| blandishment |
(often plural) flattering or coaxing remarks or stratagems intended to persuade. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| ingenuous |
having or showing simplicity and lack of sophistication; artless. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| reprobate |
an evil or lawless person, often beyond hope of redemption. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |
| unadulterated |
unmixed with or undiluted by additives or extraneous elements; pure; complete. |
| uxorious |
excessively or foolishly devoted to one's wife, and often thereby submissive to her. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |