| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |