| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| credulous |
disposed to believe, especially on scanty evidence; gullible. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| parturient |
giving birth or about to give birth; in labor. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |