The Ambassadors

disloyal to a cause or duty

an ambassador or messenger (archaic)

• sophistic: superficially plausible but actually wrong
• superficially/deceptively attractive but actually of no real interest or value

relating to or involving money

• (adj) having full power: invested with complete authority to act independently
• (n) official with full powers: an ambassador, envoy, or delegate invested with full authority to act or negotiate independently on behalf of a government or sovereign

in the regions of the infidels

a person who leaves home and behaves recklessly, but later makes a repentant return

somebody who spends money, especially money from his or her parents, wastefully

command solemnly: to order somebody to do something, especially under oath
make appeal: to make an earnest appeal to somebody

• of extremely fine grain or texture
• of the highest quality or grade
• affectedly refined: excessively refined in manner

decorative carved leaf: a leaf shape carved as a decoration in Gothic architecture

• as a widely based and general group of people
• escaped or free and possibly dangerous

approval: a favorable opinion about something or somebody

• feeling of hopelessness: a profound feeling that there is no hope
• cause of hopelessness: somebody or something that makes somebody feel hopeless or exasperated

• happiness or contentment
• something that creates happiness
• an appropriate or pleasing manner, especially in art or language

correct something: to put something right

• sooty: having the color or consistency of soot or smoke
• obscure: like soot in cloudiness or obscurity

• in vain: having no practical effect or useful result
• lacking serious value, substance, or a sense of responsibility

• quality of being socially appropriate: the quality of displaying behaviors thought to be correct or appropriate
• socially correct or appropriate behavior: conformity to the standards of politeness, respect, decency, or morality conventionally accepted by a society

• the state of lying prone or stretched out with one's face downward, e.g. in worship or submission
• depletion of physical strength or incapacitation by overexertion or powerful emotion
• the state of being extremely weak or subservient

• repentance: deep and genuine feelings of guilt and remorse
• shame over past sins: in the Roman Catholic Church, repentance for past sins and a firm resolve not to sin in the future

• (vti) to start feeding a baby or young animal food other than its mother's milk
• (vt) to cause somebody to go without something that has become a habit or that is much liked
• (vt) to accustom somebody to something from an early age

of morning: relating to or happening in the morning or the early part of the day

(vt) set cost of something: to fix a tariff or price on something

feeling that something will happen: an awareness of some event, especially an unpleasant event, before it takes place and before there is any reason to suspect it or know about it

deliberate treachery: treachery or deceit

garment's frilly trimming: a decorative strip of gathered, pleated, or frilled fabric on a garment

willing to cooperate: responsive to suggestion and likely to cooperate

• to delay or be delayed in taking action or progressing
• to remain unsettled or unresolved

of course
how else

(vt) atone for wrongdoing: to make amends, show remorse, or suffer punishment for wrongdoing

(vi) make up for misdeed: to make reparation for a sin or a mistake

(vt) rub out: to remove or obliterate something by wearing away or rubbing out or some analogous process
(vr) behave humbly: to act in an inconspicuous manner, especially because of shyness or modesty

(n) a moral or ethical consideration that tends to restrain action or behavior
(vi) to hesitate to act, or refrain from taking action, because of moral or ethical considerations

• next day: the day after today or after a particular day
• morning: the early part of the day

artist's studio: a studio or workshop where an artist works

finally
in short
to sum up

all [hours] wound; the last one kills

(vti) make or become weaker: to reduce the size, strength, or density of something, or become thinner, weaker, or less dense

• extended roof: a roofed structure extending from the entrance of a building over an adjacent driveway and sheltering those getting in or out of vehicles
• covered entrance: a passageway through a building or screen wall designed to let vehicles pass from the street to an interior courtyard

• passionate: feeling great passion, or felt very passionately
• enthusiastic: feeling or showing great enthusiasm or eagerness
• glowing: shining or glowing brightly, with a fiery quality

dining room

unnaturally pale and yellowish

• a female patron saint
• the proprietress of an establishment, e.g., an inn

third

(vt) taste something carefully, especially in a series of small portions, so as to appreciate it fully

• breakfast or lunch
• a service for serving individual breakfasts on trays

an overwhelming success

a condition asked as part of an agreement

mezzanine: a low story, especially one between the first floor and the second floor in a building

• compromise: a practical arrangement that allows conflicting people, groups, or ideas to coexist
• way of life: the way that a person or group of people lives

trinket: a small and attractive ornament or piece of jewelry

exuse me?
what was that?

betrayal: violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence

• with head foremost: with the head in front of the rest of the body, especially in a rapid uncontrolled movement
• moving or traveling in a fast uncontrolled way
• with too much haste: acting, happening, or done in an impetuous way with little or no thought for the consequences

• (n) an arrangement to meet or a secret meeting, especially one made privately or secretly by lovers
• (vi) to arrange or attend a meeting with somebody, especially secretly with a lover

having acid indigestion
bad-tempered: easily angered

disrespectful: showing an aggressive lack of respect in speech or behavior

• horrifying or shocking: sensational and shocking, with graphic details of horror, devastation, or violence
• unattractively bright: of a sickeningly intense brightness or boldness of color
• glowing unnaturally: glowing with an unnaturally vivid brightness
• pallid: with a pale sickly complexion

• secretive: done in a way that is intended to escape notice
• shifty: presenting the appearance, or giving the impression, of somebody who has something to hide

• sexually indiscriminate: lacking restraint or inhibition, especially in sexual behavior
• random: lacking reason or provocation
• desiring to do harm: done out of a desire to cause harm
• excessive: unrestrained, heedless of reasonable limits, or characterized by greed and extravagance
• unruly: lacking discipline

• catchword or slogan: a word or phrase frequently used, or a belief strongly held, by members of a group that is usually regarded by outsiders as meaningless, unimportant, or misguided
• common saying or belief: a saying that is widely used or a belief that is widely held, especially one that interferes with somebody's ability to speak or think about things without preconception
• identifying word or custom: a unique pronunciation, word, behavior, or practice used to distinguish one group of people from another and to identify somebody as either a member of the group or an outsider

trinket: a showy but inexpensive object, especially an ornament

• a warning, especially a warning of danger
• a piece of advice urging caution
• (Christianity) an official warning from a bishop to refrain from doing something
• (Law) summons: an order to appear in court

• open to persuasion by corrupt means, especially bribery
• corrupt: characterized by corruption
• able to be obtained for a price

• not worth taking seriously: lacking in intellectual substance and not worth serious consideration
• silly and trivial

• lacking in seriousness, importance, or value
• commonplace: lacking any qualities that are unique or interesting
• (Mathematics) describes the simplest possible case mathematically, especially with all variables equal to zero

• stubborn: determined not to agree with other people's wishes or accept their suggestions
• unwilling to change or give up something such as an idea or attitude
• difficult to control, get rid of, solve, or cure

• a feeling of intense or excessive happiness or exhilaration (formal)
• the act of raising or holding something up (formal)
• a flock of larks (literary)

a leavening agent consisting of potassium or sodium bicarbonate

• omen: an indication that something, often something unpleasant, is going to happen
• ominous or prophetic significance
• a wonderful or marvelous thing (formal)

• (n) bad thing: something that is bad or unpleasant (euphemism for "devil")
• (interj) used instead of a swearword to show displeasure, irritation, or surprise

• "Devil"—God's enemy: in Christianity and some other religions, the enemy of God, who rules Hell, tempts people to sin, and personifies the spirit of evil as Satan
• a mischievously clever or self-willed person
• a person with specified characteristics (with adjective) (informal)
• intensifier: used (with "the") as an intensifier in questions and exclamations (slang)

emphatic exclamation: used for emphasis in a variety of expressions, especially expressions of surprise or annoyance

the surroundings or environment somebody lives in and is influenced by

(interj) there you are/there it is: used to bring somebody's attention to something, especially in order to elicit appreciation or approval

understood or implied without being stated openly

• a prospective partner in marriage
• a good or desirable match

a street in Paris

• discontinue: to discontinue doing something temporarily, or be discontinued temporarily
• pause: to stop for a short time or for short intervals, or cause something to stop in this way

(U.K.) exhausted: feeling very tired or worn out (informal)

infectious disease of throat: a serious infectious disease, caused by a bacterium, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, that attacks the membranes of the throat and releases a toxin that damages the heart and the nervous system.
The main symptoms are fever, weakness, and severe inflammation of the affected membranes.

having a large amount of thick shaggy hair that sticks up or is tousled

• (vt) to make hair or fur tangled or ruffled
• (n) a tangled mass of something, especially hair or fur

a hat made of a soft material such as felt that has a broad drooping brim

• something that functions as a blessing or benefit to somebody
• a gift or favor from somebody (archaic or literary)

• somewhat dark in color
• dim: having little or insufficient light
• an offensive term meaning having a somewhat dark skin or complexion (dated)

• (n) a heavy silk, cotton, or woolen fabric with a raised design, often in metallic threads
• (vt) to weave a fabric with a raised design

prudent: taking into consideration all possible circumstances and consequences before acting

• quirk: a way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is peculiar to an individual or group, especially an odd or unusual one
• an unusual or exaggerated reaction to a drug or food that is not caused by an allergy

• (vt) apply something botchily: to put or spread a semiliquid substance such as mud, paint, or cream, on a surface in a crude, hurried, or irregular way
• (vti) to paint or apply paint crudely and inexpertly
• (n) blotch of substance: a patch, splash, or smear of a semiliquid substance applied to something in a crude, hurried, or irregular way
• (n) bad painting: a painting that is considered to be crudely or inexpertly done
• (n, construction) a mixture of clay, lime, and chopped straw plastered onto interwoven rods or twigs to make a wall

• showing innocence and a lack of wordly experience
• appearing honest and direct

• (vt) detest somebody/something: to feel loathing for somebody or something
• (vt) denounce somebody/something: to declare somebody or something to be loathsome
• (vti) curse somebody/something: to curse or put a curse on somebody or something

• a curse or swearword
• something that is cursed or detested
• the act of execrating somebody or something, or the state of being execrated

outcome: the end result of something

• porch: a covered entrance to a large building
• a covered walkway, often leading to the main entrance of a building, that consists of a roof supported by pillars

cowardly: so lacking in courage as to be worthy of contempt

(vi) to use delaying tactics to gain time, especially in order to avoid coming to a decision or committing yourself

female usher

• seemly: conforming to what is acceptable or expected in formal or solemn settings, especially in dress or behavior
• understated and dignified

• (vi) glare silently: to look at somebody or something with sullen anger or strong resentment
• (n) angry look: a sullen or resentful stare

intensely interested, excited, or eager

• to follow or come about unexpectedly, usually interrupting or changing what is going on
• to follow immediately after something

• added from an outside and often unexpected source rather than intrinsic
• developing in an unusual position, as does a root growing downward from a branch

• to harass or trouble somebody or something continually
• surround somebody or something: to attack somebody or something from all sides (formal)
• to surround or set something with jewels or other ornaments (literary)

• old and stale from overuse
• describes hair that has become white or gray with age
• covered with gray or white hairs

• to restrain or immobilize somebody, especially by tying his or her arms
• to prevent a bird from flying by removing or binding its wing feathers

• unjust: making or implying an unfair distinction
• unpleasant because producing or likely to produce jealousy, resentment, or hatred in other people