| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| epicene |
sharing the traits of both sexes. |
| euphoria |
a strong feeling of well-being or elation, sometimes unrealistic or unwarranted, and able to be induced by certain drugs. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| 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. |
| sylph |
a slender, graceful woman or girl. |