-
reproach
express criticism towards
-
reprimand
an act or expression of criticism and censure
-
censure
harsh criticism or disapproval
-
unprocurable
not capable of being obtained
-
inaccessible
capable of being reached only with great difficulty or not at all
-
juncture
the shape or manner in which things come together and a connection is made
-
occasion
an event that occurs at a critical time
-
fervent
characterized by intense emotion
-
ardent
characterized by intense emotion
-
innocuous
not injurious to physical or mental health
-
robust
sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
-
husky
deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion
-
burly
muscular and heavily built
-
staggering
so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
-
astonishing
so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
-
astounding
bewildering or striking dumb with wonder
-
lurching
-
torrid
characterized by intense emotion
-
sultry
sexually exciting or gratifying
-
tailor
a person whose occupation is making and altering garments
-
confine
place limits on (extent or access)
-
throttle
a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine
-
restrain
hold back
-
encumber
hold back
-
cumber
hold back
-
constrain
hold back
-
debauch
a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
-
debauchery
a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
-
vitiate
make imperfect
-
debase
corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
-
subvert
destroy completely
-
tenure
the term during which some position is held
-
promote
give a promotion to or assign to a higher position
-
demote
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank
-
relegate
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank
-
incumbency
a duty that is incumbent upon you
-
sophistry
a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone
-
sophistication
the quality or character of being intellectually sophisticated and worldly through cultivation or experience or disillusionment
-
ingenuity
the power of creative imagination
-
bind
secure with or as if with ropes
-
unbind
untie or unfasten
-
adhere
stick to firmly
-
impediment
something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
-
impede
be a hindrance or obstacle to
-
hindrance
any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome
-
deterrent
something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
-
encumbrance
an onerous or difficult concern
-
adamant
very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem
-
inexorable
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
-
unrelenting
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
-
relentless
never-ceasing
-
intransigent
impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason
-
capricious
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
-
impetuous
characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation
-
demure
affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way
-
unpretentious
lacking pretension or affectation
-
unostentatious
not ostentatious
-
portentous
of momentous or ominous significance
-
pompous
puffed up with vanity
-
pretentious
making claim to or creating an appearance of (often undeserved) importance or distinction
-
ostentatious
intended to attract notice and impress others
-
kitsch
excessively garish or sentimental art; usually considered in bad taste
-
tawdry
tastelessly showy
-
brassy
resembling the sound of a brass instrument
-
meretricious
tastelessly showy
-
gaudy
tastelessly showy
-
opulent
rich and superior in quality
-
sumptuous
rich and superior in quality
-
fiery
like or suggestive of fire
-
bauble
cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
-
phallic
resembling or being a phallus
-
priapic
resembling or being a phallus
-
dispel
to cause to separate and go in different directions
-
scatter
to cause to separate and go in different directions
-
dissipate
to cause to separate and go in different directions
-
ward off
prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
-
avert
turn away or aside
-
obviate
do away with
-
eliminate
terminate, end, or take out
-
eradicate
destroy completely, as if down to the roots
-
dally
behave carelessly or indifferently
-
trifle
a detail that is considered insignificant
-
jaded
exhausted
-
surfeit
indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
-
luxuriate
become extravagant; indulge (oneself) luxuriously
-
wanton
lewd or lascivious woman
-
piddle
waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently
-
lascivious
driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires
-
lewd
suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
-
contrite
feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
-
apologetic
offering or expressing apology
-
remorseful
feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
-
rueful
feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
-
ruthful
feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
-
dismal
causing dejection
-
dingy
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
-
somber
grave or even gloomy in character
-
venial
warranting only temporal punishment
-
forgivable
easily excused or forgiven
-
esoteric
confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
-
abstruse
difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
-
imperious
having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
-
overbearing
having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
-
authoritarian
characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty
-
despotic
belonging to or having the characteristics of a despot
-
domineering
tending to domineer
-
autocratic
characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty
-
raring
(usually followed by `to') full of eagerness
-
impatient
restless or short-tempered under delay or opposition
-
astride
with one leg on each side
-
introspection
the contemplation of your own thoughts and desires and conduct
-
introspect
reflect on one's own thoughts and feelings
-
excogitate
reflect deeply on a subject
-
contrive
make or work out a plan for; devise
-
devise
a will disposing of real property
-
dissident
a person who dissents from some established policy
-
dissenting
disagreeing, especially with a majority
-
dissenter
a person who dissents from some established policy
-
dissent
a difference of opinion
-
denigrate
charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
-
belittle
cause to seem less serious; play down
-
derogate
cause to seem less serious; play down
-
colloquial
characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
-
conversational
characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
-
gnostic
possessing intellectual or esoteric knowledge of spiritual things
-
agnostic
a person who claims that they cannot have true knowledge about the existence of God (but does not deny that God might exist)
-
cunningly
in an attractive manner
-
ingenious
showing inventiveness and skill
-
adroit
quick or skillful or adept in action or thought
-
maladroit
not adroit
-
tactless
lacking or showing a lack of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others
-
inept
generally incompetent and ineffectual
-
patently
unmistakably (`plain' is often used informally for `plainly')
-
evidently
unmistakably (`plain' is often used informally for `plainly')
-
ostensible
appearing as such but not necessarily so
-
apparent
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
-
seeming
appearing as such but not necessarily so
-
despot
a cruel and oppressive dictator
-
tyrant
a cruel and oppressive dictator
-
autocrat
a cruel and oppressive dictator
-
maul
injure badly by beating
-
rabid
marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea
-
fanatic
a person motivated by irrational enthusiasm (as for a cause)
-
overzealous
marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea
-
contention
the act of competing as for profit or a prize
-
assertion
a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
-
assert
to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
-
affirm
to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
-
substantiate
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
-
embody
represent in bodily form
-
actualise
make real or concrete; give reality or substance to
-
contend
compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
-
postulate
maintain or assert
-
levity
a manner lacking seriousness
-
frivolous
not serious in content or attitude or behavior
-
trivial
(informal) small and of little importance
-
insignificant
signifying nothing
-
merit
the quality of being deserving (e.g., deserving assistance)
-
demerit
the quality of being inadequate or falling short of perfection
-
cogitate
consider carefully and deeply; reflect upon; turn over in one's mind
-
contemplate
think intently and at length, as for spiritual purposes
-
fritter
small quantity of fried batter containing fruit or meat or vegetables
-
disperse
move away from each other
-
haste
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
-
equivocate
be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
-
palter
be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
-
prevaricate
be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
-
equivocal
open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
-
inconclusive
not conclusive; not putting an end to doubt or question
-
ambiguous
having more than one possible meaning
-
unequivocal
admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion
-
definitive
clearly defined or formulated
-
dubious
fraught with uncertainty or doubt
-
dubitable
open to doubt or suspicion
-
marvel
be amazed at
-
equate
consider or describe as similar, equal, or analogous
-
commensurate
corresponding in size or degree or extent
-
synonymous
(of words) meaning the same or nearly the same
-
synergism
the working together of two things (muscles or drugs for example) to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects
-
aphorism
a short pithy instructive saying
-
adage
a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people
-
pithy
concise and full of meaning
-
sententious
concise and full of meaning
-
euphemism
an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh
-
blatant
without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
-
clamant
conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
-
guile
shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception
-
frank
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
-
blunt
used of a knife or other blade; not sharp
-
candid
openly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness
-
forthright
directly and without evasion; not roundabout
-
stark
severely simple
-
predicate
involve as a necessary condition of consequence; as in logic
-
connote
express or state indirectly
-
imply
express or state indirectly
-
smirch
smear so as to make dirty or stained
-
smear
make a smudge on; soil by smudging
-
mandrill
baboon of west Africa with a bright red and blue muzzle and blue hindquarters
-
semblance
an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading
-
depict
give a description of
-
render
give or supply
-
incredulous
not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
-
credulous
showing a lack of judgment or experience
-
detrimental
(sometimes followed by `to') causing harm or injury
-
ominous
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
-
vociferous
conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
-
strident
unpleasantly loud and harsh
-
raucous
unpleasantly loud and harsh
-
rowdy
disturbing the public peace; loud and rough
-
rambunctious
noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
-
rumbustious
noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
-
robustious
noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
-
unruly
of persons
-
whimsical
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
-
impulsive
without forethought
-
aloof
remote in manner
-
duplicitous
marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another
-
deceitful
marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another
-
shady
filled with shade
-
umbrageous
filled with shade
-
cynical
believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others
-
misanthropic
hating mankind in general
-
anthropic
relating to mankind or the period of mankind's existence
-
eviscerate
remove the entrails of
-
debilitate
make weak
-
inamorato
a man with whom you are in love or have an intimate relationship
-
dire
fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
-
imperative
requiring attention or action
-
exigent
demanding attention
-
minuscule
very small
-
piddling
(informal) small and of little importance
-
ignominy
a state of dishonor
-
restive
being in a tense state
-
plight
a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one
-
quandary
state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
-
dilemma
state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
-
extricate
release from entanglement of difficulty
-
disencumber
release from entanglement of difficulty
-
deprave
corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
-
coy
modestly or warily rejecting approaches or overtures
-
tenure
the term during which some position is held
-
fain
having made preparations
-
drab
a dull greyish to yellowish or light olive brown
-
generate
bring into existence