| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| brash |
rudely self-assertive; bold; impudent. |
| Byzantine |
characterized by complexity and intrigue. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |