| asperity |
harshness or roughness, especially of tone or manner. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| bibulous |
addicted to alcohol; alcoholic. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| impermeable |
not permitting passage or penetration. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |