| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| concur |
to share the same opinion; agree. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |