| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| euphoria |
a strong feeling of well-being or elation, sometimes unrealistic or unwarranted, and able to be induced by certain drugs. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| incessant |
never stopping; constant. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| stately |
dignified. |