| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| consummate |
of the highest order or degree. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| feckless |
weak or incompetent; ineffective. |
| harrow |
to go over or break up with a harrow. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| solecism |
a gross violation of convention in grammar, etiquette, or the like; impropriety. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |