| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| jubilate |
to feel joyful; rejoice; exult. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| obtrude |
to thrust or force (oneself, one's concerns, or one's opinions) on another or others without being asked. |
| paroxysm |
a sudden strong outburst of feelings or actions. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |