Truculent: bickering, arguing fiercely Conscientious Atomism: a theory Antithetical: opposite, contrast, incompatible Regress: go back to lower state,

(syn. recede, retrogress, retrograde) Didactic: teach with moral principles as ulterior motive, teaching patronizing Elegiac: Mournful (esp. verses) Renegade: traitor, apostate Avarice: Greed with miserliness (eg. Mr. Scrooge) Craven: coward Laggard: sluggish, lag behind Misanthrope: hate people, humans (eg. Me) Irascible: short tempered, easily angered Affable: amiable, friendly Cursory: eg. cursory glance Irresolute: Fluke: chance Rococo: elaborate, excessive 18th century architecture/furniture Relegate: consign to a lower position (like demote) Braggart: person who brags, boastful Foundering: sink due to water entering the ship/vessel, a plan collapsing Mollify: soothe, appease Exculpate: acquit Plebiscite: everyone votes (syn. Referendum) Reticent: terse, succinct, curt, laconic, taciturn, (pithy is for writings mostly) Sanguine: cheerfully optimistic, blood red color Iconoclastic: someone who attacks established norms, organizations, world order, religions etc

Assiduous: diligent, hardworking Scrupulous: thorough, very concerned to avoid wrongdoing Indigent: poor Vacillate: to move/shift from one opinion to another Equivocal: ambiguous Indenture: bound by contract esp. for labor Rube: country bumpkin Nebulous: vague Corona: halo, hue around (eg. suns corona) Catechisms: set of questions and answers Aphasia: disorder of brain affecting memory, causing twitches etc. Dunning: to make persistent demands of someone (esp. for payment of debt) Acerbic: forthright, harsh Pertinacious: dogged, stubborn Rapacious: greedy predatory Pertinent: relevant Happy: apt Felicitous: happy, apt, appropriate (esp. for writing) (eg. a felicitous writer, felicitous verses) Ephemeral: transient, not lasting long Intractable: difficult to control, stubborn, (syn. refractory) Discern: distinguish, recognize Inordinate: excessive Prevarication: lie Mendacity: lie Avarice: greed Extirpate: pull out roots and destroy Arcane: mysterious, secret, understood by few (syn. occult, esoteric, mystic)

Facetious: makes light of something serious by making jokes Patent: obvious, manifest, clear, plain Anoint: smear lubricate, grease Munificent: excessively generous Solicitous: eager, uneasy, concern, anxiously eager to do something Vindicate: to acquit, exonerate Buttress: to strengthen, to justify Quixotic: extremely idealistic Arbitrary: acting on a whim, dictatorial Schism: split, sect, division Entomologist: one who studies insects Foreground: to bring into light Pellucidity: clear, free from obscurity Gainsay: contradict, deny Inimical: 1 harmful/destructive, 2 hostile, unfriendly Profundity: 1 deep knowledge, 2 the state of being deep eg emotion etc Probity: having strong moral principles, honesty, integrity Tendentiousness: an intentional and controversial bias