| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| consummate |
of the highest order or degree. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| feckless |
weak or incompetent; ineffective. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |
| uxorial |
of, pertaining to, or befitting a wife. |