| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| belie |
to give a false impression of. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| deify |
to raise to the rank of a god; consider to be a god. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| 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. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |