Unit 12 AP lit vocabulary

apposite

appropriate; suitable; apt

augur

a prophet or seer; to predict, foreshadow

bilk

to defraud, cheat, or swindle; to evade payment of; to frustrate, thwart

charisma

the special personal magnetism that makes an individual exceptionally appealing to other people; a divinely bestowed gift or power

debilitate

to make weak or feeble

execrable

utterly detestable, hateful, or abhorrent; extremely inferior

impinge

to strike against or collide with violently; to encroach or obtrude upon; to make an impression upon

labyrinth

a bewildering maze; any confusing or complicated situation

narcissism

excessive self-love; absorption in oneself

pastiche

a dramatic, musical, or literary work made up of bits and pieces from other sources; a hodgepodge

penultimate

next to last

precarious

very uncertain or unsure; dangerous or risky

rapport

a close and harmonious relationship

utilitarian

stressing practicality over other considerations; relating to the belief that what is good or desirable is determined purely by its usefulness

vacuous

devoid of matter, substance, or meaning; lacking ideas or intelligence; purposeless

vagary

an unpredictable, erratic, or seemingly purposeless action, occurrence, or notion

viable

capable of living or developing under normal circumstances

xenophobia

undue or unreasonable fear, hatred, or contempt of foreigners or strangers or of what is foreign or strange

zany

clownish or funny in a crazy, bizarre, or ludicrous way; one who plays the clown

zealot

a fanatical partisan; an ardent follower