| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| bellicose |
easily incited to quarrel or fight; belligerent. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| conjoin |
to combine for a common purpose. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| disallow |
to refuse to allow or admit; reject. |
| indomitable |
too strong to be subdued or discouraged; unconquerable. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| 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. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |