| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| irrefragable |
impossible to refute or dispute; undeniable. |
| lupine2 |
fierce; greedy. |
| nonpareil |
a person or thing whose excellence is unequaled; paragon. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |
| recondite |
involving profound concepts and complexities; not easily understood. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| sylph |
a slender, graceful woman or girl. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |