| amortize |
to deduct (expenditures) by fixed amounts over a period of time. |
| berate |
to reproach or scold severely. |
| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| comity |
mutual courtesy and respectful treatment among people or nations. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| feckless |
weak or incompetent; ineffective. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| inanition |
a state of exhaustion caused by a lack of nourishment. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| nonpareil |
a person or thing whose excellence is unequaled; paragon. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| rodomontade |
puffed-up boasting or bravado. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |