| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| extempore |
without plan or preparation; impromptu or improvised. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| saturnine |
gloomy, sullen, or cynical in temperament or appearance. |
| unabashed |
not feeling or showing embarrassment, uneasiness, or shame. |
| voluble |
characterized by a steady flow of words; fluent; talkative. |