| castigation |
the act of rebuking, severely criticizing, or punishing, especially in a public forum. |
| fastidious |
exceedingly particular or demanding especially in matters of detail; exacting. |
| fraught |
accompanied by; full of, usually something bad or unpleasant. |
| implode |
to violently collapse or compress inward. |
| instrumental |
serving as an agent or partial cause. |
| intemperance |
lack of restraint in the indulgence of an appetite, especially the consumption of alcohol. |
| jingoism |
aggressive nationalism and patriotism, especially as directed against foreign countries. |
| nuptial |
of or relating to a wedding ceremony or to marriage. |
| obliterate |
to erase or make unrecognizable by erasing. |
| overt |
openly apparent; not concealed. (Cf. covert.) |
| protégé |
a person under the care or sponsorship of an influential patron. |
| recession1 |
a period of reduced or declining economic activity. |
| sedate |
composed and dignified. |
| sobriety |
abstinence from alcohol; temperance. |
| specious |
apparently true, genuine, or plausible, but actually worthless, as an argument or evidence. |