acquisitive
able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property
arrogate
to claim or take without right
banal
hackneyed, trite, comonplace
so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring
belabor
to work on excessively; to thrash soundly
carping
tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way
petty, nagging criticism
coherent
holding or sticking together; making logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful
congeal
to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid
emulate
to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
encomium
a formal expression of of praise, a lavish tribute
eschew
to avoid, shun, keep away from
germane
relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
insatiable
so great or demanding as not to be satisfied
intransigent
refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
invidious
offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment
largesse
generosity in giving; lavish of bountiful contributions
reconnaissance
a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
substantiate
to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form of
taciturn
habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
temporize
to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise
tenable
capable of being held or defended