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 model
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 form to
taciturn
Adj. habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
temporize
V. to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise
tenable
Adj. capable of being held or defended