| Term | Definition |
| constrict | to tighten or make narrow |
| contentious | quarrelsome, stirring controversy |
| desolate | deserted, without inhabitants |
| despairing | hopeless, feeling of futility |
| discern | to differentiate differences in two or more things, to detect or perceive something obscure |
| disentangle | unravel, extricate |
| droll | odd or whimsical sense of humor |
| fervent | ardent, showing great emotion, impassioned |
| flourish | to thrive, to grow well |
| forbearance | patience, lenience |
| formidable | menacing, causing fear or awe |
| galvanize | to stimulate or excite as if by an electric shock |
| hilarity | boisterous merriment, mirth |
| impervious | not capable of being entered or penetrated, not capable of being damaged |