Futile adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. “All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile.”

Ingratiate tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. “She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss.”

Titular adj. Relating to or constituting a title. “The titular head of the business.”

Histrionic adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. “His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting.”

Sagacious adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. “A sagacious remark.”

Apoplectic adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. “He showed apoplectic rage.”

Overt adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. “Overt hostility.”

Intrinsic adj. Belonging naturally; essential. “Intrinsic stock value.”

Confluence [con·flu·ence] n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. “A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success.”

Trepidation n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. “He entered the cave with considerable trepidation.”