| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| brash |
rudely self-assertive; bold; impudent. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| effete |
marked by excessive refinement or delicateness of taste. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| jejune |
lacking interest or liveliness; dull. |
| mahatma |
(sometimes capitalized) in Buddhism and theosophy, any of a class of persons revered for their wisdom and love of humanity. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| risible |
provoking laughter; laughable or funny. |
| Saturnalia |
an occasion of unrestrained revelry. |