Alphabetic N

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Other / Other

nounverb verb

nip - Pinch, squeeze, or bite sharply

Puppies tend to nip their owners' hands when they are young.

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Bad / Unfriendly

verb

nix - Put an end to; cancel

Once Ed found out that his potential business partner had been arrested for fraud 2 years before, he nixed the scheduled meeting, and he tore up the partnership agreement that he was about to sign.

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3 of 45
Bad / Attack

noun

nemesis - A long-standing rival; an archenemy

As the leader of the Dark Side, Darth Vader was the evil nemesis of the heroic Luke Skywalker.

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Bad / Strange

noun

nerd - A person who lacks social skills but often makes up for it with technical ability

Kevin was such a nerd that he couldn't even consider asking any girl out for a date.

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5 of 45
Good / Pleasure

noun

nostalgia - A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations

While watching her family's old home movies, Mary was filled with a sense of nostalgia.

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6 of 45
Bad / Stupid

noun

nincompoop - A stupid or foolish person

Bill's doctors told him that since he was a diabetic, he was a nincompoop for eating cake.

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Bad / Stupid

noun

nitwit - A silly or foolish person

Ernest may have been a simple nitwit, but he had a kind heart.

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8 of 45
Good / Love

verb

nuzzle - Rub or push against gently with the nose and mouth

Lions tend to nuzzle against each other to show affection.

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9 of 45
Bad / Crazy

adjective

nuts - Crazy, insane, or stupid, often in a humorous way

Bill's friends thought he was nuts for swimming in the middle of the winter.

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10 of 45
Bad / Aggressive

verb

nab - To catch someone doing something wrong or illegal

The police nabbed the person who tried to blow up the World Trade Center 1993, when he went to the car rental to get back his deposit for the van he had blown up.

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11 of 45
Other / Other

noun

narrative - A story or a description of a series of events

As historians learned more about the ancient revolution, they gradually changed their narrative about what happened.

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12 of 45
Good / New

noun

novice - Someone who is beginning to learn a skill or subject

Because Mary was a novice programmer, she often asked her co-workers for help and advice.