| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| effluvium |
an outflow of usually invisible, foul-smelling vapor or gas. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| malinger |
to pretend illness or injury, especially in order to be excused from duty or work. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| parturient |
giving birth or about to give birth; in labor. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| rodomontade |
puffed-up boasting or bravado. |
| sanguine |
having an optimistic temperament or outlook. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |