| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| stative |
in grammar, of or designating a category of verbs that express state or condition. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |