| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| fixation |
an obsession, especially one that interferes with normal functioning. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| lupine2 |
fierce; greedy. |
| mahatma |
(sometimes capitalized) in Buddhism and theosophy, any of a class of persons revered for their wisdom and love of humanity. |
| malingerer |
one who pretends to be ill or injured, especially in order to avoid work or duty. |
| mirabile dictu |
(Latin) wonderful to say or relate. |
| noisome |
offensive or disgusting, especially in smell; foul. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| repine |
to express or feel unhappiness; complain; fret. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| stochastic |
of, or arising from chance or probability. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |