Accede - To yield to; assume an office or dignity

-- Management was not willing to accede to labor’s initial demands, thus increasing the likelihood of a long and bitter strike.

Brandish - To wave or flourish in menacing or vigorous fashion

-- I brandished my umbrella repeatedly in a vain effort to hail a cab.

Comprise - To include or contain; to be made up of

-- Classical symphonies usually comprise three or four movements of varying musical form, tempo, and character.

Deft - Skillful, nimble

-- The deft fingers of Spanish seamstresses produced some of the finest, most delicate lace ever seen.

Destitute - Deprived of the necessities of life; lacking in

-- Some people fled their homes so suddenly that they arrived at the refugee camp absolutely destitute.

Explicit - Definite, clearly stated

-- The more explicit your directions are, the easier it will be for all of us to find our way to the campsite.

Extirpate - To tear up by the roots; to destroy totally

-- Even in the prisoner-of-war camps, some basic feelings of decency and humanity were not completely extirpated.

Inopportune - Coming at a bad time

-- Why do my relatives always seem to turn up at the most inopportune time imaginable?

Ironic - Suggesting an incongruity between the expected and real

-- The short stories of O. Henry are famous for their ironic endings.

Musty - Stale, moldy; out-of-state

-- Houses that have been closed up for a very long time often have an unpleasant musty smell about them.

Officious - Meddling; excessively forward in offering services or authority

-- The manager of the store warned the entire sales force not to be too officious when helping customers.

Ominous - Unfavorable, threatening, a bad omen

-- The ominous sound of distant thunder warned us of the storm’s approach.

Pinnacle - A high peak or point

-- Some pop musicians reach the pinnacle of their careers comparatively early in life.

Premeditated - Considered beforehand; deliberately planned

-- Some crimes are spontaneous acts of passion; others are quite premeditated.

Rampant - Growing without check; running wild

-- All kinds of odd rumors run rampant during a political campaign.

Solace - Comfort, relief

-- Many world leaders seak solace from their tough decisions in the pages of great literature.

Stately - Dignified, majestic

-- The stately procession slowly wound its way from the palace to the cathedral.

Supple - Bending easily

-- Have you ever read Robert Frost’s famous poem about swinging on the supple branches of a birch tree?

Suppress - To stop by force, put down

-- Totalitarian governments usually take strong measures to suppress free speech.

Venal - Open to or marked by bribery or corruption

-- The presence of even one venal official may jeopardize the integrity of an entire organization.