A person may be described as brusque when they are talking or behaving in a very direct, brief, and unfriendly way. Brusque can also describe speech that is noticeably short and abrupt.

// We knew something was wrong when our normally easygoing professor was brusque and impatient with our class.

// She asked for a cup of coffee and received a brusque reply: “We don't have any.”

To discomfit someone is to make them confused or upset. Discomfit is a formal synonym of the also formal (but slightly less so) disconcert.

// Jacob was discomfited by the new employee’s forward, probing questions.

A vicarious emotion or experience is one felt by watching, hearing about, or reading about someone else rather than by doing something yourself.

// He felt a vicarious thrill as his daughter crossed the stage to accept her diploma.

To describe something, such as an idea or remark, as fatuous is to say that it is foolish or silly rather than sensible or logical.

// Our hopes for an apology and a reasonable explanation for the error were met with fatuous platitudes.

Something or someone described as meticulous shows extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details.

// He is meticulous about keeping accurate records.

Praxis is a formal word referring to the practical application of a theory—in other words, what one does to act on a theory (such as feminist theory) to which one is committed. Praxis is also used synonymously with action or practice to refer to the exercise of an art, science, or skill, or to customary conduct within a given sphere.

// Many gardeners promote composting as being good environmental praxis.

To lambaste something or someone is to criticize them very harshly. Lambaste is also sometimes used as a synonym of beat meaning “to assault.”

// The coach lambasted the team for its poor play.