| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| euphoria |
a strong feeling of well-being or elation, sometimes unrealistic or unwarranted, and able to be induced by certain drugs. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| perilous |
causing or involving great danger; risky; hazardous. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |