| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| insularity |
the condition of being closed to new ideas or outside influences; narrow-mindedness. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| repine |
to express or feel unhappiness; complain; fret. |
| uxorial |
of, pertaining to, or befitting a wife. |