| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| foment |
to encourage the development of; instigate or foster. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| libertine |
acting without restraint; dissolute; amoral. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| repose2 |
to put or place (confidence, hope, or the like) in someone or something. |
| stately |
dignified. |