apostate: a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle.
effusive: expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner.
impasse: a situation in which no progress is possible, esp. because of disagreement; a deadlock.
euphoria: a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness.
lugubrious: looking or sounding sad and dismal.
bravado: a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate.
consensus: general agreement.
dichotomy: a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
constrict: make narrower, esp. by encircling pressure.
Gothic: of or in the style of architecture prevalent in western
Europe in the 12th–16th centuries, characterized by pointed arches, rib
vaults, and flying buttresses, together with large windows and elaborate
tracery.
punctilio: a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure.
metamorphosis: (in an insect or amphibian) the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages.
raconteur: a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way.
sine qua non: an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary.
quixotic: exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
vendetta: a blood feud in which the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer's family.
non sequitur: a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement.
mystique: a fascinating aura of mystery, awe, and power surrounding someone or something.
quagmire: a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot.
parlous: full of danger or uncertainty; precarious.
