| acclivity |
a rising slope. |
| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| inanition |
a state of exhaustion caused by a lack of nourishment. |
| ingenuous |
having or showing simplicity and lack of sophistication; artless. |
| insinuate |
to suggest (something derogatory) subtly and indirectly. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |