| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |