| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| expatiate |
to discuss something at great length; describe in great detail. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| jejune |
lacking interest or liveliness; dull. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |
| uxorial |
of, pertaining to, or befitting a wife. |