| backfire |
to have results that are the opposite of what one wanted. |
| credulity |
an inclination to believe or trust, especially without sufficient basis or evidence; gullibility. |
| delineate |
to describe or portray in precise or vivid detail. |
| embellishment |
a beautifying decoration or addition. |
| fraught |
accompanied by; full of, usually something bad or unpleasant. |
| frivolous |
unworthy of serious consideration or merit; trivial or silly. |
| impel |
to drive or incite to action. |
| invalidate |
to deprive a claim of force or effect by negating its factual or legal basis. |
| nihilism |
the belief that existence has no meaning or purpose. |
| nonconformity |
refusal or failure to adjust one's behavior and actions to accord or comply with societal customs, values, or the like. |
| problematic |
presenting difficulties or causing doubt; questionable. |
| promontory |
a high cliff that sticks out into a large body of water or that rises above an area of lower land. |
| retard |
to cause (growth, development, or the like) to be slow or incomplete; stunt. |
| secular |
of or concerning the world and material concerns as opposed to religious or spiritual concerns; temporal. |
| tenacious |
holding on or tending to hold on strongly or persistently (sometimes followed by "of"). |