| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| fulminate |
to vehemently denounce or criticize something. |
| indulgent |
gratifying, or being inclined to gratify or yield to others' wishes, especially rather than enforcing discipline or strictness. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| perilous |
causing or involving great danger; risky; hazardous. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| transpose |
to exchange the position or order of (two things). |