trenchant
(adj.) incisive; forceful; effective
pique
verb
to offend or spark interest
pernicious
(adj) very harmful or deadly
hapless
(adj.) unfortunate / unlucky
tantamount
(adj.) equal to; equivalent
Ex. Ignoring the warning signs is tantamount to risking failure.
surreptitious
(adj) secret or sneaky
timorous
(adj.) shy or fearful
pedantic
(adj) overly focused on small details or rules
Ex. The pedantic teacher corrected every tiny grammar mistake.
subterfuge
(n) trick used to avoid something
Ex. She used subterfuge to escape answering the question.
preclude
(v) to prevent from happening
Ex. Heavy rain may preclude the outdoor game.
sycophant
(n) a flatterer seeking favor
prodigious
(adj) extremely large or impressive
quid pro quo
(n) something given in return
Ex.They agreed to a quid pro quo for helping each other.
tenable
(adj) able to be defended
Her argument was tenable.
mawkish
(adj) overly sentimental
The movie’s mawkish ending made some viewers cringe.
inane
(adj) silly or pointless / rediculous
ex post facto
(adv) after the fact/after deed is done
Sentence: The rule change was applied ex post facto.
neophyte
(n) beginner; newcomer
pensive
(adj) deeply thoughtful, often sad
ubiquitous
(adj) present everywhere
Ex. Smartphones have become ubiquitous in modern life.
