| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| condone |
to pardon, disregard, or overlook voluntarily or without condemning. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| pronate |
to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm of the hand faces down or backwards. |
| rebarbative |
tending to irritate or repel; forbidding or unattractive. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |