Term
admonish Verb
2nd
The librarian had to admonish the noisy students several times before they settled down. |
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Definition
(v.) to caution or advise againist something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty
Syn:warn, call on the carpet
Ant:praise, pat on the back |
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Term
breach Verb,Noun
none
Our troops were unable to breach the enemy's lines during the battle.
Because of a serious breach of the rules, two players were ejected from the game. |
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Definition
(N.) an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction; (V.) to create an opening, break through
Ant: (V.) close, seal |
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Term
brigand Noun
1st
Ancient caravans passing through desolate areas were sometimes attacked by brigand. |
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Definition
(n.) a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman
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Term
circumspect Adjective
1st
It is important for a diplomat to behave in a manner that is both discreet and circumspect. |
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Definition
(adj.) careful, cautious
syn: wary, prudent, guarded
ant: incautious, rash, reckless, heedless |
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Term
commandeer Adjective
3rd
Under certain circumstances the U.S. government has the right to commandeer private property. |
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Definition
(V.) to seize for military or official use
syn: take over, requisition, expropriate |
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Term
cumbersome Adjective
1st
The bus was filled to capacity with holiday shoppers carrying large and cumbersome packages. |
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Definition
(adj.) clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving
syn: unwieldy, ponderous
ant: manageable, easy to handle |
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Term
deadlock Noun, verb
1st
After fifteen innings, the score remained a frustrating 3-to-3 deadlock.
The refusal of labor and management to modify their demands deadlock the contract negotiation. |
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Definition
(n.) a standstill resulting from the oppostion of two equal forces or factions; (v.) to bring to such a standstill
syn: (n.)standoff, stalemate, impasse
ant: (n.)agreement, accord, breakthrough |
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Term
debris Noun
2nd
After the storm, the beach was littered with driftwood and other debris. |
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Definition
(n.) scattered fragments, wreckage
syn: rubble, detritus, flotsam and jetsam |
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Term
diffuse Verd, Adjective
Verb 2nd, Adjective 2nd
The scent of lilacs slowly diffuse through the open window.
The speech was so long and diffuse most members of the audience were thoroughly confused by it. |
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Definition
(v.) to spread or scatter freely or widely; (adj.) wordly, longwinded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread
syn: (v.)disperse; (adj.) rambling, verbose, prolix
ant: (v.) concentrate; (adj.) brief, concise, succinct |
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Term
dilemma Noun
2nd
During the crisis the President found himself caught in a painful dilemma. |
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Definition
(n.) a difficult or perplexing situation or problem
syn: predicament, quandary, pickle, bind
ant: cinch |
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Term
efface Verb
2nd
Time had efface almost all signs of the struggle that took place on that famous battlefield.
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Definition
(v.) to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed
syn. blot out, erase, obliterate, expunge |
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Term
muddle Verb, noun
1st
Too much stress and too little sleep will almost certainly muddle a person's ability to concentrate.
The muddle was principally caused by their failure to carry out the general's orders properly. |
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Definition
(v.) to make a mess of; muddle through:to get by; (n.) a hopeless mess
syn: (v.) jumble, mess up (n.) confusion, disorder
ant: (n.) orderliness, tidiness, neatness |
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Term
opinionated Adjective
2nd
My boss is not too opinionated to listen to a reasonable proposal. |
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Definition
(adj.) stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to one's own ideas, having a closed mind
syn: obstinate, pigheaded, inflexible
ant: open-minded, reasonable |
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Term
perennial Adjective, noun
2nd
Pizza is a perennial favorite of young and old alike in the United States.
A garden of perennials is relatively easy to maintain. |
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Definition
(adj.) lasting for a long time, persistent; (n.) a plant that lives for many years
syn: (adj.) enduring, recurring
ant: (adj.) brief, short-lived, fleeting, ephemeral |
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Term
predispose Verb
3rd
My genetic makeup seems to predispose me to colds and sore throats.
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Definition
(v.) to incline to beforehand
syn: make susceptible to
ant: immunize against, shield from
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Term
relinquuish Verb
2nd
Severe illness forced me to relinquish my role in the school play. |
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Definition
(v.) to let go, give up
syn: surrender, abandon
ant: hold on to, keep, retain, cling to |
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Term
salvage Verb, Noun
1st
Fortunately, we were able to salvage a few things from the fire.
Salvage from the sunken ships can be of great value to archaeologists and historians. |
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Definition
(v.) to save from fire or shipwreck; (n.) property thus saved
syn: (v.) rescue, recover, retrieve, reclaim
ant: (v.) abondon, scrap, junk |
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Term
spasmodic Adjective
2nd
Spasmodic flashes of lightning and booming thunderclaps were accompanied by torrential rain. |
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Definition
(adj.) sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent
syn: irregular, occasional
ant: steady, continuous, chronic |
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Term
spurious Adjective
1st
Manufacturers who make spurious claims for their products may face fines or lawsuits. |
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Definition
(adj.) not genuine, not true, not valid
syn: false, counterfeit, fraudulent, bogus
ant: genuine, authentic, bona fide, valid |
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Term
unbridled Adjective
2nd
Sometimes the unbridled enthusiasm of sports fans can get a lityle out of hand. |
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Definition
(adj.) uncontrolled, lacking in restraint
syn: unrestrained, unchecked
ant: restrained, held in check, muted |
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