| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| crass |
lacking in sensitivity or refinement; crude. |
| deadeye |
an expert shooter. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| otiose |
having no purpose or use; unnecessary or futile. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |