| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| emote |
to express or simulate feelings, especially in an exaggerated or theatrical manner. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| gamut |
the whole extent or range of anything. |
| perilous |
causing or involving great danger; risky; hazardous. |
| sanguine |
having an optimistic temperament or outlook. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |
| surcingle |
a girth or belt that wraps around the body of a horse to secure a saddle, pack, or the like to its back. |