| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| incessant |
never stopping; constant. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |