| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |
| Sabbatarian |
one who observes the Sabbath on Saturday, as Jews and certain Christians. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |