able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with aquiring wealth or property

arrogate 

 to claim or take without right

banal

hackneyed, trite, commonplace

belabor

to work on excessively; to thrash soundly

carping

tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; petty, nagging criticism

coherent

holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

congeal

change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

emulate

to imitate with the intent or equaling or surpassing the model

encomium

a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute 

eschew

to avoid, shun, keep away from

germane

relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting 

insatiable

so great or demanding as not to be satisfied 

intransigent 

refusing to compromise, irreconciliable 

invidious

offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment 

largesse

generosity in giving, lavish or bountiful contributions 

reconnaissance

a survey made for military purposes, any kind of preliminary inspection or examination 

substantiate

to etablish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to 

taciturn

habitually silent or quiet, inclined to very little 

temporize

to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise 

tenable

capable of being held or defended