aberration: the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual
His extended trips away from civilization made him somewhat of a social aberration.
ad hoc: for the specific purpose or end presently under consideration
The ad hoc council sought to solve the bizarre crisis of grilled cheese shortage.
bane: a person or thing that ruins or spoils; a deadly poison
Procrastination will be the bane of my academic existence.
bathos: a ludicrous descent from the exalted or lofty to the commonplace; anticlimax
After years living the glamorous city life, moving the dull suburbs was more a bathos than reprieve.
cantankerous: disagreeable to deal with; peevish
A combination of sleep deprivation, decaffeinated coffee, and cramped traffic made him cantankerous before he even got through the office doors.
casuistry: specious, deceptive, or oversubtle reasoning, esp. in questions of morality; sophistry
While sounding impressive, the debater's casuistry ultimately did a disservice to the points he was trying to make.
de facto: actually existing; especially when without lawful authority
Travel brochures tended to gloss over the de facto contraband market that thrived on the island.
depredation: the act of preying upon or plundering
Cold-blooded and gold-loving, the bandits' depredation devastated the trade routes.
empathy: the intellectual identification with or experiencing of the feelings of another
Even with the vast differences in social backgrounds, the two were able to feel a measure of empathy when it came to life and loss.
harbinger: anything that foreshadows a future event; omen
The roiling sky was the harbinger of a stormy night.
hedonism: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good
Without regard for the safety of themselves or other, the hedonists went on a gleeful rampage.
lackluster: lacking brilliance or radiance; dull
The ambiguous nature of this example makes it remarkably lackluster.
malcontent: not satisfied or content with current conditions
Oppressive legislature and the withdrawal of democracy lead to malcontent sentiments.
mellifluous: sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding
The mellifluous tones were enough to make even the most stressful situation seem trivial.
nepotism: patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship
As the family business became international, the traditional nepotism became a problem.
pander: a person who caters to or profits from the weaknesses or vices of others [or (v) the act of pandering]
The pander slyly set up his burger stand outside of a gym.
peccadillo: a very minor or slight sin or offense
Although it was in truth a peccadillo, the violation on principal brought harsh judgement.
piece de resistance: the most noteworthy or prized aspect, feature, etc.
Many months of work later, the painter was ready to reveal his piece de resistance.
remand: to send back, remit, or consign again
The work was still not satisfactory--the manager once again remanded the concept.
syndrome: a group of related or coincident things (esp. when the pattern indicates a social condition)
Political analysts interpreted the lessened voting of youths and increased drug use as a syndrome of rebel youth revival.
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