 | Term | Definition |
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dishearten |
discourage |
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disheveled |
untidy ; V. dishevel |
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disinclination |
unwillingness |
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disingenuous |
not naive; not candid; sophisticated; worldly wise; OP. ingenuous |
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disinter |
dig up; unearth; OP. inter |
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disinterested |
unprejudiced; free from bias and self-interest; objective |
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disjointed |
disconnected; lacking coherence; V. disjoint: disconnect; disjoin |
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disjunction |
act or state of separation; disunity; CF. disjunctive: expressing a choice between two ideas; CF. conjunction; CF. conjunctive |
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dislodge |
remove ; force out of a position; Ex. dislodge the food caught in his throat; CF. lodge |
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dismantle |
take apart; disassemble |
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dismember |
cut into small parts; cut apart limb from limb |
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dismiss |
eliminate from consideration; no longer consider; put out of court without further hearing; reject; discharge from employment; direct to leave; ADJ. dismissive; N. dismissal |
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disparage |
belittle |
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disparate |
basically different; impossible to compare; unrelated |
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disparity |
difference; condition of inequality; OP. parity |
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dispassionate |
calm; impartial; not influenced by personal feelings |
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dispatch |
speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed; V: send to a specified destination; finish promptly; kill |
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dispel |
scatter; drive away; cause to vanish |
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disperse |
scatter; Ex. disperse the cloud/crowd |
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dispirited |
lacking in spirit |
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disport |
amuse; Ex. disport oneself; CF. divert |
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disputatious |
argumentative; fond of argument |
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disquietude |
uneasiness; anxiety; V. disquiet: make anxious |
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disquisition |
formal systematic inquiry; explanation of the results of a formal inquiry; long formal speech or written report |
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dissection |
analysis; cutting apart in order to examine |
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dissemble |
disguise; hide the real nature of; pretend |
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disseminate |
distribute; spread; scatter |
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dissent |
disagree |
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dissertation |
formal essay; treatise |
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dissident |
dissenting ; rebellious; N. |
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dissimulate |
pretend; conceal by feigning; dissemble |
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dissipate |
squander; waste foolishly; scatter |
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dissolution |
disintegration; reduction to a liquid form; looseness in morals; sensual indulgence; debauchery; ADJ. dissolute: lacking in moral restraint; leading an immoral life |
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dissuade |
persuade not to do; discourage; N. dissuasion |
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distant |
reserved or aloof; cold in manner; Ex. distant greeting; ADV. distantly |
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distend |
expand; swell out |
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distill |
refine ; concentrate; separate the most important parts from; Ex. distill fresh water from sea water; CF. brew |
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distinction |
honor; excellence; difference; contrast; discrimination; Ex. graduated with distinction; Ex. a writer of real distinction |
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distort |
twist out of shape; give a false account of; misrepresent; N. distortion |
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distrait |
absentminded; distracted |
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distraught |
upset; distracted by anxiety; very anxious and troubled almost to the point of madness; Ex. distraught with grief/worry |
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diurnal |
daily; occurring during the daytime |
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diva |
operatic singer; prima donna |
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diverge |
vary; go in different directions from the same point; ADJ. divergent: differing; deviating |
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diverse |
differing in some characteristics ; various; N. diversity: |
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diversion |
act of turning aside; pastime; V. divert: turn aside from a course; distract; amuse |
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divest |
strip ; deprive ; dispossess; N. divestiture |
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divine |
perceive intuitively ; foresee the future; foretell; dowse; ADJ. N. divination |
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divulge |
reveal |
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docile |
obedient; easily managed; submissive |
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docket |
program as for trial; book where such entries are made; list of things to be done; agenda; label fixed to a package listing contents or directions; V: describe in a docket |
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doctrinaire |
unable to compromise about points of doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding; marked by inflexible attachment to a doctrine without regard to its practical difficulties |
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doctrine |
teachings in general; particular principle taught; dogma; tenet; ADJ. doctrinal |
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document |
provide written evidence ; record with documents; N. |
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doddering |
shaky; infirm from old age; V. dodder |
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doff |
take off; OP. don |
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dogged |
determined; stubborn; stubbornly persevering; tenacious; Ex. Inspector Javert"s dogged pursuit of Jean Valjean |
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doggerel |
poor verse |
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dogmatic |
opinionated; holding stubbornly to one's opinion; arbitrary; doctrinal |
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doldrums |
blues; listlessness; slack period; period of stagnation; ocean area near the equator where ships cannot move because there is no wind; Ex. in the doldrums |
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dolorous |
sorrowful; N. dolor |
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dolt |
slow-thinking stupid person; CF. dull |
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domicile |
home; V. ADJ. domiciled: having one's domicile; Ex. He is domiciled in Britain. |
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domineer |
rule over tyrannically |
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don |
put on; OP. doff |
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dormant |
sleeping; temporarily inactive; lethargic; latent |
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dormer |
window projecting upright from roof; CF. sleeping room |
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dorsal |
relating to the back of an animal; Ex. dorsal fin |
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dossier |
file of documents on a subject or person; file; CF. bundle of papers labeled on the back |
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dotage |
senility; feeblemindedness of old age; Ex. In one's dotage |
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dote |
be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline |
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dour |
sullen; gloomy; stubborn |
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douse |
plunge into water or liquid; dip; immerse; drench; wet thoroughly; extinguish; throw water over; dowse |
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dowdy |
untidy ; slovenly; dressed in an unattractive way; shabby; CF. unattractive woman |
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downcast |
disheartened; dejected; sad; directed downward |
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drab |
dull; lacking color; cheerless ; Ex. drab coat/life |
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draconian |
extremely severe; Ex. draconian punishment; CF. Draco: Athenian politician |
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dregs |
sediment in a liquid; lees; worthless residue |
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drivel |
nonsense; foolishness; V: talk nonsense |
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droll |
queer and amusing |
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drone |
talk dully; buzz or murmur like a bee; N. |
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drone |
idle person who lives on other people"s work; male bee |
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dross |
waste matter; worthless impurities |
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drudgery |
hard unpleasant work; menial work |
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dubious |
questionable; causing doubt; filled with doubt; N. dubiety |
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ductile |
malleable; pliable; easily pulled into shape; flexible; easily influenced or controlled |
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dulcet |
sweet sounding; pleasing to the ear; melodious |
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dumbfound |
astonish ; ADJ. dumbfounded, dumfounded, dumbstruck |
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dupe |
someone easily fooled or deceived; V: deceive |
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duplicity |
double-dealing; hypocrisy; being dishonest and deceitful; ADJ. duplicitous |
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duration |
length of time something lasts |
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duress |
forcible restraint, especially unlawfully; coercion by threat; illegal coercion; Ex. a promise made under duress |
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dutiful |
respectful; obedient |
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dwindle |
shrink; reduce gradually |
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dynamic |
energetic; vigorously active |
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dyspeptic |
suffering from indigestion; N. dyspepsia: indigestion; difficulty in digesting food |
