-
anonymity
- condition
- of being nameless or unknown. After
- twenty years of anonymity, Ellis decided to put his real name on his new
- novel
-
chastise
- to
- criticize severely. The editorial
- writers in the local newspaper frequently chastise the mayor and the
- city council for their insensitive and poorly conceived plans
-
chronic
- lasting a long time; constant. When Dad’s cough became chronic, we
- insisted he get a chest X-ray.
-
dearth
- shortage.
- There is currently a dearth of graduate mathematicians in the
- United States.
-
formidable
- hard to overcome; to be dreaded. Seemingly a mild-mannered reporter, Clark
- Kent was actually the formidable Superman.
-
implausible
- not having the appearance of truth or reason. The excuse Dan gave for missing the concert
- was so implausible that we refused to believe him without more evidence.
-
limbo
- a region or condition of oblivion or neglect (from
- the Latin on the border of
- Hell). Half-adult, half-child, and yet
- neither, the adolescent occupies a special human limbo. (from The New Republic)
-
mendacity
- lying
- or prevaricating. Caught up by his own
- web of lies, the Congressman shrieked that his accusers were just as guilty of mendacity
- as he was
-
Mephistophelean
- usually
- capitalized;
- devilish or crafty (from the Devil in Goethe’s version of the Faust legend, in
- which the scholar Faust sells his soul to the Devil). With his dark and ominous behavior,
- Heathcliff appeared slightly Mephistophelean, yet Cathy fell in love
- with him.
-
mercurial
- changeable
- or capricious. Lawrence’s mercurial
- temperament was accepted by his friends who could tolerate his swift mood
- changes and volatile temper
-
orthodox
- adhering
- to the accepted or traditional and established faith (especially in
- religion). Bishop Pike attracted a
- number of loyal followers, even though his unconventional and radical ideas
- challenged many of the orthodox teachings of the Church
-
parsimonious
- too
- thrifty; stingy. Dickens’ character
- Scrooge, known for his tightfistedness, is regarded as an extreme example of
- the parsimonious man
-
recluse
- ] a person who lives alone, away from others. Maycomb, Alabama, had its recluse
- about whom mysterious secrets were whispered.
-
talon
- the
- claw of a bird of prey; any object suggestive of a claw. The hawk’s talons closed on its prey,
- locking it in a vise-like grip
-
waive
- to relinquish voluntarily; to dispense with; to
- postpone. The defense attorney decided
- to waive his right to cross-examine the witness.
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