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