| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| flout |
to show scorn or contempt for, especially by openly or deliberately disobeying. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| incessant |
never stopping; constant. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| parturient |
giving birth or about to give birth; in labor. |
| rapacious |
capable of capturing and eating live prey; predacious. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |