| coalesce |
to grow together or unite to form a single body or organization; unify; fuse. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| malinger |
to pretend illness or injury, especially in order to be excused from duty or work. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |