| acrimony |
bitterness or sharpness in speech or behavior. |
| ameliorate |
to make better; improve. |
| hitherto |
until this time; previously. |
| illustrious |
highly renowned; celebrated; glorious. |
| infectious |
able to be given to others by infection. |
| intemperance |
lack of restraint in the indulgence of an appetite, especially the consumption of alcohol. |
| limpid |
perfectly clear; transparent. |
| macabre |
of, pertaining to, depicting, or evoking death or the horrors of death; gruesome; ghastly. |
| obsequious |
showing or tending to show servile obedience or deference; fawning. |
| pessimistic |
feeling in a negative way about things; expecting the worst to happen. |
| posthumous |
beginning, occurring, or continuing after one's death. |
| raconteur |
one who is talented in storytelling. |
| stratum |
a level in a social hierarchy. |
| throwback |
a reappearance of an outmoded procedure, system, or the like. |
| unyielding |
hard; firm; resistant to pressure or force. |