| accretion |
the process of gradual increase or growth, especially by additions from the outside. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| inveigle |
to entice or ensnare by clever talk or flattery. |
| laureate |
one honored for achievement in a particular field or by a particular award, especially in the arts or sciences. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| unabashed |
not feeling or showing embarrassment, uneasiness, or shame. |