shy; bashful

having a sharp, harsh, or acrid taste

dry and rough to the touch, often due to lack of moisture (especially of the skin or eyes)

having a sour and astringent or puckery taste

difficult to understand or cryptic, especially in relation to writing or language style

to be embarrassingly short of money

not fluent or smooth; jerky or awkward due to lack of proficiency

feeling cold and biting; unpleasantly cool atmosphere

to remove astringent taste

abstruse and unfathomable (idiom)

clumsy and incomprehensible, typically describing a writing style or prose

not smooth or flowing; labored or difficult to read (especially of writing or speech)

harsh, bitter, or painful; often used to describe the taste of tears or a biting emotional quality

young, immature, and lacking in life experience; often used to describe adolescence

an acerbic or puckering taste sensation in the mouth, typically caused by tannins in food or drink

clumsy or awkward in speech; tongue-tied