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obdurate
(adj.) stubborn
The obdurate child refused to go to school.
The obdurate youngster refused to eat the Brussels sprouts.
obeisance
(n.) a gesture of respect or reverence
As an obeisance, the man took off his hat as the funeral procession drove
past him.
obfuscate
(v.) to darken, confuse, bewilder
The lunar eclipse will obfuscate the light of the sun.
objective
(adj.; n.) open-minded; impartial; goal
It's hard to set aside your biases and be objective.
The law student decided that her primary objective after graduation was
to pass the Bar examination.
objurgate
(v.) to chide vehemently
The girls disliked those boys who objurgated the group.
obligatory
(adj.) mandatory; necessary; legally or morally binding
In order to provide a reliable source of revenue for the government, it
is obligatory for each citizen to pay taxes.
obliterate
(v.) destroy completely
Poaching nearly obliterated the world's whale population.
obloquy
(n.) widespread condemnation or abuse; disgrace or infamy resulting from
this.
The child suffered quite an obloquy at the hands of his classmates.
Lawyers must face frequent obloquy with their reputation as "ambulance
chasers."
obscure
(adj.) not easily understood; dark
The orchestra enjoys performing obscure American works, hoping to bring
them to a wider audience.
obsequious
(adj.) servilely attentive; fawning
The man's attraction to the woman would be obvious if his obsequious behavior
could be noted.
The princess only seemed to encourage the obsequious behavior of her court
to enhance her own feeling of superiority.
obsolete
(adj.) out of date; pass'
Computers have made many formerly manual tasks obsolete.
obstinate
(adj.) stubborn
Her father would not allow her to stay out past midnight; she thought
he was obstinate because he would not change his mind.
obtrude
(v.) to force oneself or one's ideas upon another; to thrust forward;
to eject
The inquisitive coworker obtrudes into the conversation often.
obtuse
(adj.) dull; greater than 90± but less than 180±; slow to
understand or perceive
The man was so obtuse, he even made the dog yawn.
The textbook problem asks the reader to solve for the obtuse angle.
He's obtuse when it comes to abstract art.
obviate
(v.) to make unnecessary
The invention of cars has obviated the use of horse and carriage.
A cure for the common cold would obviate the need for shelf after shelf
of cold remedies.
occult
(adj.) hidden; beyond human understanding; mystical; mysterious
The occult meaning of the message was one of dislike for the authorities.
Some spend years pursuing the occult, only to find themselves no closer
to the answer.
Relating to the occult world means entering a new realm.
odious
(adj.) hateful; disgusting
Having to chaperone her brother was an odious chore for the girl.
odium
(n.) a hate; the disgrace from a hateful action
Odium could be felt for the man who destroyed the school.
oligarchy
(n.) form of government in which the supreme power is placed in the hands
of a small, exclusive group.
The oligarchy took control after the king was overthrown.
ominous
(adj.) threatening
Seeing ominous clouds on the horizon, the street fair organizers decided
to fold up their tent and go home.
omniscient
(adj.) having knowledge of all things
The future can be told by the omniscient woman.
opalescent
(adj.) iridescent
Her new nail polish was opalescent making her finger tips look like pearls.
opaque
(adj.) dull; cloudy; non-transparent
Not having been washed for years, the once beautiful windows of the Victorian
home became opaque.
They chose an opaque shade of green for their bathroom walls.
opprobrious
(adj.) abusive
Nobody liked working for him because he was so opprobrious.
optimist
(n.) person who hopes for the best; sees the good side
He's ever the optimist, always seeing the glass as half full.
opulence
(n.) wealth; fortune
A 40-room mansion on 65 wooded acres is only the most visible sign of
her opulence.
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