| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| assuage |
to make less severe or more bearable; alleviate. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| bibulous |
addicted to alcohol; alcoholic. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| fledge |
to grow flight feathers. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |
| redoubtable |
inspiring fear; formidable. |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |