| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| coeval |
coinciding in time of origin or existence; contemporary. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| descry |
to see or make out, especially something obscured or at a distance. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| inanition |
a state of exhaustion caused by a lack of nourishment. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |