| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| corporeal |
having to do with a physical body; bodily. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| sanguine |
having an optimistic temperament or outlook. |
| sequester |
to remove into protection and isolation; seclude. |