| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| indemnity |
insurance against damage, loss, or liability. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| lattice |
a flat framework made with strips of wood or other material. The strips cross each other and have open spaces in between. A lattice is often used as a screen on a porch or in a garden. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |