| baleful |
threatening harm; full of malice; ominous. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| condone |
to pardon, disregard, or overlook voluntarily or without condemning. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| effrontery |
shameless impudence; insolence. |
| euphoria |
a strong feeling of well-being or elation, sometimes unrealistic or unwarranted, and able to be induced by certain drugs. |
| imbroglio |
a difficult, confused, or complicated situation, often involving a misunderstanding, disagreement, or quarrel. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| oppugn |
to oppose, contradict, criticize, or call into question. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| requite |
to retaliate for; strike back on account of. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |
| transpose |
to exchange the position or order of (two things). |