| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| bilge |
the rounded part of a ship's hull between the bottom and the sides. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| jeremiad |
a long complaint about life or one's situation; lamentation. |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| repine |
to express or feel unhappiness; complain; fret. |
| Sabbatarian |
one who observes the Sabbath on Saturday, as Jews and certain Christians. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |