acrimonious to perfunctory
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Caustic; bitter or sharp or angry in tone; rude
Political debates can become rather
acrimonious.
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To make better; to relieve; to improve
It is difficult to come up with a solution that
will ameliorate the crashing housing market.
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Open or willing to advice or suggestion
Your mother might be amenable to raising
your allowance if you do more chores in the
house.
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Shapeless; having no definite form
The tree trunk was practically amorphous
after years of exposure to the elements.
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Capable of floating; cheerful
Her buoyant personality was refreshing at
the somber ceremony; we all needed a lift.
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To persuade with deliberate flattery, to coax,
to wheedle
The boy cajoled his mom into buying him
candy at the grocery store.
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A serious event causing distress or misfortune
The poor Haitians have experienced one
calamity after another.
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To reduce in dignity or quality
Do not debase yourself by using such foul
language.
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To erase; to wear away
After years of wear, the veneer on the table
had effaced.
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To make clear as to be understood
I will try to elucidate the changes in the tax
code for you.
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Lasting a short period of time; fleeting
Their relationship was only an ephemeral
one; by the time she graduated, it was over.
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Savagery
We were surprised at the ferocity of the
summer thunderstorm.
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To thrive; to grow well
Her career in medicine flourished after the
stint she served in the Peace Corps.
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Arrogant; excessively proud or vain
A few of the varsity players acted haughtily
toward the freshmen, and the coach
castigated them for their pomposity.
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Incapable of being penetrated; not capable of
being damaged
Because this watch is impervious to water, I
can wear it when I swim.
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Lacking significance, meaning; insipid
We tired of their inane conversation about
reality television stars.
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Laziness
After watching her son spend countless hours
playing videogames, the mother reproved
her son for his indolence.
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Incapable of error
The makeup is advertised to have infallible
blemish coverage.
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Difficult to understand; mysterious
The Mona Lisa is known for her inscrutable
smile; many have pondered what she was
feeling at that portrait sitting.
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Slow; sluggish; listless; weak
The old man took languid steps as he
plodded along the hospital hallways.
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Desire to harm others; spite
She claimed she killed him accidentally, but
the investigators proved she acted out of
malice.
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Slanting; indirect; misleading; evasive
He made oblique references to his Ivy League
background, when in fact he had not
graduated from college.
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Wealth; affluence; abundance
The tourists enjoyed viewing the opulence of
Windsor Castle
.
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Showing or feeling regret for wrongdoing;
repentant
He was penitent for having taken so much
money from his elderly grandmother and
wasting it on alcohol.
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Acting routinely with little interest or care
Due to his perfunctory manner in inspecting
the restaurant, he did not notice the real
problem.