| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| animus |
a feeling or attitude of enmity. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| sanguine |
having an optimistic temperament or outlook. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| uxorious |
excessively or foolishly devoted to one's wife, and often thereby submissive to her. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |