| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| redoubtable |
inspiring fear; formidable. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |