| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| inadvertent |
not planned or intended; unintentional. |
| indistinct |
not clearly perceived or perceiving. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |