AP Lang Vocab List: Lesson 3

Prodigal

Extravagant; wasteful

Assess

To estimate the value of; to measure

Deter

To prevent; especially by threatening

Complacent

Smug; self-satisfied; overly confident

Contempt

Disdain; hatred

Eloquent

Speaking well; articulate

Virtue

Moral excellence

Vital

Essential; necessary

Guile

Cunning; deceitfulness

Biased

Prejudiced; not neutral

Censor

To delete objectionable material

Vulnerable

Capable of being harmed

Hypocritical

Insincere

Eccentric

Odd; unusual; quirky

Disdain

Contempt; intense dislike

Abstract

Theoretical; lacking substance (the opposite of concrete)

Valid

Founded on fact of evidence

Subtle

Not obvious; hard to spot

Enigma

Mystery

Inevitable

Unavoidable; bound to happen

Disillusioned

Tone word: Disappointment, skepticism, and dissatisfaction, reflecting a loss of belief in something previously thought to be ideal or good

Emphatic

Tone word: Used to express something forcefully, clearly, and with strong conviction, often to make a point or convey a significant feeling

Empirical

Tone word: Based on observation or experience, rather than theory or pure logic

Encapsulation

Tone word: A process of succinctly expressing the essential features of something, like in a summary or a short statement

Enigmatic

Tone word: Mysterious, puzzling, and difficult to understand

Equivocal

Tone word: Ambiguous, uncertain, and open to multiple interpretations

Erudite

Tone word: Having or showing great knowledge

Excessive

Tone word: Conveys a sense of going beyond what is necessary, normal, or desirable