| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| disallow |
to refuse to allow or admit; reject. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| impermeable |
not permitting passage or penetration. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |