| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| delectation |
enjoyment; delight; pleasure. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| fledge |
to grow flight feathers. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| highbrow |
one who has or pretends to have highly sophisticated intellectual and cultural interests and tastes (often used disparagingly). |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| limn |
to paint or draw. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| sere1 |
dried up or withered. |
| truculent |
extremely hostile or belligerent; inclined to fight. |