austere
(adj.) severe or stern in manner; uncompromising or strict
beneficent
(adj.) performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good
cadaverous
(adj.) pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse
concoct
(v.) to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as a dish); to devise, invent, fabricate
crass
(adj.) coarse, unfeeling; stupid
debase
(v.) to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate
desecrate
(v.) to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute
disconcert
(v.) to confuse; to disturb the composure of
grandiose
(adj.) grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affectation or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated
inconsequential
(adj.) trifling, unimportant
infraction
(n.) a breaking of a law or obligation
mitigate
(v.) to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity
pillage
(v.) to rob of goods by open force (as in war), plunder; (n.) the act of looting; booty
prate
(v) to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion
punctilious
adj. very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquitte or propriety
redoubtable
(adj.) inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent
reprove
(v.) to find fault with, scold, rebuke
restitution
(n.) the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; making good on a loss or damage
stalwart
(adj.) strong and sturdy; brave; resolute; (n.) a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes an uncompromising position
vulnerable
(adj.) open to attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected
acrimonious
(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone
bovine
(adj.) resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive
consternation
(n.) dismay, confusion
corpulent
(adj.) fat; having a large, bulky body
disavow
(v.) to deny responsibility for or connection with
dispassionate
(adj.) impartial; calm, free from emotion
dissension
(n.) disagreement, sharp difference of opinion
dissipate
(v.) to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure
expurgate
(v.) to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify
gauntlet
(n.) an armored or protective glove; a challenge; two lines of men armed with weapons with which to beat a person forced to run between them; an ordeal
hypothetical
(adj.) based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation
ignoble
(adj.) mean, low, base
impugn
(v.) to call into question; to attack as false
intemperate
(adj.) immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement
odium
(n.) hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct
perfidy
(n.) faithlessness, treachery
relegate
(v.) to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish
squeamish
(adj.) inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined
subservient
(adj.) subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end
susceptible
(adj.) open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance
abate
(v.) to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit
adulation
(n.) praise or flattery that is excessive
anathema
(n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)
astute
(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom
avarice
(n.) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth
culpable
(adj.) deserving blame, worthy of condemnation
dilatory
(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone
egregious
(adj.) conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense)
equivocate
(v.) to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous
evanescent
(adj.) vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy
irresolute
(adj.) unable to make up one's mind, hesitating
nebulous
(adj.) cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct
novice
(n.) one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally)
penury
(n.) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency
pretentious
(adj.) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; making demands on one's skill or abilities, ambitious
recapitulate
(v.) to review a series of facts; to sum up
resuscitate
(v.) to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence
slovenly
(adj.) untidy, dirty, careless
supposition
(n.) something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence
torpid
(adj.) inactive, sluggish, dull