| baleful | ominous |
| pall | cover for a coffin |
| shimmer | shiny |
| precarious | based on uncertain premises |
| misdemeanor | offense less serious than a felony |
| fester | to decay |
| sanguine | the color of blood |
| maelstrom | violent situation |
| disclose | to make known |
| jaundice | yellowish coloring of the eyes and skin |
| toehold | slight advantage |
| void | emptiness |
| specter | ghost |
| destitute | lacking necessary things |
| implored | begged |