800 SAT words to KNOW! (not finished yet)
Terms
undefined, object
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- fervor
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N.
growing ardor; intensity or feeling. - inert
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ADJ.
inactive; lacking power to move. - illusory
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ADJ.
deceptive; not real. - abrasive
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rubbing away; tending to grind down.
Just as abrasive cleaning powders can wear away a shiny finish, abrasive remarks can wear away a listener's patience. - divergent
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ADJ.
differing; deviating. - discriminating
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ADJ.
able to see differences; prejudiced. - ignominy
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N.
deep disgrace; shame or dishonor. - acclaim
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applaud; announce with great approval.
The NBC sportscasters acclaimed every American victory in the Olympics and lamented every American defeat. - futile
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ADJ.
ineffective; fruitless. - didactic
- teaching; instructional.
- illicit
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ADJ.
illegal. - abstruse
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obscure; profound; difficult to understand.
She carries around abstruse works of philosophy, not because she understands them but because she wants her friends to think she does. - distant
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ADJ.
reserved or aloof; cold in manner. - dismiss
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V.
put away from consideration; reject. - illuminate
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V.
brighten; clear up or make understandable; enlighten. - accolade
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award of merit.
In the world of public relations, a "Clio" is the highest accolade an advertising campaign can receive. - founder
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V.
fail completely; sink. - disseminate
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V.
distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds). - immune
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ADJ.
resistant to; free or exempt from. - enigma
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N.
puzzle; mystery. - accessible
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easy to approach; obtainable.
We asked our guide whether the ruins were accessible on foot. - exemplify
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V.
serve as an example of; embody. - discursive
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ADJ.
digressing; rambling. - imbalance
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N.
lack of balance or symmetry; disproportion. - aberrant
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abnormal or deviant.
Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment. - forthright
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ADJ.
outspoken; frank. - discerning
- mentally quick and observant; having insight.
- immaculate
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ADJ.
spotless; flawless; absolutely clean. - abridge
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condense or shorten.
Because the publishers felt the public wanted a shorter version of War and Peace, they proceeded to abridge the novel. - euphemism
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N.
mild expression used in place of an unpleasant one. - incline
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N.
slope; slant. - immutable
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ADJ.
unchangeable. - abate
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subside or moderate.
Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate. - galvanize
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V.
stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize. - deride
- ridicule; make fun of.
- insuperable
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ADJ.
insurmountable; unbeatable. - abstemious
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sparing in eating and drinking; temperate.
Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mother pressed food on him. - euphoria
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N.
feeling of great happiness and well-being (sometimes exaggerated). - deprecate
- express disapproval of; protest against; belittle.
- inopportune
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ADJ.
untimely; poorly chosen. - absolute
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complete; totally unlimited; certain.
Although the King of Siam was an absolute monarch, he didn't want to behead his unfaithful wife without absolute evidence of her infidelity. - forsake
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V.
desert; abandon; renounce. - dispel
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V.
drive away; scatter; cause to vanish. - insularity
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N.
narrow-mindedness; isolation. - abstract
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theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational.
To him, hunger was an abstract concept; he never missed a meal. - eclectic
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ADJ.
selective in choosing from a variety of sources. - despot
- tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler.
- insolvent
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ADJ.
bankrupt; unable to repay one's debts. - disparage
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V.
belittle. - forestall
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V.
prevent by taking action in advance. - devise
- think up; invent; plan.
- infamous
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ADJ.
notoriously bad. - dissipate
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V.
squander; waste; scatter. - endorse
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V.
approve; support. - despondent
- depressed; gloomy.
- infiltrate
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V.
pass into or through; penetrate (an organization) sneakily. - diligence
- steadiness of effort; persistant hard work.
- foresight
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N.
ability to foresee future happenings; prudence. - disputatious
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ADJ.
argumentative; fond of arguing. - insatiable
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ADJ.
not easily satisfied; greedy. - depravity
- corruption; wickedness.
- emulate
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V.
imitate; rival. - discount
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V.
disregard. - insinuate
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V.
hint; imply; creep in. - disinclination
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N.
unwillingness. - dissonance
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N.
clashing or unresolved chords(as in music). - initiate
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V.
begin; originate; receive into a group. - detrimental
- harmful; damaging.
- expedient
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ADJ.
suitable to achieve a particular end; practical; politic. - diffuse
- wordy; rambling; spread out.
- instigate
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V.
urge; start; provoke. - disdain
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V.
view with scorn or contempt. - flippant
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ADJ.
lacking proper seriousness. - indigenous
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ADJ.
native. - insipid
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ADJ.
lacking flavor; dull. - disband
- dissolve; disperse.
- duration
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N.
length of time something lasts. - disinterested
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ADJ.
unprejudiced. - inexorable
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ADJ.
relentless; unyielding; implacable. - detached
- emotionally removed; calm and objective; indifferent.
- foolhardy
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ADJ.
rash; heedless. - discrepancy
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N.
lack of consistency; difference. - inimical
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ADJ.
unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental. - dissent
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V.
disagree. - egotistical
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ADJ.
excessively self-centered; self-important; conceited. - hyperbole
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N.
exaggeration; overstatement. - infinitesimal
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ADJ.
exceedingly small; so small as to be almost nonexistent. - derivative
- unoriginal; derived from another source.
- foster
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V.
rear; encourage; nurture. - disclose
- reveal.
- innate
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ADJ.
inborn. - discredit
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V.
defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve. - digression
- wandering away from the subject.
- infraction
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N.
violation (od a rule or regulation); breach. - devious
- roundabout; erratic; not straightforward.
- flagrant
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ADJ.
conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous. - discordant
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ADJ.
not harmonious; conflicting. - intangible
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ADJ.
not material; not able to be perceived by touch; vague; elusive. - inequity
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N.
unfairness. - extant
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ADJ.
still in existence. - deterrent
- something that discourages; hindrance.
- ingenious
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ADJ.
clever; resourceful. - dismantle
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V.
take apart. - frivolous
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ADJ.
lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant. - dissuade
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V.
advise against. - ingrate
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N.
ungrateful person. - diminution
- lessening; reduction in size.
- expertise
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N.
specialized knowledge; expert skill. - disperse
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V.
cause to break up; scatter. - innovation
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N.
change; introduction of something new. - disparity
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N.
difference; condition of inequality. - fundamental
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V.
basic; primary; essential. - dispassionate
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ADJ.
calm; impartial. - inherent
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ADJ.
firmly established by nature or habit; intrinsic. - analogy
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similarity; parallelism.
A well-known analogy compares the body's immune system to an army whose defending troops are the lymphocytes or white blood cells. - extraneous
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ADJ.
not essential; superfluous. - consistency
- absence of contradictions; dependability; uniformity; degree of thickness.
- insurgent
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ADJ.
rebellious. - ample
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abundant.
Bond had ample opportunity to escape. Why did he let us catch him? - fickle
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ADJ.
changeable; faithless. - coercion
- use of force to get someone's compliance.
- infer
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V.
deduce; conclude. - anarchist
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person who seekd to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority.
Denying she was an anarchist, Katya maintained she wished only to make changes in our government, not to destroy it entirely. - duplicity
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N.
double-dealing; hypocrisy. - incongruous
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ADJ.
not fitting; absurd.
- intervene
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V.
come between. - incidental
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ADJ.
not essential; minor. - furtive
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ADJ.
stealthy; sneaky. - constraint
- compulsion; repression of feelings.
- insightful
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ADJ.
discerning; perceptive. - archaic
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antiquated.
"Methinks," "thee," and "thou" are archaic words that are no longer part of our standard vocabulary. - exploit
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V.
make use of, sometimes unjustly. - concise
- brief and compact.
- intermittent
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ADJ.
periodic; on and off. - incentive
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N.
spur; motive. - garbled
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ADJ.
mixed up; jumbled; distorted. - incoherent
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ADJ.
unintelligible; muddled; illogical. - intimidate
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V.
frighten. - arbitrary
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unreasonable or capriciousl randomly selected w/o any reason; based solely on one's unrestricted will or judgement.
The coach claimed the team lost because the umpire made some arbitrary calls. - ebb
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V.
recede; lessen. - clamor
- noise.
- integrity
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N.
uprightnessl wholeness. - inclusive
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ADJ.
tending to include all. - frugality
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N.
thrift; economy. - concede
- admit; yield.
- intractable
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ADJ.
unruly; stubborn; unyielding. - incense
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V.
enrage; infuriate. - exhaustive
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ADJ.
thorough; comprehensive. - incontrovertible
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ADJ.
indisputable; not open to question. - integral
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ADJ.
complete; necessary for completeness. - inclined
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ADJ.
tending or leaning toward; bent. - fluctuate
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V.
waver; shift. - compelling
- overpowering; irresistable in effect.
- injurious
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ADJ.
harmful. - inadvertently
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ADV.
by oversight; carelessly or unintentionally. - esoteric
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ADJ.
hard to understand; known only to the chosen few. - inconsequential
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ADJ.
insignificant; unimportant. - innoucuous
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ADJ.
harmless - incite
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V.
arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist. - feasible
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ADJ.
practical. - compile
- assemble; gather; accumulate.
- irreproachable
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ADJ.
blameless; impeccable. - impudence
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N.
impertinence; insolence. - equanimity
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N.
calmness of temperment; composure. - commemorate
- honor the memory of.
- intrepid
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ADJ.
fearless. - inane
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ADJ.
silly; senseless. - florid
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ADJ.
ruddy; reddish; flowery. - compliance
- readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements.
- intransigence
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N.
refusal of any compromise; stubbornness. - incisive
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ADJ.
cutting; sharp. - eulogy
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N.
expression of praise, often on the occassion of someone's death. - civil
- having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite.
- irrational
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ADJ.
illogical; lacking reason; insane. - inaugurate
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V.
start; initiate; install in office. - fortuitous
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ADJ.
accidental; by chance. - composure
- mental calmness.
- intricate
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ADJ.
complex; knotty; tangled. - incessant
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ADJ.
uninterupted; unceasing. - exuberance
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N.
overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness. - chronicle
- report; record (in chronological order).
- irreverence
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N.
lack of proper respect. - impassive
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ADJ.
without feeling; imperturbable; stoical. - figurative
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ADJ.
not literal, but metaphorical; using a figure of speech. - confirm
- corroborate; verify; support.
- invert
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V.
turn upside down or inside out. - apprehension
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fear; discernment; capture.
The tourist refused to drive his rental car through downtown Miami because he felt some apprehension that he might be car-jacked. - explicit
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ADJ.
totally clear; definite; outspoken. - clemency
- disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather.
- irrelevant
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ADJ.
not applicable; unrelated. - implausible
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ADJ.
unlikely; unbelievable - frail
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ADJ.
weak. - conciliatory
- reconciling; appeasing; amiable.
- irascible
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ADJ.
irritable; easily angered. - implement
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V.
put into effect; supply with tools. - expedite
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V.
hasten. - conclusive
- convincing; decisive.
- jargon
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N.
language used by a special group; technical terminology; gibberish. - impromptu
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ADJ.
without previous preparation; off the cuff; on the spur of the moment. - denounce
- condemn; criticize.
- charlatan
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quack; pretender to knowledge.
When they realized that the Wizard didn't know how to get them back to Kansas, Dorothy and her companions were indignant that they'd been duped by a charlatan. - irresolute
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ADJ.
uncertain how to act; weak. - impoverished
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ADJ.
poor. - exacting
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ADJ.
extremely demanding. - concur
- agree in opinion.
- jocular
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ADJ.
said or done in jest; joking. - implicit
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ADJ.
understood but not stated. - converge
- approach; tend to meet; come together.
- condone
- overlook voluntarily; forgive.
- arid
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dry; barren.
The cactus has adapted to survive in an arid environment. - impartial
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ADJ.
not biased; fair. - erroneous
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ADJ.
mistaken; wrong. - comprehensive
- thorough; inclusive.
- intuition
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N.
immediate insight; power of knowing without reasoning. - antagonistic
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hostile; opposed.
Despite his lawyer's best efforts to stop him, the angry prisoner continued to make antagonistic remarks to the judge. - ineffectual
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ADJ.
not effective; weak. - conflagration
- great fire.
- intrinsic
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ADJ.
essential; inherent; built-in; natural. - antidote
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medicine to counteract a poison or disease.
When Marge's child accidentally swallowed some cleaning fluid, the local poison control hotline told Marge how to administer the antidote. - extol
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V.
praise; glorified. - confound
- confuse; puzzle.
- introspective
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ADJ.
looking within oneself. - appease
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pacify or soothe; relieve.
Tom and Jody tried to appease their crying baby by offering him one toy after another. However, they couldn't calm him down until they appeased his hunger by giving him a bottle. - indifferent
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ADJ.
unmoved; lacking concern. - confront
- face; challenge.
- ironic
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ADJ.
relating to a contradiction between an event's expected result and its actual outcome; sarcastic. - impecunious
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ADJ.
wihtout money. - document
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V.
provide written evidence. - consensus
- general agreement.
- ardor
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heat; passion; zeal.
Katya's ardor was catching; soon all her fellow demostrators were busily making posters and handing out flyers, inspired by her enthusiasm for the cause. - antiquated
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old-fashioned; obsolete.
Philip had grown so accustomed to editing his articles on word processors that he thought typewriters were too antiquated for him to use. - indulge
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V.
humor; treat leniently. - conscientious
- scrupulous; careful.
- arrogance
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pride; haughtiness.
Convinced that Emma thought she was better than anyone else in the class, Ed rebuked her for her arrogance. - impervious
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ADJ.
impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed. - dubious
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ADJ.
doubtful; questionable. - imperious
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ADJ.
domineering; haughty. - inundate
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V.
overwhelm; flood; submerge. - antithesis
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contrast; direct opposite of or to.
Good is the antithesis of evil, innocence the antithesis of guilt. - curtail
- shorten; reduce.
- apocryphal
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untrue; made up.
To impress his friends, Ted invented apocryphal talkes of his adventures in the big city. - ascendancy
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controlling influence.
Leaders of religious cults maintain ascendancy over their followers by methods that can verge on brain-washing. - contagion
- infection.
- hardy
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ADJ.
sturdy; robust; able to stand inclement weather. - appreciate
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be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly concious of.
Little Orphan Annie truly appreciated the stocks Daddy Warbucks gave her, which appreciated in value considerably over the years. - elusive
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ADJ.
evasive; baffling; hard to grasp. - animosity
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active enmity.
By advocating cuts in campaign spending and limits on congressional powers, the reform candidate almost seemed to invite the animosity of the party's leaders. - astute
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wise; shrewd.
Expecting Miss Marple to be a woolly-headed old lady, Inspector Craddock was startled by the astute observations she made. - apathy
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lack of caring; indifference.
A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote.