| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| blatant |
completely obvious or undisguised, sometimes offensively so. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| froward |
unwilling to agree or obey; stubborn; perverse. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |