| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| derelict |
failing to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations; remiss. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| peripatetic |
walking or traveling around; going from place to place; itinerant. |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |