| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| belabor |
to continue excessive efforts on or excessive discussion of. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| dawdle |
to waste time; be slow. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| distraught |
mentally or emotionally unbalanced; crazed. |
| diurnal |
occurring or active during, or belonging to, the daytime rather than nighttime. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| pneumatic |
of, using, or concerning air or other gases. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| rodomontade |
puffed-up boasting or bravado. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |