whimsical

adjective: determined by impulse or whim rather than by necessity or

reason
Adults look to kids and envy their whimsical nature at times, wishing that they could act
without reason and play without limitation.

contrition
noun: the feeling of remorse or guilt that comes from doing something
bad
Those who show contrition during their prison terms--especially when under review by
a parole board--often get shortened sentences.

decorum
noun: propriety in manners and conduct
"You will obey the rules of decorum for this courtroom or spend the night in a jail cell,"
said the judge to the prosecutor.

inadvertent
adjective: happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally
Although Prohibition was rooted in noble ideals, the inadvertent and costly
consequences of making alcohol illegal in the U.S. led to its repeal.

debunk
verb: expose as false ideas and claims, especially while ridiculing
Richard Dawkins tries to debunk religious belief, but his ridicule tends to push people
away from his points rather than convince them.
 nonchalant
adjective: coming across as uninterested or unconcerned; overly
casual
The twenty-somethings at the coffee shop always irked Sheldon, especially the way in
which they acted nonchalantly towards everything, not even caring when Sheldon
once spilled his mocha on them.

bumbling
adjective: lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands
Within a week of starting, the bumbling new waiter was unceremoniously fired.

beg
verb: assume something is true (usu. followed by "the question",
meaning that you ask a question in which you assume something that
hasn't been proven true)
By assuming that Charlie was headed to collegewhich he was not
Maggie begged the question when she asked him to which school he was headed in
the Fall.

precocious
adjective: characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early
development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)
Though only seven years old, she was a precocious chess prodigy, able to beat
players twice her age.
 tawdry
adjective: tastelessly showy; cheap and shoddy
Carol expected to find New York City magical, the way so many movies had portrayed
it, but she was surprised how often tawdry displays took the place of genuine elegance.

internecine
adjective: (of conflict) within a group or organization
The guerilla group, which had become so powerful as to own the state police, was
finally destroyed by an internecine conflict.

stringent
adjective: demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
Most of the students disliked the teacher because of his stringenthomework policy, but
many students would later thank him for demanding so much from them.

precarious
adjective: fraught with danger
People smoke to relax and forget their cares, but ironically, in terms of health risks,
smoking is far more precarious than either mountain-climbing or skydiving.

saturnine
adjective: morose or gloomy
Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine; thats why in very northerly territories
people are encouraged to sit under an extremely powerful lamp, lest they become
morose.
 mendacity
noun: the tendency to be untruthful
I can forgive her for her mendacity but only because she is a child and is seeing what
she can get away with.

bromide
noun: a trite or obvious remark
Instead of sharing his umbrella, the cheeky stranger offered Martha the
following bromide: "Looks like it's raining."

defray
verb: to help pay the cost of, either in part or full
In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college, his generous uncle
helped defray the excessive tuition with a monthly donation.

retiring
adjective: to be shy, and to be inclined to retract from company
Nelson was always the first to leave soireesrather than mill about with fashionable
folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret.

impending
adjective: close in time; about to occur
The impending doom of our world has been a discussed and debated for 2000 years
maybe even longer.

turgid
adjective: (of language) pompous and tedious
The amount of GRE vocabulary he used increased with his years--by the time he was
60, his novels were so turgid that even his diehard fans refused to read them.
 erratic
adjective: unpredictable; strange and unconventional
It came as no surprise to pundits that the Presidents attempt at re-election floundered;
even during his term, support for his policies was erratic, with an approval rating
jumping anywhere from 30 to 60 percent.