| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| exceptionable |
likely to be objected to; objectionable. |
| flange |
a collar or rim that projects from a pipe, housing, or the like to provide strength, stability, or a place for attaching other parts. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| halcyon |
tranquil; peaceful; calm. |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| mahatma |
(sometimes capitalized) in Buddhism and theosophy, any of a class of persons revered for their wisdom and love of humanity. |
| mirabile dictu |
(Latin) wonderful to say or relate. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |