| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| foment |
to encourage the development of; instigate or foster. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| jejune |
lacking interest or liveliness; dull. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| paroxysm |
a sudden strong outburst of feelings or actions. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| quotidian |
happening every day or once a day. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |