Tangential adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. “He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work.”

Discern; Discerning v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. “Discern who is telling the truth.”

Compendium n. A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. A collection of things, esp. one systematically gathered. “Compendium of old stories gathered by topic.”

Canonize v. Regard as being above reproach or of great significance. “He canonized women.”

Equivocal adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. “Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package.”

Audacious; Audacity [au·da·cious] adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. “An audacious attack on the company.” Showing an impudent lack of respect. “An audacious move.”

Obdurate adj. Stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action. “Despite her plea, he remained obdurate.”

Sapid [sap·id] adj. Having a strong, pleasant taste; palatable. “The wine tasting was a most sapid event.” (of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting.

Portent n. A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen. “an occurrence of crucial portent.”

Virulent [vir·u·lent] adj. Extremely severe or harmful in its effects. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful. “Virulent criticism.”