 | Term | Definition |
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abstract |
(adj) general; not concrete |
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aesthetic |
(adj) having to do with the appreciation of beauty |
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alleviate |
(v) to ease a pain or a burden |
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ambivalent |
(adj) simultaneously feeling opposing feelings; uncertain |
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apathetic |
(adj) feeling or showing little emotion |
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auspicious |
(adj) favorable; promising |
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benevolent |
(adj) well-meaning; generous |
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candor |
(adj) sincerity; openness |
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cogent |
(adj) convincing; reasonable |
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comprehensive |
(adj) large in scope or content |
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contemporary |
(adj) current, modern; from the same time |
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conviction |
(n) a fixed or strong belief |
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diligent |
(adj) marked by painstaking effort; hard-working |
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dubious |
(adj) doubtful; of unlikely authenticity |
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eclectic |
(adj) made up of a variety of sources or styles |
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egregious |
(adj) conspicuously offensive; blatantly bad to an extreme degree |
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exculpate |
(v) to free from guilt or blame |
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florid |
(adj) describing flowery or elaborate speech |
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gratuitous |
(adj) given freely; unearned; unwarranted |
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hackneyed |
(adj) worn-out through overuse; trite |
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idealize |
(v) to consider perfect |
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impartial |
(adj) not in favor of one side or the other; unbiased |
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imperious |
(adj) arrogantly domineering or overbearing |
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inherent |
(adj) inborn; built-in |
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innovative |
(adj) introducing something new |
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inveterate |
(adj) long established; deep-rooted; habitual |
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laudatory |
(adj) giving praise |
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maverick |
(n) one who resists adherence to a group |
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mollify |
(v) to calm or soothe |
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novel |
(adj) strikingly new or unusual |
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obdurate |
(adj) stubborn; hardened against feeling or emotional appeal |
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objectivity |
(n) treating facts uninfluenced by emotion |
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obstinate |
(adj) stubbornly adhering to an opinion |
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ornate |
(adj) elaborately decorated |
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ostentatious |
(adj) describing a pretentious display |
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paramount |
(adj) of chief concern or importance |
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penitent |
(adj) expressing remorse for one's misdeeds |
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pervasive |
(adj) dispersed throughout |
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plausible |
(adj) seemingly valid or acceptable; credible |
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profound |
(adj) having great depth or seriousness |
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prosaic |
(adj) unimaginative; dull |
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quandary |
(n) a state of uncertainty or perplexity |
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rancorous |
(adj) hateful; marked by deep-seated ill will |
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spurious |
(adj) not genuine; false; counterfeit |
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stoic |
(adj) indifferent to pleasure or pain; impassive |
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superfluous |
(adj) extra; unnecessary |
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tenuous |
(adj) having little substance or strength; unsure; weak |
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timorous |
(adj) timid; fearful about the future |
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transitory |
(adj) short-lived; temporary |
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vindicated |
(v) freed from blame |
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adulation |
(n) high praise; laudatory remarks |
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adversity |
(n) misfortune; an unfavorable turn of events |
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amicable |
(adj) friendly; agreeable |
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assiduous |
(adj) persistent; hard-working |
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censure |
(v) to criticize harshly |
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circuitous |
(adj) indirect; taking the longest route |
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clairvoyant |
(adj) able to foresee the future (can be used to refer to someone exceptionally insightful, but not necessarily a literal fortune teller) |
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conformist |
(n) person who complies with accepted rules and customs |
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congregation |
(n) a crowd of people; an assembly |
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convergence |
(n) the state of separate elements joining or coming together |
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demagogue |
(n) leader; rabble-rouser; usually appealing to emotion or prejudice |
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digression |
(n) straying from the main point, esp. in a speech or argument |
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divergent |
(adj) separating; moving in different directions from a particular point |
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empathy |
(n) identification with the feelings of others |
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emulate |
(v) to imitate; follow an example |
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enervating |
(adj) weakening; tiring |
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ephemeral |
(adj) momentary; transient; fleeting |
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evanescent |
(adj) quickly fading; short-lived, esp. an image |
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exemplary |
(adj) outstanding; an example to others |
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extenuating |
(adj) excusing; lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime; of mitigating factors |
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fortuitous |
(adj) happening by luck; fortunate |
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frugal |
(adj) thrifty; cheap |
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hedonist |
(n) person who pursues pleasure as a goal |
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impetuous |
(adj) rash; impulsive; acting without thinking |
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impute |
(v) to attribute an action to particular person or group |
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incompatible |
(adj) opposed in nature; not able to live or work together |
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inconsequential |
(adj) unimportant; trivial |
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inevitable |
(adj) certain; unavoidable |
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integrity |
(n) decency; honesty; wholeness |
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intrepid |
(adj) fearless; adventurous |
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intuitive |
(adj) instinctive; untaught |
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jubilation |
(n) joy; celebration; exultation |
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longevity |
(n) long life |
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mundane |
(adj) ordinary; commonplace |
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nonchalant |
(adj) calm; casual; seeming unexcited |
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novice |
(n) apprentice; beginner |
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opulent |
(adj) wealthy |
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parched |
(adj) dried up; shriveled |
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perfidious |
(adj) faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy |
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precocious |
(adj) unusually advanced or talented at an early age |
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pretentious |
(adj) pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured |
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procrastinate |
(v) to unnecessarily delay, postpone, put off |
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prosperity |
(n) wealth or success |
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provocative |
(adj) tending to provoke a response like anger or disagreement |
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prudent |
(adj) careful; cautious |
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querulous |
(adj) complaining; irritable |
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renovation |
(n) repair; making something new again |
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resilient |
(adj) quick to recover |
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ruminate |
(v) to think about carefully; to ponder over; to meditate |
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spontaneity |
(n) impulsive action; unplanned events |
