Hard Words with Meaning and Sentence

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 Hard Words with Meaning and Sentence (2)Home of the List   

Hard Words with Meaning and Sentence (Group 2)

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obdurate
obfuscate
oblique
obsequious
obstreperous
obtuse
odious
officious
ostensible
palliate
pallid
panacea
paragon
pariah
parsimony
pathos
paucity
pejorative
pellucid
perfidious
perfunctory
pernicious
pertinacious
pithy
platitude
plethora
portent
precocious
primeval
proclivity
promulgate
propensity
propitious
prosaic
proscribe
protean
prurient
puerile
pulchritude
punctilious
quagmire
querulous
quixotic
rancor
rebuke
recalcitrant
rectitude
replete
reprobate
reprove
repudiate
rescind
restive
ribald
rife
ruse
sacrosanct
sagacity
salient
sanctimonious
sanguine
scurrilous
serendipity
servile
solicitous
somnolent
spurious
staid
stolid
stupefy
surfeit
surmise
surreptitious
sycophant
tacit
taciturn
tantamount
temerity
tenuous
timorous
torpid
tractable
transient
transmute
trenchant
truculent
turgid
turpitude
ubiquitous
unctuous
upbraid
usurp
vacillate
vacuous
vapid
variegated
venerate
veracity
verdant
vex
vicarious
vicissitude
vilify
viscous
vitriolic
wanton
winsome
wistful
zenith
zephyr
Word and Definition List
obdurate   Speak
/'ɒbdjʊrɪt/;/'ɑbdərɪt/ a. Syn. stubborn; inflexible
(执拗的,顽固的) hardened in wrongdoing or wickedness; not giving in to persuasion
He was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints.
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obfuscate   Speak
/'ɒbfʌskeɪt/ v. Syn. confuse; muddle
(迷惑,困惑,增加不必要的复杂性) confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex
Was the president's spokesman trying to clarify the Whitewater mystery, or was he trying to obfuscate the issue so the voters would never figure out what went on?.
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oblique   Speak
/ə'bli:k/ a. Syn. inclined
(间接的,倾斜的,无诚意的) having slanting or sloping direction, course, or position; inclined
Casting a quick, oblique glance at the reviewing stand, the sergeant ordered the company to march.
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obsequious   Speak
/əb'si:kwɪəs/ a.
(谄媚的,拍马屁的,奴性的) slavishly attentive; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
Helen liked to be served by people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an excessively obsequious waiter or a fawning salesclerk.
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obstreperous   Speak
/əb'strɛpərəs/ a.
(喧闹的,喧嚣的,任性的) noisily aggressive; making great noise or outcry
What do you do when an obstreperous horde of drunken policemen goes carousing through your hotel, crashing into potted plants and singing vulgar songs?.
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obtuse   Speak
/əb'tju:s/;/əb'tu:s/ a. Syn. stupid
(钝的,迟钝的,愚蠢的) lacking in insight or discernment; stupid
What can you do with somebody who's so obtuse that he can't even tell that you're insulting him?.
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odious   Speak
/'oʊdɪəs/ a. Syn. hateful; vile
(可恨的,可耻的) hateful; arousing strong dislike, aversion, or intense displeasure
Cinderella's ugly stepsisters had the odious habit of popping their zits in public.
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officious   Speak
/ə'fɪʃəs/ a.
(多管闲事的) marked by excessive eagerness in offering unwanted services or advice to others
Judy wanted to look over the new computer models on her own, but the officious salesman kept on butting in with "helpful" advice until she was ready to walk out of the store.
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ostensible   Speak
/ɒ'stɛnsɪb(ə)l/ a. Syn. apparent
(显然的,虚假的) put forth or held out as real, actual, or intended; proper or intended to be shown
Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested in finding new markets for our products.
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palliate   Speak
/'pælɪeɪt/ v.
(减轻) lessen violence of disease; moderate intensity; gloss over with excuses
Not content merely to palliate the patient's sores and cankers, the researcher sought a means of wiping out the disease.
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pallid   Speak
/'pælɪd/ a. Syn. pale; wan
(苍白的,惨淡的) abnormally pale; lacking intensity of color or luminousness
Because his job required that he work at night and sleep during the day, he had an exceptionally pallid complexion.
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panacea   Speak
/pænə'sɪə/ n.
(包治百病的药,灵丹妙药) remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all
The rich youth cynically declared that the panacea for all speeding tickets was a big enough bribe.
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paragon   Speak
/'pærəgən/;/'pærəgɒn/ n. Syn. model
(模范) model of excellence or perfection; peerless example
Mr. Brumby's paragon is shocked at the other's inaptitude for examination.
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pariah   Speak
/'pærɪə/ n. Syn. untouchable
(贱民,被社会遗弃的人) social outcast; person who is rejected from society or home
Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village, Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard.
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parsimony   Speak
/'pɑrsɪmənɪ/;/-moʊnɪ/ n.
(过度俭省,吝啬) extreme care in spending money; reluctance to spend money unnecessarily
Because her father wouldn't let her buy a new iPhone, Annie accused him of parsimony.
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pathos   Speak
/'peɪθɒs/ n. Syn. pity
(痛苦,悲怆,哀婉) tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings
The quiet tone of pathos that ran through the novel never degenerated into the maudlin or the overly sentimental.
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paucity   Speak
/'pɔ:sɪtɪ/ n. Syn. scarcity
(少量,缺乏) scarcity; smallness of number; fewness
They closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate.
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pejorative   Speak
/pɪ'dʒɒrətɪv/ a.
(轻蔑,蔑视的) tending to make or become worse; disparaging or belittling
Instead of criticizing Clinton's policies, the Republicans made pejorative remarks about his character.
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pellucid   Speak
/pɪ'lju:sɪd/ a. Syn. transparent; limpid
(透明,清澈,明白的) transparent; limpid; easy to understand
After reading these stodgy philosophers, I find Bertrand Russell's pellucid style very enjoyable.
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perfidious   Speak
/pə'fɪdɪəs/ a. Syn. treacherous; disloyal
(背信弃义的,不诚实的) tending to betray; disloyal; faithless
When Caesar realized that Brutus had betrayed him, he reproached his perfidious friend.
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perfunctory   Speak
/pə'fʌŋktərɪ/ a. Syn. superficial
(肤浅的,不投入的,漠不关心的) done routinely and with little interest or care; acting with indifference; showing little interest or care
I introduced myself, and at my name his perfunctory manner changed; I knew he heard me before.
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pernicious   Speak
/pə'nɪʃəs/ a. Syn. deadly
(及具毁灭性的) very destructive; tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly
Crack cocaine has had a pernicious effect on urban society: it has destroyed families, turned children into drug dealers, and increased the spread of violent crimes.
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pertinacious   Speak
/pɜrtɪ'neɪʃəs/;/-tn'eɪʃəs/ a. Syn. stubborn; persistent
(拒不屈服,反抗) stubbornly or perversely persistent; unyielding; obstinate
He is bound to succeed because his pertinacious nature will not permit him to quit.
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pithy   Speak
/'pɪθɪ/ a. Syn. concise
(精炼的,抓住灵魂的) precisely meaningful; forceful and brief
While other girls might have gone on and on about how un-cool Elton was, Liz summed it up in one pithy remark: "He's bogus!"
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platitude   Speak
/'plætɪtju:d/;/-tu:d/ n.
(陈词滥调) dullness; insipidity of thought; commonplace statement; lack of originality
In giving advice to his son, old Polonius expressed himself only in same platitude; every word out of his mouth was a commonplace.
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plethora   Speak
/'plɛθərə/ n. Syn. excess; overabundance
(过剩,过多) excess; over-fullness in any respect; superabundance
She offered a plethora of excuses for her shortcomings.
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portent   Speak
/'pɔ:tɛnt/ n. Syn. sign; omen; forewarning
(征兆) omen; forewarning; something that portends an event about to occur, especially unfortunate or evil event
He regarded the black cloud as a portent of evil.
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precocious   Speak
/prɪ'koʊʃəs/ a.
(早熟的) advanced in development; appearing or developing early
Listening to the grown-up way the child discussed serious topics, we couldn't help remarking how precocious she was.
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primeval   Speak
/praɪ'mi:v(ə)l/ a. Syn. ancient; primitive
(太古的,原始时代的) ancient; primitive; belonging to the first or earliest age; original or ancient
The archaeologist claimed that the skeleton was primeval origin, though in fact it was the remains of a modern day monkey.
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proclivity   Speak
/prə'klɪvɪtɪ/ n. Syn. inclination
(倾向,自然倾向) inclination; natural tendency; readiness; facility of learning
Watching the two-year-old boy voluntarily put away his toys, I was amazed by his proclivity for neatness.
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promulgate   Speak
/'prɒməlgeɪt/ v. Syn. announce
(发布,公布) proclaim doctrine or law; make known by official publication
During an interview with ABC News, Barack Obama said Republican attempted to promulgate, falsely, his Muslim connections.
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propensity   Speak
/prə'pɛnsɪtɪ/ n. Syn. tendency; predilection
(自然倾向) natural inclination; tendency or preference; predilection
Convinced of his own talent, Sol has an unfortunate propensity to belittle the talents of others.
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propitious   Speak
/prə'pɪʃəs/ a. Syn. favorable; fortunate; advantageous
(吉利的,有利的) presenting favorable circumstances; fortunate; advantageous
Chloe consulted her horoscope to see whether Tuesday would be a propitious day to dump her boyfriend.
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prosaic   Speak
/proʊ'zeiɪk/ a. Syn. factual
(事实的,平淡的,缺乏想象力的) dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual
Though the ad writers came up with an original way to publicize the product, the head office rejected it for a more prosaic, ordinary slogan.
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proscribe   Speak
/proʊ'skraɪb/;/proʊ-/ v. Syn. banish; outlaw
(禁止) command against; banish; outlaw
Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus united to proscribe all those who had conspired against Julius Caesar.
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protean   Speak
/'proʊtɪɛn, 'proʊti:n/ a. Syn. versatile
(变化多端的) versatile; able to take on many shapes; readily taking on varied shapes
A remarkably protean actor, Alec Guinness could take on any role.
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prurient   Speak
/'prʊərɪənt/ a.
(好色的,渴望的) having or causing lustful thoughts and desires; having eager desire for something
Aroused by his prurient impulses, the dirty old man leered at the sweet young thing and offered to give her a sample of his "prowess.".
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puerile   Speak
/'pjʊəraɪl/;/-rəl/ a. Syn. childish
(幼稚的,孩子气的) childish; belonging to childhood; immature
His puerile pranks sometimes offended his more mature friends.
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pulchritude   Speak
/'pʌlkrɪtju:d/ n. Syn. beauty; comeliness
(美丽,标致) great physical beauty and appeal; attractive moral excellence; moral beauty
I do not envy the judges who have to select this year's Miss America from this collection of female pulchritude.
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punctilious   Speak
/pʌŋk'tɪlɪəs/ a.
(谨小慎微的,一丝不苟的) marked by precise accordance with details
Percy is punctilious about observing the rules of etiquette whenever Miss Manners invites him to stay.
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quagmire   Speak
/'kwɒgmaɪə(r)/ n.
(沼泽,湿地) soft wet boggy land; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself
Up to her knees in mud, Myra wondered how on earth she was going to extricate herself from this quagmire.
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querulous   Speak
/'kwɛrʊləs/ a. Syn. fretful; whining
(鸣不平的,易发牢骚的) habitually complaining; expressing complaint or grievance
Even the most agreeable toddlers can begin to act querulous if they miss their nap.
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quixotic   Speak
/kwɪk'sɒtɪk/ a.
(空想的,狂想的) idealistic without regard to practicality
Constantly coming up with quixotic, unworkable schemes to save the world, Simon has his heart in the right place, but his head somewhere in the clouds.
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rancor   Speak
/'ræŋkə(r)/ n. Syn. enmity; hatred
(苦难) bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will; hatred
Thirty years after the war, she could not let go of the past but was still consumed with rancor against the foe.
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rebuke   Speak
/rɪ'bju:k/ v. Syn. admonish; scold
(严厉批评,猛烈的训斥) scold harshly; criticize severely
No matter how sharply I rebuke Huck for his misconduct, he never talks back but just stand there like a stump.
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recalcitrant   Speak
/rɪ'kælsɪtrənt/ a.
(反抗的,顽抗的) obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority
Which animal do you think is more recalcitrant, a pig or a mule?.
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rectitude   Speak
/'rɛktɪtju:d/;/-tu:d/ n. Syn. uprightness
(垂直,正直,公正) uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment
The Eagle Scout was a model of rectitude.
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replete   Speak
/rɪ'pli:t/ a.
(充满的,充足的) filled to brim or to point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied
The movie star's memoir was replete with juicy details about the love life of half of Hollywood.
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reprobate   Speak
/'rɛproʊbeɪt/ n.
(有重罪的人,道德败坏的人,无耻的人) person hardened in sin; person without moral scruples
I cannot understand why he has so many admirers if he is the reprobate you say he is.
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reprove   Speak
/rɪ'pru:v/ v. Syn. censure; rebuke
(责备) voice or convey disapproval of; rebuke; find fault with
The principal would severely reprove the students whenever they talked in the halls.
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repudiate   Speak
/rɪ'pju:dɪeɪt/ v. Syn. disown
(批判) disown; refuse to acknowledge; reject validity or authority of
On separating from Tony, Tina announced that she would repudiate all debts incurred by her soon-to-be ex-husband.
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rescind   Speak
/rɪ'sɪnd/ v. Syn. cancel; annul; repeal
(取消) cancel; make void; repeal or annul
To change or rescind is justified only when re-estimate of all of the available facts.
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restive   Speak
/'rɛstɪv/ a.
(焦躁不安的,难以压抑的) impatient under restraint or opposition; resisting control; difficult to control
Waiting impatiently in line to see Santa Claus, even the best-behaved children grow restive and start to fidget.
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ribald   Speak
/'rɪbəld/ a. Syn. wanton; tasteless
(下流的,放荡的,亵渎的) coarse or indecent; humorously vulgar or offensive
He sang a ribald song that offended many of the more prudish listeners.
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rife   Speak
/raɪf/ a. Syn. current
(普遍的) excessively abundant or numerous; in widespread existence, practice, or use
In the face of the many rumors of scandal, which are rife at the moment, it is best to remain silent.
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ruse   Speak
/ru:z/ n. Syn. trick; stratagem
(技巧,策略,计谋) trick; use of artifice or trickery; deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
Police believe the ruse is attractive to criminal gangs because the profits are similar to those made by trafficking drugs, but with less punitive penalties.
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sacrosanct   Speak
/'sækroʊsæŋkt/ a. Syn. inviolable
(非常神圣的) regarded as sacred and inviolable
The brash insurance salesman invaded the sacrosanct privacy of the office of the president of the company.
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sagacity   Speak
/sə'gæsətɪ/ n.
(聪慧,洞察力) quality of being sagacious; quickness or acuteness of sense perceptions; keenness of discernment; shrewdness
She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once.
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salient   Speak
/'seɪlɪənt/ a. Syn. prominent
(显著的,突出的,卓越的) prominent or protruding; projecting outwardly; moving by leaps or springs
One of the salient features of that newspaper is its excellent editorial page.
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sanctimonious   Speak
/sæŋktɪ'moʊnɪəs/ a. Syn. hypocritical
(假正经的,假装神圣的) excessively or hypocritically pious; possessing sanctity; sacred; holy; saintly; religious
What we need to do is not fool ourselves and remain sanctimonious about the issue of doping in baseball.
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sanguine   Speak
/'sæŋgwɪn/ a. Syn. cheerful; hopeful; ruddy
(高兴的,有希望的,乐天的) cheerfully confident; optimistic; of healthy reddish color; ruddy
Let us not be too sanguine about the outcome; something could go wrong.
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scurrilous   Speak
/'skʌrɪləs/ n. Syn. obscene; indecent
(下流的,粗俗的, 下流话语的) obscene; indecent; expressing offensive reproach
Your scurrilous remarks are especially offensive because they are untrue.
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serendipity   Speak
/sɛrən'dɪpɪtɪ/ n.
(有发现意外之财的运气) gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck
Many scientific discoveries are a matter of serendipity.
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servile   Speak
/'sɜrvaɪl/;/'sɛrvl/ a. Syn. slavish; cringing
(奴隶的,奴性的) slavish; suitable to slave or servant; relating to servitude or forced labor
Constantly fawning on his employer, humble Uriah Heap was a servile creature.
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solicitous   Speak
/sə'lɪsɪtəs/ a. Syn. worried; concerned
(担心的,关切的,期望的) worried or concerned; full of desire; expressing care or concern
The employer was very solicitous about the health of her employees as replacements were difficult to get.
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somnolent   Speak
/'sɒmnələnt/ a.
(催眠的,半睡半醒的) half asleep; inclined to drowsiness; tending to induce sleep
The heavy meal and the overheated room made us all somnolent and indifferent to the speaker.
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spurious   Speak
/'spjʊərɪəs/ a. Syn. false; counterfeit; forged; illogical
(伪造的,欺骗的) false; counterfeit; forged; illogical
Natasha's claim to be the lost heir of the Romanoffs was spurious: the only thing Russian about her was the vodka she drank!.
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staid   Speak
/steɪd/ a. Syn. serious; sedate
(沉静的,安静的) sober; serious, organized, and professional; characterized by dignity and propriety
Her conduct during the funeral ceremony was staid and solemn.
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stolid   Speak
/'stɒlɪd/ a. Syn. dull; impassive
(乏味的,单调的,冷漠的) dull; impassive; having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
The earthquake shattered Stuart's usual stolid demeanor; trembling, he crouched on the no longer stable ground.
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stupefy   Speak
/'stju:pɪfaɪ/;/'stu:-/ v.
(使麻木,使大吃一惊) make senseless or dizzy; be mystery or bewildering to
Disapproving of drugs in general, Laura refused to take sleeping pills or any other medicine that might stupefy her.
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surfeit   Speak
/'sɜrfɪt/ v.
(饮食过度,恶心) eat until excessively full; be more than full; feed someone to excess
Every Thanksgiving we surfeit with an overabundance of holiday treats.
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surmise   Speak
/sə'maɪz/ v. Syn. guess
(猜测) guess; infer something without sufficiently conclusive evidence
I surmise that he will be late for this meeting because of the traffic issue.
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surreptitious   Speak
/sʌrəp'tɪʃəs/ a. Syn. secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden
(暗中的,秘密的) secret; done or made by stealth, or without proper authority; made or introduced fraudulently
Hoping to discover where his mom had hidden the Christmas presents, Timmy took a surreptitious peek into the master bedroom closet.
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sycophant   Speak
/'sɪkəfænt/ n. Syn. bootlicker; flatterer
(马屁精,阿谀奉承者) one who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; bootlicker; yes man
Fed up with the toadies and flunkies who made up his entourage, the star cried, "Get out, all of you! I'm sick of sycophant!"
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tacit   Speak
/'tæsɪt/ a.
(默许的,会意的) indicated or understood without expressed directly; not speaking; silent
We have a tacit agreement based on only a handshake.
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taciturn   Speak
/'tæsɪtə:n/ a. Syn. silent
(沉默寡言的) silent or reserved in speech; saying little; not inclined to speak or converse
The stereotypical cowboy is a taciturn soul, answering lengthy questions with a "Yep" or "Nope.".
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tantamount   Speak
/'tæntəmaʊnt/ a.
(同等的) equivalent in effect or value
Though Rudy claimed his wife was off visiting friends, his shriek of horror when she walked into the room was tantamount to a confession that he believed she was dead.
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temerity   Speak
/tɪ'mɛrɪtɪ/ n. Syn. boldness; rashness
(鲁莽的) boldness; rashness; foolhardy disregard of danger
Do you have the temerity to argue with me?.
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tenuous   Speak
/'tɛnjʊəs/ a. Syn. thin; rare; slim
(纤细的) long and thin; slender; having little substance
The allegiance of our allies is held by rather tenuous ties; we all should see it's in dangerous.
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timorous   Speak
/'tɪmərəs/ a. Syn. fearful
(害怕的) fearful; demonstrating fear; weakly hesitant
His timorous manner betrayed the fear he felt at the moment.
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torpid   Speak
/'tɔ:pɪd/ a.
(懒散的,死气沉沉的) having lost motion, or the power of exertion and feeling; numb; benumbed
The two ships becalmed on a torpid sea, I believed to be marine phantoms.
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tractable   Speak
/'træktəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. docile
(驯良的,温顺的,易处理的) easily managed or controlled; governable; easily handled or worked; docile
Although Susan seemed a tractable young woman, she had a stubborn streak of independence.
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transient   Speak
/'trænsɪənt, 'trɑr-/;/trænʃnt/ a. Syn. momentary; temporary; transitory
(暂时的) momentary; temporary; staying for short time
Lexy's joy at finding the perfect Christmas gift for Phil was transient, she still had to find presents for the cousins and Uncle Bob.
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transmute   Speak
/træns'mju:t, trɑr-/ v. Syn. convert; transform
(改变) change from one form, nature, substance, or state into another; transform
He was unable to transmute his dreams into actualities.
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trenchant   Speak
/'trɛntʃənt/ a. Syn. incisive; keen
(锋利的) forceful, effective, and vigorous; sharp or keen
I am afraid of his trenchant wit for it is so often sarcastic.
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truculent   Speak
/'trukjələnt, 'trʌkjʊlənt/ a. Syn. belligerent
(残暴的,凶狠的,野蛮的,言词刻毒的,粗野的) disposed to fight; belligerent; aggressively hostile
The bully was initially truculent but eventually stopped picking fights at the least provocation.
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turgid   Speak
/'tɜrdʒɪd/ a. Syn. swollen; distended
(肿胀的) swollen; distended; excessively ornate or complex in style or language
The turgid river threatened to overflow the levees and flood the countryside.
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turpitude   Speak
/'tɜrpɪtju:d/;/-tu:d/ n. Syn. depravity
(奸恶,卑鄙) depravity; corrupt, depraved, or degenerate act
A visitor may be denied admittance to this country if she has been guilty of moral turpitude.
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ubiquitous   Speak
/ju:'bɪkwɪtəs/ a. Syn. omnipresent
(无所不在的) being or existing everywhere; omnipresent
That Christmas "The Little Drummer Boy" seemed ubiquitous; we heard the tune everywhere.
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unctuous   Speak
/'ʌŋktjʊəs/ a. Syn. oily; bland
(假情假义的,假殷勤的,油质的) oily; composed of oil or fat; characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness
Uriah Heep disguised his nefarious actions by unctuous protestations of his "humility.".
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upbraid   Speak
/ʌp'breɪd/ v. Syn. reprimand; criticize; scold
(责备) severely criticize; reprimand; reprove sharply
Not only did Miss Minchin upbraid Ermengarde for her disobedience, but she hung her up by her braids from a coat rack in the classroom.
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usurp   Speak
/'jʊzəp/ v. Syn. appropriate
(篡取) seize and hold power or rights of another by force or without legal authority
The revolution ended when the victorious rebel general succeeded in his attempt to usurp the throne.
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vacillate   Speak
/'væsɪleɪt/ v. Syn. waver; fluctuate
(犹豫不定,踌躇不决) sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate
The big boss likes his people to be decisive: when he asks you for your opinion, whatever you do, don't vacillate.
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vacuous   Speak
/'vækjʊəs/ a. Syn. empty; inane
(空虚的,空的) empty; showing lack of thought or intelligence; vacant
The vacuous remarks of the politician annoyed the audience, who had hoped to hear more than empty platitudes.
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vapid   Speak
/'væpɪd/ a. Syn. dull
(平淡单调的,索然无味的,缺乏想象力的) dull and unimaginative; lacking taste or flavor
"Boring!" said Jessica, as she suffered through yet another vapid lecture about Dead White Male Poets.
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variegated   Speak
/'vɛərɪgeɪtɪd/ a.
(杂色的) streaked, spotted, or marked with a variety of color; very colorful
Without her glasses, Gretchen saw the fields of tulips as a variegated blur.
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venerate   Speak
/'vɛnəreɪt/ v.
(崇敬) treat with great respect and deference; consider hallowed or be in awe of
In Tibet today, the common people still venerate their traditional spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
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veracity   Speak
/və'ræsɪti/ n. Syn. truthfulness
(真实,准确性) truthfulness; unwillingness to tell lies
Asserting his veracity, young George Washington proclaimed, "Father, I cannot tell a lie!"
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verdant   Speak
/'vɜrdənt/ a.
(翠绿的,生疏的,无经验的) green; full of juice in vegetation
Monet's paintings of the verdant meadows were symphonies in green.
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vex   Speak
/vɛks/ v. Syn. annoy; distress
(激怒,惹恼) annoy; disturb, especially by minor irritations; be a mystery or bewildering to
Please try not to vex your mother; she is doing the best she can.
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vicarious   Speak
/vɪ'kɛərɪəs/ a.
(代理的,代理人的) acting as substitute; done by deputy; experienced at secondhand
Many people get a vicarious thrill at the movies by imagining they are the characters on the screen.
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vicissitude   Speak
/vɪ'sɪsɪtud/ n.
(转运) change, especially in one's life or fortunes; regular change or succession of one thing to another; alternation
Humbled by life's vicissitude, the last emperor of China worked as a lowly gardener in the palace over which he had once ruled.
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vilify   Speak
/'vɪlɪfaɪ/ v. Syn. slander
(诽谤,辱骂) debase; degrade; spread negative information about
Waging a highly negative campaign, the candidate attempted to vilify his opponent's reputation.
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viscous   Speak
/'vɪskəs/ a. Syn. sticky; gluey
(粘的) sticky; gluey; having high resistance to flow
Melted tar is a viscous substance.
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vitriolic   Speak
/vɪtrɪ'ɒlɪk/ a. Syn. corrosive; sarcastic
(腐蚀的,硫酸的,讽刺的) harsh or corrosive in tone; sarcastic; bitterly scathing
Any time that a simple request for evidence results in vitriolic personal attacks, or an attempt to censor, with no attempt to address the issue.
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wanton   Speak
/'wɒnt(ə)n/;/wɔ:ntən/ a. Syn. unrestrained; unchaste
(荒唐的,挥霍的,放荡的,不受限制的) unrestrained; willfully malicious; immoral or unchaste
Pointing to the stack of bills, Sheldon criticized Sarah for her wanton expenditures.
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winsome   Speak
/'wɪnsəm/ a. Syn. agreeable; gracious; engaging
(迷人的) agreeable; gracious; charming, often in childlike or naive way
By her winsome manner, she made herself liked by everyone who met her.
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wistful   Speak
/'wɪstfəl/ a.
(渴望的) full of wishful yearning or longing; sadly thoughtful
With a last wistful glance at the happy couples dancing in the hall, Sue headed back to her room to study for her exam.
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zenith   Speak
/'zɛnɪθ/ n. Syn. summit
(顶点) point directly overhead in sky; summit
When the sun was at its zenith, the glare was not as strong as at sunrise and sunset.
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zephyr   Speak
/'zɛfə(r)/ n.
(和风,徐风) gentle breeze; west wind; any of various soft light fabrics, yarns, or garments
A blessing on a hot day in zephyr form, something to lift birds and kites and make sailboats cut beautifully through the water.
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