| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| emote |
to express or simulate feelings, especially in an exaggerated or theatrical manner. |
| expatiate |
to discuss something at great length; describe in great detail. |
| precursory |
coming before and serving to indicate what will follow; premonitory. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| recrudesce |
to become active again or break out anew, as a disease or harmful condition. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| solipsism |
the self-centered habit of interpreting and judging all things exclusively according to one's own concepts of meaning and value. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |