| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| conjoin |
to combine for a common purpose. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| inanition |
a state of exhaustion caused by a lack of nourishment. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| solipsism |
the self-centered habit of interpreting and judging all things exclusively according to one's own concepts of meaning and value. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |