| abysmal |
of vast extent; unmeasurable; extreme. |
| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| fulminate |
to vehemently denounce or criticize something. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| indulgent |
gratifying, or being inclined to gratify or yield to others' wishes, especially rather than enforcing discipline or strictness. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| parturient |
giving birth or about to give birth; in labor. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |