| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |