- To Poke,

- To encourage, to prompt

e.g. :- Speaking from experience, there is a lot of distractions at the show and gentle prod from the collector is a good way to remind me to hold a coin.

Refrain

To hold oneself back, forbear

e.g. :- " I 'm bad iat learning words. ". This was Timmy's common refrain.

Esoteric

- Known only to those with specialized knowledge.

e.g. :- The only place one may find them is in esoteric and occult histories and  their own works spread a cross at least seven generations.

Dilatory

- Slow ; Delaying

e.g. Democrats accused them of using dilatory tactics, but bushman plodded on.

Polemic

Written or verbal attack against someone

Alacrity

- Eager willingness to do something

e.g. I am alacritous, while starting to learn vocabulary for GRE

- Dull and lacking imagination.

note:- can be used to describe plans, life, language or just about anything inanimate that has become dull but can't be used for people.

e.g. Unlike the talented artists in his workshop, Paul had no such bent for visual medium, so when it was time for him to make a stained glass painting, he ended up with prosaic mosaic