allay

(v.) to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve

• "fortunately, I was able to allay his fears on that score"

bestial

(adj.) beast-like; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility

The soldiers were accused of bestial acts against unarmed civilians.

convivial

(adj.) festive, sociable, having fun together, genial

• "On the whole our writing sessions are convivial."

coterie

(n.) a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest

counterpart

(n.) a person or thing closely resembling or corresponding to another

• "the minister had talks with his French counterpart"

demur

(v.) to object or take exception to; (n.) an objection

• "he handed over the keys without demur"

effrontery

(n.) shameless boldness, impudence

• "one juror had the effrontery to challenge the coroner's decision"

embellish

(v.) to decorate, adorn, touch up; to improve by adding details

• "Add fresh flowers or small tree ornaments to embellish the wreath for a party."

ephemeral

(adj.) lasting only a short time, short-lived

• "They have short life spans and live on ephemeral food patches."

felicitous

(adj.) appropriate, apt, well-chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy

The media men were in equally felicitous mood at the airport press conference which followed the departure ceremonies

furtive

(adj.) done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret shifty; stolen

• "he stole a furtive glance at her"

garish

(adj.) glaring; tastelessly showy or overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way

• "the colours were bright, but not too garish"

illusory

(adj.) misleading, deceptive; lacking in or not based in reality

• "she knew the safety of her room was illusory

indigent

(adj.) needy, impoverished

• "I would also help out indigent inmates whenever I could afford to."

inordinate

(adj.) far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive

I waited an inordinate amount of time

jettison

(v.) to cast overboard, get rid of as necessary or burdensome

• "Those who want to simply jettison him go too far."

misanthrope

(n.) a person who hates or despises people

He was shunned because of his miserable misanthropic nature.

pertinacious

(adj.) very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied

• "He knew she was only so pertinacious out of her love for him."

picayune

(adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded

His pictures from before this time were rendered in a fussy and picayune manner; they are airless and cluttered with ornate detail.

raiment

(n.) clothing, garments

"ladies clothed in raiment bedecked with jewels"