Abstruse [ab·struse] adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. “An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers.”

Sardonic [sar·don·ic] adj. Grimly mocking or cynical. “His sardonic smile.”

Pejorative adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. “He used pejorative overtones in his speech.”

Spurious adj. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. Not being what it purports to be; false or fake. “Spurious claims.”

Vitiate [vi·ti·ate] v. Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. “The government programs were vitiated by excessive red tape.” Destroy or impair the legal validity of.

Predacious adj. Predatory; Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one’s own gain. “A victim of predacious behavior.”

Capacious adj. Having a lot of space inside; roomy. “A capacious closet.”

Vitriol; Vitriolic [vit·ri·ol] n. Cruel, bitter, scathing criticism; Abusive feeling or expression. “A vitriolic tone of voice.”

Alchemy [al·che·my] n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious process by which paradoxical results are achieved with no obvious rational explanation.

Salacious adj. Treating sexual matters in an indecent way. Lustful; lecherous: “A salacious grin.”