| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| emote |
to express or simulate feelings, especially in an exaggerated or theatrical manner. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| erratic |
not expected or predicted; not regular. |
| mahatma |
(sometimes capitalized) in Buddhism and theosophy, any of a class of persons revered for their wisdom and love of humanity. |
| mendicant |
living on charity; begging. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| perquisite |
a payment or benefit in addition to the wages or salary associated with a position. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |