Askance
Adjective
With suspicion, distrust, or disapproval
Synonyms: distrustfully, suspiciously
Attenuate
Verb
To make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value
Synonyms: thin out, dilute, water down
Benign
Adjective
Gentle, kind, forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect, not malignant
Synonyms: benevolent, salubrious, harmless
Cavil
Verb
To find fault in a petty way, carp
Noun
A trivial objection or criticism
Synonyms: nitpick
Charlatan
Noun
One who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack
Synonyms: mountebank
Decimate
Verb
To kill or destroy a large part of
Synonyms: devastate
Foible
Noun
A weak point, failing, minor flaw
Synonyms: shortcoming, quirk
Forgo
Verb
To do without, abstain from, give up
Synonyms: refrain from, renounce
Fraught
Adjective
Full of or loaded with; accompanied by
Synonyms: charged with
Inure
Verb
To toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure
Synonyms: accustom, acclimate
Luminous
Adjective
Emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating
Synonyms: bright, refulgent, lustrous
Obsequious
Adjective
Marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons
Synonyms: fawning, servile, sycophantic, mealymouthed
Obtuse
Adjective
Blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 and 180 degrees; not causing a sharp impression
Synonyms: dumb, thick, mild, dull-witted
Oscillate
Verb
To swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver
Synonyms: vibrate
Penitent
Adjective
Regretful for one's sins or mistakes.
Noun
One who is sorry for wrongdoing
Synonyms: remorseful, regretful, rueful
Peremptory
Adjective
Having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute
Synonyms: unconditional
Rebuff
Verb
To snub; to repel, drive away
Noun
A curt rejection, a check
Synonyms: repulse, reject, setback
Reconnoiter
Verb
To engage in reconnaissance; to make a preliminary inspection
Synonyms: scout
Shambles
Noun
A slaughterhouse; a place of mass bloodshed; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess
Sporadic
Adjective
Occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order
Synonyms: intermittent, spasmodic