| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| derelict |
failing to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations; remiss. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| disheveled |
not neat; messy. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| incredulous |
not able to believe something. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| precursory |
coming before and serving to indicate what will follow; premonitory. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| surcingle |
a girth or belt that wraps around the body of a horse to secure a saddle, pack, or the like to its back. |