| abate |
to become less in amount or intensity. |
| acrid |
bitter in taste or smell; sharply irritating. |
| affluent |
having a lot of money; rich; wealthy. |
| agnostic |
one who believes it is impossible to know anything about the existence or nonexistence of God or about the essential nature of things beyond the material universe. |
| derivation |
the source of a thing; origin. |
| illicit |
not permitted by custom or law; illegitimate. |
| increment |
a rise or addition in number or value, often small. |
| maxim |
a brief, concise statement of a general or basic truth or rule, especially for proper conduct. |
| mote |
a fine particle of dust; speck. |
| nihilism |
the belief that existence has no meaning or purpose. |
| precipitous |
very steep or sudden; rising or dropping abruptly. |
| privation |
lack of necessities or common comforts of life. |
| rambunctious |
wildly or uncontrollably active; difficult to control; boisterous. |
| renunciation |
the act or an instance of giving up or rejecting something, usually as a sacrifice; renouncing. |
| undermine |
to gradually, secretly, or imperceptibly weaken and destroy. |