| conduction |
the transmission or transfer, as of heat, electrical charges, or nervous impulses, through a medium. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| inadvertent |
not planned or intended; unintentional. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| rebarbative |
tending to irritate or repel; forbidding or unattractive. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |