abstruse
extremely difficult to understand
S: arcane, recondite, occult
A: simple, straightforward
affront
(n.) an open or intentional insult; a slight; (v.) to insult to one's face; to face in defiance , confront
S: offense, offend
A: compliment, praise
canard
(n.) a false rumor, fabricated story
S: hoax
captious
(adj.) excessively ready to find fault; given to petty criticism; intended to trap, confuse, or show up
S: faultfinding, carping
A: uncritical
cognizant
(adj.) aware, knowledgeable, informed; having jurisdiction
S: acquainted
A: unaware, unconscious, oblivious
contrite
(adj.) regretful for some misdeed or sin; plagued by a sense of guilt; thoroughly penitent
S: remorseful, rueful
A: unapologetic, impenitent
cynosure
(n.) the center of attraction, attention, or interest; something that serves to guide or direct
S: focus
decorous
well behaved, dignified, socially proper
S: seemly, becoming, tasteful
A: unbecoming, improper, tasteless
deign
to think it appropriate or suitable to one's dignity to do something; to condescend
S: deem
desiccated (adj., part.)
thoroughly dried out; divested of spirit or vitality; arid and uninteresting
S:dehydrated, shriveled
A: sodden, waterlogged, drenched
efficacy
the power to produce a desired result
S: effectiveness, potency, reliability
A: impotence
engender
(v.) to bring into existence, give rise to, produce; to come into existence, assume form
S: generate, cause, form
A: stop, deter
ethereal
(adj.) light, airy, delicate; highly refined; suggesting what is heavenly (rather than earthbound)
S: heavenly, celestial, gossamer
A: infernal, hellish, thick, heavy
facade
(n.) the front or face of a building; a surface appearance (as opposed to what may lie behind)
S: exterior, surface, mask
A: interior
ghoulish
revolting in an unnatural or morbid way; suggestive of someone who robs graves or otherwise preys on the dead
S: barbarous, monstrous
incongruous
(adj.) not in keeping, unsuitable, incompatible
S: discordant
A: compatible, harmonious, consistent
machination
a crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil) end
S: plot, maneuver
mesmerize
(v.) to hypnotize, entrance; to fascinate, enthrall, bewitch
opprobrium
(n.) disgrace arising from shameful conduct; contempt, reproach
S: infamy, dishonor, odium
A: acclaim, honor, glory, renown
putative
(adj.) generally regarded as such; reputed; hypothesized, inferred
S: supposed, presumed
A: corroborated, confirmed