mephitic \muh-FIT-ik\ (adjective) - 1 : Offensive to the smell; as, mephitic odors. 2 : Poisonous; noxious.
"The mephitic stench from the bilge became overpowering." -- Richard Holmes, Coleridge: Darker Reflections, 1804-1834
Mephitic is the ...
contumely \kon-TYOO-muh-lee; -TOO-; KON-tyoo-mee-lee; -too-; KON-tum-lee\ (noun) - 1 : Rudeness or rough treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; scornful insolence. 2 : An instance of contemptuousness in act or speech.
"But surely it ...
tete-a-tete \TAYT-uh-TAYT; TET-uh-TET\ (adjective) - Private; confidential; familiar.
(noun) - 1 : A private conversation between two people. 2 : A short sofa intended to accommodate two persons.
"There was a phone in her office, but she wasn't ...
ephemeron \ih-FEM-uh-ron\ (noun) plural ephemera \ih-FEM-uh-ruh\ - 1 : Something short-lived or of no lasting significance. 2 : ephemera: Items, especially printed matter (as posters, broadsides, pamphlets, etc.), intended to be of use or ...
benignant \bih-NIG-nuhnt\ (adjective) - 1 : Kind; gracious. 2 : Beneficial; favorable.
"Bruce's benignant behavior in financially supporting the homeless shelter's programs were rather at odds with his image as a grouchy skinflint."
Benignant ...
winsome \WIN-suhm\ (adjective) - 1 : Cheerful; merry; gay; light-hearted. 2 : Causing joy or pleasure; agreeable; pleasant.
"Above all, it was winsome, devastatingly winsome. For a pretty face to be winsome is normal enough and very winsome it ...
