| adversity |
a condition of trouble or difficulty. |
| apostate |
a person who abandons his or her religious faith, principles, cause, or the like. |
| colloquial |
characteristic of or suited to informal or familiar conversation or to writing that is imitative of conversational tone. |
| concourse |
a large open space, as in a railway station, where many people pass or gather. |
| conservationist |
a person who promotes and encourages preservation, especially of natural resources. |
| ferocity |
the quality or state of being cruelly savage or fierce. |
| imperative |
very important; urgent. |
| invoke |
to call out to (a god, muse, or the like) for help, support, protection, or inspiration. |
| petulance |
the state or quality of being easily or unreasonably irritated, impatient, or ill tempered. |
| pilgrimage |
a usually long trip undertaken for religious purposes, such as to visit a holy place. |
| pivotal |
critically important or crucial; on which something is contingent. |
| ramification |
a consequence or related aspect of something; offshoot. |
| rejoinder |
a response to a reply; retort. |
| sanction |
permission for an action; approval. |
| sully |
to make dirty or tarnished. |