| castigation |
the act of rebuking, severely criticizing, or punishing, especially in a public forum. |
| chauvinist |
one who has a biased belief in the superiority of one's own sex over the other. |
| ignoble |
of low or dishonorable character; contemptible. |
| laborious |
requiring considerable effort or perseverance. |
| obscene |
offensive and not decent. |
| parameter |
any of a set of specifications or limits, the value or variations of which determine the form or behavior of something. |
| perennial |
lasting throughout the year or for many years. |
| perverse |
stubbornly opposed to what is expected or requested of one, or marked by or inclined toward such an attitude. |
| psyche |
the mental makeup of a person or group. |
| reprieve |
to release (someone) temporarily or permanently from planned or impending punishment, pain, or difficulty. |
| sardonic |
bitterly mocking; derisive; scornful. |
| sporadic |
occurring irregularly or in a thinly scattered manner in time or space. |
| theorem |
a proposition or idea that can be proven by other formulas or propositions in mathematics, or deduced from accepted premises or assumptions in logic. |
| underscore |
to emphasize by, or as if by, drawing a line beneath. |
| winnow |
to sift through, or separate out the desired or worthwhile from the undesired or worthless part of, as by critical analysis. |