| condone |
to pardon, disregard, or overlook voluntarily or without condemning. |
| consummate |
of the highest order or degree. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |
| risible |
provoking laughter; laughable or funny. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |