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AP Literature 2016-2017 Summer Words

Terms in this set (95)

abate
V: lessen and grow weaker
adamant
Adj: not willing to change an opinion or decision
admonish
V: to speak in a way that expresses criticism
adulation
N: excessive admiration or flattery
affable
Adj: friendly and easy to talk to
ambiguous
Adj: having more than one possible meaning
antithesis
N: exact opposite of something
arbitrary
Adj: subject to the will of someone with power / random
assuage
V: to make something less painful, severe, etc.
astute
Adj: having an ability to understand things clearly
augment
V: make greater in size or value
austere
Adj: simple or plain
banal
Adj: boring or ordinary
beguile
V: to trick or deceive (someone)
brusque
Adj: talking or behaving in a direct, brief, and unfriendly way
cantankerous
Adj: often angry or annoyed
charlatan
N: a person who pretends to know something to deceive people
clandestine
Adj: done in a private place or way
clemency
N: kind treatment of someone who could be given harsh punishment
coalesce
V: to come together to form one group
conjecture
N: an opinion formed without sufficient evidence
connive
V: to secretly help someone do something dishonest or illegal
copious
Adj: very large in amount or number
corroborate
V: to support a statement by providing evidence
credence
N: belief that something is true
cursory
Adj: done or made quickly
dearth
N: the condition of not having enough of something
debacle
N: a great disaster or complete failure
decrepit
Adj: old and in bad condition
defunct
Adj: no longer existing or being used
delineate
V: to clearly show or describe (something)
deplore
V: to hate or dislike (something) very much
disseminate
V: to cause something to go to many people
efficacious
Adj: having the power to produce a desired result or effect
egregious
Adj: very bad and easily noticed
elicit
V: to get something from someone
emanate
V: to come / send out from a source
enigma
N: someone / thing that is difficult to explain
epitaph
N: something written or said in memory of a dead person
eschew
V: to avoid something because you do not think it is right
euphony
N: pleasing or sweet sound
exacerbate
V: to make (a bad situation, a problem, etc.) worse
expedient
Adj: providing an easy and quick way to solve a problem
facetious
Adj: used to describe speech meant to be funny but regarded as annoying or not proper
fallacy
N: a false or mistaken idea
feign
V: to pretend to be affected by (something)
fortuitous
Adj: happening by chance / having good luck
furtive
Adj: done in a quiet and secret way to avoid being noticed
garner
V: to collect or gather something
garrulous
Adj: tending to talk a lot
germane
Adj: relating to a subject in an appropriate way
gregarious
Adj: enjoying the company of other people
harbinger
N: something that shows what is coming
heinous
Adj: very bad or evil : deserving of hate or contempt
hyperbole
N: language that describes something as better or worse than reality
ignominy
N: a situation or event that causes you to feel ashamed or embarrassed
incessant
Adj: continuing without stopping
inclement
Adj: having rain and storms / severe in temper or action
incorrigable
Adj: not able to be corrected or changed
incumbent
N: a person who holds a particular office or position
ingratiate
V: to gain approval by doing things people like
intrepid
Adj: feeling no fear : very bold or brave
maudlin
Adj: expressing too much emotion in a foolish way
misogyny
N: a hatred of women
mollify
V: to calm (someone) down
morose
Adj: very sad or unhappy
nominal
Adj: not actual or real / very small in amount
nuptial
Adj: of or relating to marriage /wedding
obsequious
Adj: too eager to obey someone important
ostracize
V: to exclude (someone) from a group
paradox
N: two opposite things that seems impossible but are actually possible
parsimonious
V: very unwilling to spend money
paucity
N: an amount that is less than needed
petulant
Adj: attitude of people who become angry when they don't get what they want
pithy
Adj: using few words in a clever and effective way
predilection
N: a tendency to be attracted to something
prerogative
N: a right or privilege
probity
N: the quality of a person who is completely honest
provincial
N: a person who lives far away from large cities
putrid
Adj: decayed, very ugly, bad, or unpleasant
recalcitrant
Adj: stubbornly refusing to obey rules
satiate
Adj: satisfied (a need) fully or to excess
savor
N: the quality that makes something interesting or enjoyable
secular
Adj: relating to physical world and not spiritual
simulate
TransV: to look, feel, or behave like (something)
solicitous
Adj: showing concern for someone's health, happiness, etc.
subterfuge
N: the use of tricks to hide or get something
supercilious
Adj: proud / unpleasant attitude of people who think that they are better than others
surfeit
N: an amount that is too much
trepidation
N: a feeling of fear that causes hesitation because you think something bad is going to happen
trite
Adj: not interesting or effective because of overuse
umbrage
N: a feeling of being offended by what someone has said
vapid
Adj: not lively or interesting : dull or boring
vicarious
Adj: experienced by watching, hearing, or reading about someone else
volatile
Adj: likely to change suddenly or dangerously
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