| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| belie |
to give a false impression of. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| comity |
mutual courtesy and respectful treatment among people or nations. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| indolence |
the tendency to avoid exertion or effort; laziness. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| macrocosm |
a large unit or entity that represents on a large scale one of its smaller components. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |