| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| debauch |
to lead or seduce into immorality or intemperance; corrupt. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| incursion |
a raid or sudden invasion. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |