| apotheosis |
a perfect or ideal example; epitome. |
| arrant |
complete; unmitigated; downright. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| disallow |
to refuse to allow or admit; reject. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| 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. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| syntax |
the word order or pattern of word order in a sentence. |