| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| condone |
to pardon, disregard, or overlook voluntarily or without condemning. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| pandemic |
a widespread outbreak of disease that afflicts many people over different continents. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |