to increase in intensity, power, or prestige

means "to make more grand". 

something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context

c.1646, "an error in computing time or finding dates," from L. anachronismus, from Gk. anachronismos, from anachronizein "refer to wrong time," from ana- "against" + khronizein "spend time," from khronos "time." Meaning "something out of harmony with the present" first recorded 1816. 

having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe

1541, from L. astringentum (nom. astringens), prp. of astringere "to bind fast," from ad- "to" + stringere "draw tight" (see strain (v.)).

synonym:  constricting 

sharing a border; touching; adjacent

1605–15; < L contiguus bordering upon, equiv. to con- con- + tig- (var. s. of -tingere, comb. form of tangere to touch; see tangent, contingent, contact ) + -uus deverbal adj. suffix; cf. -ous, continuous

think of "in contact with"

a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

think of conventional 

an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness

Word History: A cynic may be pardoned for thinking that this is a dog's life. The Greek word kunikos, from which cynic comes, was originally an adjective meaning "doglike," from kuōn, "dog." The word was probably applied to the Cynic philosophers because of the nickname kuōn given to Diogenes of Sinope, the prototypical Cynic. He is reported to have been seen barking in public, urinating on the leg of a table, and masturbating on the street. The first use of the word recorded in English, in a work published from 1547 to 1564, is in the plural for members of this philosophical sect. In 1596 we find the first instance of cynic meaning "faultfinder," a sense that was to develop into our modern sense. The meaning "faultfinder" came naturally from the behavior of countless Cynics who in their pursuit of virtue pointed out the flaws in others. Such faultfinding could lead quite naturally to the belief associated with cynics of today that selfishness determines human behavior. 

polite or appropriate conduct or behavior; etiquette

shares root with decorate ("decōrus": seemly, becoming)

scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment

shares root with ridicule (ridere "to laugh.") 

one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge

1733, borrowing of It. dilettante "lover of music or painting," from dilettare "to delight," from L. delectare (see delight). Originally without negative connotation, "devoted amateur," the pejorative sense emerged late 18c. by contrast with professional.

think of it as "someone who does something for the delight of it (as opposed to as a profession)".  this is equivalent to "amateur". 

to slight or belittle

shares root with par (meaning equal)... so this becomes "to distance from its equal (or proper) place"

to disclose something secret

shares root with vulgar... meaning "to make common". 

not capable of change

shares root with mutate... means, in essence, "not mutate-able" 

damaging; harmful; injurious

1643, from L.L. inimicalis "hostile," from L. inimicus "unfriendly, an enemy" (see enemy).

means, essentially, "the effect of an enemy". 

not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate

shares root with tractor, which manages (and alters) land.

a recent convert; a beginner; novice

"new convert," c.1550, from L.L. neophytus, from Gk. neophytos, lit. "newly planted," from neos "new" + -phytos "planted," verbal adj. of phyein "cause to grow, beget, plant." Church sense is from I Tim. iii.6. Rare before 19c. General sense of "one who is new to any subject" is first recorded 1599. 

overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties

c.1225, "seizure and occupation without right," also "taking upon oneself more than is warranted," from L.L. præsumptionem "confidence, audacity," in classical L., "a taking for granted, anticipation," from præsumere "to take beforehand," from præ "before" + sumere "to take." In Eng., the meaning "the taking of something for granted" is attested from c.1300. Presumptuous (c.1350) preserves the original sense, from O.Fr. presuntuex (12c.), from L.L. præsumptuosus (5c.), from L. præsumptionem.

can be thought of as "taking before (it is yours)" 

pure; uncorrupted; clean

1534, "pertaining to the earliest period, primitive, ancient," from M.Fr. pristin (fem. pristine), from L. pristinus "former," from Old L. pri "before." Meaning "unspoiled, untouched, pure" is from 1899 (implied in pristinely) 

could be thought of as "how it was originally". 

adherence to highest principles; uprightness

1514, from M.Fr. probité, from L. probitatem (nom. probitas) "uprightness, honesty," from probus "worthy, good" (see prove). 

a natural predisposition or inclination

1591, from L. proclivitatem (nom. proclivitas) "a tendency, propensity," from proclivis "prone to," lit. "sloping," from pro- "forward" + clivus "a slope," from PIE *klei-wo-, suffixed form of *klei "to lean" (see lean (v.)).

shares root with cliff, which is also seen in incline, which is then the root of inclination, which is a synonym of proclivity.

excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant

1526, "overthrown" (implied in profligation), from L. profligatus "destroyed, dissolute," pp. of profligare "to cast down, defeat, ruin," from pro- "down, forth" + fligere "to strike" (see afflict). Meaning "recklessly extravagant" is 1779, via notion of "ruined by vice" (1647).

similar sounding (sort of) synonym: prodigal 

a natural inclination or tendency

maybe shares a root with prone... so in this sense, the word means "being prone to". 

dull; unimaginative

shares root with prose (the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.)... which extended to mean ordinary in all senses. 

characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste

1597, "sharp, poignant" (of pain or grief), from L. pungentem (nom. pungens), prp. of pungere "to prick, pierce, sting," related to pugnus "fist" (see pugnacious). Meaning "having powerful odor or taste" first recorded 1668. Lit. sense "sharp, pointed" (1601) is very rare in Eng., mostly limited to botany.

can be thought of as "poignant to the senses" 

foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals

"extravagantly chivalrous," 1791, from Don Quixote, romantic, impractical hero of Cervantes' satirical novel "Don Quixote de la Mancha" (1605). 

occurring or recurring daily; commonplace

shares root with the "how many" associated  quotient, and also shares a root with day.  Therefore, refers to occuring in some number every day... which then evolved further to mean commonplace.

to make or become thin, less dense; to refine

1398, from O.Fr. rarefier (14c.), from M.L. rarificare, from L. rarefacere "make rare," from rarus "rare, thin" (see rare (1)) + facere "to make" (see factitious).

similar sounding synonym: "refine" 

hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure

1649, "removed or hidden from view," from L. reconditus, pp. of recondere "store away," from re- "away" + condere "to store, hide, put together," from con- "together" + -dere "to put, place." Meaning "removed from ordinary understanding, profound" is from 1652; of writers or sources, "obscure," it is recorded from 1817.

means, essentially, "removed from being put together". 

radiant; shiny; brilliant

shares root with flame... means "that which flames back"... or "that which shines back"... or simply "shiny".

to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise

shares root with negative (meaning "deny")... and the "re" refers to tense... so this word can be interpreted as "to deny belatedly"... or "to deny afterwards". 

a piece of broken pottery or glass

akin to shear 

thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals

1727, from L. sparsus "scattered," pp. of spargere "to scatter, spread," from PIE base *(s)pregh- "to jerk, scatter" (cf. Skt. parjanya- "rain, rain god," 

one who spends money wastefully

thrifty, an antonym, implies "to save"... so in that sense, spendthrift implies "to spend your savings".

implied; not explicitly stated

1604, from Fr. tacite, from L. tacitus "that is passed over in silence, done without words, assumed, silent," prop. pp. of tacere "to be silent," from PIE base *tak- "to be silent" (cf. Goth. þahan, O.N. þegja "to be silent," O.N. þagna "to grow dumb," O.S. thagian, O.H.G. dagen "to be silent"). The musical instruction tacet is the 3rd person present sing. of the L. verb. 

brief and concise in wording

1599 (implied in tersely), "clean-cut, burnished, neat," from Fr. ters "clean," from L. tersus "wiped off, clean, neat," from pp. of tergere "to rub, polish, wipe." Sense of "concise or pithy in style or language" is from 1777, which led to a general sense of "neatly concise."  

to publicly praise or promote

1700, thieves' cant, "to act as a lookout, spy on," from M.E. tuten "to peep, peer," probably from a variant of O.E. totian "to stick out, peep, peer," from P.Gmc. *tut- "project" (cf. Du. tuit "sprout, snout," M.Du. tute "nipple, pap," M.L.G. tute "horn, funnel," O.N. tota "teat, toe of a shoe"). The sense developed to "look out for jobs, votes, etc., to try to get them" (1731), then "praise highly" (1920). 

sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

c.1330, "cutting, sharp," from O.Fr. trenchant "cutting, sharp," prp. of trenchier "to cut" (see trench). Figurative sense is recorded from 1603.

when you dig a trench, you are penetrating the ground... when you are trenchant, you are penetratingly perceptive

genuine; not false or hypocritical

1300, from O.Fr. feign-, pres. stem of feindre "pretend, shirk," from L. fingere "devise, fabricate," originally "to shape, invent, to form," from PIE base *dheigh- "to form, shape." 

1) indefensible; not viable;

2) uninhabitable

1579, from M.Fr. tenable, from O.Fr. (12c.), from tenir "to hold," from L. tenere "hold, keep" (see tenet).

shares root with tenant... means incapable of holding up. 

to waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another; waver

slightly similar sounding synonym: fluctuate 

multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color

shares roots with varied and agent (meaning "reprentative")... so this then means "of varied representations"... which has become "of varied colors". 

alertly watchful

shares a root with vigorous 

to use harsh condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; berate

Shares root with vice (blemish)... "to portray with a blemish"...

Similar Sounding Synonym: Berate 

readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive

1597 "fine or light," also "evaporating rapidly" (1605), from M.Fr. volatile, from L. volatilis "fleeting, transitory, flying," from pp. stem of volare "to fly," of unknown origin. Sense of "readily changing, fickle" is first recorded 1647. Volatiles in M.E. meant "birds, butterflies, and other winged creatures" (c.1300).