| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| caparison |
decorative trappings to cover a horse's saddle or harness. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| granulate |
to make into small particles or grains. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| jejune |
lacking interest or liveliness; dull. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| rapacious |
capable of capturing and eating live prey; predacious. |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |