| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| assuage |
to make less severe or more bearable; alleviate. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| forbear |
to keep or abstain from (an action or utterance). |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| iatrogenic |
caused by a physician or medical treatment, especially from drugs or surgery. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| unabashed |
not feeling or showing embarrassment, uneasiness, or shame. |