| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |