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abate v 1: make less active or intense [syn: slake, slack] 2: become less in amount or intensity; "The storm abated"; "The rain let up after a few hours" [syn: let up, slack off, slack, die away] See also: [slake] [slack] [let up] [slack off] [die away] |
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accolade n : a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction; "an award for bravery" [syn: award, honor, honour, laurels] See also: [award] [honor] [honour] [laurels] |
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adulation n : servile flattery; exaggerated and hypocritical praise |
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aesthetic adj 1: relating to or dealing with the subject of aesthetics; "aesthetic values" [syn: esthetic] 2: concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste; "the aesthetic faculties"; "an aesthetic person"; "aesthetic feeling"; "the illustrations made the book an aesthetic success" [syn: esthetic, aesthetical, esthetical] [ant: inaesthetic] 3: aesthetically pleasing; "an artistic flower arrangement" [syn: esthetic, artistic, pleasing] n : (philosophy) a philosophical theory as to what is beautiful; "he despised the esthetic of minimalism" [syn: esthetic] See also: [esthetic] [aesthetical] [esthetical] [inaesthetic] [artistic] [pleasing] |
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ameliorate v 1: to make better; "The editor improved the manuscript with his changes" [syn: better, improve, amend, meliorate] [ant: worsen] 2: get better; "The weather improved toward evening" [syn: better, improve, meliorate] [ant: worsen] See also: [better] [improve] [amend] [meliorate] [worsen] |
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ascetic adj 1: pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; "ascetic practices" [syn: ascetical] 2: practicing great self-denial; "Be systematically ascetic...do...something for no other reason than that you would rather not do it"- William James; "a desert nomad's austere life"; "a spartan diet"; "a spartan existence" [syn: ascetical, austere, spartan] n : practices self denial as spiritual discipline [syn: abstainer] See also: [ascetical] [austere] [spartan] [abstainer] |
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avarice n 1: reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins) [syn: greed, covetousness, rapacity, avaritia] 2: extreme greed for material wealth [syn: avariciousness, covetousness, cupidity] See also: [greed] [covetousness] [rapacity] [avaritia] [avariciousness] [cupidity] |
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axiom n 1: a saying that widely accepted on its own merits [syn: maxim] 2: (logic) a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof; its truth is assumed to be self-evident See also: [maxim] |
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burgeon v : grow and flourish; "The burgeoning administration"; "The burgeoning population" |
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bucolic adj 1: used of idealized country life; "a country life of arcadian contentment"; "a pleasant bucolic scene"; "charming in its pastoral setting"; "rustic tranquility" [syn: arcadian, pastoral, rustic] 2: relating to shepherds or herdsmen or devoted to raising sheep or cattle; "pastoral seminomadic people"; "pastoral land"; "a pastoral economy" [syn: pastoral] n 1: a country person [syn: peasant, provincial] 2: a short descriptive poem of rural or pastoral life [syn: eclogue, idyll] See also: [arcadian] [pastoral] [rustic] [peasant] [provincial] [eclogue] [idyll] |
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cacophony n 1: a loud harsh or strident noise [syn: blare, blaring, clamor, din] 2: loud confusing disagreeable sounds See also: [blare] [blaring] [clamor] [din] |
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canon n 1: a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy; "the neoclassical canon"; "canons of polite society" 2: a priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter 3: a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall [syn: canyon] 4: a contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated exactly in other parts 5: a complete list of saints that have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church 6: a collection of books accepted as holy scripture especially the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired See also: [canyon] |
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castigation n 1: a severe scolding [syn: earful, bawling out, chewing out, upbraiding, going-over, dressing down] 2: verbal punishment [syn: chastisement] See also: [earful] [bawling out] [chewing out] [upbraiding] [going-over] [dressing down] [chastisement] |
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catalyst n 1: (chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected [syn: accelerator] [ant: anticatalyst] 2: something that causes an important event to happen; "the invasion acted as a catalyst to unite the country" See also: [accelerator] [anticatalyst] |
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caustic adj 1: harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation" [syn: acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, sulfurous, sulphurous, venomous, virulent, vitriolic] 2: of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action [syn: corrosive, erosive, vitriolic] n : any chemical substance that burns or destroys living tissue See also: [acerb] [acerbic] [acid] [acrid] [bitter] [blistering] [sulfurous] [sulphurous] [venomous] [virulent] [vitriolic] [corrosive] [erosive] |
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chary adj : characterized by great cautious and wariness; "a cagey avoidance of a definite answer"; "chary of the risks involved"; "a chary investor" [syn: cagey, cagy] [also: chariest, charier] See also: [cagey] [cagy] [chariest] [charier] |
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cogent adj 1: having the power to influence or convince; "a cogent analysis of the problem"; "potent arguments" [syn: potent, powerful] 2: powerfully persuasive; "a cogent argument"; "a telling presentation"; "a weighty argument" [syn: telling, weighty] See also: [potent] [powerful] [telling] [weighty] |
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complaisance n : a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others [syn: compliance, compliancy, obligingness, deference] See also: [compliance] [compliancy] [obligingness] [deference] |
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contentious adj 1: inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits; "a style described as abrasive and contentious"; "a disputatious lawyer"; "a litigious and acrimonious spirit" [syn: disputatious, disputative, litigious] 2: involving or likely to cause controversy; "a central and contentious element of the book"- Tim W.Ferfuson 3: having or showing a ready disposition to fight; "bellicose young officers"; "a combative impulse"; "a contentious nature" [syn: battleful, bellicose, combative] See also: [disputatious] [disputative] [litigious] [battleful] [bellicose] [combative] |
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contrite adj 1: feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses [syn: remorseful, rueful, ruthful, sorry] 2: feeling regret for a fault or offence See also: [remorseful] [rueful] [ruthful] [sorry] |
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culpable adj : deserving blame or censure as being wrong or evil or injurious; "blameworthy if not criminal behavior"; "censurable misconduct"; "culpable negligence" [syn: blameworthy, blamable, blameable, blameful, censurable] See also: [blameworthy] [blamable] [blameable] [blameful] [censurable] |
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dearth n 1: an acute insufficiency [syn: famine, shortage] 2: an insufficient quantity or number [syn: paucity] See also: [famine] [shortage] [paucity] |
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demur n : (law) a formal objection to an opponent's pleadings [syn: demurral, demurrer] v 1: take exception to; "he demurred at my suggestion to work on Saturday" [syn: except] 2: enter a demurrer [also: demurring, demurred] See also: [demurral] [demurrer] [except] [demurring] [demurred] |
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didactic adj : instructive (especially excessively) [syn: didactical] See also: [didactical] |
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discretion n 1: freedom to act or judge on one's own 2: knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; "the servants showed great tact and discretion" [syn: discreetness, circumspection, prudence] 3: refined taste; tact [syn: delicacy] 4: the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies [syn: free will] 5: the trait of judging wisely and objectively; "a man of discernment" [syn: discernment] See also: [discreetness] [circumspection] [prudence] [delicacy] [free will] [discernment] |
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disinterested adj : unaffected by self-interest |
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dogmatic adj 1: characterized by arrogant assertion of unproved or unprovable principles [syn: dogmatical] 2: relating to or involving dogma; "dogmatic writings" See also: [dogmatical] |
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ebullience n : overflowing with enthusiasm [syn: exuberance, enthusiasm] See also: [exuberance] [enthusiasm] |
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eclectic adj : selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas n : someone who selects according to the eclectic method [syn: eclecticist] See also: [eclecticist] |
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elegy n : a mournful poem; a lament for the dead [syn: lament] See also: [lament] |
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emollient adj : having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin [syn: demulcent, salving, softening] n : toiletry consisting of any of various substances resembling cream that have a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin [syn: cream, ointment] See also: [demulcent] [salving] [softening] [cream] [ointment] |
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empirical adj 1: derived from experiment and observation rather than theory; "an empirical basis for an ethical theory"; "empirical laws"; "empirical data"; "an empirical treatment of a disease about which little is known" [syn: empiric] [ant: theoretical] 2: relying on medical quackery; "empiric treatment" [syn: empiric] See also: [empiric] [theoretical] |
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enigmatic adj 1: not clear to the understanding; "I didn't grasp the meaning of that enigmatic comment until much later"; "prophetic texts so enigmatic that their meaning has been disputed for centuries" [syn: enigmatical, puzzling] 2: resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought; "the oracular sayings of Victorian poets"; "so enigmatic that priests might have to clarify it"; "an enigmatic smile" [syn: oracular] See also: [enigmatical] [puzzling] [oracular] |
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ephemeral adj : enduring a very short time; "the ephemeral joys of childhood"; "a passing fancy"; "youth's transient beauty"; "love is transitory but at is eternal"; "fugacious blossoms" [syn: passing, short-lived, transient, transitory, fugacious] See also: [passing] [short-lived] [transient] [transitory] [fugacious] |
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esoteric adj : confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle; "a compilation of esoteric philosophical theories" [ant: exoteric] See also: [exoteric] |
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eulogy n : a formal expression of praise [syn: encomium, panegyric, paean, pean] See also: [encomium] [panegyric] [paean] [pean] |
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exonerate v : pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; "The suspect was cleared of the murder charges" [syn: acquit, assoil, clear, discharge, exculpate] [ant: convict] See also: [acquit] [assoil] [clear] [discharge] [exculpate] [convict] |
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facetious adj : cleverly amusing in tone; "a bantering tone"; "facetious remarks"; "tongue-in-cheek advice" [syn: bantering, tongue-in-cheek] See also: [bantering] [tongue-in-cheek] |
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fallacy n : a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning [syn: false belief] See also: [false belief] |
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furtive adj 1: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a lurking prowler"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a surreptitious glance at his watch"; "someone skulking in the shadows" [syn: lurking, skulking, sneak(a), sneaky, stealthy, surreptitious] 2: secret and sly or sordid; "backstairs gossip"; "his low backstairs cunning"- A.L.Guerard; "backstairs intimacies"; "furtive behavior" [syn: backstair, backstairs] See also: [lurking] [skulking] [sneak(a)] [sneaky] [stealthy] [surreptitious] [backstair] [backstairs] |
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gregarious adj 1: tending to form a group with others of the same kind; "gregarious bird species"; "man is a gregarious animal" [ant: ungregarious] 2: seeking and enjoying the company of others; "a gregarious person who avoids solitude" See also: [ungregarious] |
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harangue n : a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion [syn: rant, ranting] v : deliver a harangue to; address forcefully See also: [rant] [ranting] |
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heretical adj : characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards [syn: dissident, heterodox] See also: [dissident] [heterodox] |
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hyperbole n : extravagant exaggeration [syn: exaggeration] See also: [exaggeration] |
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incipient adj : only partly in existence; imperfectly formed; "incipient civil disorder"; "an incipient tumor"; "a vague inchoate idea" [syn: inchoate] See also: [inchoate] |
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inert adj 1: unable to move or resist motion 2: having only a limited ability to react chemically; not active; "inert matter"; "an indifferent chemical in a reaction" [syn: indifferent, neutral] 3: slow and apathetic; "she was fat and inert"; "a sluggish worker"; "a mind grown torpid in old age" [syn: sluggish, torpid] See also: [indifferent] [neutral] [sluggish] [torpid] |
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innocuous adj 1: not injurious to physical or mental health [syn: harmless] [ant: noxious] 2: unlikely to harm or disturb anyone; "harmless old man" [syn: harmless] 3: not causing disapproval; "it was an innocuous remark"; "confined himself to innocuous generalities"; "unobjectionable behavior" [syn: unobjectionable] 4: lacking intent or capacity to injure; "an innocent prank" [syn: innocent] See also: [harmless] [noxious] [unobjectionable] [innocent] |
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intransigent adj : not capable of being swayed or diverted from a course; unsusceptible to persuasion; "he is adamant in his refusal to change his mind"; "Cynthia was inexorable; she would have none of him"- W.Churchill; "an intransigent conservative opposed to every liberal tendancy" [syn: adamant, adamantine, inexorable] See also: [adamant] [adamantine] [inexorable] |
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inveigle v : influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering; "He palavered her into going along" [syn: wheedle, cajole, palaver, blarney, coax, sweet-talk] See also: [wheedle] [cajole] [palaver] [blarney] [coax] [sweet-talk] |
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morose adj : showing a brooding ill humor; "a dark scowl"; "the proverbially dour New England Puritan"; "a glum, hopeless shrug"; "he sat in moody silence"; "a morose and unsociable manner"; "a saturnine, almost misanthropic young genius"- Bruce Bliven; "a sour temper"; "a sullen crowd" [syn: dark, dour, glowering, glum, moody, saturnine, sour, sullen] See also: [dark] [dour] [glowering] [glum] [moody] [saturnine] [sour] [sullen] |
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odious adj : unequivocally detestable; "abominable treatment of prisoners"; "detestable vices"; "execrable crimes"; "consequences odious to those you govern"- Edmund Burke [syn: abominable, detestable, execrable] See also: [abominable] [detestable] [execrable] |
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opaque adj 1: not clear; not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; "opaque windows of the jail"; "opaque to X-rays" [ant: clear] 2: not clearly understood or expressed [syn: unintelligible] See also: [clear] [unintelligible] |
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oscillation n 1: the process of oscillating between states 2: (physics) a regular periodic variation in value about a mean [syn: vibration] 3: a single complete execution of a periodically repeated phenomenon; "a year constitutes a cycle of the seasons" [syn: cycle] See also: [vibration] [cycle] |
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penurious adj 1: not having enough money to pay for necessities [syn: hard up, impecunious, in straitened circumstances(p), penniless, pinched] 2: excessively unwilling to spend; "parsimonious thrift relieved by few generous impulses"; "lived in a most penurious manner--denying himself every indulgence" [syn: parsimonious] See also: [hard up] [impecunious] [in straitened circumstances(p)] [penniless] [pinched] [parsimonious] |
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pernicious adj 1: exceedingly harmful [syn: baneful, deadly, pestilent] 2: working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way; "glaucoma is an insidious disease"; "a subtle poison" [syn: insidious, subtle] See also: [baneful] [deadly] [pestilent] [insidious] [subtle] |
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peruse v : examine or consider with attention and in detail; "Please peruse this report at your leisure" |
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pious adj 1: having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity; "pious readings" [ant: impious] 2: devoutly religious; "a god-fearing and law-abiding people" H.L.Mencken [syn: devout, god-fearing] See also: [impious] [devout] [god-fearing] |
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precursor n 1: a substance from which another substance is formed (especially by a metabolic reaction) 2: a person who goes before or announces the coming of another [syn: forerunner] 3: an indication of the approach of something or someone [syn: harbinger, forerunner, herald] See also: [forerunner] [harbinger] [herald] |
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preen v 1: clean with one's bill; "The birds preened" [syn: plume] 2: pride or congratulate (oneself) for an achievement [syn: congratulate] 3: dress or groom with elaborate care; "She likes to dress when going to the opera" [syn: primp, plume, dress] See also: [plume] [congratulate] [primp] [dress] |
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prodigious adj 1: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe; "colossal crumbling ruins of an ancient temple"; "has a colossal nerve"; "a prodigious storm"; "a stupendous field of grass"; "stupendous demand" [syn: colossal, stupendous] 2: of momentous or ominous significance; "such a portentous...monster raised all my curiosity"- Herman Melville; "a prodigious vision" [syn: portentous] 3: far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree; "a night of exceeding darkness"; "an exceptional memory"; "olympian efforts to save the city from bankruptcy"; "the young Mozart's prodigious talents" [syn: exceeding, exceptional, olympian, surpassing] See also: [colossal] [stupendous] [portentous] [exceeding] [exceptional] [olympian] [surpassing] |
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prolific adj 1: intellectually productive; "a prolific writer"; "a fecund imagination" [syn: fecund, fertile] 2: bearing in abundance especially offspring; "flying foxes are extremely prolific"; "a prolific pear tree" [syn: fertile] See also: [fecund] [fertile] |
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putrefy v : become putrid; decay with an offensive smell; "organic matter putrefies" [also: putrefied] See also: [putrefied] |
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quaff n : a hearty draft v : to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught; "The men gulped down their beers" [syn: gulp, swig] See also: [gulp] [swig] |
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quiescence n 1: a state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction; "the volcano erupted after centuries of dormancy" [syn: dormancy, quiescency] 2: quiet and inactive restfulness [syn: quiescency, dormancy, sleeping] See also: [dormancy] [quiescency] [sleeping] |
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redoubtable adj 1: inspiring fear; "the formidable prospect of major surgery"; "a tougher and more redoubtable adversary than the heel-clicking, jackbooted fanatic"- G.H.Johnston; "something unnerving and prisonlike about high gray wall" [syn: formidable, unnerving] 2: having or worthy of pride; "redoubtable scholar of the Renaissance"; "born of a redoubtable family" [syn: glorious, illustrious, respected] See also: [formidable] [unnerving] [glorious] [illustrious] [respected] |
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sanction n 1: formal and explicit approval; "a Democrat usually gets the union's endorsement" [syn: countenance, endorsement, indorsement, warrant, imprimatur] 2: a mechanism of social control for enforcing a society's standards 3: official permission or approval; "authority for the program was renewed several times" [syn: authority, authorization, authorisation] 4: the act of final authorization; "it had the sanction of the church" v 1: give sanction to; "I approve of his educational policies" [syn: approve, O.K., okay] [ant: disapprove] 2: give authority or permission to 3: give religious sanction to, such as through on oath; "sanctify the marriage" See also: [countenance] [endorsement] [indorsement] [warrant] [imprimatur] [authority] [authorization] [authorisation] [approve] [O.K.] [okay] [disapprove] |
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satire n : witty language used to convey insults or scorn; "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"; "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Johathan Swift [syn: sarcasm, irony, caustic remark] See also: [sarcasm] [irony] [caustic remark] |
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squalid adj 1: morally degraded; "a seedy district"; "the seamy side of life"; "sleazy characters hanging around casinos"; "sleazy storefronts with...dirt on the walls"- Seattle Weekly; "the sordid details of his orgies stank under his very nostrils"- James Joyce; "the squalid atmosphere of intrigue and betrayal" [syn: seamy, seedy, sleazy, sordid] 2: foul and run-down and repulsive; "a flyblown bar on the edge of town"; "a squalid overcrowded apartment in the poorest part of town"; "squalid living conditions"; "sordid shantytowns" [syn: flyblown, sordid] See also: [seamy] [seedy] [sleazy] [sordid] [flyblown] |
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stoic adj 1: seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive; "stoic courage"; "stoic patience"; "a stoical sufferer" [syn: stoical] 2: pertaining to Stoicism or its followers n 1: a member of the ancient Greek school of philosophy founded by Zeno; "a Stoic achieves happiness by submission to destiny" 2: someone who is seemingly indifferent to emotions [syn: unemotional person] [ant: emotional person] See also: [stoical] [unemotional person] [emotional person] |
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supplant v : take the place or move into the position of; "Smith replaced Miller as CEO after Miller left"; "the computer has supplanted the slide rule"; "Mary replaced Susan as the team's captain and the highest-ranked player in the school" [syn: replace, supersede, supervene upon] See also: [replace] [supersede] [supervene upon] |
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torpid adj 1: slow and apathetic; "she was fat and inert"; "a sluggish worker"; "a mind grown torpid in old age" [syn: inert, sluggish] 2: in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation; "dormant buds"; "a hibernating bear"; "torpid frogs" [syn: dormant, hibernating(a)] See also: [inert] [sluggish] [dormant] [hibernating(a)] |
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ubiquitous adj : being present everywhere at once [syn: omnipresent] See also: [omnipresent] |
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urbane adj 1: showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience; "his polished manner"; "maintained an urbane tone in his letters" [syn: polished, refined, svelte] 2: characterized by tact and propriety 3: marked by wide-ranging knowledge and appreciation of many parts of the world arising from urban life and wide travel; "the sophisticated manners of a true cosmopolite"; "urbane and pliant...he was at ease even in the drawing rooms of Paris" [syn: sophisticated] See also: [polished] [refined] [svelte] [sophisticated] |
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vilify v : spread negative information about; "The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews" [syn: revile, vituperate, rail] [also: vilified] See also: [revile] [vituperate] [rail] [vilified] |
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viscous adj 1: having a relatively high resistance to flow [syn: syrupy] 2: having the properties of glue [syn: gluey, glutinous, gummy, mucilaginous, pasty, sticky, viscid] See also: [syrupy] [gluey] [glutinous] [gummy] [mucilaginous] [pasty] [sticky] [viscid] |
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