| blandishment |
(often plural) flattering or coaxing remarks or stratagems intended to persuade. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |