| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| condone |
to pardon, disregard, or overlook voluntarily or without condemning. |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| divergence |
the act of separating and moving or leading in different directions. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |