 | Term | Definition |
| |
Abate |
To reduce in amount, degree, or severity |
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Aberrant |
Deviating from what is normal or expected |
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Abscond |
To leave secretly |
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Abstain |
To choose not to do something |
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Abyss |
An extremely deep hole |
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Adulterate |
To make impure |
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Advocate |
To speak in favor of |
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Advocacy |
Active support for |
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Abyssal |
Pertaining to great depth |
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Abysmal |
Extremely bad |
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Aberration |
A deviation from what is normal |
| |
Aesthetic |
Concerning the appreciation of beauty |
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Aesthete |
Someone unusually sensitive to beauty |
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Aestheticism |
Devoted to beauty |
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Aggrandize |
To increase in power, influence and reputation |
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Alacrity |
Speed or quickness |
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Amalgamate |
To combine, to mix together |
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Amalgam |
A mixture, expecially of two metals |
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Ameliorate |
To make better; to improve |
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Anachronism |
Something out of place in time |
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Ambiguous |
Doubtful or uncertain, can be interpreted several ways |
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Ambiguity |
The quality of being ambiguous |
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Alleviate |
To make more bearable |
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Circumspect |
Catious, aware of potential consequences |
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Chauvinist |
Someone prejudiced in favor of a group that he or she belongs to |
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Caustic |
Biting in wit |
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Castigate |
To punish or criticize harshly |
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Coalesce |
To grow together to form a single whole |
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Chicanery |
Deception by means of craft or guile |
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Chaos |
Great disorder or confused situation |
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Chaotic |
Jumbled, confused |
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Catalyst |
Something that brings about a change in something else |
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Catalyze |
To bring about a change in something else |
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Banal |
predictable, cliched, boring |
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Banality |
something that is banal |
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Bombastic |
pompous in speech and manner |
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Bomabast |
pompous speech or writing |
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Burnish |
to polish |
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Candid |
impartial and honest in speech |
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Capricious |
changing one's mind quickly and often |
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Caprice |
whim, sudden fancy |
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Cacophony |
harsh, jarring noise |
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Burgeon |
to grow and flourish |
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Bolster |
support, prop up |
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Arbitrate |
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties |
| |
Arbitration |
a process by which a conflict is resolved |
| |
Arbitrator |
a judge |
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Ardor |
intense and passionate feeling |
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Ardent |
Expressing ardor; passionate |
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Assuage |
to make something unpleasant less severe |
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Audacious |
fearless and daring |
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Audacity |
the quality of being audacious |
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Archaic |
ancient, old-fashioned |
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Archaism |
an outdated word or phrase |
| |
Austere |
severe or stern in appearance; understood |
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Austerity |
severity, especially poverty |
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Attenuate |
reduce in force or degree; weaken |
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Articulate |
able to speak clearly and expressively |
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Analogous |
similar or alike in some way; equivalent to |
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Analogy |
a similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar |
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Analogue |
something that is similar in some way to something else |
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Antagonize |
to annoy or provoke to anger |
| |
Antagonistic |
Tending to provoke conflict |
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Antagonist |
Someone who fights another |
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Apathy |
Lack of interest or emotion |
| |
Approbation |
approval and praise |
| |
Approbate |
to authorize |
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Arbitrary |
determined by chance or impulse |
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Apocryphal |
of questionable authority or authenticity |
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Anomaly |
deviation from what is normal |
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Anomalous |
Deviating from what is normal |
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Antipathy |
extreme dislike |
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Condone |
to overlook, pardon or disregard |
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Concoluted |
intricate and complicated |
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Credulous |
too trusting; gullible |
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Credulity |
The quality of being credulous |
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Decorum |
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety |
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Decorous |
conforming to acceptable standards |
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Crescendo |
steadily increasing in volume or force |
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Corroborate |
supporting evidence |
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Connoisseur |
a person with expert knowledge or discriminating tastes |
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Cogent |
convincing and well-reasoned |
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Cognitive |
to do with the powers of reasoning |
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Cognition |
knowledge |
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Congitate |
to think deeply |
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Deride |
to speak of or treat with contempt, to mock |
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Derision |
mockery and taunts |
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Derisive |
in a mocking manner |
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Desultory |
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected |
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Dilatory |
intended to delay |
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Diffident |
lacking self-confidence |
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Dilate |
to make larger, expand |
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Diatribe |
an abusive, condemnatory speech |
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Deference |
respect, courtesy |
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Defer |
either to delay or show someone deference |
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Deferent |
courteous and respectful |
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Desiccate |
to dry out thoroughly |
| |
Desiccant |
something that removes water from another substance |
| |
Dirge |
a funeral hymn or mournful speech |
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Discern |
to perceive or recognize |
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Discernment |
taste and cultivation |
| |
Dissemble |
to present a flase appearance, to disguise one's real intentions or charter |
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Dogma |
a firmly helf opinion, especcially a religious belief |
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Dielettante |
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic |
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Disabuse |
set right, free from error |
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Disparate |
fundementally different; entirely unlike |
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Dissonance |
a harsh and disagreeable combination, especially of sounds |
| |
Emulate |
to copy; to try to equal or excel |
| |
Dupe |
to deceive or a person who is easily deceived |
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Efficacy |
effectiveness |
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Efficacious |
effective, productive |
