| abash |
to cause to feel embarrassed, uneasy, or ashamed. |
| arrant |
complete; unmitigated; downright. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| precursory |
coming before and serving to indicate what will follow; premonitory. |
| stately |
dignified. |