| abysmal |
of vast extent; unmeasurable; extreme. |
| appurtenance |
(plural) equipment or instruments used for a given purpose; gear. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| extralegal |
not regulated or permitted by law; outside of legal authority. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| pandemic |
a widespread outbreak of disease that afflicts many people over different continents. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |