| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| castellated |
constructed with turrets and battlements like a castle. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| incessant |
never stopping; constant. |
| laudatory |
expressing praise. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| solecism |
a gross violation of convention in grammar, etiquette, or the like; impropriety. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |