| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| pronate |
to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm of the hand faces down or backwards. |