| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| erratic |
not expected or predicted; not regular. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| innocuous |
not capable of causing damage; harmless. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |