| askew |
not straight; crooked. |
| beneficiary |
one who receives or is formally designated to receive money or property, as from a will or insurance policy. |
| chasm |
a deep crack in the earth's surface. |
| commodity |
something that can be bought and sold. |
| diffuse |
in the physical sciences, to flow toward regions of lower concentration. |
| ferment |
a state of upset or fast change. |
| haggle |
to bargain or argue over petty differences in price, terms, or point of view. |
| myopic |
unable to see objects clearly from a distance; nearsighted. |
| plaintive |
showing or expressing sadness or sorrow. |
| pundit |
an authoritative, or purportedly authoritative, commentator or critic. |
| recrimination |
an accusation made in response to being accused by another, or the act of countering one accusation with another. |
| strident |
harsh-sounding or loud; raucous; grating. |
| turgid |
overwrought in language or style; too solemn or too ornate; inflated; bombastic. |
| undercut |
to act so as to lessen the effectiveness or influence of; undermine or thwart. |
| wasteland |
land where there are no living things or where nothing will grow. |