| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| extrude |
to force out; expel. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| otiose |
having no purpose or use; unnecessary or futile. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| surcingle |
a girth or belt that wraps around the body of a horse to secure a saddle, pack, or the like to its back. |