| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| credulous |
disposed to believe, especially on scanty evidence; gullible. |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| rapacious |
capable of capturing and eating live prey; predacious. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |