n. a divinely conferred gift or power (such as healing), a personal magnetism or charm arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm, that gives someone (often a political leader) influence and authority over large numbers of people. ;charisma "n. A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility, loss of motion, numbness. Lethargy, apathy, dullness, sluggishness, inactivity, listlessness, stupor. The dormant, inactive state of a hibernating or estivating animal. ";torpor v. To yield to the desires and;indulge n. Overbearing or excessive pride, self-confidence or presumption, arrogance, insolence.;hubris v. To become very lean by a gradual wasting away of the flesh, to cause to grow thin or weak.;emaciate adj. recklessly wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, prodigal (profligate spending). -n. a profligate person, a person given to wildly extravagant and usually grossly self-indulgent expenditure.;profligate v. To root out, to destroy utterly, to extirpate. To pluck up by the roots, to root up. To expunge, erase or remove. To abolish, uproot, root out, exterminate, destroy, annihilate. ;eradicate v. To make less severe, intense, harsh, rigorous, painful, etc., to lessen the impact of, to soften, to meliorate, to alleviate, to diminish, to assuage, to allay, to extenuate, to palliate, to relieve. To become milder, mollify.;mitigate n. A strong feeling of well-being or elation, sometimes unrealistic or unwarranted, and able to be induced by certain drugs.;euphoria adj. Existing or lasting only a short time, short-lived or temporary, not enduring, fleeting, evanescent, transient, brief, ephemeral;transitory n. A scheming or cunning design for the accomplishment of a sinister end, a hostile or treacherous scheme, an artful design or plot, conspiracy, intrigue. An elaborate or devious scheme, ruse, plot, stratagem.;machination adj. Severe or stern in manner or appearance, stern, solemn, grave. Severe in modes of judging, living or acting, rigid, rigorous, ascetic. Unadorned, unembellished, severely simple, bare. Sour and astringent, rough to the state, having acerbity.;austere adj. Lacking in candor, frankness or sincerity, insincere. Giving a false appearance of simple frankness, calculating, crafty, artful. Not noble, unbecoming true honor or dignity, mean, unworthy.;disingenuous adj. Of or relating to the common people of ancient Rome. Of, belonging to, or characteristic of commoners. Unrefined or coarse in nature or manner, crude, common or vulgar. -n. One of the common people or lower rank of men, a plebe.;plebeian adj. Not easily excited, showing little emotion, apathetic, stolid, bovine, sluggish, slow, lethargic, languid, lacking enthusiasm, dull. Of or relating to phlegm.;phlegmatic adj. Disgusting, loathsome, or repugnant, hateful, horrid, detestable, abominable, revolting, repulsive, repellent, execrable, heinous, odious.;abhorrent adj. Deserving censure or blame, responsible for something bad, faulty, immoral, criminal, reprehensible.;culpable v. To cause to shine or luster, to make smooth and bright, to polish, specifically, to polish by rubbing with something hard and smooth. To shine forth, to brighten, to become smooth and glossy. ;burnish v. To show or affect emotion. To portray emotion in acting, esp. in an exaggerated or theatrical manner. Sentimentalize.;emote adj. Having several possible meanings or interpretations. Difficult to comprehend. Uncertain, vague, obscure, questionable, puzzling.;ambiguous adj. Capable of meeting financial obligations or of paying debts when they become due. ;solvent adj. Pertaining to a dogma, or to an established and authorized doctrine or tenet. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner.;dogmatic v. To decide or act as an arbitrator between two or more opposing or contending parties or sides, to submit to or settle by arbitration.;arbitrate adj. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose, illicitly covert, furtive, stealthy, surreptitious, concealed for an underhanded purpose, subversion or deception. ;clandestine v. To stray from or evade the truth, to be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information, equivocate, quibble. ;prevaricate adj. Disdainfully or contemptuously proud, arrogant, overbearing, pretentious, pompous, lordly, contemptuous, supercilious, presumptuous, egotistic. ;haughty n. Malicious behavior, evil disposition toward another, inclination to injure others, ill will, malice, hatred, malignity, enmity, spitefulness. The quality or state of being malevolent.;malevolence adj. Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate, spread throughout;pervasive v. To allay the anger of, especially by making concessions, appease, pacify, conciliate, mollify, quiet, calm. To cause to be more favorably inclined, gain the good will of.;placate adj. Marked by stubborn resistance to and defiance of authority or guidance, unruly, refractory, rebellious. Difficult to manage or operate, not responsive to treatment, resistant. -n. A recalcitrant person.;recalcitrant adj. Exercising moderation and self-restraint . Moderate in degree or quality, mild, restrained, cool, calm, abstemious, sedate, not excessive, not passionate. Characterized by moderate temperatures, weather, or climate.;temperate adj. Injurious or harmful in effect, opposed in tendency, influence, or effects, antagonistic, inconsistent, incompatible, adverse, repugnant. Having the disposition or temper of an enemy, unfriendly, unfavorable.;inimical n. Smallness of number, fewness. Scarcity, dearth, exiguity, insufficiency.;paucity adj. Tending to derogate, or detract, as from authority or estimation, showing, or intending to show, disapproval, dislike, scorn or lack of respect, disparaging, injurious, pejorative.;derogatory v. To instruct and improve, especially in moral and religious knowledge, to teach, to uplift, to enlighten, to inform.;edify adj. Having the power to compel conviction or move the will by virtue of clear or incisive presentation. To the point, relevant. Forcible, powerful, potent, urgent, strong, persuasive, convincing, conclusive, influential. ;cogent adj. Cheerfully confident, optimistic, warm, ardent, lively, confident, hopeful.;sanguine adj. Of a menacing or threatening nature, foreshadowing evil or tragic developments, baleful, forbidding, ominous, sinister;minatory adj. Occurring or returning every day, often used to describe recurring fever.;quotidian v. To prepare for the raising of crops, to till or break up the soil about growing plants.;cultivate n. A minor weakness, a failing of character, a weak point, a frailty, a slight flaw or defect, fault, quirk, crochet, eccentricity, peculiarity. -adj. Weak, feeble.;foible adj. Characterized by a mixture of opposite feelings or attitudes, uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow.;ambivalent n. A medicine or agent to soothe the skin and allay irritation, -adj. Having the power of softening or relaxing living tissue. Making less intense or harsh, mollify.;emollient adj. Doubtful, marked by or occasioning doubt. Of doubtful quality or propriety, equivocal, questionable. Of uncertain outcome. ;dubious v. To strive to equal or to excel in qualities or actions. To imitate, with a view to equal or surpass, to vie with. To compete with successfully, to rival.;emulate adj. Disinclined to exert oneself, habitually lazy, idle, slothful, sluggish, listless, inactive, inert, torpid, slow.;indolent adj. Frugal to the point of stinginess, excessively sparing, covetous, niggardly, miserly, penurious, close, saving, mean, stingy.;parsimonious adj. Not feigned, genuine, sincere, not counterfeit, not hypocritical, real, honest, straight-forward, candid, true, open, frank, ingenuous.;unfeigned v. To say or read aloud for another to transcribe or for a machine to record.;dictate adj. Being in a state of tranquil repose, quiet, still, or at rest, inactive, latent, dormant. Calm, not excited, unagitated, causing no trouble or symptoms (a quiescent tumor).;quiescent adj. Firmly and long established, deep-rooted, obstinate, of long standing. Persisting in an ingrained habit, confirmed, habitual, chronic;inveterate v. To disprove and overthrow by argument, evidence, or countervailing proof, to prove to be false or erroneous, to confute, to rebut. To deny the accuracy or truth of, to controvert. ;refute n. One devoted to dainty or luxurious sensual enjoyments, esp. to the luxuries of the table. One who cultivates refined taste, as in food, art and music. Voluptuary, connoisseur, gastronome, gourmet, epicurean, sensualist. ;epicure adj. Easily seen or noticed, readily observable, obvious, noticeable, clear, marked, manifest. Attracting the eye, attracting attention. Easily recognized, clearly defined, notable, prominent, eminent, distinguished.;conspicuous adj. Impossible to placate or appease, inexorable, irreconcilable, unrelenting, relentless, unyielding, inflexible.;implacable n. Submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion or preference of another, respectful or courteous regard, respect, complaisance.;deference n. The statistical characteristics of human populations (such as births, deaths, marriages, age or income) used especially to identify markets.;demographics adj. Full of or exhibiting servile compliance, attentive in an ingratiating manner, sycophantic, fawning, flattering, subservient.;obsequious adj. Deficient in light, dark, dusky, dim. So faintly perceptible as to lack clear delineation, indistinct, -v. To make dim or indistinct: fog obscured our view. -n. Something obscure or unknown.;obscure adv. Skillfully using the hands. Mentally skillful or adroit. Skillfully, deftly, expertly, aptly, handily, adroitly, cleverly, artfully, adeptly, proficiently, competently, capably, with finesse.;dexterously v. To declare before a court or elsewhere, as if under oath. To assert without proof. To plead in support of, as a reason or excuse or in support or denial of a claim or accusation. To declare, to aver, to affirm.;allege v. To make one's own, to take up the cause of, to adopt, to embrace.;espouse adj. Deceptive, misleading, false, wrong. Embodying or pertaining to a fallacy, illogical. Disappointing, delusive.;fallacious adj. Beginning and ending in a day, existing only, or no longer than, a day, diurnal. . Short-lived, existing or continuing for a short time only. Transitory. -n. anything short-lived.;ephemeral Happening by chance, coming or occurring unexpectedly, or without any known cause, chance, accidental. (Law) Happening independently of human will or means of foresight, resulting from unavoidable physical causes. ;fortuitous v. To make beautiful or elegant by ornaments. To adorn, decorate, beautify, enhance, deck, bedeck, decorate, garnish, embroider, enrich, ornament, illustrate. ;embellish adj. Weak, ineffective, incompetent, feeble. Worthless, lazy, indifferent, irresponsible, without energy or enthusiasm.;feckless v. To catch and take into custody someone who has not obeyed the law. To catch, seize, arrest, detain, capture.;apprehend adj. Imposed as an obligation or a duty, obligatory, as in a duty incumbent on me. ;incumbent adj. Not mingled or diluted with extraneous matter or impurities, pure. Complete, unqualified, utter (the unadulterated truth, an unadulterated fool);unadulterated n. Independence or freedom. The quality or state of being self-governing, the right of self-government. A self-governing community.;autonomy adj. Filled with, or characterized by, zeal, marked by active interest and enthusiasm, ardent, fervent, avid, eager.;zealous adj. Hearty, sincere, warm, affectionate, courteous and gracious, affable. Invigorating or stimulating the heart, stimulating. Sincerely or deeply felt, as in a cordial dislike of someone.;cordial adj. Friendly and agreeable in disposition, good-natured and likable, charming, pleasing, attractive, lovable, sweet-tempered, pleasant, kindly, kindhearted. Cordial, sociable, congenial;amiable adj. Impervious to pleas, appeals, or reason, stubbornly unyielding in attitude or opinion. Inflexible. -n. A stone once believed to be impenetrable in its hardness. An extremely hard substance. ;adamant adj. Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation, rushing with force and violence, moving with impetus, marked by impulsive vehemence or passion, furious, forcible, violent.;impetuous n. Straying from what is common, normal or right, deviation from truth or moral rectitude, mental irregularity or disorder.;aberration adj. Exhibiting or characterized by bias, prejudiced, tendency or inclination of outlook, subjective point of view, tending to yield one outcome more frequently than others in a statistical experiment (a biased coin).;biased v. To relinquish or renounce a throne, or other high office or dignity, to resign, surrender, quit, abandon, withdraw, give up claim to.;abdicate adj. Of people, enjoying companionship, sociable, not solitary. Of plants, growing in clusters. Of animals, habitually living or moving in flocks or herds, tending to flock or herd together, not solitary or living alone. ;gregarious n. Hatred, ill will, hostility, active enmity. A feeling of ill will that tends to display itself in action. An antagonistic attitude.;animosity n. The quality of being proper, appropriateness, suitableness, fitness. Conformity to or consonance with prevailing customs, rules and principles, etiquette. Proprieties means the manners and customs of polite society. ;propriety adj. Marked by firm determination, unwavering, resolved, decided, fixed, steadfast, steady, constant, persevering, bold. ;resolute adj. Expressing much in few words, brief and pithy, brusque, concise, succinct, crisp, terse, curt.;laconic v. To cut off the end or tail, or any part, of, to shorten, to abridge, to diminish, to reduce, to dock.;curtail n. A medicine or other remedy used to neutralize or counteract the effects of a poison. Something which tends to prevent mischievous effects, or to counteract evil.;antidote adj. Existing as an essential constituent or characteristic, naturally pertaining to, innate, inalienable, intrinsic, inborn, native, natural, inbred, inwrought, inseparable, essential, indispensable, constitutional, built in, integral. ;inherent n. A plant which has a single, slender stalk, about a foot and a half high, with blue flowers. The fiber of the bark is used for making thread and cloth, called linen, cambric, lawn, lace, etc. Linseed oil is expressed from the seed.;flax adj. Entailing great expense, as from fine workmanship, choice materials, etc., costly. Rich and superior in quality, luxuriously fine, magnificent, splendid or superb.;sumptuous n. An oration or eulogistic composition intended as a public compliment. Elaborate praise, a laudatory discourse, laudation, an encomium, a paean.;panegyric n. Warm or high praise, panegyric, strong commendation. A formal expression of praise, tribute, eulogy, citation.;encomium adj. Of or pertaining to trees, treelike, living in or among trees. Attached to, found in or upon, or frequenting, woods or trees.;arboreal n. One who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional, cherished or popular ideas or institutions as being based on error or superstition. One who breaks or destroys sacred religious images. ;iconoclast adj. Possessed at birth, inborn. Possessed as an essential characteristic, inherent. ;innate adj. Relating to or affecting the viscera, which refers to organs in the cavities of the body, esp. those in the abdominal cavity, such as the intestines or bowels.;visceral n. An avaricious, irascible, grouchy person, a crusty, ill-tempered, usually old man, a miser, a niggard, a churl.;curmudgeon n. Imperturbable, self-possession, poise, assurance of manner, confidence and style.;aplomb adj. Understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge, access or interest, recondite. Belonging to the select few. Private, secret, confidential, enigmatic, abstruse.;esoteric adj. Incapable of being expresses in words, unspeakable, unutterable, indescribable, inexpressible. Not to be uttered, taboo (as in the ineffable name of Jehovah).;ineffable n. An opinion, doctrine, or principle held as being true by a person, or by members of an organization, movement, or profession, doctrine, belief, dogma, principle, position;tenet "n. A fictional prose narrative or story, generally long and complex, that deals especially with human experience through a usually connected sequence of events. The literary genre represented by novels. ";novel v. Distinctly uttered, pronounced in definite syllables, expressed precisely, spoken so as to be intelligible, characterized by division into words and syllables;articulate adj. Discretely cautious, careful, wary, fastidious, choosing, shy, timid, not rash, reckless, or spendthrift, sparing, saving, frugal.;chary n. Absence of emotion, lacking interest, concern or energy, unwilling to take action esp. over a matter of importance, indifference, insensibility. ;apathy v. To punish severely in order to correct, to chastise, to chasten, to discipline, to reprove, to criticize severely.;castigate "n. Deceitful or insidious cunning, artful or shrewd deception, artifice, duplicity, wile, deceit, treachery. ";guile adj. Without a basis in reason or fact, having no foundation, baseless, vain, idle, unwarranted. Not yet established. ;unfounded adj. Deprived or robbed of the possession or use of something, lacking something needed, wanted, or expected. Suffering the death of a loved one, bereaved.;bereft adj. Impressively great in size, force, or extent, huge, enormous, monstrous, stupendous, colossal (prodigious appetite). Extraordinary, marvelous, exceptional, surpassing, astounding, wondrous (prodigious talent).;prodigious adj. Carefully persevering and constant in application or pursuit, assiduous, busy, tireless, indefatigable, diligent, industrious, unremitting;sedulous adj. Expressing or conferring praise, full of or giving praise, eulogistic.;laudatory n. A song of joyful praise or exaltation. A fervent expression of joy or praise, encomium, eulogy, panegyric. An ancient Greek hymn of thanksgiving, usually addressed to Apollo. ;paean adj. Universal or general in extent, influence, or application. Of, relating to, or representing the whole of a body of churches, promoting or tending toward worldwide Christian unity or cooperation. ;ecumenical adj. Prone to anger, easily provoked or inflamed to anger, choleric, irritable, hot-headed, hot-tempered, short-tempered, testy, touchy. Characterized by anger;irascible n. Something that interferes with or delays action or progress, a hindrance or an obstruction, obstacle, difficulty, encumbrance, deterrence, handicap. An organic defect preventing clear articulation: a speech impediment. ;impediment adj. Of a kind or gentle disposition, kind, gracious, generous, favorable, benignant.;benign adj. Existing in a natural state, wild, untamed, ferine, not domesticated. Having escaped from domestication and become wild. Ferocious, brutal.;feral adj. Obtained or characterized by stealth, sly, secret, stealthy, surreptitious, covert, foxy, underhanded, cunning.;furtive Haughty, arrogant, overbearing, dictatorial, domineering, overbearing, lordly, tyrannical, despotic, arrogant. Able to deal authoritatively with affairs.;imperious v. To cause to exist, to bring forth, to produce, to give rise to, to sow the seeds of, to create, breed, generate, procreate, propagate, occasion, call forth, cause, excite, develop. ;engender v. To classify, contain, include, or incorporate in a more comprehensive category or under a general principle, to encompass as a subordinate or component element.;subsume v. To dishonor by a comparison with what is inferior. To reduce in esteem or rank by actions or words. To speak of in a slighting way, depreciate, belittle. To bring reproach or discredit upon, decry, degrade, minimize.;disparage n. The right to vote in a public election. A right granted by the government to a person or corporation, such as a taxi permit, bus route, an airline's use of a public airport, business license or corporate existence. ;franchise "n. A superabundance, an excess, profusion, abundance. (Med.) A bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood. ";plethora "v. Delayed, impeded, hindered, obstructed, detained, procrastinated, postponed, deferred. ";retarded "n. A board, typically with a hole for the thumb, which an artist can hold while painting and on which the artist mixes colors. ";palette n. Roughness of surface, unevenness. Roughness or harshness of sound, tone, temper or manner, severity, crabbedness, harshness. Roughness to the taste, sourness, tartness, acerbity, bitterness, astringency. ;asperity adj. Apt to break out into a passion, apt to scold, cross, snappish, testy, petulant, unruly, peevish, waspish, perverse, pettish. Quarrelsome, irritable, stubborn, difficult, unruly.;fractious n. A divining or taking of omens by observing birds, an omen as to an undertaking, drawn from birds, an augury. ;auspice adj. Unaffected by disturbance, calm and unruffled, placid, undisturbed, tranquil. Unclouded, bright, clear, unobscured (serene skies) Used as a title and form of address for certain members of royalty (Her Serene Highness);serene adj. Having capacity, able to contain a great quantity, large, roomy, spacious, extended, broad. Able or qualified to make large views of things, as in obtaining knowledge, comprehensive, liberal. ;capacious adj. Relating to, consisting of, or subject to controversy, debatable, disputatious, polemical.;controversial adj. Famous, widely known, renowned, distinguished, famed, illustrious, prominent.;Celebrated n. The act of giving, leaving by will, or passing on to another. That which is left by will, esp. personal property, a legacy, a gift. ;bequest n. A pricking of heart, poignant grief or anxiety arising from a sense of guilt or consciousness of causing pain, distress of mind over an anticipated action or result, the sting of conscience, remorse for wrongdoing, contrition. ;compunction v. To liquidate (a debt, such as a mortgage) by making periodic or installment payments or payment into a sinking fund. To write off an expenditure for (office equipment, for example) by prorating over a certain period.;amortize v. To prevent by interception, to remove from the way or path, to make unnecessary, eliminate, debar, deflect, avert, head off, stave off, fend off, avoid, ward off.;obviate n. An extreme state of adversity, the lowest point of anything. The opposite of zenith.;nadir adj. Having omens or tokens of a favorable issue, giving promise of success, prosperity, or happiness, predicting good.;auspicious n. Feeling or condition of hostility, positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will, animosity, antagonism.;enmity adj. Artistic. Characterized by an appreciation of beauty and good taste. Pertaining to a sense of beauty. Relating to or dealing with the subject of aesthetics. -n. A philosophical theory as to what is beautiful.;aesthetic n. A secret language or vocabulary peculiar to a particular class or group of people, such as thieves, tramps, and vagabonds, devised for private communication and identification, a dialect.;argot adj. Standing by itself, separate, unconnected, or imperfectly connected, as, detached parcels. ;Detached v. To discourage or prevent from acting by fear or difficulty, risk, or doubt, to hinder, arrest, check, inhibit.;deter v. To deprive of nerve, force, strength, or courage, to render feeble or impotent, to make effeminate, to impair the moral powers of, to destroy the vigor of, weaken, enfeeble, exhaust. -adj. Lacking strength or nerve.;enervate v. To serve as an omen or a warning of, prognosticate, presage, foreshadow, betoken, forebode, bode, augur. To indicate by prediction, forecast, signify;portend adj. Not sanctioned by custom or law, unlawful, illegitimate. Contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention, as, illicit trade, illicit intercourse, illicit pleasure.;illicit v. To clear, as of a charge, obligation, or load of blame resting on one, to discharge or relieve from duty or obligation, to absolve, acquit, exculpate, vindicate. ;exonerate adj. Having a disposition to do good, possessing or manifesting love to mankind, and a desire to promote their prosperity and happiness, disposed to give to good objects, kind, charitable.;benevolent n. A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people, a toady, a parasite. -v. To flatter obsequiously.;sycophant adj. Of, relating to, resembling, or constituting a labyrinth in form or complexity, highly involved or intricate, complicated, tortuous, convoluted. Of, relating to, affecting, or originating in the internal ear. ;labyrinthine adj. Capable of being easily bent, pliant, flexible, limber, supple.;lithe adj. Shining, bright, resplendent, radiant, luminous, translucent. ;lucid adj. Difficult to follow, twisted, coiled, complicated, involved, tangled, tortuous, labyrinthine. Having numerous overlapping coils or folds.;convoluted adj. Of various kinds or forms. Of a different kind, form or character, unlike, varied, manifold, divergent, dissimilar, separate.;diverse adj. Containing or made up of fundamentally different and often incongruous elements. Markedly distinct in kind or quality, different, unequal, dissimilar, separate, divergent.;disparate v. To describe, portray, delineate, depict. ;limn adj. Hateful, hatefully bad, flagrant, odious, abominable, atrocious, wicked, nefarious, villainous, giving great offense, monstrous.;heinous v. To grow together, to unite by growth into one body, to unite in one body or product for a common end, or so as to form a community, to arise from the combination of distinct elements, to blend, fuse, join, amalgamate.;coalesce v. To reduce the value or impair the quality of, to make faulty or defective, spoil, mar. To debase in moral or aesthetic status, corrupt, pervert. ;vitiate v. To denounce or condemn as unlawful or harmful. To prohibit, forbid, interdict, veto, disallow.;proscribe adj. Not easily understood, difficult to penetrate, incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge, deep, esoteric, abstruse, ambiguous. Dealing in things abstruse, profound, obscure. Concealed, hidden;recondite n. One who confers a benefit or benefits. A kindly helper. A person who makes a bequest or endowment.;benefactor n. The fact, state, or right of preceding, priority based on time, antecedence. Priority claimed or received because of preeminence, superiority, advantage or importance. A ceremonial order based on rank or honor, ;precedence v. To draw forth, to bring to light, to bring out against the will, to deduce by reason or argument. To evoke, induce, extract, extort, wring from.;elicit adj. Apprehensive, fearful, timid by nature or revealing timidity, trepid, cowardly.;timorous adj. Differing in kind, having unlike qualities, possessed of different characteristics, composed of unrelated parts, dissimilar, incongruous.;heterogeneous v. to send forth new growth (as buds or branches), to sprout, bloom. To grow and expand rapidly, flourish.;burgeon adj. Pertaining to, or associated with, the sense of taste or tasting.;gustatory v. To salute with shouts or sounds of joy and approval, praise vociferously, commend or extol, applaud. -n. Praise, admiration, and fame. ;acclaim adj. Manifesting or expressing contempt or disdain, scornful, haughty, insolent, disdainful, arrogant.;contemptuous adj. Knowledgeable of something especially through personal experience, conscious of, aware, mindful.;cognizant adj. Of or relating to a province (a provincial government, a provincial dialect). -n. A native or inhabitant of the provinces, peasant. ;provincial adj. Complete, absolute, entire, extreme, total, final, perfect, unqualified.;utter adj. Tranquilly self-satisfied, contented, gratified, smug, in a pleasant mood, pleased with one's self, often while being unaware of some potential danger. Pleasant, agreeable, but unconcerned.;complacent adj. Worn out, common, repeated too often, overfamiliar through overuse, hackneyed, stale, banal, not original or fresh.;trite adj. Having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy, scornful, contemptuous, haughtily superior, proud, lofty, supercilious.;disdainful n. A short account of an incident (especially a biographical one), a short biographical story, often amusing. ;anecdote v. To forswear, to renounce solemnly, to give up or abandon upon oath, to recant, to repudiate, to disavow, to reject. ;abjure v. To make vicious and defamatory statements about, to degrade or debase by report, to utter abusive statements against, to defame, to traduce, to calumniate, to malign, to revile, to vituperate, to rail, to disparage.;vilify v. To speak of in a depreciatory or contemptuous way. To regard, consider or portray something (or someone) as less impressive or important than it apparently is, to disparage, minimize, decry, slight.;belittle adj. Tending to compel, driving, forceful, convincing. Having a powerful and irresistible effect, as in a compelling painting. Urgently requiring attention, as in a compelling problem.;compelling v. To consent or comply passively or without protest. To submit quietly, agree, accede, concur, or assent tacitly, without open opposition.;acquiesce n. A state of alarm or dread, apprehension, tremulous fear or agitation, perturbation. An involuntary trembling, sometimes an effect of paralysis, but usually caused by terror or fear, quaking, quivering.;trepidation