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coy • ness n., playful evasiveness; pretense of shyness or bashfulness. Elise could not tell whether Jason’s behavior reflected true shyness or mere coyness.

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lan • guish vi., lose vigor or vitality. The explorer languished in Brazil when fever sapped him of strength and energy.

strife n., contention; act of striving or vying. The strife between union members and the factory owners ended in a walkout.