abut

v.  to join at one end or be next to; to support, prop up

s:  border on, bolster

attire

(n.) clothes, apparel, garb; (v) to dress, adorn, or bedeck

s:  clothing

avail

(v.) to be of use or benefit to; to make use of; to take advantage of; to profit or benefit; (n) use benefit,  or value

crony

(n a very close friend, pal, chu, buddy

a:  enemy, rival

cryptic

(adj) puzzleing, mystifying, or enigmatic

a:  crystal clear, unambiguous

divergent

(adj) going in different directions; different from each other departing from convention, deviant

s:  not in agreement, differing, unorthodox, unconventional

a:  merging, intersecting, converging, orthodox, conventional

enmity

(n) hatred, ill-will

s:  hostility, animosity, antagonism

a:  friendship, amity

fervent

(adj) very earnest, emotional, passionate, extremely hot

s:  enthusiastic, ardent, burning, blazing, scorching

a:  blase, apathetic, restrained, emotionless

gaunt

(adj) thin and bony, starved looking, bare, barren

s:  lean, scrawny, lanky, all skin and bones

a:  plump, chubby, stout, corpulent

infiltrate

(v) to pass through or gain entrance to gradually or stealthily

s:  slip into, creep into, penetrate

nullify

(v) to make or no value or consequence, cancel, wipe out

s:  invalidate, annul

a:  confirm, endorse, ratify, sanction

perceptible

(adj) capable of being grasped by the senses or mind

s:  noticeable, discernible, observable

a:  invisible, unnoticeable, indiscernible

plummet

(v) to plunge straight down; (n) a weight fastened to a line

s:  (v) take a nosedive

a:  (v) soar, skyrocket

proclaim

(v) to declare publicly or officially

s:  announce, promulgate

a:  conceal, cover up

proxy

(n) an agent, substitute, a written permission allowing one person to act in another's place

s:  deputy, representative

rankle

(v) to cause anger, irritation, or bitterness (with the suggestion that the pain grows worse with time

s:  irrate, vex, nettle, irk, gall

a:  please, delight, gratify

scavenger

(n) a person who collects or removes usable items from waste materials, an animal that feds on refuse or dead bodies

s:  rummager

stint

(v) to limit, be sparing or frugal; (n) a limit or restriction,; a fixed share of work or duty; a period of activity

s:  (v) restrict, scrimp, economize

a:  (v) splurge, squander, lavish

stoical

(adj) self-controlled, not showing feeling in response to pleasure or pain

s:  unresponsive, impassive

a:  excitable, emotional, hotheaded

a:  exciteable, emotional hotheaded

unflagging

(v) tireless, continuing with vigor

s:  steady, undiminished, unremitting

a:  diminishing, drooping, sagging