AP Literature Vocabulary Lessons 31-40
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118 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Bastion | stronghold, fortified place, bulwark |
| Enclave | small territory surrounded on all sides by an entity of which it is not a part |
| Terra incongnita | unknown land, territory yet unexplored |
| Pantheon | originally, an ancient Roman temple to all of the gods, now used figuratively for any building or imagined place where the gods or the great heroes of a people are enshrined |
| Firmament | the sky, especially conceived as a vault arching over the earth |
| Sepulcher | tomb, burial vault |
| Repository | any place where things are put for safekeeping or are stored securely |
| Kiosk | small, open-sided structure, such as a newsstand |
| Vestibule | small entranceway |
| Midden | a refuse heap marking the site of a prehistoric settlement |
| Emissary | one sent to influence opponents politically |
| Diva | prima donna, a leading female singer in opera |
| Lapidary | worker or dealer in precious stones |
| Curator | person who takes care of or supervises something such as a museum, a collection, or a library |
| Steward | one who manages or supervises household affairs, finances, or property for others, especially, a person employed to oversee food and drink |
| Choreographer | person who creates dances, one who plans the movements of a dance, especially a ballet |
| Pedagogue | teacher, often a pedantic or narrow-minded one |
| Philologist | scholar who studies the structure and evolution of languages as preserved in texts |
| Milliner | maker or seller of ladies' hats |
| Ombudsman | public official charged with overseeing the activities of government agencies in order to protect the rights and interests of citizens |
| Thespian | actor |
| Entrepreneur | one who assumes the risks and the profits of a business |
| Heretic | one who believes contrary to his or her church or established belief |
| Tyro | novice, inexperienced beginner, especially an aggressive or overconfident one |
| Zealot | one who is excessively dedicated to or zealous for a cause, a fanatic |
| Altruist | a person who acts unselfishly in the interests of others |
| Dilettante | a dabbler, a person who follows an interest, especially in the arts, only superficially or as an amusement |
| Charlatan | one who pretends to have skill or to know more than he does, especially in order to take advantage of others |
| Ingrate | an ungrateful person |
| Mendicant | beggar |
| Sycophant | a self-serving flatterer, one who flatters those in power for his or her own advantage |
| Paragon | a model of excellence, a person perfect in some way |
| Nonagenarian | a person between ninety and one hundred years old |
| Dormant | sleeping, inactive |
| Sedentary | spending a lot of time sitting, requiring sitting |
| Somatic | bodily, physical |
| Palliative | easing the severity of, mitigating, alleviating, extenuating |
| Egregious | flagrantly bad, outstanding in a negative way |
| Deciduous | shedding leaves every year |
| Vernal | pertaining to spring, springlike |
| Diurnal | relating to a day, daily, happening in a day or during daylight |
| Sidereal | starry, relating to a star or the stars |
| Internecine | very destructive of life, deadly to both sides of a conflict |
| Mundane | of this world, commonplace, humdrum, unexciting |
| Littoral | having to do with the shore of an ocean or large body of water |
| Feral | untamed and brutal, savage, like a wild beast |
| Redolent | fragrant, smelling like and therefore strongly suggestive of something |
| Unctuous | greasy, oily, too smooth or hypocritically suave in manner |
| Ostensible | professed, apparent |
| Hallowed | made or considered sacred, consecrated, venerated as holy |
| Circumspect | watchful in all directions, wary |
| Somnolent | sleepy |
| Limpid | transparent, perfectly clear, not muddied |
| Turbid | muddied, roiled, cloudy, full of sediment and therefore unclear or confused |
| Baleful | fatal, harmful, evil |
| Incendiary | using fire for willful destruction, tending to arouse or inflame to violence or revolt |
| Propitious | favorable, predicting future good, kindly disposed |
| Exemplary | serving as a pattern or example, deserving imitation |
| Magnanimous | noble-minded, extremely generous, especially in overlooking injury |
| Eclectic | drawing from diverse sources or systems |
| Noxious | harmful, injurious, unwholesome |
| Detrimental | causing damage or harm |
| Sinister | evil, especially in a secret or mysterious way, predicting harm or misfortune |
| Cynical | tending to doubt the virtue or sincerity of people's actions, inclined to believe the worst about motives and behavior |
| Impetuous | sudden, rash, not thinking beforehand |
| Garrulous | talkative, loquacious |
| Punctillious | very exact in the fine points of conduct, scrupulously observant of proper procedure or ceremony |
| Astute | difficult to deceive, shrewd |
| Tangible | capable of being touched, having objective reality and value |
| Expunge | erase, blot out, delete, obliterate |
| Accrue | be added as a natural or expected growth or advantage |
| Slough | shed a skin or covering, cast off as no longer wanted or needed |
| Obtrude | enter where not invited or welcome |
| Acquiesce | comply, accept, accede, often reluctantly |
| Bifurcate | divide into two branches or offshoots, split into two parts |
| Recoup | get back, make up for a loss |
| Behoove | be necessary, required, or fitting |
| Predispose | dispose in advance, create a likelihood, make susceptible |
| Eradicate | eliminate thoroughly, wipe out, root out, destroy the roots of |
| Deracinate | uproot, pull up by the roots, destroy totally |
| Extirpate | pull up by the roots, root out, destroy utterly, annihilate |
| Requite | give in return, repay |
| Envisage | imagine, call up in the mind as a picture, visualize |
| Gallivant | gad about in search of fun and excitement, especially with members of the opposite sex |
| Placate | soothe the anger of, pacify |
| Insinuate | suggest subtly, especially something negative |
| Append | attach as a supplement |
| Maunder | talk at length in a pointless, incoherent fashion |
| Curtail | reduce, shorten, cut back |
| Transgress | commit a sin, break a law, step over a boundary or limit |
| Obfuscate | make obscure, cloud, confuse |
| Divulge | reveal, make public |
| Stipulate | make an express demand or agreementt, set a formal condition |
| Bete noire | (black beast) a pet hatred, bugbear, something or someone especially disliked or feared |
| Canaille | (pack of dogs) mob, rabble |
| Savoir-faire | (to know how to do) a knowing what to do in any circumstances, a knack for always doing the right thing |
| Raison d'etre | (reason for being) reason for existence, justification |
| Coup | (blow, stroke) a sudden and successful action, a quick and brilliant maneuver or triumph |
| Coup d'etat | (a blow of the state) a sudden overthrow or change of a government, especially by force |
| Coup de grace | (a blow of mercy) a final blow, the finishing stroke to kill a victim and so put him out of his misery |
| Laissez-faire | (let do, that is, let people do as they please) noninterference, especially a public policy of economic nonregulation |
| Denouement | (an untying) the unraveling of a plot, the end or outcome of a story |
| Contretemps | (against the time) a mildly unfortunate event, a mishap, a minor embarrassment or misunderstanding |
| Idee fixe | (fixed idea) an obsession, a fixed idea, a single notion which dominates a person's thinking |
| Canard | (a duck) a false story, an absurd lie or rumor, a hoax |
| En masse | (in a mass) all together, as one, in a body |
| Ingenue | (ingenuous woman) in plays or films, an innocent young woman, an actress who plays naïve young women |
| Ambiance | (atmosphere) mood |
| Faux pas | (false step) a mistake in social manners, a tactless blunder |
| Precis | (summary) outline, abbreviated version |
| Manque | (failed, lacking) would-be, unsuccessful or defective, not fulfilling potential |
| Au courant | (in the current) with it, up-to-date, in the know, well-informed |
| Soupcon | (suspicion) hint, tiny amount, trace |
| Rapprochement | (a drawing closer) a reconciliation, a reestablishing of friendly relations |
| Sobriquet | (nickname) pseudonym |
| Coterie | (social set) group of people who frequently socialize together, a clique, especially a socially or intellectually exclusive group |
| Elan | (spirit) ardor, energy, active drive |
| Eclat | (a sudden burst) dazzling brilliance, success that brings wide acclaim |
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