| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| blandishment |
(often plural) flattering or coaxing remarks or stratagems intended to persuade. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| impermeable |
not permitting passage or penetration. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| remonstrate |
to say in opposition, protest, or objection. |
| stately |
dignified. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |
| untoward |
unexpected and unfortunate. |