acquisitive
able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property
arrogate
to claim or take without right
banal
hackneyed, trite, commonplace
belabor
to work on excessively; to thrash soundly
carping
tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; petty, nagging criticism
coherent
holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful
congeal
to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid
emulate
to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
encomium
a formal expression of praise
eschew
to avoid, shun, keep away from
germane
relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
insatiable
so great or demanding as to not be satisfied
intransigent
refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
invidious
offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment
largesse
generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
reconnaissance
a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
substantiate
to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to
taciturn
habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
temporize
to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, void a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise
tenable
capable of being held or defended
accost
to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
animadversion
a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
avid
desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager
brackish
having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink
celerity
swiftness, rapidity of motion or action
devious
straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way
gambit
in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type
halcyon
a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent
histrionic
pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
incendiary
deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife
maelstrom
a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction
myopic
nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
evert
open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized
pejorative
tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling
propriety
the state of being proper, appropriateness; standards of what is proper or socially acceptable
sacrilege
improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred
summarily
without delay or formality;briefly, concisely
suppliant
asking humbly and earnestly; one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor
talisman
an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish
undulate
to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form
articulate
to pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to connect by a joint or joints; expressed clearly and forcefully; able to employ language clearly and forcefully; jointed
cavort
to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry
credence
belief, mental acceptance
decry
to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate
dissemble
to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression
distraught
very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict
eulogy
a formal statement of commendation; high praise
evince
to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke
exhume
to remove from a grave; to bring to light
feckless
lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable
murky
dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision
nefarious
wicked, depraved, devoid or moral standards
piquant
stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative
primordial
developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage, fundamental, basic
propinquity
nearness in place or time; kinship
unwonted
not usual or expected; not in character
utopian
founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical
verbiage
language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression
verdant
green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment
viscous
having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity