Acerbic
Having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting
Aggrandize
To increase in intensity, power, influence or prestige
Alchemy
A medieval science aimed as the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold
Amenable
Agreeable; responsive to suggestion
Anachronism
Something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context
Astringent
Having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on tissue
Contiguous
Sharing a border; touching; adjacent
Convention
A generally agreed-upon practice or attitude
Credulous
Tending to believe too readily; gullible
Cynicism
An attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
Decorum
Polite or appropriate conduct or behavior
Derision
Scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment
Desiccate
To dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull
Dilettante
One with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
Disparage
To slight or belittle
Divulge
To disclose something secret
Fawn
To flatter or praise excessively
Flout
To show contempt for, as in a rule or convention
Garrulous
Pointlessly talkative, talking too much
Glib
Marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
Hubris
Overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance
Imminent
About to happen; impending
Immutable
Not capable of change
Impetuous
Hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement
Indifferent
Having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice
Inimical
Damaging; harmful; injurious
Intractable
Not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate
Intrepid
Steadfast and courageous
Laconic
Using few words; terse
Maverick
An independent individual who does not get along with a group or party
Mercurial
Characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
Mollify
To calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity
Neophyte
A recent convert; a beginner; novice
Obfuscate
To deliberately obscure; to make confusing
Obstinate
Stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising
Ostentatious
Characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy
Pervade
To permeate throughout
Phlegmatic
Calm; sluggish; unemotional
Plethora
An overabundance; a surplus
Pragmatic
Practical rather than idealistic
Presumptuous
Overstepping due bounds (as or propriety or courtesy); taking liberties
Pristine
Pure; uncorrupted; clean
Probity
Adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness
Proclivity
A natural predisposition or inclination
Profligate
Excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant
Propensity
A natural inclination or tendency, penchant
Prosaic
Dull; lacking in spirit or imagination
Pungent
Characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste
Quixotic
Foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals
Quotidian
Occuring or recurring daily; commonplace
Rarefy
To make or become thin, less dense; to refine
Recondite
Hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure
Refulgent
Radiant; shiny; brilliant
Renege
To fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise
Sedulous
Diligent; persistent; hard-working
Shard
A piece or broken pottery or glass
Soporific
Causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep
Sparse
Thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals
Spendthrift
One who spends money wastefully
Subtle
Not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern
Tacit
Implied; not explicitly stated
Terse
Brief and concise in wording
Tout
To publicly praise or promote
Trenchant
Sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating
Unfeigned
Genuine; not false or hypocritical
Untenable
Indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable
Vacillate
To waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another; waver
Variegated
Multicolored; characterized by a variety or patches of different color
Vexation
Annoyance; irritation
Vigilant
Alertly watchful
Vituperate
To use harsh, condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severly or abusively; berate
Volatile
Readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive