| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| caparison |
decorative trappings to cover a horse's saddle or harness. |
| comity |
mutual courtesy and respectful treatment among people or nations. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| repine |
to express or feel unhappiness; complain; fret. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |