| abysmal |
of vast extent; unmeasurable; extreme. |
| appose |
to place next to or side by side; juxtapose. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| uxorial |
of, pertaining to, or befitting a wife. |