| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| indomitable |
too strong to be subdued or discouraged; unconquerable. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| requite |
to retaliate for; strike back on account of. |