| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| debauch |
to lead or seduce into immorality or intemperance; corrupt. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |