| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| indolence |
the tendency to avoid exertion or effort; laziness. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |