| comparative |
measured or estimated by comparison; relative. |
| contraband |
goods banned by law from being imported or exported. |
| euphemism |
the word or expression so substituted. |
| fissure |
a narrow crevice or other opening, especially one caused by splitting. |
| indiscretion |
lack of judgment, prudence, or restraint, especially in regard to the rights or feelings of other people. |
| laud |
to praise. |
| monotone |
speech with little or no change in tone. |
| notoriety |
the condition or quality of being widely known or spoken of, especially for something that is not good. |
| ostentatious |
done or designed with the intention of impressing others and consequently overly showy or grandiose; pretentious. |
| reformatory |
a corrective institution for disciplining and re-educating young offenders. |
| self-determination |
the ability or freedom of a people to decide their own form of government. |
| serendipity |
lucky coincidence or accidental discovery of something pleasant or valuable. |
| skepticism |
distrust or disbelief, or a general tendency to doubt and question. |
| syncopate |
in music, to make (a rhythm) more complex as by accenting beats that are not normally accented or employing rests where accented beats would be expected. |
| vicarious |
experienced through imagined participation in someone else's actions, sufferings, or the like. |