adjunct
(noun)something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic;(-SYN: associate, addition, accessory)(adjective)added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity;
bellwether
(noun)the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends;(SYN ringleader, initiator, barometer)(ANT follower, imitator, emulator)
caterwaul
(verb)to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel;(-SYN whine)(noun)a harsh or noisy cry; a racket(-SYN wail, screech)
chimerical
(adjective)absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible(SYN fanciful, visionary, quixotic, pie-in-the-sky)(ANT realistic, down-to-earth, practical)
effete
(adjective)lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date(SYN decadent, enfeebled, outmoded)(ANT thriving, burgeoning, vigorous, dynamic)
fait accompli
(noun)an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action
hidebound
(adjective)narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative(SYN intolerant, inflexible)(ANT open-minded, tolerant, liberal, progressive)
hierarchy
(noun)any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.(SYN chain of command, pecking order)
liturgy
(noun)a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship(SYN: ceremony, observance)
Laissez-faire
(adj.) a philosophy or practice characterized by a usually deliberate abstention from direction or interference, especially with individual freedom of choice and action. (SYN nonrestrictive, noninterventional, hands of)
morass
(noun)a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand(SYN bog, quagmire)(ANT solid ground, bedrock, terra firma)
noisome
(adjective)offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious(SYN fetid, noxious, vile, loathsome)(ANT wholesome, pleasant, sweet-smelling)
oblivious
(adjective)forgetful; unaware(SYN insensible)(ANT aware, mindful, cognizant, alert)
poltroon
(noun)a base coward(SYN craven, dastard, "chicken")(ANT hero, stalwart, gallant)
proselyte
(noun)a convert; a disciple(SYN novice, neophyte)(ANT master, teacher, guide, guru)
quasi
(adjective)resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely(SYN kind of, semi-)(ANT totally, completely, actually, in fact)
raillery
(noun)good-humored ridicule; teasing(SYN banter, persiflage)
ribald
(adjective)irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language(SYN bawdy, risque)(ANT seemly, proper, decorous)
supine
(adjective)lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive(SYN prone, prostrate; inert)(ANT upright, erect, perpendicular, vertical)
vignette
(noun)a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter(SYN thumbnail sketch, anecdote)(ANT epic, full-length treatment)