| abrogate |
to abolish, repeal, or nullify by authority. |
| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| boorish |
rude; ill-mannered; crude. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| granulate |
to make into small particles or grains. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |
| reprobate |
an evil or lawless person, often beyond hope of redemption. |
| risible |
provoking laughter; laughable or funny. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |