| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| indistinct |
not clearly perceived or perceiving. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| lambent |
glowing softly. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |