1. Abeyance (n) A state of being temporarily inactive, suspended
Deferment, postponement
*at bay

2. Ambivalent
(adj) having the opposite or conflicting feelings about someone or something
Ambiguous, of two minds
*Am I happy or sad?

3. Beleaguer
(v) Set upon from all sides; to surround with an army; to trouble or harass
encircle, pester
*besiege

4. Carte blanche
(n) Full freedom or authority to act at one’s own discretion
Blank check, free rein

5. Cataclysm
(n) A sudden, violent or devastating upheaval; surging flood
Disaster *catastrophe

6. Debauch (v) To corrupt morally, seduce; to indulge in dissipation
Carouse
*raunchy

7. Éclat (n) Dazzling or conspicuous success or acclaim; great brilliance
Celebrity
*hooray!

8. Fastidious
(adj) overly demanding or hard to please; excessively careful in regard to details; easily disgusted
Precise, meticulous, exacting,
*finicky, fussy

9. Gambol Frolic, romp, cavort, caper *gallop
(v) To jump or skip about playfully
Frolic, romp, cavort, caper
*gallop

10. Imbue (v) To soak or stain thoroughly; to fill the mind
Infuse, instill, inculcate
*immerse

11. Inchoate (adj) just beginning; not fully shaped or formed
Incipient, embryonic, rudimentary
*grow

12. Lampoon (n) A malicious satire; (v) to satirize, ridicule Burlesque
*National Lampoon movies

13. Malleable
(adj) capable of being formed into different shapes; capable of being altered, or influenced
Pliable, impressionable, adaptable
*bendable

14. Nemesis (n) An agent or force inflicting vengeance or punishment
Avenger

15. Opt
(v) To make a choice or decision
Choose, select, decide
*option

16. Philistine
(adj) lacking in, hostile to, or smugly indifferent to cultural and artistic values or refinements
Boorish, lowbrow

17. Picaresque
(adj) involving or characteristic of clever rogues or adventurers
Roguish, rascally, rakish
*pick a rescue

18. Queasy
(adj) nauseated or uneasy; causing nausea or uneasiness; troubled
Unsettled
*uneasy

19. Refractory
(adj) stubborn; hard or difficult to manage; not responsive to treatment or cure
Unruly, disobedient, willful, mulish
*rebellious

20. Savoir-faire
(n) The ability to say and do the right thing in any situation; social competence
Finesse, tact, sophistication
*suave