| apprise |
to inform (often followed by "of"). |
| assuage |
to make less severe or more bearable; alleviate. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |