| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| redoubtable |
inspiring fear; formidable. |
| sartorial |
of or pertaining to tailors or tailored clothing, especially men's clothing. |
| sylph |
a slender, graceful woman or girl. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |