| cupidity |
exceptional desire for money or other material possessions; greed. |
| demagogue |
a leader, especially a speaker or politician, who attempts to persuade and to gain a following by appealing to the emotions and prejudices of the public, rather than by rational argument. |
| dregs |
the part of anything that is left over or that has the least value or use. |
| imperturbable |
not easily excited or disturbed; calm. |
| increment |
a rise or addition in number or value, often small. |
| ingénue |
an inexperienced or artless girl or the role of a such a girl in a dramatic presentation. |
| miff |
to cause (someone) to become annoyed; offend. |
| modulate |
to vary the loudness, pitch, intensity, or tone of; especially soften or tone down. |
| pessimistic |
feeling in a negative way about things; expecting the worst to happen. |
| pilfer |
to steal, especially trifling amounts or things of small value. |
| plummet |
to fall sharply down, especially at high speed; plunge. |
| renunciation |
the act or an instance of giving up or rejecting something, usually as a sacrifice; renouncing. |
| striate |
to mark with stripes or furrows. |
| tedium |
the state or condition of being dull, boring, or wearisome; monotony. |
| underrate |
to value or appreciate insufficiently; underestimate. |