febrile

Main Entry:
fe·brile Listen to the pronunciation of febrile
Pronunciation:
\ˈfe-ˌbrī(-ə)l also ˈfē-\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Medieval Latin febrilis, from Latin febris fever
Date:
1651

: marked or caused by fever : feverish

wan

Main Entry:
wan
Pronunciation:
\ˈwän\
Function:
adjective
Inflected Form(s):
wan·ner; wan·nest
Etymology:
Middle English, from Old English wann dark, livid
Date:
14th century

1 a: suggestive of poor health : sickly, pallid b: lacking vitality : feeble2: dim, faint3: languid < a wan smile >
— wan·ly adverb
— wan·ness Listen to the pronunciation of wanness \ˈwän-nəs\ noun

aetataureate

aetataureate

of or pertaining to a golden age; coined as a nonce-word by Michael Chabon, in the phrase: the usual hallmark of the aetataureate delusion

rubicund

Main Entry:
ru·bi·cund
Pronunciation:
\ˈrü-bi-(ˌ)kənd\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Middle English rubicunde, from Latin rubicundus, from rubēre to be red; akin to Latin rubeus
Date:
15th century

: ruddy
— ru·bi·cun·di·ty \ˌrü-bi-ˈkən-də-tē\ noun

... no amount of anxiety could have induced a pallor in that rubicund face.
M. Chabon

prescience

Main Entry:
pre·science
Pronunciation:
\ˈpre-sh(ē-)ən(t)s, ˈprē-, -s(ē-)ən(t)s\

Function:
noun

Etymology:
Middle English, from Late Latin praescientia, from Latin praescient-, praesciens, present participle of praescire to know beforehand, from prae- + scire to know — more at science
Date:
14th century

: foreknowledge of events: a: divine omniscience b: human anticipation of the course of events : foresight
— pre·scient \-sh(ē-)ənt, -s(ē-)ənt\ adjective
— pre·scient·ly adverb

nefarious

nefarious |niˈfe(ə)rēəs|

adjective (typically of an action or activity)

wicked or criminal :

the nefarious activities of the organized-crime syndicates.

DERIVATIVES nefariously adverb nefariousness noun

meretricious

Main Entry: mer·e·tri·cious
Pronunciation: "mer-&-'tri-sh&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin meretricius, from meretric-, meretrix prostitute, from merEre to earn -- more at MERIT
1 : of or relating to a prostitute : having the nature of prostitution
2 a : tawdrily and falsely attractive
b : superficially significant : PRETENTIOUS
synonym see GAUDY
- mer·e·tri·cious·ly adverb
- mer·e·tri·cious·ness noun