| conscription |
compulsory enrollment in military service. |
| credulity |
an inclination to believe or trust, especially without sufficient basis or evidence; gullibility. |
| expiate |
to atone or make amends for (a sin, crime, offense, or the like). |
| flaunt |
to display ostentatiously; show off. |
| introspection |
examination of one's own thoughts, emotions, and sensations; self-scrutiny. |
| irrefutable |
impossible to disprove; indisputable. |
| machination |
(usually plural) elaborate or devious schemes. |
| monologue |
a long speech or reading given by a single speaker. |
| paradox |
a statement that contradicts or seems to contradict itself, yet often expresses a truth, such as "Less is more". |
| sodden |
drenched with liquid; saturated; soaked. |
| squalor |
living conditions that are filthy, or the state of being dirty or foul. |
| subpoena |
in law, a formal written order summoning a witness to give testimony or requiring that specified evidence be submitted. |
| sultry |
uncomfortably hot and humid. |
| temporize |
to be indecisive or delay acting, as in order to gain time or avoid conflict. |
| wince |
to draw suddenly back or away from something painful or frightening. |