| visceral |
characterized by, coming from, or felt via one's instincts rather than intellect;emotional rather than intellectual: |
| complicity |
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| propriety |
relating to, belonging to, or being a proprietor.acting as if one were an owner:She put a proprietary arm around her companion. |
| misnomer |
a name (of something) that is inappropriate because it fails to describe it properly:Calling that company a "business'' is really a misnomer; it is badly managed and has never made a profit. |
| affront |
a deliberate act or display of disrespect;insult:That false accusation was an affront to my integrity. |
| propitious |
presenting or indicating favorable conditions;suggesting that good may follow:propitious weather for a vacation.favorably disposed:a propitious ruler. |
| melee |
a confused hand-to-hand fight:waded into the melee and started hitting.a state of confusion:a wild melee of shouting and screaming. |
| finesse |
extreme delicacy or subtlety in performance;skill in handling a difficult situation: |
| parlay |
to gamble (an original amount and its winnings) on a later betting event.Informal Termsto use (something, as assets) to get a relatively great gain:to parlay a modest inheritance into a huge fortune. |
| brinkmanship |
Governmentthe policy of creating a dangerous situation and risking a great deal in order to achieve the greatest advantage:wound up playing a dangerous game of international and military brinksmanship. |
| paroxysm |
any sudden, violent, or uncontrolled outburst, as of action or emotion:paroxysms of laughter.Pathologya severe attack, or a sudden increase in the intensity, of a disease. |