| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| eulogy |
a spoken or written tribute, especially to honor a dead person; high praise; formal commendation. |
| flagitious |
viciously or shamefully wicked; infamous. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| germane |
having relevance to a given matter; pertinent; significant. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |