abrasive
irritating
adage
wise saying, proverb
alleviate
to make less hard to bear
analogy
reasoning based on similarity
apprehensive
fearful: expecting harm
ascetic
practicing sever self-denial, esp. for religious purposes
autonomy
independence, self-determination
burnish
to make brilliant or shining
callow
immature, naive
champion
to act as militant supporter of: to defend
circumvent
to get around or evade, esp. by stratagem
cognizant
aware
commemorate
to recognize the memory of
concede
to grant or yield
crafty
sly, clever
cryptic
having a secret meaning
deplore
to express regret for
deter
to discourage or prevent
digression
departure from the subject
discern
to perceive and comprehend
duplicity
double-dealing, pretense
elegiac
like an elegy: expressing grief
emulate
to imitate
ensconced
settled firmly in place
esteem
regard, esp. high regard
exhaustive
thorough; testing all possibilities
extraneous
unessential, irrelevant
feign
pretend
foible
a minor weakness of character
gibe
a taunt
heed
to pay attention to
idiom
an expression peculiar to common usage
implement
to carry out, put into use
incessant
unending
indigence
poverty
innocuous
harmless; unlikely to offend; bland
intermittent
not continuous
introvert
a shy person; one preoccupied with one's mental life
itinerary
a planned route
mar
to spoil the perfection of; to damage
mercurial
changeable in mood
nuance
a subtle quality
orthodoxy
established beliefs, esp. in religion
parochial
narrow-minded
pedestrian
unimaginative
perfunctory
done by routine; unenthusiastic
philanthropy
active goodwill to humankind
postulate
hypothesis; a statement accepted as true
prodigality
careless wastefulness
protracted
lengthened
rebuke
to scold
recoil
to move back in reaction
remit
to release from debt or penalty; to forgive
renowned
famous
rescind
to cancel
sanction
authorization
skeptical
not easily convinced
specious
deceptively impressive
stolid
unemotional
surfeit
overabundant supply
temperate
moderate, mild
torpor
apathy, sluggishness
unaccountable
unexplainable
variegated
marked with different colors
versatile
having many skills or uses