| abash |
to cause to feel embarrassed, uneasy, or ashamed. |
| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| malaise |
a state or condition of feeling generally unwell, mentally depressed, sluggish, or uneasy. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |