| abdicate |
to officially give up a position of power or a right. |
| caustic |
bitingly critical. |
| diverge |
to extend or move away in different directions from a common point. |
| importune |
to pester with insistent demands or requests. |
| iridescent |
emitting or reflecting a lustrous play of colors covering the spectrum, like a rainbow. |
| irony |
a manner of using language so that it conveys a different or opposite meaning to that which is literally expressed in the words themselves. Irony is used in ordinary conversation and also as a literary technique, especially to express criticism or to produce humor or pathos. |
| jeopardize |
to cause to be in danger or at risk; imperil. |
| juxtaposition |
the state of being placed side by side, especially for the purposes of comparison and contrast. |
| linguistic |
of or pertaining to language or the study of language. |
| mores |
the behaviors and manners accepted and expected in a social group, embodying its fundamental moral standards. |
| parley |
a discussion, especially between opponents or enemies, as to establish terms of truce. |
| perdition |
the loss of the soul for eternity; damnation. |
| precipice |
a steep cliff. |
| reprehensible |
deserving of blame or reproof; condemnable; blameworthy. |
| stratum |
a level in a social hierarchy. |