| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| epicene |
sharing the traits of both sexes. |
| feckless |
weak or incompetent; ineffective. |
| idyllic |
charmingly simple and natural, as a scene or experience; suggestive of peaceful countryside. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| indulgent |
gratifying, or being inclined to gratify or yield to others' wishes, especially rather than enforcing discipline or strictness. |
| ingenuous |
having or showing simplicity and lack of sophistication; artless. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |