abyss

(n) a deep or bottomless pit

s:  chasm, gorge

a:  summit, promontory, pinnacle

befail

(v) to happen, occur; to happen to

s:  come to pass

crucial

(adj) of supreme importance, decisive, critical

s:  pivotal, vital

a:  insignificant, inconsequential

dregs

(n.pl.) the last remaining part; the part of least worth

s:  grounds, lees, residue, leftovers

a:  elite, upper crust, cream of the crop

embody

(v) to give form to; to incorporate, include, to personify

s:  encompass

exasperate

(v) to irritate, annoy or anger

s:  vex, try one's patience

a:  soothe, mollify, please, delight

flasco

(n) the complete collapse or failure of a project

s:  disaster, flop, bomb

a:  complete success, truimph, hit

garnish

(v) to adorn or decorate, especially food; (n) an ornament or decorations, especially for food

s:  (v) embellish, gussy up

heritage

(n) an inheritance, a birthright

s:  legacy, descent, pedigree

inert

(adj) lifeless, unable to move or act, slow, inactive

s:  motionless, sluggish, lethergic

a:  vigorous, energetic, volatile, lively

mercenary

(adj) acting or working for self-gain only; (n) a hired solider a soldier of fortune

s: (adj) grasping, avaricious

a:  (adj) unselfish, disinterested, altruistic

negligent

(adj) marked by carelessness or indifference, failing to do what should be done

s:  careless, neglectful, remiss, derelict

a:  careful, attentive, conscientious

oblivion

(n) forgetfulness, disregard, a state of being forgotten, an amnesty, general pardon

s:  obsecurity, nothingness

a:  tame, renown, celebrity

opus

(n) an impressive peice of work, especially a musical composition or other work of art

s:  work, composition, piece, ceuvre

pallid

(adj) pale, lacking color, weak andlifeless

s:  colorless, bloddless, ashen, dull

a: ruddy, sanguine, racy, colorful

parable

(n) a short narrative designed to teach a moral lesson

s:  moral tale, fable, allegory

rational

(adj) based on reasoning; able to make use of reason, sensible, reasonable

s:  logical

a:  mad, insane, illogical, absurd

reciprocal

(adj) shared, involving give-and-take between two persons or things; working in both directions; (n) (math) a number that, when multiplied by another number, gives 1

s:  (adj) mutual

a:  (adj) one-sided, unilateral

stricture

(n) a limitation or restriction; a criticism; (medicine) a narrowing of a passage in the body

s: restraint

a:  compliment, praise, accolade, swelling

veneer

(n) a think outer layer; a surface appearance or decoration, (v) to cover with a thin layer

s:  (n) facing, overlay, facade, pretense

a:  (n) nucleus, inner core