| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |