| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| brash |
rudely self-assertive; bold; impudent. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| stative |
in grammar, of or designating a category of verbs that express state or condition. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| surcingle |
a girth or belt that wraps around the body of a horse to secure a saddle, pack, or the like to its back. |