acquisitive
greedy, grasping, avaricious, retentive
arrogate
expropriate, usurp, commandeer
banal
stale, insipid
belabor
overwork
carping
nit-picking, caviling
coherent
connected, unified, consistent, cohesive
congeal
harden, jell, coagulate, solidify
emulate
copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to
encomium
panegyric, eulogy, commendation
eschew
abstain from, steer clear of, forgo
germane
pertinent
insatiable
unquenchable, ravenous, voracious
intransigent
uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate
invidious
malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative
largesse
liberality, munificence, bounty
reconnaissance
scouting expedition
substantiate
verify, confirm, validate, authenticate
taciturn
tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic
temporize
hedge, dillydally, procrastinate
tenable
defensible, justifiable, maintainable