| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| flummox |
(informal) to confuse or puzzle. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |