committee

A group of people chosen to discuss or make decisions about a particular matter.

contend

To compete against someone or argue that something is true.

plagiarise

To use another person's words or ideas and pretend they are your own.

hubris

Excessive pride or confidence

panache

A confident and stylish way of doing something.

astounding

Extremely surprising or impressive.

reside

To live in a particular place.

modus operandi

A particular way of doing something

dispassionate

Calm and not influenced by strong emotions.

furtive

Secretive and trying to avoid being noticed.

sagacious

Having good judgement and understanding.

criteria

The standards or conditions used to judge or decide something.

conscious

Awake and aware of what is happening around you.

accomplish

To succeed in doing or completing something.

apparent

Easy to see

provoke

To cause a reaction

spurt

To suddenly increase or move quickly in a short burst.

undoing

The action or event that causes someone's failure or downfall.

vast

Extremely large in size or amount.

gripe

To complain about something

repellent

Making someone or something want to move away or avoid it.

succumb

To fail to resist something or to be defeated by it.

darn

A mild word sometimes used instead of a stronger swear word; also

abominable

Extremely unpleasant or unacceptable.

exquisite

Extremely beautiful

compile

To collect information or items and put them together in an organised form.

bulk

The main or largest part of something; also

loathe

To hate someone or something very much.

gung-ho

Extremely enthusiastic and eager to do something.

renegade

Someone who leaves a group or changes their beliefs and is no longer loyal to it.

infernal

Extremely annoying or unpleasant; relating to hell.

quintessential

The most typical or perfect example of something.

albeit

Although.

recede

To move back or become smaller

inconspicuous

Not easily noticed or attracting attention.

besiege

To surround a place or person

static

Not moving or changing.

axiom

A statement or principle that is accepted as true.

foal

A young horse.

hierarchy

A system in which people or things are arranged in levels of importance or authority.

recount

To tell someone about something that happened

dearth

A lack of something

depravity

Very bad or immoral behaviour.

enmity

A strong feeling of hatred or opposition towards someone.

condescend

To behave as though you are more important or intelligent than someone else.

facilitate

To make something easier or help it happen.

legacy

Something handed down from the past

intuition

The ability to understand or know something without consciously working it out.

suppress

To prevent something from being expressed

bane

Something that causes trouble

supplicant

A person who humbly asks for something