| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| expatiate |
to discuss something at great length; describe in great detail. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |