| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| pungent |
sharp and strong in taste or smell. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| sudorific |
causing or increasing sweat, as a medication. |