| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| animus |
a feeling or attitude of enmity. |
| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| pungent |
sharp and strong in taste or smell. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |