- (n.) a place of refuge, protection, a sanctuary
- (n.) an institution in which the insane are kept
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atone
(v.) to repent, make amends
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atrophy
(v.) to wither away, decay
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attain
(v.) to achieve, arrive at
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attribute
- (v.) to credit, assign
- (n.) a facet or trait
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atypical
(adj.) not typical, unusual
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audacious
(adj.) excessively bold
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audible
(adj.) able to be heard
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augment
(v.) to add to, expand
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auspicious
(adj.) favorable, indicative of good things
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austere
(adj.) very bare, bleak
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avarice
(n.) excessive greed
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avenge
(v.) to seek revenge
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aversion
(n.) a particular dislike for something
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buffet
- (v.) to strike with force
- (n.) an arrangement of food set out on a table
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burnish
(v.) to polish, shine
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buttress
- (v.) to support, hold up
- (n.) something that offers support
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coup
(n.) a brilliant, unexpected act
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covet
(v.) to desire enviously
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covert
(adj.) secretly engaged in
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credulity
(n.) readiness to believe
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crescendo
(n.) a steady increase in intensity or volume
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criteria
(n.) standards by which something is judged
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culmination
(n.) the climax toward which something progresses
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culpable
(adj.) deserving blame
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cultivate
(v.) to nurture, improve, refine
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cumulative
(adj.) increasing, building upon itself
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cunning
(adj.) sly, clever at being deceitful
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cupidity
(n.) greed, strong desire
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cursory
(adj.) brief to the point of being superficial
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curt
(adj.) abruptly and rudely short
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curtail
(v.) to lessen, reduce
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dogmatic
(adj.) aggressively and arrogantly certain about unproved principles
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dormant
(adj.) sleeping, temporarily inactive
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dour
(adj.) stern, joyless
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dubious
(adj.) doubtful, of uncertain quality
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duplicity
(n.) crafty dishonesty
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duress
(n.) hardship, threat
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dynamic
(adj.) actively changing
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exorbitant
(adj.) excessive
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expedient
(adj.) advisable, advantageous, serving self-interest
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expiate
(v.) to make amends for, atone
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expunge
(v.) to obliterate, eradicate
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expurgate
(v.) to remove offensive or incorrect parts, usually of a book
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extant
(adj.) existing, not destroyed or lost
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extol
(v.) to praise, revere
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extraneous
(adj.) irrelevant, extra, not necessary
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extricate
(v.) to disentangle
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exult
(v.) to rejoice
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frivolous
(adj.) of little importance, trifling
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frugal
(adj.) thrifty, economical
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furtive
(adj.) secretive, sly
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grievous
(adj.) injurious, hurtful; serious or grave in nature
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guile
(n.) deceitful, cunning, sly behavior
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hypocrisy
(n.) pretending to believe what one does not
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hypothetical
(adj.) supposed or assumed true, but unproven
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inundate
(v) to flood with abundance
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inure
(v.) to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation
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invective
(n.) an angry verbal attack
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inveterate
(adj.) stubbornly established by habit
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inviolable
(adj.) secure from assault
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irascible
(adj.) easily angered
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iridescent
(adj.) showing rainbow colors
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irreverence
(n.) disrespect
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irrevocable
(adj.) incapable of being taken back
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lucid
(adj.) clear, easily understandable
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luminous
(adj.) brightly shining
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lurid
(adj.) ghastly, sensational
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mundane
(adj.) concerned with the world rather than with heaven, commonplace
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munificence
(n.) generosity in giving
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mutable
(adj.) able to change
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myriad
(adj.) consisting of a very great number
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nuance
(n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression
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nurture
(v.) to assist the development of
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ostensible
(adj.) appearing as such, seemingly
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ostentatious
(adj.) excessively showy, glitzy
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ostracism
(n.) exclusion from a group
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prowess
(n.) extraordinary ability
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prudence
(n.) cautious, circumspect
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prurient
(adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sexual activity
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puerile
(adj.) juvenile, immature
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pugnacious
(adj.) quarrelsome, combative
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pulchritude
(n.) physical beauty
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punctilious
(adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions
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pungent
(adj.) having a pointed, sharp quality often used to describe smells
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punitive
(adj.) involving punishment
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putrid
(adj.) rotten, foul
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resplendent
(adj.) shiny, glowing
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restitution
(n.) restoration to the rightful owner
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restive
(adj.) resistant, stubborn, impatient
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retract
(v.) withdraw
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revel
(v.) to enjoy intensely
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sublime
(adj.) lofty, grand, exalted
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submissive
(adj.) easily yielding to authority
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succinct
(adj.) marked by compact precision
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superfluous
(adj.) exceeding what is necessary
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trepidation
(n.) fear, apprehension
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trite
(adj.) not original, overused
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vituperate
(v.) to berate