| aberration |
a deviation from what is considered normal or right; irregularity. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| foment |
to encourage the development of; instigate or foster. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| inveigle |
to entice or ensnare by clever talk or flattery. |
| invidious |
tending to arouse feelings of resentment or animosity, especially because of a slight; offensive or discriminatory. |
| jejune |
lacking interest or liveliness; dull. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |