allay
(v.) to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve
bestial
(adj.) beastlike; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility
convival
(adj) festive, sociable, having fun together, genial
coterie
(n.) a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest
counterpart
(n.) a person or thing closely resembling or corresponding to another; a complement
demur
(v.) to object or take exception to; (n.) an objection
effrontery
(n.) shameless boldness, impudence
embellish
(v.) to decorate, adorn, touch up; to improve by adding details
ephemeral
(adj.) lasting only a short time, short-lived
felicitous
(adj.) appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy
furtive
(adj) done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret, shifty; stolen
garish
(adj.) glaring; tastelessly showy or overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way
illusory
(adj.) misleading, deceptive; lacking in or not based on reality
indigent
(adj.) needy, impoverished
inordinate
(adj.) far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive
jettison
(v.) to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome
misanthrope
(n.) a person who hates or despises people
pertinacious
(adj.) very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied
picayune
(adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded
raiment
(n.) clothing, garments
allege
(v.) to assert without proof or confirmation
arrant
(adj.) thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant
badinage
(n.) light and playful conversation
concilliate
(v.) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent
countermand
(v.) to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first
echelon
(n.) one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement
exacerbate
(v.) to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful
fatuous
(adj.) stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way
irrefutable
(adj.) impossible to disprove; beyond argument
juggernaut
(n.) a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path
lackadaisical
(adj.) lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted
litany
(n.) a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list
macabre
(adj.) grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject
paucity
(n.) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth
portend
(v.) to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of
raze
(v.) to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out
recant
(v.) to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract
saturate
(v.) to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully
saturnine
(adj.) of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood
slough
(v.) to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud; (n.) a mire; a state of depression