| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| arrant |
complete; unmitigated; downright. |
| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| garrulous |
given to talking excessively. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |