Term
Ebullience
Noun
Context Clue: Bubbling over with ebullience
Ebullient
Adjective
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Definition
Exuberance; overflowing enthusiasm; high-spirits; a boiling over
Elle's prim and proper parents were unable to teach her to keep her natural ebullience in check; she was always bubbling over with enthusiasm.
Exhilarated; full of enthusiasm and high spirits.
The ebullient child exhausted the baby-sitter, who lacked the energy to keep up with her.
Synonyms: Ardent; avid; bubbly; zestful
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Clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
In reading comprehension, questions that ask directly about a detail in the passage are sometimes called explicit text questions.
Synonyms: Candid; clear-cut; definite; definitive; express; specific; straightforward; unambiguous; unequivocal |
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To copy; to try to equal or excel
The graduate student sought to emulate hisprofessor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class.
Synonyms: Ape; imitate; simulate |
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A puzzel; a mystery
Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes, the artist gained a reputation as something of an enigma.
Synonyms: Conundrum; perplexity |
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Selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
Budapest's architecture is an eclectic mix of eastern and western styles.
Synonyms: Broad; catholic; selective |
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Admirable
Most people consider it estimable that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India.
Synonyms: Admirable; commendable; creditable; honorable; laudable; meritorious; praiseworthy; respectable; venerable; worthy |
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To make worse
It is unwise to take aspirin to try to relieve heartburn since instead of providing relief it will only exacerbate the problem.
Synonyms: Aggravate; annoy; intensify; irritate; provoke |
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To instruct morally and spiritually
The guru was paid to edify the actress in the ways of Buddhism.
Synonyms: Educate; enlighten; guide; teach |
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Stuffed doll; likeness of a person
In England, effigies of the historic rebel Guy Fawkes are burned in commemorations of his life.
Synonyms: Dummy; figure; image |
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Impudent boldness; audacity
The receptionist had the effrontery to laugh out loud when the CEO tripped over a computer wire and fell flat on his face.
Synonyms: Brashness; gall; nerve; presumption; temerity |
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Lasting a short time
The lives of mayflies seem ephemeral to us, since the flies' average life span is a matter of hours.
Synonyms: Evanescent; fleeting; momentary; transient |
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Warm praise
Georgias's "Encomium to Helen" was written as a tribute to Helen of Troy.
Synonyms: Citation; eulogy; panegyric; salutationl tribute |
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To censor
Government propagandists expurgate all negative references to the disctator from the film.
Synonyms: bowdlerize; cut; sanitize |
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Urgent; requiring immediate action
The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was exigent to stop the source of the bleeding.
Synonyms: Critical; imperative; needed; urgent |
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One who champions or advocates
The vice president was an enthusiastic exponent of computer technology.
Synonyms: Representative; supporter |
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To clear of blame
The fugitive was exonerated when another criminal confessed to commiting the crime.
Synonyms: absolute; acquit; clear; exculpate; vindicate |
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To count, list, or itemize
Before making his decision, Jacob ased the waiter to enumerate the different varieties of ice cream that the restaurant carried.
Synonyms: catalog; index; tabulate |
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To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
When faced with criticism of his policies, the politician equivocated and left all parties thinking he agreed with them.
Synonyms: ambiguous; evasive; waffling |
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Wandering and unpredictable
The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of erratic turns that surprised the audience.
Synonyms: Capricious; inconstant; irresolute; whimsical |
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Learned; scholarly; bookish
The annual meeting of philosophy professors was a gathering of the most erudite, well-published individuals in the field.
Synonyms: learned; scholastic; wise |
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Speech in praise of someone
His best friend gace the eulogy, outlining his many achievements and talents.
Synonyms: Commend; extold; laud |
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Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
The funeral director preferred to use the euphemism "sleeping" instead of the word 'dead'
Synonyms: Nice-nellyism |
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To clear from blame; prove innocent
The legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and exculpate those who are innocent.
Synonyms: absolute; acquit; clear; exonerate; vindicate |
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To produce, cause, or bring about
His fear and hatred of clowns was engendered when he witnessed a bank robbery carried out by five men wearing clown suits and make-up
Synonyms: Beget; generate; procreate; proliferate; reproduce; spawn |
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To reduce in strength
The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attacks would enervate the regular army.
Synonyms: debilitate; enfeeble; sap; weaken |
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Belonging to a particular area; inherent
The health department determined that the outbreak was endemic to the small village, so they quarantined the inhabitants before the virus could spread
Synonyms: indigenous; local; native |
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Persuasive and moving, especially in speech
The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but because of its eloquent words.
Synonyms: Articulate; expressive; fluent; meaningful; significant; smooth-spoken |
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A sorrowful poem or speech
Though Thomas Gray's elegy is about death and loss, it urges its reader to endure this life, and to trust in spirituality
Synonyms: dirge; lament |
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To add ornamental or fictitious details
Synonyms: Adorn; bedeck; elaborate; embroider; enhance; exaggerate |
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Fake
Edda, a fashion maven, knew instantly that her friend's new Kate Spade bag was really an ersatz version purchased on the street.
Synonyms: Artificial; dummy; false; imitation; mock; sham; simulated; spurious; substitute |
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Person with refined taste in food and wine
Niren is an epicure who always throws the most spendid dinner parties
Synonyms: bon vivant; connoisseur; gastronome; gastronomist; gourmand; gourmet |
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Pleasant, harmonium sound
To their loving parents, the children's orchestra performance sounded like euphony, although an outside observer probably would have called it a cacophony of hideous sounds |
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Beliefs or character of a group
It is the Boy Scouts' ethos that one should always be prepared
Synonyms: culture; ethic; philosophy |
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Known or understood only by a few
Only a handful of experts are knowledgeable about the esoteric world of particle physics
Synonyms: abstruse; arcane; obscure |
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To shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful)
The filmmaker eschewed artificial light for her actors, resulting in a stark movie style
Synonyms: avoid; bilk; elude; escape; evade; shun; shy |
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