| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| academicism |
in the arts, rigid adherence to accepted and traditional forms. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| pelf |
money or wealth, usually regarded with disapproval or contempt. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |