brusque

)adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive

(Simon’s brusque manner

sometimes offends his

(.colleagues

cajole

)v.) to urge, coax (Magda's

friends cajoled her into drinking

(.too much

callous

)adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The

murderer’s callous lack of

(.remorse shocked the jury

candor

)n.) honesty, frankness (We were

surprised by the candor of the

politician’s speech because she is

(.usually rather evasive

chide

)v.) to voice disapproval (Hania

chided Gregory for his vulgar

(.habits and sloppy appearance

circumspect

)adj.) cautious (Though I

promised Marta’s father I would

bring her home promptly by

midnight, it would have been

more circumspect not to have

(.specified a time

clandestine

)adj.) secret (Announcing to her

boyfriend that she was going to

the library, Maria actually went to

meet George for a clandestine

(.liaison

coerce

)v.) to make somebody do

something by force or threat

(The court decided that David

Beckham did not have to honor

the contract because he had

been coerced into signing it(.

coherent

)adj.) logically consistent,

intelligible (William could not

figure out what Harold had seen

because he was too distraught

to deliver a coherent statement(.