| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| centripetal |
forced or moving inward toward a center point or axis. |
| disheveled |
not neat; messy. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| intersperse |
to place or scatter among other things. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| putrefaction |
the act or process of rotting or decomposing. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |
| unscathed |
not hurt or harmed; completely uninjured. |