| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| belabor |
to continue excessive efforts on or excessive discussion of. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| coeval |
coinciding in time of origin or existence; contemporary. |
| comity |
mutual courtesy and respectful treatment among people or nations. |
| deify |
to raise to the rank of a god; consider to be a god. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| neophyte |
a beginner or novice at any activity. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |