| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| belie |
to give a false impression of. |
| bibulous |
addicted to alcohol; alcoholic. |
| conduction |
the transmission or transfer, as of heat, electrical charges, or nervous impulses, through a medium. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |