| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| festoon |
a decorative chain or strip of ribbons, flowers, leaves, or the like, suspended at the ends and hung in a curve. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| 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. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |