AP Lit & Comp Vocab Semester 1
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150 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 adjunct | something added to another thing but not an essential part of it |
| bellwether | the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends |
| caterwaul | to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; a harsh or noisy cry; a racket |
| chimerical | produced by a wildly fanciful imagination |
| effete | lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date |
| fait accompli | an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action |
| hidebound | narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative |
| hierarchy | arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks; body of persons having authority |
| liturgy | a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship |
| mirage | something illusory, without substance, or without a basis in reality; an illusion |
| morass | a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand |
| noisome | offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious |
| oblivious | unmindful; unconscious; unaware |
| poltroon | an abject coward |
| proselyte | a convert; a disciple |
| quasi- | as if, as it were |
| raillery | good-humored ridicule or teasing |
| ribald | irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language |
| supine | lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive |
| vignette | a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter |
| aegis | a shield; protection; sponsorship |
| apprise | to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice |
| bibulous | fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent |
| claque | a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat |
| deracinate | to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of |
| eleemosynary | charitable; dependent upon or supported by charity; derived from or provided by charity |
| indigenous | originating where it is found |
| lachrymose | given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious |
| lexicon | a language user's knowledge of words |
| melee | a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling |
| microcosm | a miniature world; something that resembles something else on a very small scale |
| minuscule | very small |
| obfuscate | to deliberately obscure; to make confusing |
| paternalism | the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children |
| polarize | to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern |
| purview | the range, extent, or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute |
| sanguine | optimistic; cheerful; hopeful; of the color of blood; red |
| solecism | a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake |
| vassal | a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant |
| verisimilitude | the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable |
| ancillary | serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary |
| bowdlerize | edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate |
| condescend | debase oneself morally, act in an undignified, unworthy, or dishonorable way |
| cozen | cheat; hoodwink; swindle |
| deter | to discourage or prevent from taking action |
| enclave | an enclosed territory that is culturally distinct from the foreign territory that surrounds it |
| forte | a strong point, as of a person; that in which one excels |
| gratis | without charge or payment; free |
| interstice | a small, narrow space between things or parts of things |
| macrocosm | the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something |
| mountebank | A swindler; a charlatan; a trickster |
| paean | a song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving |
| persiflage | lighthearted joking, talk, or writing |
| plethora | an abundance, excess |
| pragmatic | guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory |
| quizzical | puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal |
| rapacity | inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder |
| schism | A separation or division into factions |
| therapeutic | having the power to heal or cure; beneficial |
| virtuoso | (n.) a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; (adj.) masterly or brilliant |
| affinity | a natural attraction or feeling of kinship |
| bilious | peevish or irritable; sickeningly unpleasant |
| cognate | having a common origin; related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature; Ex. cognate languages; N. |
| corollary | something that follows; a natural consequence |
| cul-de-sac | a blind alley or dead end; further progress not possible |
| derring-do | n.) valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits(often used to poke fun at false heroics) |
| divination | the art or act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge |
| elixir | a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines |
| folderol | foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle |
| gamut | the entire range or series of something |
| hoi polloi | the common people, the masses |
| ineffable | Incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible |
| lucubration | laborious study or thought, especially at night; the result of such work |
| mnemonic | of or relating to or involved the practice of aiding the memory |
| obloquy | public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment |
| parameter | a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary |
| pundit | a person who gives opinions or commentary; an educated person |
| risible | pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable |
| symptomatic | (adj) typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of disease |
| volte-face | to change one's will; turning around |
| aficionado | an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan |
| browbeat | to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully |
| commensurate | equal in proportion; having the same size, duration, etc. |
| diaphanous | very sheer and light; almost completely transparent |
| emolument | compensation received by virtue of holding an office or having employment (usually in the form of wages or fees) |
| foray | (n.) a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor; (v.) to make such a raid |
| genre | a type, class, or category, especially of fine art or literature |
| homily | a sermon stressing moral principles; a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse |
| immure | to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate |
| insouciant | blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky |
| matrix | n. That which contains and gives shape or form to anything. |
| obsequies | (n.) funeral rites or ceremonies |
| panache | a confident and stylish manner, dash; a strikingly elaborate or colorful display |
| persona | (n.) a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes |
| philippic | a verbal denunciation characterized by harsh, insulting language; a tirade |
| prurient | having lustful desires or interests; tending to arouse sexual desires |
| sacrosanct | very sacred or holy; inviolable; set apart or immune from questioning or attack |
| systemic | (adj.) of or pertaining to the entire body; relating to a system or systems |
| tendentious | intended to promote a particular point of view, doctrine, or cause; biased or partisan |
| vicissitude | a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something |
| abortive | failing to accomplish an intended aim or purpose; only partially or imperfectly developed |
| bruit | to spread news, reports, or unsubstantiated rumors |
| contumelious | insolent or rude in speech or behavior; insultingly abusive; humiliating |
| dictum | an authoritative saying; an adage; a maxim; a proverb |
| ensconce | to settle comfortably and firmly in position; to put or hide in a safe place |
| iconoclastic | attacking or seeking to overthrow popular or traditional beliefs, ideas, or institutions |
| in medias res | in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things |
| internecine | mutually destructive; characterized by great slaughter and bloodshed |
| maladroit | clumsy; not skillful; awkward; bungling |
| maudlin | Tearfully sentimental; overly emotional |
| modulate | to change or vary the intensity or pitch; to temper or soften; to regulate, adjust |
| portentous | foreshadowing an event to come; causing wonder or awe; self-consciously weighty, pompous |
| prescience | knowledge of actions or events before they occur; foreknowledge; foresight |
| quid pro quo | something given in exchange or return for something else |
| salubrious | conducive to health or well-being; wholesome |
| saturnalian | characterized by riotous or unrestrained revelry or licentiousness |
| touchstone | stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion; standard |
| traumatic | (of an experience) deeply shocking; pertaining to an injury caused by violence; N. trauma: serious wound; emotional shock that causes lasting psychological damage |
| vitiate | spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally |
| waggish | fond of making jokes; characteristic of a joker; playfully humorous or droll |
| abeyance | A state of suspension or temporary inaction. |
| ambivalent | having contrary feelings or attitudes, uncertain as to course of action |
| beleaguer | to besiege; beset, surround, harass |
| carte blanche | full freedom or authority to act at one's own discretion |
| cataclysm | deluge; upheaval; earthquake; violent and sudden event or change |
| debauch | corrupt morally; seduce from virtue; N. debauchery: wild behavior (with sex and alcohol) |
| eclat | great brilliance, as of performance or achievement; conspicuous success |
| fastidious | reflecting a meticulous or demanding attitude, critical to an extreme |
| gambol | to leap about playfully; to frolic |
| imbue | to fill completely with a feeling or idea; to inspire |
| inchoate | not fully formed; disorganized |
| lampoon | a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way |
| malleable | easily shaped or formed; easily influenced |
| nemesis | someone or something a person cannot conquer or achieve; a hated enemy |
| opt | to make a choice or decision |
| philistine | an uncultured, materialistic person who is indifferent or hostile to artistic and intellectual activities |
| picaresque | involving or characteristic of clever rogues or adventurers |
| queasy | experiencing nausea; nauseated; easily nauseated; squeamish; Ex. feel a little queasy |
| refractory | stubborn; hard or difficult to manage; not responsive to treatment or cure |
| savoir-faire | Ready knowledge of what to do or say in any situation |
| aberration | something not typical; a deviation from the standard |
| ad hoc | for this specific purpose; improvised; with respect to this |
| bane | poison; torment; cause of harm |
| bathos | insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity |
| cantankerous | ill-tempered and quarrelsome; disagreeable |
| casuistry | the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the application of general ethical principles; specious argument |
| de facto | in reality; in fact |
| depredation | the act of preying upon or plundering |
| empathy | Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives |
| harbinger | something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner |
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