Uncommon

sycophant

[sik-uh-fuhnt, sik-uh-fant]

a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite

gelid

[jel-id]

very cold; icy

pedagogy

[ped-uh-goh-jee]

the function or work of a teacher; teaching

convivial

[kuhn-viv-ee-uhl]

friendly; agreeable

ignominious

[ig-nuh-min-ee-uhs]

marked by or attended with ignominy; discreditable, humiliating

puissant

[pyoo-uh-suhnt; pwis-uhnt]

powerful; mighty; potent

plumbeous

[pluhm-bee-uhs]

resembling or containing lead; leaden

fetching

[fech-ing]

charming; captivating

repugnant

[ri-puhg-nuhnt]

extremely distasteful; unacceptable

antediluvian

[an-tee-di-loo-vee-uhn]

very old, old-fashioned, or out of date; antiquated; primitive

comminatory

[kom-uh-ney-tuh-ree]

a threat of punishment or vengeance

nadir

[ney-der]

the lowest point; point of greatest adversity or despair

orotund

[awr-uh-tuhnd]

(of the voice or speech) characterized by strength, fullness, richness, and clearness

monotonous

[muh-not-n-uhs]

having very little inflection; limited to a narrow pitch range

panacea

[pan-uh-see-uh]

a remedy for all disease or ills

inchoate

[in-koh-it]

not organized; lacking order

cachinnate

[kak-uh-neyt]

to laugh loudly or immoderately

zeitgeist

[tsahyt-gahyst]

the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time

cognizance

[kog-nuh-zuhns]

awareness, realization, or knowledge; notice; perception

alembic

[uh-lem-bik]

anything that transforms, purifies, or refines

prosaic

[proh-zey-ik]

commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative

penumbra

[pi-nuhm-bruh]

the partial or imperfect shadow outside the complete shadow of an opaque body, as a planet, where the light from the source of illumination is only partly cut off

brusque

[bruhsk]

abrupt in manner; blunt; rough

ubiquitous

[yoo-bik-wi-tuhs]

existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent