| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| adulteration |
the act or process of making worse or impure by adding unnecessary or inferior ingredients. |
| atavism |
the recurrence or reappearance of a particular trait, style, attitude, or behavior that seemed to have disappeared, or that which has recurred or reappeared after such an absence. |
| cachet |
prestige. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| descry |
to see or make out, especially something obscured or at a distance. |
| disheveled |
not neat; messy. |
| euphoria |
a strong feeling of well-being or elation, sometimes unrealistic or unwarranted, and able to be induced by certain drugs. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| liminal |
of or at the threshold of a physiological or psychological response or change of state. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| nonplus |
to cause (someone) to be unable to think of what to say, do, or decide; perplex; bewilder. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |