plumb
v. to determine the depth; to examine deeply
platitude
n. stale, overused expression
plaintive
adj. melancholy; calm
pique
n. fleeting feeling of hurt pride
piquant
adj. appealingly stimulating; pleasantly pungent; attractive
piety
n. devoteness
physiognomy
n. faciel features
phlegmatic
adj. calm in temperament; sluggish
petulant
adj. rude; peevish
perigee
n. point in an orbit that is closest to the earth
perfunctory
adj. superficial; not thorough; performed as a duty
perfidious
adj. faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy
perennial
adj. present throughout the years; persistent
peremptory
adj. imperative; leaving no choice
peregrination
n. a wandering from place to place
penury
extreme poverty
pellucid
adj. transparent; translucent; easily understood
pedantic
adj. showing off learning
paucity
n. scarcity
patois
n. regional dialect; nonstandard speech; jargon
pathological
adj. departing from normal condition
partisan
adj. one sided; committed to a party. group, or cause; prejudiced
paragon
n. model of excellence or perfection
panegyric
n. elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
paean
n. song of joy or triumph; a fervent expression of joy
overweening
adj. presumptuous; arrogant; overbearing
ostentatious
adj. showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious
opprobrium
n. disgrace; contempt
onerous
n. burdensome
officious
adj. too helpful; meddlesome
occlude
v. to shut; block
obviate
v. to make unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent
obsequy
n. funeral ceremony
obseqious
adj. overly submissive
ondurate
adj. stubborn
nugatory
adj. trifling; invalid
nostrum
n. medicine or remedy of doubtful effectiveness; supposed cure
nonplussed
adj. bewildered
nexus
n. a means of connection; a connected group or series; a center
neophyte
n. novice; beginner
neologism
n. new word or expression
multifarious
adj. diverse
morose
adj. ill humored; sullen
mollify
v. to soothe
modicum
n. limited quality
miscellany
n. mixture of writings on various subjects
misanthrope
n. one who hates humanity
minatory
adj. threatening; menacing
militate
v. to work against
mettlesome
adj. full of courage and fortitude; spirited
meretricious
adj. gaudy; plausible but false; specious
mendicant
n. a beggar
mendacious
adj. dishonest
maverick
n. dissenter
magnanimity
n. generosity; nobility
malinger
v. to feign illness to escape duty
malgin
v. to speak evil of
Machiavellian
adj. crafty; double-dealing