| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| belie |
to give a false impression of. |
| bibulous |
addicted to alcohol; alcoholic. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| crass |
lacking in sensitivity or refinement; crude. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| 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. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |