| atonement |
the act of making reparation for a sin, crime, error, or the like. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |