| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| conjoin |
to combine for a common purpose. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| malinger |
to pretend illness or injury, especially in order to be excused from duty or work. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |