Sadlier unit 2

Accost

to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way. Synonyms: buttonhole, approach.

Animadversion

a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval. Synonyms: rebuke, reproof.

Avid

desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager. Synonyms: keen, enthusiastic, grasping.

Brackish

having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink. Synonym: saline.

Celerity

swiftness, rapidity of motion or action. Synonyms: promptness, speed.

Devious

straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way. Synonyms: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful.

Gambit

in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type. Synonyms: ploy, ruse, maneuver.

Halcyon

(noun) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher. (adjective) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent. Adjective synonyms: tranquil, placid, palmy.

Histrionic

pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic. Synonyms: affected, stagy.

Incendiary

(adjective) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion. Adjective synonyms: inflammatory, provocative. (noun) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife. Noun synonym: firebrand.

Maelstrom

a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction. Synonyms: chaos, turbulence, tumult.

Myopic

nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment. Synonym: shortsighted.

Overt

open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized. Synonyms: clear, obvious, manifest, patent.

Pejorative

tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling.

Propriety

the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable. Synonyms: fitness, correctness.

Sacrilege

improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred. Synonyms: desecration, profanation, defilement.

Summarily

without delay or formality; briefly, concisely. Synonyms: promptly, peremptorily.

Suppliant

(adjective) asking humbly and earnestly. (noun) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor.

Talisman

an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish.

Undulate

to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form. Synonyms: fluctuate, rise and fall.