| aplomb |
great self-confidence, composure, or poise. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| bilge |
the rounded part of a ship's hull between the bottom and the sides. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| intersperse |
to place or scatter among other things. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| otiose |
having no purpose or use; unnecessary or futile. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |