| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| internecine |
of or pertaining to conflict, discord, or struggle within a group. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |