| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| condone |
to pardon, disregard, or overlook voluntarily or without condemning. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| euphoria |
a strong feeling of well-being or elation, sometimes unrealistic or unwarranted, and able to be induced by certain drugs. |
| germane |
having relevance to a given matter; pertinent; significant. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| incessant |
never stopping; constant. |
| maunder |
to speak in an aimless or foolish way; babble. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| pungent |
sharp and strong in taste or smell. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |