The Screwtape Letters Vocab

in medias res

in or into the middle of a sequence of events, as in literary narrative

materialist

doctrine that physical matter is only reality and everything will be explained in terms of matter

propaganda

material disseminated by advocates or opponents of a doctrine of cause

expurgate

to remove erroneous, vulgar, obscene or objectionable material from (a book etc.) before publication

puerile

immature, especially in being silly or trivial, childish

piqued

state of vexation because of a slight, feeling wounded pride, to provoke

coterie

a small, often select group of persons who associate with one another frequently

innocuous

having no adverse effect, harmless

concomitants

something that accompanies or is collaterally connected

redolent

suggestive, reminiscent

acquiesce

to consent or comply passively or without protest

roister

behave in blustering manner, swagger

eradicate

to get rid of; eliminate

vainglory

excessive or unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities, vain

determinate

precisely limited or defined

philology

literary study or classical scholarship

complacency

feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction

scruples

uneasy feeling arising from conscience or principle that tends to hinder action

unmitigated

not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity, unrelieved

tete-a-tete

private conversations between two people, privacy

hedonist

doctrine that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good

debauchee

a person who habitually indulges in debauchery or dissipation; a libertine, excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures

endemic

prevalent in particular locality, region, or population

nominal

existing in name only

prostration

total exhaustion or weakness, collapse