| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| disquisition |
a formal, often lengthy, oral or written discussion of a subject. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| loll |
to hang down loosely; dangle. |
| malfeasance |
an illegal act or wrongdoing, especially by a public official. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |