| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| assuage |
to make less severe or more bearable; alleviate. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| indulgent |
gratifying, or being inclined to gratify or yield to others' wishes, especially rather than enforcing discipline or strictness. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| pathos |
a quality in life or art that evokes pity, sadness, or compassion. |
| proselytize |
to convert or try actively to convert (others) to one's own beliefs or religion. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |