| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| sere1 |
dried up or withered. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |