Term
Engender (engender, engendered, engendering)
When the principle announced that students could no longer wear sneakers to school, it engendered anger in the student body. |
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Definition
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To bring a feeling into existence. |
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Term
Pacify (pacified, pacifying, pacifies, pacifist)
After dropping her cell phone in the muddy puddle, I tried to pacify my friend by offering her a big, warm hug. |
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Definition
My Phone!
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to ease someone's anger; calm someone down. |
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Term
Ardent adj. (ardently)
Being an ardent Bills fan, Mark painted his face half red and half blue to show his love for the team. |
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Definition
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Enthusiastic support. |
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Term
Exacerbate v. (exacerbates, exacerbating, exacerbated, exacerbating)
The singer's terrible voice was exacerbated by the awful pianist who didn't know how to accompany her. |
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Definition
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To make something bad even worse. |
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Term
Sagacious adj. (sagaciously)
Samuel Westing Jr. III had always been a sagacious business man known for his shrewd negotiating style. |
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Definition
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Good judgement; shrewd. |
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Term
Dissolution n. (dissolutions)
The Alka-seltzer tablet's dissolution was instant once it fell into the glass of water and virtually disappeared. |
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Definition
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The disintegration or decomposition of something. |
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Term
Contagion n. (contagions)
Once the idea of storming the Bastille took hold, it spread like a contagion among the people. |
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Definition
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The spreading of a disease or idea from one person to another through close contact. |
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Term
Pestilence n. (pestilences)
The Ebola virus is a horrific pestilence that was just as easily spread as the bubonic plague. |
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Definition
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A fatal epidemic disease, especially the bubonic plague. |
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Term
Writhe v. (writhes, writhing, writhed)
The majestic lion writhed in pain, its body twisting in strange patterns, after being shot with a tranquilizer gun at close range. |
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Definition
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To make continual twisting movements of the body. |
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Term
Pivotal adj. (pivot, pivoting, pivots, pivoted)
Graduating from high school was a huge achievement in Hank's life and a pivotal moment in the life of his mother as well. |
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Definition
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Of crucial importance in relation to the success of something else. |
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