| adulation |
extreme or excessive praise. |
| amass |
to gather or accumulate for oneself. |
| cubicle |
any very small room or partitioned space, as in an office or dormitory. |
| disaffect |
to cause to lose affection for, loyalty to, or contentment in an idea, a person, or an organization such as a government; alienate. |
| engross |
to take all the attention of; interest fully. |
| heresy |
a religious belief or doctrine not in keeping with the established doctrine of a church, especially the rejection of or dissent from any aspect of Roman Catholic Church dogma by a baptized church member. |
| malediction |
the expression of a wish that evil or harm come to someone; curse. |
| maternal |
of, having to do with, or like a mother. |
| naysayer |
a person who refuses, denies, or opposes, especially because of cynicism or pessimism. |
| pedantry |
the act or practice, or an instance, of flaunting one's learnedness or of being overly insistent on scholarly formalities or details. |
| plaintive |
showing or expressing sadness or sorrow. |
| redeem |
to make up for; balance. |
| rue1 |
to regret, repent of, or feel sorry about. |
| skiff |
a small, light boat that may have sails but can be rowed by one oarsman. |
| substantive |
of or pertaining to the fundamental nature or concerns of something; essential. |