| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| incursion |
a raid or sudden invasion. |
| jejune |
lacking interest or liveliness; dull. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| 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. |
| sagacious |
possessing or characterized by good judgment and common sense; wise. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |