| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| truculent |
extremely hostile or belligerent; inclined to fight. |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |