| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| concur |
to share the same opinion; agree. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |