100 Words To Make You Sound Smart – Flashcards
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accolade
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a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
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acrimony
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bitterness
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angst
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an acute but unspecific feeling of anxiety
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anomaly
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abnormality
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antidote
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a remedy that stops or controls the effects of a poison
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avant-garde
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Ahead of the times, especially in the arts
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baroque
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having elaborate symmetrical ornamentation
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bona fide
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not counterfeit or copied
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bourgeois
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a member of the middle class; belonging to the middle class
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boondoggle
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work of little or no value done merely to look busy
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bravado
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a swaggering show of courage
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brogue
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a thick and heavy shoe; a strong dialectal accent
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brusque
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rudely abrupt
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byzantine
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highly involved or intricate
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cacophony
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a loud harsh or strident noise
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camaraderie
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trust among friends
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capricious
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impulsive and unpredictable
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carte blanche
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authority with no bounds
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Catch-22
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a lose lose situation
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caustic
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sarcastic
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charisma
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charm
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cloying
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excessively sweet or sentimental
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déjà vu
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the experience of thinking that a new situation had occurred before
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dichotomy
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a division into two parts
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dilettante
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showing frivolous or superficial interest
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élan
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enthusiastic vigor or liveliness
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disheveled
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in disarray
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ennui
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boredom
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epitome
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a typical example
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equanimity
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steadiness of mind under stress
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equivocate
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to be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
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esoteric
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intended for or understood by only a small group
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euphemism
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an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive
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fait accompli
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an irreversible accomplishment
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fastidious
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difficult to please
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faux pas
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a social blunder
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fiasco
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a complete failure
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finagle
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to trick, swindle or cheat
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Freudian slip
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a verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion
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glib
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artfully persuasive in speech
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gregarious
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sociable
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harbinger
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an omen or sign; forerunner
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hedonist
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a pleasure seeker
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heresy
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a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion
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idiosyncratic
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peculiar to the individual
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idyllic
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charming in a rustic way; suggestive of an idyll
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indelicate
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lacking propriety and good taste in manners and conduct
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infinitesimal
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immeasurably small
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insidious
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treacherous
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junket
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a trip taken by an official often times for pleasure at public expense
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kitsch
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art in pretentious bad taste
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litany
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any long, repetitive, or dull recital
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lurid
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ghastly pale
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Machiavellian
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unprincipled and crafty
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malaise
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physical discomfort (as mild sickness or depression)
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malinger
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to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
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mantra
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a commonly repeated word or phrase
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maudlin
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overemotional
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mercenary
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a professional soldier hired by a foreign army; profit oriented
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minimalist
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a person who practices arts in less detailed ways
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misnomer
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an incorrect or unsuitable name
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narcissist
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someone in love with themselves
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nirvana
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any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
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non sequitur
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something that does not logically follow
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nouveau riche
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newly rich
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oblivion
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total forgetfulness
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ogle
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look at with amorous intentions
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ostentatious
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showy
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ostracize
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to exclude from a group; banish; exile
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panacea
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cure-all; remedy for all diseases
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paradox
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a contradiction or dilemma
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peevish
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easily irritated or annoyed
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perfunctory
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hasty and without attention to detail
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philistine
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a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
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precocious
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appearing or developing early
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propriety
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correct or appropriate behavior
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quid pro quo
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this for that
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quintessential
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perfect example
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red herring
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any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue
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revel
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to take delight in
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rhetoric
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effective writing or speaking
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scintillating
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brilliantly clever
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spartan
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marked by simplicity and lack of luxury
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stigma
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a symbol of disgrace or infamy
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stoic
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unaffected by pleasure or pain
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suave
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having a sophisticated charm
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Svengali
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A person who exercises excessive control or influence over another person
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sycophant
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a self-serving flatterer, a brownnoser
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teetotaler
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one who does not drink alcohol
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tête-à-tête
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a private conversation between two people
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tirade
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a long, angry speech, usually very critical
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tryst
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a secret meeting of lovers; rendezvous
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ubiquitous
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being present everywhere at once
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unrequited
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not returned in kind
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untenable
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indefensible
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vicarious
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done or felt for, or on behalf of, another
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vile
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morally reprehensible
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waft
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be driven or carried along, as by the air
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white elephant
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a possession that costs more to keep than its worth
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zealous
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enthusiastic; fervent; fanatical
