| abysmal |
of vast extent; unmeasurable; extreme. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| belie |
to give a false impression of. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| divergence |
the act of separating and moving or leading in different directions. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |