reckoning -
A time when someone's actions will be judged to be right or wrong.
He broke and stole many things when he was drunk, and now his day of reckoning would happen in front of a judge.
noun
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Unfriendly
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brat -
A child, typically a badly behaved one
Felicia couldn't handle the screaming brat next to her on the cross-country flight.
noun
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Delay
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impediment -
Something that makes progress or movement difficult or impossible
Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing when she was only19 months old, but she overcame these impediments and went to college at Radcliffe and became a great author and speaker.
noun
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Unfriendly
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innuendo -
A remark that suggests something negative, but does not say it directly
During the debate for Mayor, Sam made several negative innuendos about his opponent's inexperience without ever saying the accusations directly.
noun
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Delay
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logjam -
A situation where progress is halted due to a buildup of problems, delays, or obstacles.
The political negotiations reached a logjam when neither side was willing to compromise.
noun
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Bad
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slum -
A very poor and crowded area, especially of a city
Since the schools and living conditions in a slum are usually very bad, it's hard to escape it to become successful.
noun
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Bad
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scandal -
An event that is considered so wrong that it shocks people
When the Secretary of the Treasury was caught stealing money, it caused such a scandal that the whole administraton was swept out of office during the next election.
noun
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Smart
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wonk -
A person who takes an excessive interest in minor details of political policy
Rachel Maddow is a policy wonk on TV who walks her audience through the minor details of legislation and current events.
noun
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Dishonest
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culprit -
A person who is responsible for a crime or other misdeed
After a long foot chase through downtown, the police officer finally arrested the culprit.
noun
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Strange
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yokel -
A naive or gullible inhabitant of a rural area or small town
Jed Clampett knew he and his family were considered yokels from the countryside, so he was unsure of how they would be treated in Beverly Hills.
noun
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Pleasure
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hedonism -
The idea that pleasure is the main goal of life.
People who are focused on hedonism are often less happy because happiness comes from relationships, and relationships come from generosity.
noun
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fragrance -
A sweet or pleasant odor or a scent.
He bought his wife perfume as a present, because they both loved its wonderful fragrance.
