| belabor |
to continue excessive efforts on or excessive discussion of. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| incredulous |
not able to believe something. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| untoward |
unexpected and unfortunate. |