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VOCAB4 Flashcards

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1
Q

epigram

A
  1. witticism, quip, joke

2. a short poem, especially a satirical one, having a witty or ingenious ending.

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2
Q

atavistic

A

relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.

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3
Q

proximate

A
  1. (especially of the cause of something) closest in relationship; immediate.
  2. nearly accurate; approximate.
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4
Q

avert

A
  1. turn away (one’s eyes or thoughts).

2. prevent or ward off (an undesirable occurrence).

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5
Q

rescind

A

revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement).

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6
Q

protract

A

prolong.

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7
Q

malady

A

a disease or ailment.

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8
Q

emend

A

make corrections and improvements to (a text).

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9
Q

allay

A
  1. diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry).

2. relieve or alleviate (pain or hunger).

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10
Q

edify

A

instruct or improve (someone) morally or intellectually.

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11
Q

peremptory

A

(especially of a person’s manner or actions) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way.

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12
Q

toothsome

A

tasty

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13
Q

insularity

A

ignorance of or lack of interest in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one’s own experience.

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14
Q

profundity

A

deep insight; great depth of knowledge or thought.

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15
Q

iota

A

an extremely small amount.

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16
Q

veneer

A

surface apprearance

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17
Q

iniquity

A

immoral or grossly unfair behavior.

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18
Q

misogyny

A

dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.

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19
Q

lionize

A

give a lot of public attention and approval to (someone); treat as a celebrity.

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20
Q

impugn

A

dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of (a statement or motive); call into question.

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21
Q

waggish

A

humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner.

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22
Q

malefaction

A

an evil deed, crime

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23
Q

trespass

A

a sin or offense

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24
Q

embezzle

A

steal or misappropriate (money placed in one’s trust or belonging to the organization for which one works).

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25
Q

pilferer

A

a person who steals things of little value or in small quantities, especially from the place where they work.

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26
Q

casuistic

A

practicing clever but unsound reasoning

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27
Q

imposing

A

grand and impressive in appearance.

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28
Q

hypochondriac

A

a person who is abnormally anxious about their health

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29
Q

temerity

A

excessive confidence or boldness; audacity.

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30
Q

georgic

A

rustic, plain

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31
Q

natty

A

smart and fashionable

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32
Q

reduce sb to near

A

bring someone or something to (a lower or weaker state, condition, or role).

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33
Q

penury

A

extreme poverty; destitution

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34
Q

malaise

A

a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.

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35
Q

runic

A

relating to runes (= magic marks or letters, especially the letters of an ancient alphabet cut into stone or wood in the past)

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36
Q

sartorial

A

relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress.

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37
Q

costiveness

A

The state or quality of being costive; constipation. (obsolete) Inability to express oneself; stiffness

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38
Q

bathos

A

(especially in a work of literature) an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous.

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39
Q

convalescence

A

time spent recovering from an illness or medical treatment; recuperation.

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40
Q

sagacity

A

wisdom, intelligence

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41
Q

deluge

A

a severe flood

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42
Q

flagitious

A

criminal; villainous.

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43
Q

antediluvian

A
  1. of or belonging to the time before the biblical Flood.

2. ridiculously old-fashioned.

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44
Q

dissuade

A

discourage, prevent, deter

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45
Q

dictate

A

utter, say outloud, speak

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46
Q

sordid

A
  1. involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt.
  2. dirty and squalid
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47
Q

animadversion

A

criticism or censure.

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48
Q

glib

A

fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow.

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49
Q

peevish

A

easily irritated, especially by unimportant things.

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50
Q

condign

A

appropriate, deserved

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51
Q

dub

A

name, label

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52
Q

sparse

A

scanty, thinly dispersed or scattered.

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53
Q

cognoscenti

A

people who are considered to be especially well informed about a particular subject.

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54
Q

fledgling

A

a person or organization that is immature, inexperienced, or underdeveloped.

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55
Q

neophyte

A

beginner, a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief.

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56
Q

fungible

A

able to replace or be replaced by another identical item; mutually interchangeable.

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57
Q

heteromorphic

A

exhibiting a plurality of forms

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58
Q

cult

A

a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.

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59
Q

imperilment

A

to expose to peril; the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil.

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60
Q

uninitiated

A

without special knowledge or experience.

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61
Q

proscribe

A

forbid, especially by law; denounce

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62
Q

tenuousness

A
  1. Weak or insubstantial; flimsy

2. precarious, insecure

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63
Q

equalet

A

an ornamental shoulder piece on an item of clothing, especially on the coat or jacket of a military uniform.

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64
Q

laxity

A

lack of strictness, looseness, leniency

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65
Q

stray

A

move away aimlessly from a group or from the right course or place.

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66
Q

pigue

A

a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, especially to one’s pride.

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67
Q

crescendo

A

the highest point reached in a progressive increase of intensity.

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68
Q

euphony

A

the quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words.

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69
Q

woebegone

A

sad or miserable in appearance.

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70
Q

effulgent

A

shining brightly; radiant.

(of a person or their expression) emanating joy or goodness.

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71
Q

haggard

A

looking exhausted and unwell, especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering.

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72
Q

ethereal

A

extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

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73
Q

shelling

A

the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area rather than hit a specific target.

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74
Q

nugatory

A

of no value or importance.

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75
Q

sumptuous

A

splendid and expensive-looking.

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76
Q

magisterial

A

having or showing great authority

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77
Q

jocund

A

cheerful and lighthearted.

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78
Q

letup

A

abatement, a pause or reduction in the intensity of something dangerous, difficult, or tiring.

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79
Q

haste

A

hurry, excessive speed or urgency of movement or action; hurry.

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80
Q

bop

A

move or travel energetically

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81
Q

traipse

A

walk casually or needlessly

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82
Q

circumambulate

A

walk all the way around (something).

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83
Q

sidle

A

walk in a furtive, unobtrusive, or timid manner, especially sideways or obliquely.

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84
Q

reconnoiter

A

survey, explore: make a military observation of (a region).

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85
Q

commodious

A

roomy and comfortable.

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86
Q

propinquity

A

the state of being close to someone or something; proximity.

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87
Q

crotchet

A

a perverse (unreasonable, illogical) or unfounded belief or notion.

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88
Q

apogee

A

the highest point in the development of something; a climax or culmination.

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89
Q

awl

A

a hole-punching tool

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90
Q

opus

A

musical or literary composition

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91
Q

abettor

A

a person who encourages or assists someone to do something wrong, in particular to commit a crime.

92
Q

mendicant

A

given to begging.

93
Q

rube

A

a country bumpkin.

94
Q

break away

A

sudden attack or forward movement; divergence

95
Q

gaunlet

A

open challenge

96
Q

fortitude

A

courage in pain or adversity.

97
Q

patois

A

dialect

98
Q

equanimity

A

mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.

99
Q

consternation

A

feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.

100
Q

disportment

A

amusement; diversion from work or serious matters; recreation

101
Q

egalitarian

A

relating to or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.

102
Q

pith

A

the essence of something.

103
Q

supine

A

passive, apathetic

104
Q

superfluous

A

redundant, surplus

105
Q

wheedling = cajoling

A

using flattery or coaxing in order to persuade someone to do something or give one something.

106
Q

freewheeling

A

characterized by a disregard for rules or conventions; unconstrained or uninhibited.

107
Q

abdicate

A
  1. renounce one’s throne.

2. fail to fulfill or undertake (a responsibility or duty).

108
Q

mar

A

spoil, ruin, impair

109
Q

frisson

A

a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill.

110
Q

panegyric

A

a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.

111
Q

murmur

A

a mumbled or private expression of discontent.

112
Q

cunning

A

having or showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion

113
Q

infighting

A

hidden conflict or competitiveness within an organization.

114
Q

ennui

A

lethargy, boredom, lassitude

115
Q

opulence

A

great wealth or luxuriousness

116
Q

truculence

A

belligerent, aggressively self-assertive

117
Q

virtuoso

A

a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit.

118
Q

inane

A

silly; stupid

119
Q

inept

A

having or showing no skill; clumsy.

120
Q

ingenuity

A

the quality of being clever, original, and inventive.

121
Q

forsake

A

abandon, giveup

122
Q

brook

A

tolerate or allow

123
Q

beset

A
  1. be covered or studded with.

2. (of a problem or difficulty) trouble or threaten persistently.

124
Q

cull

A
  1. select from a large quantity; obtain from a variety of sources.
  2. a selective slaughter of wild animals.
125
Q

raconteur

A

a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way.

126
Q

droll

A

funny, humorous

127
Q

unbecoming

A

inappropriate

128
Q

elude

A
  1. evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning way.
  2. difficult to grasp, understand
129
Q

evince

A

reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling); demonstrate

130
Q

best

A

defeat, outwit or get the better of (someone).

131
Q

doggerel

A

verse or words that are badly written or expressed.

132
Q

repartee

A

conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies.

133
Q

as often as not

A

quite frequently or commonly.

134
Q

mettlesome

A

full of spirit and courage.

135
Q

heady

A

having a strong or exhilarating effect.

136
Q

kinshio

A

blood relationship

137
Q

largess

A

generousity, donation

138
Q

backpedal

A

reverse one’s previous action or opinion.

139
Q

ostensible

A

stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.

140
Q

plutocracy

A

government by the wealthy

141
Q

bugaboo

A

an object of fear or alarm; a bugbear; annoying

142
Q

recalcitrant

A

difficult to manage and control

143
Q

compunction

A

scrupple

144
Q

pedestrian

A

lacking inspiration or excitement; dull.

145
Q

monolithic

A

large, powerful, and intractably indivisible and uniform.

146
Q

conflagration

A

an extensive fire which destroys a great deal of land or property.

147
Q

scintilla

A

a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling.

148
Q

surfeit

A

an excessive amount of something.

149
Q

pernicious

A

having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

150
Q

rankle

A

cause annoyance or resentment that persists.

151
Q

latency

A

tension, the state of existing but not yet being developed or manifest; concealment.

152
Q

disincentive

A

a factor, especially a financial disadvantage, that tends to discourage people from doing something.

153
Q

countermand

A

revoke (an order)

154
Q

iniquitous

A

grossly unfair and morally wrong.

155
Q

halcyon

A

calm, serene

156
Q

stratify

A

form or arrange into strata.

157
Q

philological

A

the study of language, especially its history and development

158
Q

provenance

A

the place of origin or earliest known history of something

159
Q

bane

A

a cause of great distress or annoyance.

160
Q

plumb

A

measure and test

161
Q

deceleration

A

reduction in speed or rate.

162
Q

glut

A

an excessively abundant supply of something.

163
Q

timbre

A

sound, voice, tone

164
Q

clangor

A

a continuous loud banging or ringing sound.

165
Q

auspicious

A

conducive to success; favorable.

166
Q

noisome

A
  1. having an extremely offensive smell.

2. disagreeable, unpleasant

167
Q

undulating

A

having a smoothly rising and falling form or outline.

168
Q

erstwhile

A

former

169
Q

unremitting

A

relentless

170
Q

covetuous

A

having or showing a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else.

171
Q

hack

A

a dull, unoriginal writer

172
Q

credulity

A

tendency to believe people easily

173
Q

lackluster

A

dull, lacking in vitality, force, or conviction; uninspired or uninspiring.

174
Q

ascendant

A

rising in power or influence.

175
Q

unflagging

A

tireless; persistent.

176
Q

defunct

A

no longer existing or functioning

177
Q

sate

A

satisfy (a desire or an appetite) to the full.

178
Q

invective

A

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.

179
Q

inveigle

A

wheedle, cajole

180
Q

needle

A

provoke or annoy (someone) by continual criticism or questioning.

181
Q

rant

A

speaking at length in an angry and impassioned way.

182
Q

homeage

A

special honor or respect shown publicly.

183
Q

fealty

A

formal acknowledgement of loyalty to a lord.

184
Q

protege

A

student, trainee - a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person.

185
Q

vassal

A

a holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance. –> servant

186
Q

vanguard

A

a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas.

187
Q

precursor

A

a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner.

188
Q

mulishness

A

unreasonably and inflexibly obstinate.

189
Q

cerebration

A

the working of the brain; thinking.

190
Q

banishment

A
  1. the punishment of being sent away from a country or other place.
  2. the action of getting rid of something unwanted.
191
Q

mien

A

a person’s look or manner, especially one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood.

192
Q

prognosis

A

a forecast of the likely course of a disease or ailment or a forecast of the likely outcome of a situation.

193
Q

poised

A

having a composed and self-assured manner.

194
Q

heterogeneous

A

diverse in character or content.

195
Q

fretful

A

feeling or expressing distress or irritation.

196
Q

looming

A

emerging, appear as a shadowy form, especially one that is large or threatening.

197
Q

revolting

A
  1. causing intense disgust; disgusting.

2. engage in revolt, against the government

198
Q

outclass

A

be far superior to

199
Q

sap

A

gradually weaken or destroy (a person’s strength or power)

200
Q

libelous

A

defamatory, disparaging

201
Q

ulterior

A

existing beyond what is obvious or admitted; intentionally hidden; undisclosed, secondary

202
Q

pathological

A
  1. involving, caused by, or of the nature of a physical or mental disease.
  2. compulsive; obsessive
203
Q

recrimination

A

an accusation in response to one from someone else.

204
Q

insolence

A

rude and disrespectful behavior.

205
Q

epitome

A
  1. a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type.
  2. a summary of a written work; an abstract.
206
Q

hubristic

A

excessively proud or self-confident.

207
Q

exalted

A
  1. held in high regard.

2. in a state of extreme happiness.

208
Q

pretension

A

ostenstatiousness

209
Q

liberality

A

the quality of being open to new ideas and free from prejudice.

210
Q

unwholesome

A

not characterized by or conducive to health or moral well-being.

211
Q

truculent

A

aggressive

212
Q

intuit

A

understand or work out by instinct.

213
Q

codify

A

arrange according to a plan or system.

214
Q

officiate

A

perform, take charge

215
Q

conciliatory

A

intended or likely to placate or pacify.

216
Q

malfeasance

A

wrongdoing, especially by a public official

217
Q

ramification

A

a consequence of an action or event, especially when complex or unwelcome.

218
Q

habiliment

A

clothing

219
Q

vestige

A

a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.

220
Q

transcendent

A

beyond or above the range of normal or merely physical human experience.

221
Q

iridescent

A

showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles.

222
Q

drab

A

lacking brightness or interest; drearily dull.

223
Q

denigrate

A

criticize unfairly; disparage.

224
Q

divest

A

deprive (someone) of power, rights, or possessions.

225
Q

overweening

A

excessive, conceited

GRE (4 decks)

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