| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| 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. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |