Madrigal 1.1-6.25

contrition

remorse for having done wrong

humility

the state or quality of being humble; absence of pride or self-assertion

pariah

any person despised or rejected by others; outcast

poise

ease and dignity of manner; self-assurance

inquisition

an investigation

reprieve

a temporary relief or escape, as from trouble or pain

ingenuity

the quality of being clever, original, skillful, etc.

harbinger

a person or thing that comes before to announce or give an indication of what follows

temerity

foolish boldness; recklessness

exuberance

the state or quality of being full of life

onus

difficult or unpleasant task, duty, etc.; burden

myopia

lack of understanding or foresight

aptitude

natural tendency or inclination

bonhomie

good nature; pleasant manner; amiability

indignation

anger or scorn that is a reaction to injustice, ingratitude, or meanness; righteous anger

sagacity

keen intelligence and sound judgment

guile

slyness and cunning in dealing with others; craftiness

mediocrity

the quality or state of being moderate to inferior in quality

apathy

lack of interest; unconcern; indifference

integrity

the quality or state of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty, and sincerity

duration

the time that a thing continues or lasts

enmity

deep-seated, often mutual hatred

deviation

the act or an instance of turning aside from a set course or normal practice

contempt

the feeling or attitude of one who looks down on somebody or something as being low or unworthy; scorn

caprice

a sudden, impulsive change in the way one thinks or acts; whim

infer

to conclude or decide from something known or assumed; derive by reasoning; draw as a conclusion

deliberate

to think or consider carefully and fully; esp., to consider reasons for and against a thing in order to make up one's mind

indulge

to yield to or satisfy (a desire); give oneself up to

ostracize

to exclude from a group

entice

to attract by offering hope of reward or pleasure; lure

laud

to praise

vex

to give trouble to, esp. in a petty or nagging way; disturb, annoy, irritate, etc.

emulate

to imitate (a person or thing admired)

intimate

to hint or imply

merit

to deserve; be worthy of

refute

to prove (an argument or statement) to be false or wrong, by argument or evidence

forestall

to prevent or hinder by doing something ahead of time

redeem

to restore (oneself) to favor by making amends

decry

to speak out against strongly and openly; denounce

meander

to wander aimlessly or idly

belittle

to make seem little, less important, etc.

recoil

to draw or shrink back, as in fear, surprise, or disgust

revitalize

to bring vitality, vigor, etc. back to after a decline

demoralize

to undermine the confidence or morale of; dishearten

finagle

to get, arrange, or maneuver by cleverness, persuasion, etc.

cite

to refer to or mention as by way of example, proof, or precedent

induce

to bring on; cause

repudiate

to refuse to have anything to do with; disown or cast off publicly

allay

to put (fears, etc.) to rest

employ

to make use of; use

palpable

capable of being handled, touched, or felt; tangible

hospitable

favorable to growth and development

eclectic

composed of material gathered from various sources, systems, etc.

potent

powerful

irrelevant

unrelated to the subject being considered

futile

useless

subtle

so slight as to be difficult to detect or describe

inconsequential

of no consequence; unimportant; trivial

dubious

questionable

acute

keen; sharply perceptive

obtuse

slow to understand or perceive; dull or insensitive

impartial

without prejudice or bias; fair

poignant

emotionally touching or moving

ludicrous

so absurd, ridiculous, or exaggerated as to cause or merit laughter

insipid

not exciting or interesting; dull; lifeless

deficient

lacking in some essential; incomplete; defective

adroit

skillful in a physical or mental way; clever; expert

maleficent

harmful or evil in intent or effect

malodorous

having a bad odor; stinking

adamant

not giving in or relenting; unyielding

implacable

that which cannot be calmed or pacified

avid

eager and enthusiastic

luminous

giving off light; shining; bright

mundane

commonplace, everyday, ordinary, etc.

inherent

existing in someone or something as a natural and inseparable quality, characteristic, or right; innate; basic; inborn

dexterity

skill and grace in physical movement, especially in the use of the hands; adroitness

facsimile

an exact copy or reproduction, as of a document

pretext

an ostensible or professed purpose; an excuse

vigilance

alert watchfulness

aphorism

a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage

perseverance

steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness

bias

a preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment

indigence

poverty; neediness

enormity

the quality of passing all moral bounds; excessive wickedness or outrageousness

infatuation

a foolish, unreasoning, or extravagant passion or attraction

zenith

the point of culmination; the peak

surfeit

an excessive amount

spectator

an observer of an event

reverie

a state of abstracted musing; daydreaming

imp

a mischievous child

quandary

a state of uncertainty or perplexity

epistle

a letter, especially a formal one

euphemism

the act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive

stigma

a mark or token of infamy, disgrace, or reproach

felicity

great happiness; bliss

edification

intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement; enlightenment

discourtesy

lack of courtesy; rudeness

nomad

a person with no fixed residence who roams about; a wanderer

discord

lack of agreement among persons, groups, or things

rigidity

the quality or state of not being flexible or pliant; stiffness