| adamantine |
firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| avow |
to assert or affirm. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| garrulous |
given to talking excessively. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| inadvertent |
not planned or intended; unintentional. |
| incredulous |
not able to believe something. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |