| affluence |
material wealth. |
| cupidity |
exceptional desire for money or other material possessions; greed. |
| defray |
to pay or assist in the payment of (costs or the like). |
| faction |
a group or party within, and often at odds with, a larger organization. |
| impasse |
a situation that allows no escape or solution; stalemate. |
| implode |
to violently collapse or compress inward. |
| instigate |
to purposely agitate or incite; provoke; foment. |
| intimacy |
the condition of being close in friendship or otherwise intimate. |
| mores |
the behaviors and manners accepted and expected in a social group, embodying its fundamental moral standards. |
| parody |
a humorous imitation in print, music, or performance of a serious person, work of art, or publication. |
| plaintive |
showing or expressing sadness or sorrow. |
| provident |
showing wisdom and foresight in planning for the future. |
| sedate |
composed and dignified. |
| stricture |
that which restricts or constrains. |
| volition |
the act of willing, deciding, or choosing. |