 | Term | Definition |
| |
aberration |
a departure from what is proper, right, expected, or normal; a lapse from a sound mental state |
| |
ad hoc |
for this specific purpose; improvised; with respect to this |
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bane |
the source or cause of fatal injury, death, destruction, or ruin; death or ruin itself; poison |
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bathos |
the intrusion of commonplace or trite material into a context whose tone is lofty or elevated; grossly insincere or exaggerated sentimentality; the lowest phase, nadir; an anticlimax, comedown |
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cantankerous |
ill-tempered, quarrelsome; difficult to get along or deal with |
| |
casuistry |
the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the application of general ethical principles; specious argument |
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de facto |
actually existing or in effect, although not legally required or sanctioned; in reality, actually |
| |
depredation |
the act of preying upon or plundering |
| |
empathy |
a sympathetic understanding of or identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of someone or something else |
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harbinger |
a forerunner, herald; to herald the approach of |
| |
hedonism |
the belief that the attainment of pleasure is life's chief aim; devotion to or pursuit of pleasure |
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lackluster |
lacking brilliance or vitality; dull |
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malcontent |
discontented with or in open defiance of prevailing conditions; such a person |
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mellifluous |
flowing sweetly or smoothly; honeyed |
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nepotism |
undue favoritism to or excessive patronage of one's relatives |
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pander |
to cater to or provide satisfaction for the low tastes or vices of others; a person who does this |
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peccadillo |
a minor sin or offense; a trifling fault or shortcoming |
| |
piece de resistance |
the principal dish of a meal; the principal event, incident, or item; an outstanding accomplishment |
| |
remand |
to send or order back; in law, to send back to jail or to a lower court |
| |
syndrome |
a group of symptoms or signs that collectively characterize or indicate a disease, disorder, abnormality, etc. |
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