allege
v. to assert without proof or confirmation
arrant
adj. thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant
badinage
n. light and playful conversation
conciliate
v. to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent
countermand
v. to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first
echelon
n. one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement
exacerbate
v. to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful
fatuous
adj. stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way
irrefutable
adj. impossible to disprove; beyond argument
juggernaut
n. a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path
lackadaisical
adj. lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted
litany
n. a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with response from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list
macabre
adj. grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject
paucity
n. an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth
portend
v. to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of
raze
v. to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out
recant
v. to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract
saturate
v. to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully
saturnine
adj. of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood
slough
v. to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud
allege
v. to assert without proof or confirmation
arrant
adj. thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant
badinage
n. light and playful conversation
conciliate
v. to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent
countermand
v. to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first
echelon
n. one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement
exacerbate
v. to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful
fatuous
adj. stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way
irrefutable
adj. impossible to disprove; beyond argument
juggernaut
n. a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path
lackadaisical
adj. lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted
litany
n. a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with response from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list
macabre
adj. grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject
paucity
n. an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth
portend
v. to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of
raze
v. to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out
recant
v. to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract
saturate
v. to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully
saturnine
adj. of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood
slough
v. to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud