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345 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
abandon (v.) |
to leave; to give up
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Ex: To save their lives, the sailors had to ~ the sinking ship.
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adversely (adj.)
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in a harmful way; negatively
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Ex: Excessive rainfall early in the spring can ~ affect the planting of crops.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by affect. |
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aggregate (adj.)
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gathered into or amounting to a whole
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Ex: It is impossible to judge last year's performance without knowing the ~ sales numbers.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a term like sum, total, or numbers. |
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cultivation (n.)
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preparing the land to grow crops; improvement for agricultural purposes
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Ex: With the development of land ~, hunters and gatherers were able to settle in one place.
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fertilize (v.)
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to supply with nourishment for plants by adding helpful substances to the soil
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Ex: This farm ~+ tomatoes more than any other crop.
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intensify (v.)
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to increase in power; to act with increased strength
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Ex: Jacob's long absence ~+ his certainty that he should marry Rose.
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irrigation (n.)
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the supplying of water to dry land
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Ex: In dry areas of the country, you can see ditches all over the farm-land for ~.
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obtain (v.)
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to gain possession of; to get
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Ex: After a series of difficult interviews, he finally was able to ~ the job.
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photosynthesis (n.)
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the process by which green plants make their own food by combining water, salts, and carbon dioxide in the presence of light
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Ex: Oxygen is a by-product of the process of ~.
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precipitation (n.)
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water that falls to the Earth's surface
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Ex: In the Pacific Northwest, the high level of ~ ensures rich, green plant life. |
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anticipate (v.)
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to expect; to sense something before it happens
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Ex: By placing sensors in earthquake-prone areas, scientists can ~ some tremors in time to warn the public. |
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catastrophic (adj.)
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Extremely harmful; causing financial or physical ruin
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Ex: The architect died in a ~ elevator accident.
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eruption (n.)
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a sudden, often violent, outburst
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Ex: The ~ of Mount St. Helens in 1980 caused 57 deaths and immeasurable change to the face of the mountain.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase. |
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impact (n.)
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a strong influence
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Ex: The speech about the importance of education made an ~ on me.
Usage Tips: ~ is usually followed by on or of. |
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persevere (v.)
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to keep going, despite obstacles or discouragement; to maintain a purpose
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Ex: The hikers ~+ despite the bad weather and the icy trail.
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plunge (v.)
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to go down suddenly; to decrease by a great amount in a short time
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Ex: He jumped off the diving board and ~+ into the pool.
Ex: The value of the company's stock ~+ after its chief executive was arrested. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an into phrase. |
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unleash (v.)
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to release a thing or an emotion
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Ex: When they saw the strange man on their property, they ~+ their dogs.
Ex: He is from such an unemotional family, he will never learn to ~ his feelings. |
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diverse (n.)
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various; showing a lot of differences within a group
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Ex: India is one of the most linguistically ~ countries in the world.
Usage Tips: An -ly adverb (e.g., linguistically) often comes before ~. |
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evolve (v.)
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to develop; to come forth
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Ex: Modern-day sharks ~+ from their ancestor Eryops, which lived more than 200 million years ago.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by into or from. |
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inherent (adj.)
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naturally characteristic; always found within something, because it's a basic part of that thing
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Ex: No job can be interesting all the time. Boredom is ~ in any kind of work.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by in. |
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survive (v.)
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to continue living (despite some danger or illness)
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Ex: After getting lost in the mountains, Gordon ~+ by eating wild plants and catching fish.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a phrase with by. |
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constraint (n.)
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something that restricts thought or action
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Ex: The ~+ of military life kept Eileen from seeing Private Morris more than once a month.
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deplete (v.)
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to greatly decrease the supply of a resource or material
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Ex: The prolonged war ~+ the country's national treasury.
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dispose of (v.)
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to throw away; to get rid of; to kill
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Ex: She ~+ her unwanted possessions before moving. The tyrant cruelly disposed of all his enemies.
Usage Tips: ~ should be learned as a unit. In this meaning, ~+ does not occur without of. |
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elementally (adv.)
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in terms of elements; basically
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Ex: ~, coal and diamonds are the same.
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exponentially (adv.)
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at a very fast rate
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Ex: In Turkey, the value of the lira has decreased ~ in the last several decades.
Usage Tips: ~ is taken from mathematics, where an ~+ is a number indicating how many times something is multiplied by itself. For example, 43 contains the ~+ "3", indicating 4 × 4 × 4. |
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infinitesimal (adj.)
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immeasurably small
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Ex: The number of contaminants in the water was ~, so the water was safe to drink.
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sequence (v.)
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to organize or arrange in succession
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Ex: Volunteers have been asked to ~ the files and organize the boxes.
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adjacent (adj.)
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next to
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Ex: Even though the villages are ~ to each other, their residents speak different languages.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by to. |
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feasibly (adv.)
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practically; in a way that can work
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Ex: Scientists can't ~ bring energy from deep ocean currents to where it is needed-on land.
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gut (v.)
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to empty or hollow out
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Ex: In order to remodel the house, we must first ~ it and throw away all the old fixtures.
Usage Tips: ~ also means "the stomach of an animal"; this verb makes an image, that the inside of a building is like the inside of an animal. |
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integrally (adv.)
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in a whole or complete manner
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Ex: Writing and spelling are taught ~ as part of the reading program.
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overlap (v.)
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to lie over part of something; to have elements in common
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Ex: One of the two assistants will likely get fired, since most of their duties in the office ~.
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retain (v.)
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to keep or hold
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Ex: The rain fell so heavily that the banks of the river could not ~ all the water.
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seep (v.)
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to pass slowly for a long time, as a liquid or gas might
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Ex: As the containers rusted, the toxic waste ~+ into the ground.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by into or through. |
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circulate (v.)
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to move throughout an area or group; to move along a somewhat circular route
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Ex: The gossip ~+ quickly through the small town.
Ex: Blood ~+ more quickly during physical exercise. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by through. |
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corrode (v.)
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to be slowly weakened by chemical reactions
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Ex: Sitting in salt water, the old coins ~+ and became very easy to break.
Usage Tips: A familiar kind of ~+ produces rust, the reddish coating on iron or steel that has been exposed to air and water. |
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expeditiously (adv.)
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quickly and efficiently
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Ex: Using carrier pigeons, the military commanders exchanged messages ~.
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implement (v.)
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to make use of; to carry out
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Ex: Not until after the new software was installed could we ~ the new filing system.
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maintenance (n.)
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the act of keeping something in good condition
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Ex: The only problem with living in such a big house is that it requires a lot of ~.
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innovative (adj.)
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ahead of the times; novel
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Ex: The ~ use of props and lighting drew many favorable comments.
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convey (v.)
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to transport from one place to another; to transmit or make known
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Ex: A messenger ~+ the prince's letter to the commander of the army.
Ex: The worst part about being a doctor was when she had to ~ bad news to a family. |
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discretely (adv.)
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separately; distinctly
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Ex: In order to understand how the engine worked, each component needed to be studied ~.
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trigger (v.)
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to set off or initiate
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Ex: I was certain any mention of politics would ~ a big argument.
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anomaly (n.)
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something unusual
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Ex: White tigers get their beautiful coloring from a genetic ~.
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consciously (adv.)
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with awareness of one's actions
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Ex: He may have hurt her feelings, but he never would have done so ~.
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degrade (v.)
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to reduce in value or strength
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Ex: The roads in cold or wet areas of the United States ~ faster than those in warm, sunny regions.
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gap (n.)
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opening; a big difference in amount or quality
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Ex: The small ~ between the walls in the old house caused cold drafts to come in.
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indisputable (adj.)
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beyond doubt; unquestionable
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Ex: The members of the jury found her guilty because they found the facts of the case ~.
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intuitively (adv.)
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by means of a natural sense about things that are hard to observe
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Ex: Many mothers know ~ when something is wrong with their children.
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recede (v.)
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to move back or away from
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Ex: After the age of 30, his hairline began to ~ further back from his forehead.
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retrieve (v.)
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to bring or get back
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Ex: Most dogs can be trained to ~ objects that their owners have thrown.
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agnostic (adj.)
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believing that humans cannot know whether there is a god
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Ex: His devoutly Christian parents had problems with his ~ beliefs.
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animism (n.)
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the belief that natural objects, such as trees, have souls
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Ex: Desert cultures that practice ~ often believe that winds contain spirits.
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atheist (n.)
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one who does not believe in the existence of a supreme being
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Ex: He argued that his scientific training made it impossible for him to be anything but an ~.
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be inclined to (v.)
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to favor an opinion or a course of action
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Ex: He couldn't say which candidate he favored, but he had always ~+ vote Republican.
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contemplate (v.)
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to consider thoughtfully
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Ex: If you contemplate each step for so long, we will never complete this project on time.
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deify (v.)
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to worship as a god
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Ex: When people ~ the leader of their country, the leader is able to abuse power more easily.
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ecclesiastical (adj.)
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relating to a church
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Ex: He was looking specifically for a university where he could study ~ history.
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exalt (v.)
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to praise or honor
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Ex: He would often ~ the virtues of his new wife.
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pious (adj.)
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having or exhibiting religious reverence
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Ex: Sometimes she was so ~ that the rest of us felt like heathens.
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sacrifice (v.)
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anything offered to a deity as a religious thanksgiving; giving up something in order to have something more valuable later on
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Ex: Every harvest time, the Fadeloni people ~+ vegetables to their gods as a show of thanks.
Ex: In order to succeed in his career, he had to ~ his private life and his leisure time. |
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aggravate (v.)
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to make worse; to anger or intensify
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Ex: Running will ~ your sore knees.
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decrepit (adj.)
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weakened or worn out because of age, illness, or excessive use
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Ex: The once-beautiful building was now dirty, ~, and roofless.
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disease (n.)
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an unhealthful condition caused by an infection or a long-term physical problem
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Ex: Thanks to developments in medicine, many once-fatal ~+ can now be cured.
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persist (v.)
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to continue to exist; to hold to a purpose, despite any obstacle
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Ex: If your symptoms ~, you should go see a doctor.
Ex: Lola ~+ in her efforts to become a lawyer. |
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terminal (adj.)
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located at an end; approaching death
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Ex: The cancer ward at the hospital held both ~ and recovering patients.
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anesthesia (n.)
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techniques for reducing sensation and feeling, especially to control pain
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Ex: The Civil War was the first American war when ~ was widely used in surgery on soldiers.
Usage Tips: ~ and ~+ are often used interchangeably. |
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augment (v.)
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to make bigger or better by adding to
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Ex: In some types of popular cosmetic surgery people ~ parts of their bodies.
Ex: The college ~+ its course offerings because students complained that there were too few choices. |
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certifiably (adv.)
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in a manner that is officially recognized
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Ex: He couldn't be institutionalized until he was declared ~ insane.
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complication (n.)
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a factor that makes something more difficult or complex
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Ex: The surgeons could not easily stop the bleeding because of ~+ related to the patient's diabetes.
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cure (v.)
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to restore to health
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Ex: They say laughter can help ~ many illnesses.
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implant (v.)
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to set in firmly; to insert in the body surgically
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Ex: The actress had cheek ~+ to make her face look fuller.
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inject (v.)
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to insert a liquid by means of a syringe
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Ex: The doctor used a needle to ~ the medicine slowly into her arm.
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obese (adj.)
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Excessively overweight
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Ex: More Americans are ~ now because U.S. culture encourages overeating and discourages exercise.
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astrological (adj.)
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related to the study of the position of stars, the sun, and the planets in the belief that they influence earthly events
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Ex: Every day, Mona read her ~ forecast in the newspaper, and she was careful if the horoscope predicted trouble.
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invoke (v.)
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to call on for support
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Ex: In many religions, believers ~ their god by holding out their hands.
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phantom (n.)
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a dimly visible form, usually thought to be the spirit of a dead person, a sunken ship, etc.
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Ex: Many visitors reported seeing a ~ who appeared around the lake.
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psychic (adj.)
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relating to the supposed ability of the human mind to sense things that cannot be observed
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Ex: The governor's assistant claimed to have unique ~ abilities enabling him to read people's minds.
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self-perpetuating (adj.)
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having the power to renew oneself for an indefinite period of time
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Ex: It is difficult to escape from a lie, as they are often ~.
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assimilate (v.)
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to consume and incorporate; to become similar
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Ex: Not all of the overseas students could ~ into the rigidly controlled school.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by into. |
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cremation (n.)
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the act of burning the dead
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Ex: ~ is particularly common in Japan, where land for burial is very limited.
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domesticate (v.)
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to make something suitable for being in a home (usually a plant or animal)
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Ex: The Barnes family hoped to ~ the tiger, but their neighbors were skeptical.
Usage Tips: The object of ~ is usually a plant or animal. |
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folklore (n.)
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traditional myths of a people (beliefs, customs, and stories of a community) transmitted orally
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Ex: Through ~, archaeologists have learned about the migration of Native Americans in North America.
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fossilize (v.)
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to become preserved in clay or stone or ash after death, so that a natural record is left of the original organism; to become rigid and stuck in old ways
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Ex: The dinosaur eggs had ~+ over thousands of years.
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relic (n.)
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something left from a long-ago culture, time period, or person
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Ex: ~+ of the war can still be found in the sand dunes along this shore.
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rite (n.)
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a ceremony meant to achieve a certain purpose
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Ex: Many cultures have fertility ~+ that supposedly make it more likely for women to bear children.
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ritually (adv.)
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as part of a traditional ceremony or habit
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Ex: The children ~ kissed their parents on the cheek before bed.
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vestige (n.)
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a visible trace that something once existed
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Ex: The wilted flowers were the only ~ of their romantic weekend.
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amend (v.)
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to change for the better
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Ex: The residents voted to ~ their neighborhood policy on fences.
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biased (adj.)
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leaning unfairly in one direction
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Ex: Her newspaper article was criticized for being heavily ~ toward the mayor's proposal.
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burden (n.)
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something that is carried; a source of stress or worry
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Ex: The donkey walked slowly under the ~ of its heavy load.
Ex: The failing company faced the ~ of bad debts and a poor reputation. |
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counter (v.)
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to act in opposition to; to offer in response
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Ex: The hockey player ~+ the punch with a smashing blow from his hockey stick.
Ex: Jane ~+ every accusation with a specific example of her achievements. |
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de facto (adj.)
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truly doing a job, even if not officially
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Ex: Popular support established the Citizens Party as the ~ government.
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discriminate (v.)
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to choose carefully among options; make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in the treatment of different categories of people or things, esp. on the grounds of race, sex, or age
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Ex: The governor wisely ~+ between urgent issues and those that could wait.
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notion (n.)
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A belief; a fanciful impulse, a conception of or belief about something; an impulse or desire, esp. one of a whimsical kind
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Ex: The ~ that older office equipment is unreliable is inaccurate.
Ex: One morning, she suddenly took the ~ to paint her kitchen red. Usage Tips: ~ can be followed by a that clause or a to phrase. |
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oppress (v.)
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to keep down by force; to weigh heavily on, by the unjust exercise of authority
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Ex: Factory management ~+ workers through intimidation.
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paradigm (n.)
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a pattern or model; a set of assumptions
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Ex: The usual ~ for economic growth in developed countries does not apply to some poor nations.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by for. |
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prejudiced (adj.)
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causing to judge prematurely and unfairly
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Ex: Many consumers are ~+ against commercial goods made in third-world countries.
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curriculum (n.)
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the courses of study offered by an educational institution
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Ex: The teachers met to design a new ~ for the Intensive English Program.
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distinctly (adv.)
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in a way that is readily distinguishable by the senses; clearly
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Ex: I ~ remember saying that we would meet at noon.
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erudite (adj.)
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highly educated; having or showing great knowledge or learning
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Ex: Even though Stella was only a freshman, she was considered ~ by both her classmates and her professors.
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fortify (v.)
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to strengthen; protect against attack
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Ex: The high-priced drink had extra vitamins and minerals to ~ the body.
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implicitly (adv.)
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without being stated; unquestioningly; in a way that is not directly expressed
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Ex: By joining the competition, she agreed ~ to the rules.
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parochial (adj.)
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restricted in outlook; relating to the local parish; small-minded, provincial, narrow, small-town
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Ex: Marla moved from her rural community to get away from its ~ thinking.
Ex: Sending your children to a ~ school can cost as much as sending them to college. |
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rigor (n.)
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strictness; difficult situations that come from following rules strictly
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Ex: The wrestler followed his diet with ~.
Ex: The ~+ of military life toughened the young men quickly. |
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roster (n.)
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a list, especially of names
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Ex: Two of the names on the ~ were misspelled.
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secular (adj.)
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worldly rather than spiritual; not related to religion
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Ex: Few private schools in the United States are ~.
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suspend (v.)
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to cause to stop for a period; to hang as to allow free movement
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Ex: The trial was ~+ when the judge learned that one of the jury members knew the defense lawyer.
Ex: The circus acrobat was ~+ in midair. |
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allegiance (n.)
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loyalty, commitment
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Ex: My ~ to my country is based on respect for its principles.
Usage Tips: ~ is commonly followed by a to phrase. |
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artillery (n.)
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large guns that shoot powerful shells; army units that handle such guns
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Ex: An ~ barrage broke down the city's thick walls within seconds.
Ex: The 47th ~ fired on rebels camped in the city center. Usage Tips: When it means a part of an army, ~ is sometimes plural. |
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battle (v.)
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to fight against
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Ex: The Viet Minh ~+ French forces at Dien Bien Phu for nearly two months in 1954.
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cease (v.)
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stop
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Ex: The lightning continued even after the thunder had ~+.
Usage Tips: ~ is found in official statements, not usually in everyday speech. |
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hierarchy (n.)
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a system of levels that places people high or low according to their importance
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Ex: Starting as a lowly private, Burt Jones gradually rose through the ~ of the army.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase. |
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in the trenches (adv'l.)
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in the middle of the hardest fighting or work
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Ex: With their unrealistic view of this war, our generals don't know what things are like out ~.
Usage Tips: ~ creates an image of soldiers fighting in a long, dug-out place in the battlefield. |
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mobilize (v.)
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to put members of a group into motion
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Ex: After a terrible storm, the governor ~+ the National Guard to rescue victims.
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rank (v.)
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to put into a many-leveled order, depending on importance or achievement
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Ex: The Marines ~+ Jim Hurst highest among all their officer candidates.
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ratio (n.)
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the relationship of one number or amount to another
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Ex: Military analysts say that the ~ of attackers to defenders in a battle should be about three to one for the attackers to win.
Usage Tips: ~ is very often followed by an of ... to structure. |
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strategic (adj.)
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related to long-term plans for achieving a goal
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Ex: United States has formed ~ friendships with Tajikistan and Mongolia to have Central Asian bases in the future.
Usage Tips: ~ is often used with nouns for plans. |
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annex (v.)
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to make something (usually land) part of another unit
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Ex: Bardstown grew by ~+ several farms at the north edge of town.
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apex (n.)
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the highest point
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Ex: Gregory knew that his running skills had to be at their ~ during the tournament.
Usage Tips: ~ is often used to describe the high point of someone's abilities. |
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collapse (v.)
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to fall down, usually because of weakness
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Ex: The roof ~+ on top of me.
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conquest (n.)
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a takeover by force or continued effort
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Ex: The first recorded ~ of Mt. Everest was by Tensing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hilary.
Usage Tips: ~ is usually followed by an of phrase. |
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devise (v.)
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to find an original way to make an object or a plan
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Ex: The soldiers ~ a way to cross the river into enemy territory without being seen.
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invasive (adj.)
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aggressively entering into someone else's territory
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Ex: Surgery with a laser is less ~ than surgery with a knife or scalpel.
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prevailing (adj.)
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strongest or most common
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Ex: The ~ attitude among our neighbors is to be friendly but not too friendly.
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resist (v.)
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to refuse to give in to a strong force or desire
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Ex: Although many native nations ~+, the U.S. government eventually took over almost all Indian land.
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severely (adv.)
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harshly; extremely
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Ex: Commanders ~ punished any soldier who criticized the battle plan.
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violation (n.)
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an action that breaks a law or agreement; mistreatment of something that deserves respect
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Ex: The army's testing of new weapons was a ~ of the cease-fire agreement.
Ex: The sculptures at Mt. Rushmore may be a ~ of sacred Indian land. Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase. |
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chronologically (adv.)
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in order according to time
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Ex: Allen's book is arranged ~, from the First Crusade in 1095 to the fall of Granada in 1492.
Usage Tips: ~ is often used with arranged, organized, listed, or some other word for order. |
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coincide (v.)
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happen or exist at the same time
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Ex: The Viking attacks on western Europe ~+ with an abnormally warm period in the Earth's climate.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a with phrase. |
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consequence (n.)
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a result, often one much later in time than the cause
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Ex: One ~ of global warming may be the flooding of low lying islands.
Usage Tips: ~ usually implies something negative or serious about the result. |
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core (n.)
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an area or object at the center
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Ex: The ~ of India's film industry is in Bombay, where all but a few film studios are located.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by another noun (e.g., ~ principle) or by an of phrase. |
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deny (v.)
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say that something is not true
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Ex: Movie star Allen Butcher ~+ that he and the Princess of Denmark were getting married.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by the -ing form of a verb or by a that clause. |
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diminish (v.)
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make something smaller or weaker; become smaller or weaker
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Ex: The Protestant Reformation ~+ the power of the Roman Catholic Pope.
Ex: Mr. Partridge's influence in the company ~+ after he relocated to a branch office. |
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longitude (n.)
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a system of imaginary lines running from north to south along the Earth's surface, where each line is numbered from 0° to 180° west or east
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Ex: The prime meridian, a line running through Greenwich, England, is marked as 0° ~.
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milieu (n.)
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general environment or surroundings
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Ex: Many Vietnam veterans did not feel comfortable in the antiwar social ~ of the 1970s.
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Orwellian (adj.)
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frightening and overcontrolled by a government that interferes in nearly every aspect of personal life
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Ex: Biometric devices like eye-scanners allow an ~ level of government knowledge about everyone's location.
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reconciliation (n.)
|
coming back together peacefully after having been enemies
|
Ex: South Africa avoided a bloodbath after apartheid by setting up a Truth and ~ Commission.
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allocate (v.)
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to give out different amounts for different purposes
|
Ex: The budget ~+ $58 billion to the military and only about $2 billion to education.
Usage Tips: Things that can be ~+ are things that can be "spent"; money, time, energy, etc. |
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commodity (n.)
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a thing that can be bought and sold, such as grain, oil, or wood
|
Ex: Tulip bulbs were one of the most valuable ~+ in seventeenth-century Holland.
Usage Tips: A thing is called a ~ only in the context of buying or selling it. |
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decline (v.)
|
to decrease in power or amount; politely refuse
|
Ex: America's railroads ~+ because the automobile dominated American life.
|
|
equity (n.)
|
the value of one's share in an investment
|
Ex: Barnard's ~ in the business was one-third, or about $350,000.
Usage Tips: In this meaning, ~ is always singular and usually followed by an in phrase. |
|
inflation (n.)
|
a situation in which prices for many items rise quite fast
|
Ex: During the rapid ~ of the 1970s, prices for food and fuel sometimes rose 20 percent in a single month.
|
|
net (adj.)
|
after all costs have been subtracted from an amount
|
Ex: My gross salary is around $35,000, but my ~ pay is closer to $29,000.
|
|
per capita (adv.)
|
for each person
|
Ex: Research shows we're likely to sell 15 light bulbs ~ per year in medium-sized cities.
|
|
regulate (v.)
|
control according to a set of rules
|
Ex: Trading on the NewYork Stock Exchange is ~+ by officials of the exchange and by federal law.
|
|
subsidy (n.)
|
money given by a government or other organization to support an activity
|
Ex: Federal ~+ to grain farmers have helped them stay in business despite three years of bad weather.
|
|
tangible (adj.)
|
obviously real because it can be seen, touched, or otherwise observed
|
Ex: One ~ benefit of putting electrical cables underground is a clearer view of the sky.
|
|
accumulate (v.)
|
to build up a large amount of something
|
Ex: Over several generations, the Hardington family ~+ vast wealth by buying and selling land.
|
|
affluence (n.)
|
wealth and the style of life that goes with it
|
Ex: Mohadzir grew up amid ~, which poorly prepared him for his grad student days in crowded apartments with no servants.
|
|
impoverish (v.)
|
to make a person or group poor
|
Ex: The collapse of the steel industry ~+ several counties in eastern Ohio.
|
|
luxury (n.)
|
Extreme comfort, beyond what anyone needs
|
Ex: Automakers try to give their cars an image of ~ by including extras like heated seats and satellite tracking systems.
|
|
nobility (n.)
|
a group of socially prominent people with special titles given by a king or queen, such as "duke" or "countess"
|
Ex: In the Middle Ages, the ~ supposedly followed a code that required them to take care of poorer people who lived near their estates.
Usage Tips: ~ is used as a name for a group of distinguished people; it can also mean "a highly dignified form of behavior". |
|
prestige (n.)
|
honor and respect for being better than the average
|
Ex: The Grassleys enjoyed the ~ of living in the historic town, but they did not feel at home there.
|
|
privileged (adj.)
|
able to enjoy special advantages because of one's position (usually because of being born into a wealthy or powerful family); having special rights, advantages, or immunities
|
Ex: Despite his ~+ position in one of America's most powerful families, the politician tried to portray himself as an ordinary person.
|
|
prosper (v.)
|
to do very well in one's business or personal life
|
Ex: Vargas ~+ after finally patenting his new inventions.
Usage Tips: A person can ~; so can a group, a company, or an area. |
|
working class (n.)
|
people with low-paying (often unskilled) jobs who are not poor but who are not securely in the middle class
|
Ex: The Farrelly family, like other members of the ~, were proud of their jobs and did not want any handouts from charity or the government.
|
|
acquire (v.)
|
to get something, usually something with special value or meaning
|
Ex: Bart hoped to ~ the 1898 D Indian Head penny, which would make his collection complete.
Usage Tips: Unlike get, ~ implies that a possession has special value or meaning. |
|
assess (v.)
|
to estimate the value of something
|
Ex: The Barnes building was ~+ at $1.3 million, but it can probably sell for much more than that.
|
|
asset (n.)
|
a possession that has positive value
|
Ex: The school is a ~ to the community.
Usage Tips: Some examples of ~+ are real estate, cash, and stock shares. |
|
hazardous (adj.)
|
dangerous
|
Ex: Parents have to be careful not to buy children's clothes and toys made of ~ materials.
|
|
jointly (adv.)
|
together with one or more other parties
|
Ex: In most states, a husband and wife are assumed to own all their possessions ~.
|
|
lease (v.)
|
to rent something for a long time (several months or years)
|
Ex: Some drivers prefer to ~ a car rather than buy one.
|
|
proprietor (n.)
|
owner, usually of a business or a building
|
Ex: The ~ of Hekman's Windows is Nels Hekman, grandson of the people who established the factory.
Usage Tips: Very often, ~ is followed by an of phrase. |
|
safeguard (v.)
|
to protect ; protect from harm or damage with an appropriate measure:
|
Ex: A burglar-alarm system ~+ our house when we go away on vacation.
Usage Tips: ~ implies continuous protection over a long time. |
|
sole (adj.)
|
only
|
Ex: Many people have wanted to invest in Harry's publishing business, but he remains the ~ owner.
Usage Tips: ~ almost always appears before the noun it modifies. It does not come after a linking verb like be. |
|
compensate (v.)
|
to give an employee money or other things in exchange for the work he or she does
|
Ex: My pay doesn't properly ~ me for my efforts, but my other benefits, like health insurance, fill in the gap.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a for phrase. |
|
dynamic (adj.)
|
full of energy, activity, or progress
|
Ex: This job requires a ~ person, someone who will look for opportunities instead of just waiting around for them.
|
|
enterprising (adj.)
|
creative in thinking of ways to make money
|
Ex: Immigrants are often among the most ~ members of society, partly because anyone brave enough to make an overseas move is likely to be a risk-taker.
Usage Tips: There is no verb "to ~+". |
|
exploit (v.)
|
to take advantage of; to treat inconsiderately in order to profit; make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource)
|
Ex: The company tried to ~ the low interest rates to expand operations.
Usage Tips: The foreign mining company ~+ our copper resources and then simply left. |
|
incentive (n.)
|
a possible benefit that motivates a person to do a certain thing
|
Ex: This city's willingness to support its public schools gave us an ~ to move here with our two young children.
Usage Tips: ~ is usually followed by a to phrase. |
|
industrious (adj.)
|
willing to work hard
|
Ex: The Dutch settlements in Ottawa County were founded by ~ farmers who objected to frivolous behavior such as dancing.
Usage Tips: Only people can be ~; companies cannot. |
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marginal (adj.)
|
not very significant or effective
|
Ex: Our new advertising campaign had only ~ success, raising sales by a mere 3 percent.
|
|
merit (n.)
|
value; success based on one's work, not on luck
|
Ex: Pay raises at our company are based on ~, as determined by a committee of managers.
Usage Tips: ~ is uncountable. |
|
promote (v.)
|
to move someone to a higher position in a company
|
Ex: Because of his excellent handling of the Vredeman account, Jim Harris was ~+ to vice president.
Usage Tips: ~ is very often followed by a to phrase indicating the position one has been moved up to. |
|
resign (v.)
|
to quit one's job
|
Ex: Because of controversy over his leadership style, Morton ~+ from his job as president.
|
|
distill (v.)
|
to remove one liquid from a mixture of liquids by boiling; to get something valuable from a confusing mix of ideas
|
Ex: The forest peoples of Southeast Asia ~ an alcoholic drink called arak from a paste of palm berries.
Ex: Most students are confused by her lectures, but Joe can always ~ her main idea. |
|
entrepreneurial (adj.)
|
able to create business opportunities from a wide variety of circumstances
|
Ex: Many engineers of the 1970s made great computers, but only a few were ~ enough to see the business possibilities in the new machines.
|
|
extract (v.)
|
to take out
|
Ex: International mining companies came to the Malay Peninsula to ~ the region's massive tin deposits.
|
|
haggle (v.)
|
To argue back and forth about a price
|
Ex: The customer and the shopkeeper ~+ over the silver plate for more than an hour.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a phrase with over or about. |
|
intrepid (adj.)
|
fearless
|
Ex: For nearly 200 years, only the most ~ colonists would cross the Appalachian Mountains.
|
|
merchant (n.)
|
a person who makes a living by selling things
|
Ex: The spice ~+ of the eastern markets charged top prices to the Dutch and British sailors, who had come too far to sail away without buying.
Usage Tips: The word ~ might be preceded by another noun telling what the ~ sells (e.g., spice ~ or wine ~). |
|
proportionately (adv.)
|
in an amount appropriate to each of several recipients
|
Ex: The food aid was distributed ~ per family, with larger families receiving more.
|
|
prototype (n.)
|
the first one made of a machine or system
|
Ex: The airplane manufacturer uses robots to test every ~, just in case there is a problem with the design.
|
|
reward (n.)
|
something one gets for having done well
|
Ex: The greatest ~ of being a parent is to see your child make a wise decision.
Usage Tips: ~ might be followed by an of or for phrase naming what one has done well. |
|
shuttle (v.)
|
to move back and forth often between two places
|
Ex: The small jet ~+ between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore nearly every two hours.
|
|
advocate (v.)
|
to speak out in favor of something; publicly recommend or support
|
Ex: Some environmentalists ~ removing large dams from the Columbia River.
Usage Tips: ~ is usually followed by a term for a process or action, very often the -ing form of a verb |
|
authority (n.)
|
the power to make decisions, to tell others what to do.
|
Ex: The governor has the ~ to call the legislature together for emergency sessions.
Usage Tips: A to phrase often follows ~. |
|
bitterly (adv.)
|
strongly and with a lot of bad feelings
|
Ex: Senator Thomas ~ opposed the movement to design a new state flag.
|
|
candidate (n.)
|
someone who wants to be chosen, especially in an election, for a position
|
Ex: In most U.S. elections, there are only two major-party candidates for president.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a for phrase. |
|
coalition (n.)
|
a group of several different groups or countries that are working together to achieve a certain goal.
|
Ex: Several local churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples formed a ~ to promote understanding among people of different religions.
|
|
contest (v.)
|
to challenge; oppose (an action, decision, or theory) as mistaken or wrong
|
Ex: Dave Roper, who narrowly lost the mayor's race, ~+ the results, demanding a recount of the votes.
Usage Tips: The noun ~ can mean a game, especially one played for a prize. |
|
inaugurate (v.)
|
to bring into public office; to start formally
|
Ex: The U.S. president is elected in November but is not ~+ until the following January.
Ex: An effort to bring electric service to farms and small towns was ~+ with the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. Usage Tips: When it means "bring into public office," ~ is usually in the passive voice. |
|
policy (n.)
|
an approved way for approaching a certain kind of situation
|
Ex: The ~ said that government money could not be given to any private hospital.
|
|
poll (v.)
|
to find out a small group's opinion so that you can guess what a much larger group thinks
|
Ex: The newspaper ~+ 500 registered voters and found that only 27 percent were in favor of expanding the city zoo.
|
|
accuse (v.)
|
to say that someone did something wrong (e.g., committed a crime)
|
Ex: Jordan was ~+ of using a stolen credit card to buy about $300 worth of electronic equipment.
Usage Tips: ~ is often used in the passive voice. |
|
allegedly (adv.)
|
according to what people say, although there is no proof
|
Ex: The chief financial officer of the company ~ took company money for his personal use.
|
|
civil (adj.)
|
involving a dispute between two citizens, not a criminal charge
|
Ex: in a ~ suit against his neighbor, Barney claimed that the neighbor's dog had bitten him.
Usage Tips: In a court context, ~ almost always appears in one of the following phrases: ~ suit, ~ action, ~ court, ~ proceedings, and ~ penalties. |
|
convict (v.)
|
to decide that someone is guilty of a crime; declare (someone) to be guilty of a criminal offense
|
Ex: Dean was ~+ of assault after the jury saw a video of him striking another man.
Usage Tips: ~ is often used in the passive voice. |
|
guilty (adj.)
|
responsible for doing something bad
|
Ex: The jury found that the director was ~ of embezzlement.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase that names a crime or bad deed. |
|
offense (n.)
|
a specific act that breaks the law
|
Ex: Convicted twice of reckless driving, Victor will lose his license if he commits another serious traffic ~.
|
|
suspect (n.)
|
someone who, in the opinion of the police, might have committed a certain crime
|
Ex: The police were investigating the activities of five ~+ in the liquor-store robbery.
|
|
verdict (n.)
|
a judgment in a court case
|
Ex: It took the jury only 30 minutes to reach a ~ of "guilty."
Usage Tips: ~ is often the object of the verbs reach or arrive at. |
|
witness (v.)
|
to see something, especially a crime, happen
|
Ex: After ~+ the car theft, Rodney called the police.
|
|
apprehend (v.)
|
to capture; understand or perceive
|
Ex: The police ~+ the robbery suspect as he tried to get on a bus to Chicago.
|
|
ascertain (v.)
|
to make sure of
|
Ex: The police failed to ~ that the man they arrested was the Gregory Brown they were really looking for.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a that clause. |
|
bureaucratic (adj.)
|
related to a large organization with a lot of complicated procedures
|
Ex: Before I could speak with the chief, I had to go through a ~ run around of identity checks and written requests.
Usage Tips: ~ implies that something is inefficient and unnecessarily complicated. |
|
condemn (v.)
|
to speak out against something in very strong terms; express complete disapproval of
|
Ex: Religious radicals ~+ the government for allowing alcohol to be sold in restaurants.
|
|
evidence (n.)
|
something that makes the truth of a statement seem more likely
|
Ex: The most convincing ~ that Garner robbed the store was a videotape from surveillance cameras.
|
|
implicate (v.)
|
to suggest that someone was involved in a crime or other wrong behavior; convey (a meaning or intention) indirectly through what one says
|
Ex: No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the type of explosive used ~+ the Heartland Freedom Militia.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by in. |
|
inquiry (n.)
|
an investigation; an act of asking for information
|
Ex: The FBI launched an ~ into the relationship between organized crime and the trucking company.
|
|
intrusively (adv.)
|
in a way that brings an unwanted person or thing into someone else's affairs
|
Ex: The new consultant from company headquarters appeared ~ at meetings, staff parties, and other functions where he was not wanted.
|
|
seize (v.)
|
to take something against its owner's will
|
Ex: Federal agents can ~ private homes and other property possibly used in the production or sale of illegal drugs.
|
|
surveillance (n.)
|
a process of watching something or someone for a long time, usually because the person is suspected of something
|
Ex: Police ~ of one suspected car thief resulted in the arrest of a whole gang of carjackers.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase. |
|
analyze (v.)
|
to examine something by looking at its parts
|
Ex: Chemists ~+ the white powder and found it to be only a mixture of sugar and salt.
|
|
assail (v.)
|
to attack or criticize forcefully
|
Ex: With DNA evidence from the crime scene, the defense lawyer ~+ the police for falsely arresting his client.
|
|
contrary (adj.)
|
opposite
|
Ex: ~ to most studies, Dr. Ito's work shows the world's climate is not getting warmer.
Usage Tips: Common phrases are ~ to and on the ~. |
|
hypothesize (v.)
|
to make a guess, the correctness of which will eventually be investigated systematically.
|
Ex: Scientists ~ that planets capable of supporting life exist beyond our solar system, but they have not yet seen any.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a that clause. |
|
impair (v.)
|
to make something less effective than usual
|
Ex: The snow ~+ John's ability to hear anyone's footsteps.
Usage Tips: The object of ~ is often [someone's] ability to. |
|
inference (n.)
|
a conclusion drawn from evidence
|
Ex: Inspector Dowd's ~ that Ms. Miller was South African was based on her accent.
|
|
objectively (adv.)
|
based on unbiased standards, not on personal opinion
|
Ex: I don't like Mr. Rowan, but looking ~ at his sales numbers, I saw that he was a very valuable employee.
|
|
suspicious (adj.)
|
believing that something is wrong; acting in a way that makes people believe you have done something wrong
|
Ex: The neighbors became ~ of Jim when he bought a big new car and some fancy clothes.
Ex: Jim's ~ purchases made his neighbors think he might be getting money illegally. |
|
tolerate (v.)
|
to avoid getting upset about something
|
Ex: My math teacher ~+ a lot of talking in her class, but my history teacher tells us to be quiet.
|
|
versus (prep.)
|
against (esp. in sports and legal use)
|
Ex: In the debate, it was pro-war senators ~ antiwar senators.
Usage Tips: ~ is often abbreviated as ~+ in sports contexts, or simply ~+ in legal contexts. |
|
bribery (n.)
|
giving money or other gifts to a government official or other person in authority in order to get special privileges
|
Ex: ~ of police officers is common in countries where police salaries are very low.
|
|
cynically (adv.)
|
disrespectfully; emphasizing the weaknesses of otherwise respected things
|
Ex: Employees of the Roadways Department ~ referred to their boss as "the banker" because he took so many bribes.
|
|
erode (v.)
|
to wear away and become smaller
|
Ex: People's respect for the government ~+ as more officials were arrested for corruption.
Usage Tips: ~ can be intransitive (the beach ~+) or transitive (the waves ~+ the beach). |
|
evade (v.)
|
to get away from something that tries to catch you
|
Ex: The robbery suspects tried to ~ the police by fleeing to Canada.
|
|
grotesque (adj.)
|
Extremely unattractive, in a way that catches a lot of attention; comically or repulsively ugly or distorted
|
Ex: Spending $3.5 million to redecorate the governor's house is a ~ misuse of public money.
|
|
integrity (n.)
|
personal honesty and good character
|
Ex: We don't have a problem with our employees stealing from the store because we hire only people with a lot of ~.
|
|
prevalent (adj.)
|
common; easy to find because it exists in great amounts
|
Ex: Distrust of elected officials was ~ in our county because many of them were friends with certain candidates.
|
|
reform (v.)
|
to make big improvements (something, typically a social, political, or economic institution or practice)
|
Ex: The new law was an attempt to ~ the system of giving money to political candidates.
|
|
scandal (n.)
|
a case of wrongdoing that hurts someone's reputation
|
Ex: In the Watergate ~, some of the president's top advisors were revealed to be criminals.
|
|
unmask (v.)
|
reveal; expose something that is hidden
|
Ex: The Forge Trucking Company was eventually ~+ as a front for organized crime.
|
|
abduction (n.)
|
kidnapping; the action or an instance of forcibly taking someone away against their will
|
Ex: Pirates got many crew members by ~, snatching unlucky citizens from seaport towns.
|
|
coerce (v.)
|
to force; to put pressure on someone to do something
|
Ex: A criminal's confession is not usable in court if the police ~ him or her into giving it.
|
|
detain (v.)
|
to prevent someone, for a relatively short time, from going on their way
|
Ex: The police ~+ at least 20 men for questioning, but charged none of them with a crime.
|
|
deviant (adj.)
|
in a style that is not normal and is offensive to many
|
Ex: The artist based his reputation on creating ~ works of art that disgusted most of the public.
Usage Tips: ~ always implies a bad opinion of someone or something. |
|
distort (v.)
|
to twist or misrepresent; to make something seem different from what it really is
|
Ex: If you hold a pencil in a glass of water, the water ~+ the appearance of the pencil.
|
|
intentionally (adv.)
|
on purpose, not by accident
|
Ex: Danny ~ lost his last golf ball because he was tired of playing.
|
|
piracy (n.)
|
stealing a ship or taking the ship's cargo; the unlawful copying of books, CDs, etc.
|
Ex: Modern-day ~ occurs mostly near groups of small, uninhabited islands where pirates can hide.
Usage Tips: The software company constantly battled ~. |
|
predicament (n.)
|
a difficult situation, one that is hard to get out of
|
Ex: College basketball stars face the ~ of wanting to graduate but being tempted by high professional salaries.
|
|
smuggle (v.)
|
to illegally bring things into a country
|
Ex: The pirate Ben Dewar ~+ guns to British and Indian fighters in North America.
|
|
villainy (n.)
|
Exceptional badness, as demonstrated by many serious evil deeds
|
Ex: Fred was not a natural criminal, but he learned all kinds of ~ while being jailed for a minor crime.
|
|
addictive (adj.)
|
making someone want it so much that the person feels ill without it
|
Ex: Some drugs, like heroin or methamphetamines, are ~ to almost everyone who tries them.
|
|
cartel (n.)
|
a small group controlling a certain area of business
|
Ex: The world's major oil producers formed a ~ to control the price and supply of petroleum.
|
|
concentrated (adj.)
|
strong because large amounts are in a certain space
|
Ex: ~ lemon juice is very sour, so I mix it with water when I make lemonade.
|
|
interdict (v.)
|
to keep something from reaching a certain place; prohibit or forbid
|
Ex: With faster patrol boats, the Coast Guard can more easily ~ drugs being smuggled by sea.
|
|
juxtapose (v.)
|
place next to one another
|
Ex: If you ~ these two similar flowers, you can see clear differences between them.
|
|
misconception (n.)
|
a mistaken belief; a view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking or understanding
|
Ex: A common ~ about rabbits is that they are a kind of rodent.
|
|
modify (v.)
|
make small changes in order to get a certain result
|
Ex: People who live in high mountains often ~ their car engines to run well in the thinner air.
|
|
potent (adj.)
|
powerful; having great power, influence, or effect
|
Ex: A very ~ type of marijuana with surprisingly strong effects became available in Burrytown.
|
|
residual (adj.)
|
left behind after most of a thing has gone
|
Ex: In the airplane, agents found ~ traces of heroin.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by trace, amount, or some other word referring to "quantity". |
|
subtly (adv.)
|
in a quiet, hard-to-notice way
|
Ex: By ~ changing the soft drink's formula, we improved its taste and made production cheaper.
|
|
ancestral (adj.)
|
relating to family members from earlier generations
|
Ex: Sweden is my ~ homeland, from which my great-grandfather emigrated in 1922.
|
|
cohesion (n.)
|
ability to stay together as a unit
|
Ex: Family ~ is difficult if young people have to go far away to find work.
Usage Tips: ~ can also be used to describe forces that keep materials or structures together. |
|
descendant (n.)
|
a direct relative in a later generation (such as one's son, daughter, or grandchild)
|
Ex: Billy Sobieski claimed to be a ~ of Jan Sobieski, a former king of Poland.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase. |
|
inheritance (n.)
|
things passed down to you from your ancestors
|
Ex: My ~ from my grandmother included her favorite necklace.
|
|
kin (n.)
|
relatives
|
Ex: Even though my uncle didn't really like me, he was kind to me because we were ~.
Usage Tips: A common phrase is next of ~, meaning "closest relative". |
|
legitimate (adj.)
|
true and respectable; in the context of family, born of a mother and father who were married to each other
|
Ex: You can skip the meeting if you have a ~ reason.
Ex: Harcourt had two ~ children with his wife Hannah and one ~+ son with a woman whom he met while traveling. Usage Tips: The opposite of ~ is ~+. |
|
paternal (adj.)
|
relating to a father
|
Ex: My mother's parents have both died, but my ~ grandparents are still alive.
Usage Tips: ~ may appear with ~+, meaning "relating to a mother". |
|
proximity (n.)
|
nearness
|
Ex: The house was comfortable, except for its ~ to a busy road.
Usage Tips: ~ can be followed by an of phrase or a to phrase. |
|
sentiment (n.)
|
feelings; opinion based on feelings
|
Ex: I share your ~+ about air travel, but I disagree that cars are safer.
Usage Tips: ~+ (the plural) is more common than ~. |
|
sibling (n.)
|
brother or sister
|
Ex: My ~+ and I got together to buy our parents a gift for their anniversary.
Usage Tips: ~ is often preceded by a possessive noun or pronoun. |
|
affection (n.)
|
an emotional closeness or warmth
|
Ex: I show ~ for my girlfriend by spending time with her, not by spending money on her.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a for phrase. |
|
associate (v.)
|
to regularly spend time together
|
Ex: Carol doesn't ~ with people who smoke.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a with phrase. |
|
bond (n.)
|
a close connection
|
Ex: Some researchers say that there is an especially strong emotional ~ between twins.
Usage Tips: A between phrase, indicating the things that are connected, often follows ~. |
|
clique (n.)
|
a small group of friends who are unfriendly to people outside the group
|
Ex: High-schoolers form ~+ to gain security and acceptance.
Usage Tips: ~ indicates a negative feeling toward a group. |
|
confide (v.)
|
to tell very personal things; tell someone about a secret or private matter while trusting them not to repeat it to others
|
Ex: Teenagers are more willing to ~ in a friend than in a parent.
Usage Tips: ~ almost always followed by an in phrase. |
|
exclusive (adj.)
|
keeping out all but a few people
|
Ex: The most ~ universities accept only a small percentage of people who want to attend.
Usage Tips: ~ can indicate a positive opinion, but in the context of friendship, it can mean "attached only to one person". |
|
fluctuate (v.)
|
to change often, from one condition to another
|
Ex: Earth's climate ~+ between warm periods and cold periods.
Usage Tips: ~ is usually followed by a between phrase (or by a from ... to structure). |
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in common (adv.)
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as a shared characteristic
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Ex: Billy and Heather have a lot in ~; basketball, a love of pizza, and an interest in snakes.
Usage Tips: ~ very often appears with the verb to have. |
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solidarity (n.)
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standing together despite pressure to move apart
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Ex: Many student groups declared ~ with the Latino Student Association in their effort to get a Spanish-speaking principal.
Usage Tips: ~ is usually used in political contexts. |
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willing (adj.)
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agreeable and ready to do something
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Ex: Because of their long friendship, Professor Gardner was ~ to say a few words at Jones's birthday celebration.
Usage Tips: ~ is almost always followed by a to + verb structure. |
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complex (adj.)
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not simple; involving many parts that work together
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Ex: A modern car engine is too ~ for most car owners to repair by themselves.
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despondent (adj.)
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Extremely sad and without hope for the future
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Ex: After his girlfriend left him, Johnson was ~ and wouldn't talk to anyone.
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devotion (n.)
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a willingness to keep supporting someone you admire
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Ex: Grant showed great ~ to his wife, supporting her during her long illness.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a to phrase. |
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dilemma (n.)
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a difficult choice between two things (equally undesirable ones)
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Ex: I was caught in a ~ between traveling by airplane and taking a train, which is slower but more comfortable.
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engender (v.)
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to bring into being; to cause to exist
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Ex: The government's warnings about terrorism ~+ fear throughout the nation.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a noun for an emotion. |
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loyal (adj.)
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faithful; giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution
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Ex: Carter was ~ to his girlfriend and would not date anyone else.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a to phrase. |
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passion (n.)
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an extremely strong emotion, like love or anger
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Ex: Debbie complained that there was no ~ in her marriage.
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proliferation (n.)
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an increase in the number of something and in the number of places it can be found
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Ex: The ~ of fast-food restaurants has made it harder for Americans to eat healthy lunches.
Usage Tips: ~ is very often followed by an of phrase. |
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reciprocity (n.)
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doing as much for another as he or she has done for you; the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit
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Ex: Dan was giving a lot of attention to Kelly, but he felt no ~ in their relationship.
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vanish (v.)
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to disappear suddenly
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Ex: When the sun came out, last night's light snowfall ~+.
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antipathy (n.)
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a strong, long-lasting negative feeling
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Ex: My ~ toward telemarketers is so strong that I am often rude to them.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a toward phrase. |
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arrogantly (adv.)
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in a way that shows a high opinion of oneself and a low opinion of others
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Ex: Jenny told us about her party only one day in advance, ~ thinking we had nothing else to do.
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berate (v.)
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to say insulting and disrespectful things
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Ex: The teacher lost his job because he cruelly ~+ students who made mistakes.
Usage Tips: You can only ~ someone directly, only when he or she can hear you. |
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contemptuous (n.)
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having no respect
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Ex: Most scientists are ~ of reports that aliens from outer space have landed on the Earth.
Usage Tips: A very common structure is be ~ of. |
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despise (v.)
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hate very much
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Ex: Tom grew to ~ his greedy and unfriendly boss.
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humiliation (n.)
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an event that causes someone to feel that she or he has lost the respect of others
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Ex: Losing the chess tournament was a great ~ for Marie, and she never played chess again.
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obnoxious (adj.)
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bothersome; doing small things that others don't like
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Ex: My ~ neighbor keeps talking to me while I'm trying to read in my backyard.
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shame (n.)
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dishonor because one has done something wrong
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Ex: Feeling deep ~ because of their son's crimes, the Ford family moved to a different town.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of or about phrase. |
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stigmatize (v.)
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to mark with a visible feature that makes other people think, perhaps incorrectly, that someone or something is wrong; describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval
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Ex: Cadbury's beard and tattoos ~+ him as a bad match for Wall Street, so he couldn't find work as a financial analyst.
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vitriolic (adj.)
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showing an extreme, hateful anger
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Ex: The mayor's ~ attacks against the city council only made him sound unreasonable.
Usage Tips: The origin of ~ is ~+; a strong chemical that could cause painful burns. |
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adolescent (adj.)
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characteristic of a teenager; not fully grown up
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Ex: In policy meetings, George refuses to reason with anyone and just scowls in an ~ way.
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cause (n.)
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a political or social goal that one believes is right and works to achieve
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Ex: Our river cleanup effort would be more effective if someone famous spoke out for the ~.
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conflict (v.)
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to fit so poorly together that the differences cause a problem
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Ex: A teenager's need for security can ~ with his desire for independence from his family.
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delinquency (n.)
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serious misbehavior; not doing what one should do; minor crime, esp. that committed by young people
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Ex: Because of his laziness and ~, Lefty was an unreliable friend.
Usage Tips: A common combination is juvenile ~, meaning "criminal behavior by a teenager". |
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fringe (n.)
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edge; in social contexts, parts of society that look or act very different from most people
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Ex: Punk music got its start at the ~ of London's rock music culture.
Usage Tips: ~ implies an edge that is uneven and not very solid. |
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hedonistic (adj.)
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Excessively interested in seeking pleasure
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Ex: Suddenly wealthy, Allen fell into a ~ life of parties, expensive dinners, and heavy drinking.
Usage Tips: ~ usually implies that the pleasures are wrong. |
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hypocritically (adv.)
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in a way that accuses other people of weaknesses that the speaker also possesses
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Ex: Henry spent $2,500 on a new suit and then ~ accused me of spending too much on clothes.
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manipulation (n.)
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quietly moving or influencing people or things in order to get what you want
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Ex: Bob's ~ of the boss's feelings led to his promotion.
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rebel (v.)
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To go against an established system or authority
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Ex: The people of Ghurdia ~+ against the dictator and set up a new government.
Usage Tips: ~ works well in political contexts and in contexts of personal relationships. |
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status quo (n.)
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the systems and conditions that exist now
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Ex: Let's just maintain the ~ until we can think of a better way.
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abstract (adj.)
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not concrete and realistic; not obviously related to every-day experience
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Ex: ~ painting became popular partly because early photography was very realistic.
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context (n.)
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a larger environment that something fits into
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Ex: In the ~ of Soviet Russia, public art had to be about the triumph of communism and its leaders.
Usage Tips: The preposition in often comes before ~, and an of phrase often comes after it. |
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depict (v.)
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to show in pictures
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Ex: Michelangelo's painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel ~+ nine scenes from the Bible.
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dimension (n.)
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a direction or surface along which something can be measured; an aspect
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Ex: The three ~+ of physical objects are length, width, and depth.
Ex: One ~ of the problem is their long history of competition. |
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esthetically (adv.)
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in a way that relates to beauty or appearance
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Ex: The outside of the office building is ~ pleasing, but the inside is dark and unpleasant.
Usage Tips: ~ is often spelled with an "a" at the beginning: a~. |
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intrinsic (adj.)
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being part of the basic nature of something
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Ex: Frequent elections are ~ to a democratic system.
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perspective (n.)
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a way of seeing from a particular location; a way of thinking about something
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Ex: From my ~, the entire town can be seen through a set of large windows.
Ex: They held different ~+ on how to care for their aging parents. |
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portrayal (n.)
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a description or drawing that reflects a certain point of view
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Ex: Most ~+ of Abraham Lincoln emphasize his sense of humor and his honesty.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase to indicate what is being described. |
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realism (n.)
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a technique that tries to picture something as it really looks
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Ex: ~ was popular among seventeenth-century Flemish painters like Rembrandt van Rijn.
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spectrum (n.)
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a range of different things, usually colors
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Ex: Bart's colorful designs include every color of the ~, from deep blue to vibrant red.
Usage Tips: The phrase the ~ frequently means "the colors that the human eye can see". |
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advent (n.)
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coming; arrival; the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event
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Ex: The ~ of the automobile greatly increased the demand for petroleum.
Usage Tips: ~ is usually followed by an of phrase. |
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ambiguous (adj.)
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having more than one possible meaning
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Ex: The sentence It's hard to say is ~, with different meanings in different contexts.
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connotation (n.)
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a meaning implied, not stated directly
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Ex: When my boss says, "Thank you", the ~ is that she's done talking and I should leave.
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decipher (v.)
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to figure out the meaning, even though it is written in a code or an unknown language
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Ex: The Rosetta Stone helped archaeologists ~ ancient Egyptian writing.
Usage Tips: A ~+ is a code or puzzle; ~ means "solve a puzzle written in code". |
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denote (v.)
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to mean something clearly and directly
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Ex: An "X" next to a name on this list ~+ a person who has been chosen for the soccer team.
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illiterate (adj.)
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unable to read
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Ex: In many villages nearly everyone was ~ and unschooled, and the few who could read held great power.
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ingenious (adj.)
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very clever and imaginative
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Ex: Ann thought up an ~ way to keep other people from accidentally taking her pens.
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inscription (n.)
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something written into a piece of rock or metal
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Ex: The ~ on my ring says "August 1," because that was the day of our wedding.
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phonetic (adj.)
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related to the sounds in a language
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Ex: Children learning to write often make up ~ spellings, based on the way a word sounds.
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symbolic (adj.)
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acting as a sign for some other thing or idea
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Ex: Since the 1970s, yellow ribbons have been ~ of hope that someone will return from a dangerous situation.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by an of phrase indicating the meaning of a ~+. |
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amateurish (adj.)
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not good enough to be the work of professionals
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Ex: Whoever painted this room did an ~ job, with all sorts of uneven edges.
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cast (n.)
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the group of actors in a play, movie, television show, etc.
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Ex: Some viewers mistakenly start thinking that a TV show's ~ members are really the characters they play.
Usage Tips: In U.S. English, ~ is singular. In some other varieties of English it is plural. |
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charismatic (adj.)
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Extremely attractive and charming
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Ex: Because of the sparkle in his eye and his confident style, John F. Kennedy was a ~ leader.
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gala (adj.)
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Expensive, elaborately arranged, and full of celebration
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Ex: A college graduation party should be a ~ affair, not a backyard barbecue.
Usage Tips: ~ is somewhat old-fashioned, far more common in print than in speech. |
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hilarious (adj.)
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very funny
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Ex: In my opinion, the most ~ character on television was Basil Fawlty.
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improvisation (n.)
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inventing a solution to an unexpected problem
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Ex: Boy Scouts take pride in their ~ when faced with trouble during a camping trip.
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incompetent (adj.)
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unskilled; lacking the ability to perform a task
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Ex: Because we hired an ~ builder to replace our roof, we now have leaks everywhere.
Usage Tips: Usually, ~ implies that someone tries to do something but fails. |
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medium (n.)
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a channel or way for a meaning to be expressed
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Ex: Watercolor art is often considered childish, but some artists have achieved great things working in that ~.
Usage Tips: The plural of ~ is ~+. |
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skit (n.)
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a short, informal play
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Ex: Marnie and Chris spent a long time practicing their ~ for the school show.
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zeal (n.)
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enthusiasm; a deep determination to do well
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Ex: Unfortunately, Tom's ~ to become a rock star distracted him from his studies.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by to plus a verb or by a for phrase. |
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bulk (n.)
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largeness and a heavy appearance
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Ex: The ~ of Kevin's athletic body was too great for one small chair, so he sat on a bench.
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capricious (adj.)
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moving unpredictably from one thing to another
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Ex: Your college studies will go on too long if you make ~ jumps from one major to another.
Usage Tips: ~ comes from a Latin word meaning "goat"and implies a motion like the jumping of a goat. |
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cumbersome (adj.)
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difficult to wear or carry because of weight or shape
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Ex: To make it to the top of the mountain before dark, the hikers dumped their ~ tent.
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exotic (adj.)
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interesting or unusual because of coming from a faraway place
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Ex: I walked into the restaurant and smelled the ~ aromas of Malaysian spices.
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inhibit (v.)
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to discourage or to slow down
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Ex: This lotion will ~ the itching caused by mosquito bites.
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minimum (n.)
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the smallest possible amount or level
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Ex: The ~ for being accepted to Cavill University is a score of 60 on the test.
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striking (adj.)
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very noticeable; easily attracting attention
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Ex: Gordon had a ~ new attitude after he learned self-discipline at the army academy.
Usage Tips: ~ comes from a verb that means "to hit". |
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trend (n.)
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a movement in one direction or a widespread change in fashion
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Ex: The ~ among some young men is to wear their caps with the bill off to one side.
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vanity (n.)
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an excessive concern for one's appearance; excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements
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Ex: Mark's ~ led him to spend far too much money on haircuts and new clothes.
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vulnerable (adj.)
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Exposed to possible harm
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Ex: Babies and very old people are especially ~ to the new disease.
Usage Tips: ~ is often followed by a to phrase. |