| abate |
to become less in amount or intensity. |
| adulation |
extreme or excessive praise. |
| cabal |
a small group of people engaged in a secret plot, usually of a political nature. |
| dote |
to have or show too much love or affection (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| duplicitous |
deceitful, treacherous, or double-dealing. |
| figment |
something imaginary or invented. |
| pinnacle |
the highest point or part of anything; apex; summit. |
| precipice |
a steep cliff. |
| regression |
the act or condition of return to an earlier form or less advanced state; biological or psychological reversion. |
| reprimand |
a strong, usually formal statement of disapproval; rebuke. |
| resurgent |
surging or rising once again; coming back. |
| rudiment |
(often plural) something in an initial, imperfect, or undeveloped form. |
| scrutinize |
to look at closely and carefully, with attention to detail. |
| sordid |
morally bad; ignoble or base. |
| throwback |
a reappearance of an outmoded procedure, system, or the like. |