aberration - noun an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm
bane - noun something causes misery or death
bathos - noun triteness or triviality of style; a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one; insincere pathos
cantankerous - adj. having a difficult and contrary disposition; stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
casuistry - noun moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas; argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading
depredation - noun an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding; (usually plural) a destructive action
empathy - noun understanding and entering into another's feelings
harbinger - noun an indication of the approach of something or someone; verb foreshadow or presage
hedonism - noun an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good; the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle
lackluster - adj. lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality
malcontent - adj. discontented as toward authority; noun a person who is discontented or disgusted
mellifluous - adj. pleasing to the ear
nepotism - noun favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
pander - noun someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce); verb arrange for sexual partners for others; yield (to); give satisfaction to
peccadillo - noun a petty misdeed
remand - noun the act of sending an accused person back into custody to await trial (or the continuation of the trial); verb refer (a matter or legal case) to another committee or authority or court for decision; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
syndrome - noun a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease
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