| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| expatiate |
to discuss something at great length; describe in great detail. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| redoubtable |
inspiring fear; formidable. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| unscathed |
not hurt or harmed; completely uninjured. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |