NWP Vocab 721-740

ameliorate

to relieve as from pain or hardship

avow

to declare openly

cataract

condition when the lens of the eye becomes opaque; a huge waterfall

contiguous

touching or joining at the edge

desultory

lacking a plan or enthusiasm, unfocused, occurring randomly

egregious

extreme, outstandingly bad

evanescent

quickly fading or disappearing

finesse

subtle contrivance used to gain a point

heterogeneous

consisting of dissimilar elements

inchoate

incipient, an initial stage

inveterate

habitual

malevolence

showing a wish to do evil to others

noisome

very offensive, particularly to the sense of smell

peccadillo

a small breach of propriety or principle

precocious

having the mental faculties prematurely developed

gnarly

difficult, nasty

restive

resisting control

soporific

causing sleep

transitory

existing for a short time only

vicissitude

an unwelcome change of fortune or circumstances