| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| extempore |
without plan or preparation; impromptu or improvised. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| malapropism |
the humorous or ridiculous misuse of a word, especially by using a word that sounds similar to the correct word, but whose meaning is inappropriate. |
| noisome |
offensive or disgusting, especially in smell; foul. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |