beatitude
n. a state of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing
bete noire
n. someone or something that one especially dislikes, dreads, or avoids
bode
v. to be an omen of; to indicate by signs
dank
adj. unpleasantly damp or wet
ecumenical
adj. worldwide or universal in influence or application
fervid
adj. burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated
fetid
adj. having an unpleasant or offensive odor
gargantuan
adj. immense size, volume, or capacity; enormous
heyday
n. the period of greatest power, vigor, success, or influence; the prime years
incubus
n. a demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; anything that oppresses or weighs upon one, like a nightmare
infrastructure
n. a basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; the resources and facilities required for an activity; permanent military installations
inveigle
v. to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice
kudos
n. the acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement
lagniappe
n. an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity
prolix
adj. long winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way
protege
n. someone whose welfare, training, or career is under the patronage of an influential person; someone under the juridiction of a foreign country or government
prototype
n. an original pattern or model; a primitive or ancestral form
sycophant
n. someone who attempts to win favors or advance him- or herself by flattery or servile behavior
tautology
n. needless repetition of an idea by using different but equivalent words; a redundancy
truckle
v. to yield or submit tamely or submissively