| spasmodically | abruptly |
| ascetic | very self-disciplined person |
| fanatic | zealot |
| draught | long spell of dry weather |
| ruse | trick |
| remorse | torturing sense of guilt |
| concussion | shock from impact |
| acute | sharp, quick sensitive |
| conceive | develop in the mind |
| dissimulation | act of hiding |
| profound | marked by intellectual depth |
| sagacity | intelligence |
| stifle | hold back |