| backfire |
to have results that are the opposite of what one wanted. |
| chimerical |
existing only in the mind; fanciful. |
| credible |
believable or plausible. |
| despot |
a ruler who has complete power and authority. |
| fetid |
having a foul odor; stinking. |
| incriminate |
to show involvement in a crime. |
| instigate |
to purposely agitate or incite; provoke; foment. |
| laity |
the body of members of a religious group who are not part of the clergy. |
| plaintive |
showing or expressing sadness or sorrow. |
| precarious |
so unstable or insecure as to be dangerous; risky. |
| recompense |
payment or action to compensate for the expenditure or loss of time, money, property, or the like. |
| rhetoric |
the art, ability, or study of using language effectively in speech or writing, especially to influence or persuade one's audience. |
| secular |
of or concerning the world and material concerns as opposed to religious or spiritual concerns; temporal. |
| solace |
comfort or consolation in times of sorrow or suffering. |
| tepid |
not quite warm; lukewarm. |