| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| deify |
to raise to the rank of a god; consider to be a god. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| glut |
a greater supply or amount than is needed. |
| hirsute |
covered with hair or stiff hairs; hairy or shaggy. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |