| audacity |
courage or boldness often combined with daring or recklessness. |
| circumstantial |
relevant but not essential; incidental. |
| coterie |
a small, exclusive group of friends or associates with similar interest or activities; clique. |
| diligent |
trying hard and steadily to achieve a goal. |
| incise |
to cut into the surface of. |
| irony |
a manner of using language so that it conveys a different or opposite meaning to that which is literally expressed in the words themselves. Irony is used in ordinary conversation and also as a literary technique, especially to express criticism or to produce humor or pathos. |
| limbo1 |
(often capitalized) in theology, a place neither in heaven nor hell for souls neither saved nor condemned, such as those of unbaptized infants. |
| mettle |
toughness of character; courage. |
| mortify |
to subject (someone) to extreme embarrassment, shame, or humiliation. |
| nonentity |
someone or something that is insignificant, dull, undistinguished, or unimportant, especially a person. |
| peripheral |
related but not essential. |
| putrid |
of, concerning, or exhibiting rot or decomposition. |
| quip |
a short, humorous, clever, and often sarcastic utterance. |
| unguided |
without someone to lead or escort. |
| viscid |
of a gluelike consistency. |