Noun

noun

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Good / Friendly

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niceties - A fine detail or distinction, especially one regarded as intricate and fussy

Thom appreciated the architecture of the building, though he didn't know the detailed niceties of its particular style.

noun

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Bad / Small

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excerpt - A short part taken from a speech, book, film

After reading excerpts from the new novel, he went out and bought the book.

noun

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Bad / Pain

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shackles - A device, such as a chain or cuff, designed to physically limit or control a person or thing's movement.

Shackles were placed on the prisoner's feet so that he would not be able to run away and escape.

noun

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Bad / War

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bulwark - A defensive wall

The soldiers had planned to attack, but the bulwark fortification that the enemy had built around themselves was too high to climb, and there didn't seem to be any way over, around, or through.

noun

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Good / Flexible

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conformist - A person who behaves in accordance with prevailing standards or customs, rather than doing things that are different or original.

The hippies attracted people who didn't want to be conformists to the regular society, but actually they were becoming conformists to the hippie way of life.

noun

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Bad / Strange

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geek - An unfashionable or socially inept person, who often also has technical skills

Being such a geek, Richard made up for his lack of social skills with his expertise in computers.

noun

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Bad / Confused

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mirage - An image that exists only in the mind and is not real.

When the new leader says he's for democracy, the world is hoping that it isn't a mirage.

noun

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Good / Calm

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trance - A semi-hypnotic state where the mind seems to be transported to another realm

When Jerry heard the trance music, he let himself go, and he seemed to float to another state of consciousness - and he just danced with the crowd, and he felt one with the rhythm.

noun

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Bad / Strange

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fairytale - A children's story about magical and imaginary beings and lands; or something that is too good to be true or seems unreal.

He told a fairytale about how he got the job, but no one believed him, and people suspected that he had a relative in management.

noun

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Good / Smart

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ingenuity - The quality of being clever, original, and inventive

Thomas Edison possessed so much ingenuity that he is considered the greatest inventor of all time.

noun

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Bad / Angry

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tirade - A long, angry speech of criticism or accusation

After his team lost the championship game, the coach launched into a tirade against his players, listing all the things they had done wrong in the game.

noun

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Bad / Bad

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adversity - A difficult situation or time in one's life

Winston Churhill told the British people during WWII that with a stiff upper lip, they could get through the period of adversity together.