| artisan |
a person skilled in making things, especially by using the hands. People such as those who make furniture, quilts, or other crafts are artisans. |
| buttress |
a structure built to give support to the outside of a building or a wall. |
| castigate |
to punish or rebuke, as with severe public criticism; chastise. |
| cavil |
to make petty criticisms or objections; carp (usually followed by "at" or "about"). |
| cognate |
having a common origin, as languages. |
| despot |
a ruler who has complete power and authority. |
| discursive |
ranging over numerous topics, especially in an orderly or coherent way. |
| dissonant |
not in harmony or agreement; discordant. |
| feasible |
capable of being done, carried out, or brought about; likely to succeed. |
| gauche |
deficient in manners or other conventions of social behavior; boorish; crude. |
| kinetic |
of, concerning, or caused by motion. |
| maniacal |
marked by wildness, craziness, and violence. |
| microcosm |
a small, complete whole; tiny world. |
| strident |
harsh-sounding or loud; raucous; grating. |
| trite |
ineffective or stale because of frequent repetition; commonplace; hackneyed. |