Membean level 6

Acrostic

A poem, word puzzle, or other composition in which certain letters in each line form a word or words.

Advertorial

An advertisement designed to look like an editorial or article.

Affray

A public fight or brawl.

Agog

Highly excited or eager.

Ague

A fever or shivering fit, often associated with malaria.

Akimbo

With hands on the hips and elbows turned outward.

Amanuensis

A person who writes or types what someone else dictates; a scribe or secretary.

Ambit

The scope, extent, or bounds of something.

Androgynous

Having both male and female characteristics; neither distinctly male nor female.

Animadversion

Criticism or disapproval.

Aphasia

The loss of ability to understand or express speech due to brain damage.

Apologia

A formal written defense of one’s opinions or conduct.

Apoplexy

Stroke, or extreme anger leading to loss of control.

Apparatchik

A member of a political organization, often associated with bureaucratic rigidity.

Arrant

Complete, utter (often used negatively, e.g., 'arrant nonsense').

Arriviste

An ambitious, often unscrupulous, social climber.

Askance

With suspicion or disapproval.

Astern

Toward the rear of a ship or aircraft.

Athwart

Across, from side to side.

Autochthonous

Indigenous; native to a place.

Autodidact

A self-taught person.

Avatar

A representation or embodiment of a person or concept; also, a digital persona.

Balderdash

Nonsense; absurd talk.

Bauble

A small, showy trinket.

Bespoke

Custom-made, tailored.

Betoken

To indicate or signify.

Blazon

A coat of arms; to proclaim or display prominently.

Brouhaha

An uproar or commotion.

Bulwark

A defensive wall or strong support.

Chiaroscuro

The use of strong contrasts between light and dark in art.

Cognoscenti

Experts in a particular field, especially in culture or art.

Colophon

A publisher’s emblem or imprint, usually at the end of a book.

Contretemps

An unfortunate or embarrassing incident.

Copacetic

In excellent order or very satisfactory.

Cudgel

A short, thick stick used as a weapon.

Deracinate

To uproot or remove from one’s native environment.

Descry

To catch sight of; to discover.

Disport

To amuse oneself; to frolic.

Dissimulate

To conceal or disguise one’s thoughts or feelings.

Doggerel

Poorly written, crude, or irregular verse.

Doyenne

A senior or respected female leader in a field.

Dragoon

To force or coerce someone into doing something.

Dystopia

A society characterized by suffering, oppression, or injustice.

Égalité

French for 'equality.'

Embouchure

The way a musician applies their lips to the mouthpiece of a wind instrument.

Emeritus

A retired person retaining an honorary title.

Empyrean

The highest heaven in ancient cosmology.

Epicene

Androgynous or having both male and female traits.

Epigraph

A short quotation at the beginning of a book or chapter.

Epistemology

The study of knowledge and its nature, sources, and limits.

Epistolary

Relating to letters or written correspondence.

Equable

Calm, even-tempered, or unchanging.

Eschatology

The study of the end of the world or ultimate destiny.

Finagle

To obtain something through trickery.

Forbear

To refrain from or tolerate.

Frippery

Showy but worthless finery.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism.

Glitz

Extravagant but superficial glamour.

Guerdon

A reward or recompense.

Hagiography

An overly flattering biography, often of saints.

Haptic

Related to the sense of touch.

Harridan

A strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman.

Hector

To bully or intimidate.

Hoary

Gray or white with age; ancient.

Hoyden

A boisterous, tomboyish girl.

Immolate

To sacrifice, especially by burning.

Immure

To imprison or enclose.

Improvidence

Lack of foresight or thrift.

Indubitable

Undeniable, unquestionable.

Insuperable

Impossible to overcome.

Jocose

Playful, humorous.

Junta

A military or political group ruling after a coup.

Kibosh

A stop or check on something.

Kismet

Fate or destiny.

Knavish

Dishonest or mischievous.

Languorous

Pleasantly lazy or dreamy.

Leitmotif

A recurring theme in music or literature.

Masticate

To chew.

Mien

A person’s demeanor or appearance.

Morass

A swamp or a complicated situation.

Mullah

A Muslim scholar or cleric.

Natter

To chatter idly.

Nugatory

Trivial or worthless.

Occultation

The blocking of one celestial body by another.

Oeuvre

The complete works of an artist or writer.

Oligarchy

Rule by a small group.

Oligopoly

Market control by a few companies.

Ontology

The study of being and existence.

Orotund

Pompous or full-sounding in speech.

Palaver

Idle or prolonged talk.

Palimpsest

A manuscript reused after earlier writing is erased.

Parvenu

A newcomer to wealth or status.

Pâtisserie

A bakery specializing in pastries.

Peckish

Slightly hungry.

Phalanx

A close-knit group.

Phantasmagoria

A sequence of dreamlike images.

Physiognomy

Facial features as indicators of character.

Picaresque

Related to rogues or adventurers.

Pidgin

A simplified language blending different tongues.

Pilfer

To steal small items.