Askance
(adv) with suspicion, distrust or disapproval; S: distrustfully, suspiciously, skeptically
Attenuate
(v) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value; S: thin out, dilute, water down; A: thicken, strengthen, bolster
benign
(adj) gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect; not malignant; S: benevolent, salutary, salubrious, harmless; A: malevolent, deleterious
cavil
(v) to find fault in a petty way to carp; n. a trivial objection or criticism; S: nitpick, quibble
charlatan
(n) one who pretends to have knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack; S: fraud, mountebank
decimate
(v) to kill or destroy a large part of; S: ravage, devastate
foible
(n) a weak point, failing, minor flaw; S: shortcoming, defect, quirk; A: forte, virtue
forgo
(v) to do without, abstain from, give up; S: refrain from, renounce; A: indulge in, partake of
fraught
(adj) full of or loaded with; accompanied by; S: charged with; A: devoid of, lacking, deficient in
inure
(v) to toughen, harden; to render used to something by long exposure; S: accustom, acclimate
luminous
(adj) emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating; S: radiant, bright, refulgent, lustrous; A: dark, opaque, dim, murky
obsequious
(adj) marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons; S: fawning, servile, sycophantic, mealymouthed; A: assertive, bumptious, overbearing, candid, frank, independent
obtuse
(adj) blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; S: stupid, dumb, thick, mild, dull-witted; A: acute, perceptive, quick-witted
oscillate
(v) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or wave; S: vibrate, vacillate
penitent
(adj) regretful for one's sins or mistakes; (n) one who is sorry for wrongdoing; S: remorseful, regretful, rueful, sorry; A: unrepentant, remorseless
peremptory
(adj) putting a debate to an end, having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute; S: high-handed, unconditional; A: irresolute, tentative, mild, unassum
rebuff
(v) to snub; to repel, drive away; (n) a curt rejection, a check; S: spurn, repulse, reject, setback; A: accept, welcome
reconnoiter
(v) to engage in inspection, gain info about an enemy; to make a preliminary inspection; S: scout
shambles
(n) a slaughterhouse; a place of mass bloodshed; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess
sporadic
(adj) occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order; S: intermittent, spasmodic; A: constant, steady, continuous, uninterrupted
aesthetic
(adj.) pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty; S artistic
defunct
(adj.) no longer in existence or functioning, dead; S extinct, nonexistent; A alive extant
discomfit
(v.) to frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass; S nonplus disconcert foil
espouse
(v.) to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry; S embrace, wed; A repudiate, disavow, renounce
fetish
(n.) an object believed to have magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence;
gregarious
(adj.) living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others
hapless
(adj.) marked by a persistent absence of good luck
impeccable
(adj.) fauntless, beyond criticism or blame
importune
(v.) to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently
interpolate
(v.) to insent between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction
irreparable
(adj.) incapable of being repaired or rectified
laconic
(adj.) concise, using few words
languish
(v.) to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispiritied; to suffer neglect
mendacious
(adj.) given to lying or deception; untrue
nadir
(n.) the lowest point
omnipresent
(adj.) present in all places at all times
perfunctory
(adj.) done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiam
plaintive
(adj.) expressive of sorrow or woe; melancholy
requite
(v.) to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate
tantamount
(adj.) equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect
abrogate
(v) to repeal, cancel, declare null and void
ambient
(adj) completely surrounding, encompassing
asperity
(n) roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness
burnish
(v.) to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish
cabal
(n) a small group working in secret
delectable
(adj) delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory
deprecate
(v.). to express mild disapproval; to belittle
detritus
(n) loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintigration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction
ebullient
(adj) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling
eclectic
(adj) drawn from different sources
flaccid
(adj) limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness
impecunious
(adj) having little or no money
inexorable
(adj) inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding
moribund
(adj) dying, on the way out
necromancer
(n) one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard
onerous
(adj). burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty
rife
(adj) common, prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, replete
rudiments
(n) the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything
sequester
(v.) to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody
winnow
(v.)to get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; toremove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan