| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| assuage |
to make less severe or more bearable; alleviate. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| obtrude |
to thrust or force (oneself, one's concerns, or one's opinions) on another or others without being asked. |
| paroxysm |
a sudden strong outburst of feelings or actions. |