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bliss

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perfect happiness ex. the young movie star could conceive of no greater bliss than winning an Oscar

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blissful

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very happy ex. the soldier's reunion with their families was a blissful occasion

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blithe

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merry or joyous ex. our friends' blithe looks signaled that the final had been easy heedless ex. he was so enraptured with the scenery that he drove right through the intersection in blithe disregard of the stop sign

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buoy

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keep afloat, raise the spirits of, encourage ex. your encouragement buoyed us and gave us hope

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buoyant

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cheerful ex. we need your buoyant companionship to lift us from boredom able to float ex. the raft is sinking, it is not buoyant

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complacency

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self-satisfaction, smugness ex. do not be too pleased with yourself, complacency is dangerous

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complacent

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too pleased with oneself, often without awareness of possible dangers or defects ex. we should not be complacent about out security, we must be alert to potential threats

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convivial

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fond of eating and drinking with friends, sociable ex. our convivial host hates to dine alone

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conviviality

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sociability ex. we enjoy the conviviality of holiday get-togethers

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delectable

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very pleasing, delightful ex. the food was delectable, we enjoyed every morsel

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ecstasy

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state of overwhelming joy, rapture ex. if we win tomorrow, there will be ecstasy, if we lose, gloom

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ecstatic

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in ecstasy, enraptured ex. the victors were ecstatic

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elated

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in high spirits, joyful ex. except for my sister, who misses the old neighborhood, the family is elated with out new living quarters

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elation

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state of being elated, euphoria ex. unfortunately, our elation was shortlived

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frolic

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play and run about happily, have fun, romp ex. very young children need a safe place to frolic

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frolicsome

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full of merriment, playful ex. the clown's frolicsome antics amused the children

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gala

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characterized by festivity ex. the annual mardi gras in new orleans is a gala carnival of parades and merriment

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jocund

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merry, cheerful, lighthearted ex. our neighbor is a jocund fellow who tells amusing anecdotes

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jubilant

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showing great joy, rejoicing, exultant ex. the defendant's friends are jubilant over her acquittal

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jubilation

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rejoicing, exultation ex. on election night, jubilation reigned at the victor's head quarters

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ascetic (adj.)

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shunning pleasure, self-denying, austere ex. the ascetic Puritans rigidly suppressed many forms of recreation

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ascetic (noun)

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person who shuns pleasures and lives simply ex. carl never goes to the movies, plays, or parties. he must be ascetic

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chagrin (noun)

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embarrassment, mortification, disappointment ex. imagine my chagrin when I learned that I had not been invited to the party

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chagrined (adj)

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ashamed, mortified ex. when my blunder was pointed out to me, I was deeply chagrined

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compunction

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regret, remorse, misgiving, qualm, scruple ex. we had no compunction about turning in the old car because it had become undependable

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contrite

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showing deep regret and sorrow for wrongdoing, deeply penitent, repentant, remorseful ex. believing the young offender to be contrite, the dean decided to give him another chance

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contrition

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repentance, remorse, penitence ex. the ringleader showed no contrition, but his accomplices have expressed sorrow for their misdeeds

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dejected

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sad, in low spirits, depressed, downcast ex. we are elated when our team wins, but dejected when it loses

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dejection

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lowness of spirits, sadness, depression ex. cheer up, there is no reason for dejection

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disconsolate

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cheerless, inconsolable ex. the mother could not stop her disconsolate son from sobbing over the loss of his dog

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disgruntled

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in bad humor, displeased, discontented ex. from her disgruntled expression, I could tell she was not satisfied with my explanation

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doleful

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causing grief or sadness, mournful, dolorous, lugubrious ex. the refugee told a doleful tale of hunger and persecution

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glum

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moody, gloomy, dour ex. emerging from the strike talks, the mayor was glum and refused to talk to reporters

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lament

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mourn, deplore ex. we lament the loss of a life, and we sympathize with the victims' families

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lamentable

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pitiable, rueful ex. the reporter described the lamentable hardships of families living in war-torn Afghanistan

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maudlin

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weakly sentimental and tearful ex. after singing a couple of maudlin numbers, the quartet was asked for something more cheerful

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nostalgia

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homesickness ex. towards the end of a vacation away from home, we usually experience a feeling of nostalgia yearning for the past ex. in moments of nostalgia, I long for the good old days

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nostalgic

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homesick ex. when away from home for too long, we tend to become nostalgic

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pathetic

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arousing pity ex. despite his pathetic condition, the released hostage had a ready smile

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pathos

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quality in events or in art (literature, music,etc.) that arouses our pity ex. the young seamstress who precedes Sydney Carton to the guillotine adds to the pathos of a tale of two cities

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pensive

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thoughtful in a sad way, melancholy ex. unlike her cheerful, outgoing sister, elizabeth was pensive and shy

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plight

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unfortunate state, predicament ex. numerous offers of assistance was received after the plight of the distressed family was publicized

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poignant

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painfully touching, piercing ex. one of the most poignant scenes in MACBETH occurs when macduff learns that his wife and children have been slaughtered

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sullen

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resentfully silent, glum, morose, gloomy ex. the sullen suspect refused to give his name and address

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throes

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anguish, pangs ex. fortunate are those who have never experienced the throes of separation from a loved one

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tribulation

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suffering, distress ex. the 1845 potato famine was a time of great tribulation in Ireland

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burly

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strongly and heavily built, husky (ant. lank) ex. extra large football uniforms were ordered to outfit out burly linemen

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buxom

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plump and attractive ex. next to her thin city cousin, the farm girl looked radiant and buxom

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cherubic

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chubby and innocent looking, like a cherub angel ex. your well nourished nephew, despite his cherubic face, can be quiet mischievous

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obese

answer

extremely overweight, corpulent, portly ex. for a long, healthy life, one should give up smoking and avoid becoming obese

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obesity

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excessive body weight, corpulence ex. dieting under professional guidance may help reduce obesity

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pudgy

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short and plump, chubby ex. this ring is too small for a pudgy finger

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attenuate

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make thin, weaken ex. photographs of president lincoln revealed how rapidly the cares of leadership aged and attenuated him

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emaciated

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made unnaturally think, abnormally lean because of starvation or illness ex. emaciated by his illness, the patient found, on his recovery, that his clothes were too big

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haggard

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careworn, gaunt ex. haggared by their long ordeal, the rescued mountain climbers were rush to the hospital for treatment and rest

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lank

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lean, ungracefully tall, lanky (ant. burly) ex. every basketball team longs for a lank, agile center who can control the boards

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svelte

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slender, lithe ex. ballet dancers observe a strict diet to maintain their svelte figures

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adulation

answer

excessive praise, flattery ex. true leaders can distinguish sincere praise from blind adulation

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blandishment

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word or deed of mild flattery, allurement ex. with terms of endearment, flowers, and other blandishments, Brian won Aliya over to his side

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cajole

answer

persuaded by pleasant words, wheedle, coax ex. my sister cajoled Dad into raising her allowance

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cajolery

answer

persuasion by flattery ex. the sly fox used cajolery to gain his ends

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curry favor

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seek to gain favor by flattery ex. the candidate curried favor with the voters by praising their intelligence and patriotism

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fulsome

answer

offensive because of insincerity, repulsive, disgusting ex. the new chief basks in the fulsome praises of his deputy, who raves over his every decision, right or wrong

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ingratiate

answer

work oneself into favor ex. by trying to respond to every question, the new pupil tried to ingratiate himself with the teacher

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lackey

answer

follower who carries out another's wishes like a servant ex. the queen could never get a frank opinion from the lackeys surrounding her, for they would always agree with her

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obsequious

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showing excessive willingness to serve ex. the obsequious subordinates vied with one another in politeness and obedience, each hoping to win the director's favor

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sycophant

answer

parasitic flatterer ex. many sycophants live off of celebrities who enjoy flattery

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truckle

answer

submit in a subservient manner to a superior, make a doormat of oneself ex. some employees, unfortunately gain promotion by truckling to their supervisors

Vocabulary for the college bound student 3.1 – 3.5

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