| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| affidavit |
a written statement that is sworn in the presence of an authorized official to be true, used as legal evidence. |
| aplomb |
great self-confidence, composure, or poise. |
| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |