| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| appurtenance |
(plural) equipment or instruments used for a given purpose; gear. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| foment |
to encourage the development of; instigate or foster. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| reprobate |
an evil or lawless person, often beyond hope of redemption. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| uxorious |
excessively or foolishly devoted to one's wife, and often thereby submissive to her. |