| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| mendicant |
living on charity; begging. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| rodomontade |
puffed-up boasting or bravado. |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |