| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| attune |
to adjust so as to be harmonious. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| conjoin |
to combine for a common purpose. |
| deadeye |
an expert shooter. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| nonpareil |
a person or thing whose excellence is unequaled; paragon. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |
| untoward |
unexpected and unfortunate. |