11th Grade Vocabulary Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing 11th-grade vocabulary words and their definitions.

Aberration

A departure from what is normal or expected; a deviation.

Abstract

Thought of apart from concrete realities; theoretical or conceptual.

Accolade

An award, honor, or enthusiastic praise.

Accommodate

To make fit, adjust to; to provide lodging or help.

Aesthetic

Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

Affinity

A natural liking or attraction; a similarity.

Altercation

A heated argument or dispute.

Ameliorate

To improve or make better.

Amicable

Friendly and agreeable.

Anarchy

A state of disorder due to absence of authority or law.

Anomaly

Something that deviates from the normal or expected.

Despot

A ruler with absolute power, often oppressive.

Appall

To horrify or shock.

Archaic

Extremely old-fashioned; no longer in everyday use.

Arduous

Involving great effort; difficult and tiring.

Articulate

Able to speak or express ideas clearly and effectively.

Astute

Clever and perceptive; shrewd.

Authoritarian

Favoring strict obedience to authority, often unduly oppressive.

Aversion

A strong dislike or reluctance.

Biased

Unfairly prejudiced for or against someone or something.

Brevity

Shortness of duration; conciseness.

Cajole

To persuade someone through flattery or gentle urging.

Callous

Emotionally hardened; unfeeling.

Capitulate

To surrender or give in.

Catalyst

Something that speeds up a change or action.

Catharsis

Emotional release or purification.

Caustic

Severely critical or sarcastic; able to burn or corrode chemically.

Censure

Strong criticism or official condemnation.

Chastise

To scold or punish severely.

Clamor

A loud, persistent outcry or demand.

Coalesce

To come together to form one mass or whole.

Cognizant

Having awareness or knowledge of something.

Commiserate

To express sympathy or pity.

Composure

Mental calmness, especially in difficult situations.

Conciliatory

Intended to pacify or soothe anger.

Contract

To shrink or to enter into a formal agreement.

Copious

Abundant in supply or quantity.

Cordial

Warm, friendly, and polite.

Dearth

A scarcity or lack of something.

Debilitate

To weaken or make feeble.

Decadence

Moral or cultural decline due to excessive indulgence.

Deference

Respectful submission or yielding to another’s opinion or authority.

Delineate

To describe or portray precisely.

Deprecate

To express disapproval of; to disparage.

Devious

Using dishonest tactics to achieve goals.

Didactic

Intended to teach or instruct, often with moral intent.

Disparage

To belittle or speak disrespectfully about.

Dissonance

A harsh, disagreeable combination of sounds—or conflict in opinion.

Duplicity

Deceitfulness; double-dealing.

Edifice

A large, imposing building.

Effervescent

Vivacious and enthusiastic; bubbly.

Egregious

Outstandingly bad; shocking.

Elusive

Hard to catch, understand, or define.

Equivocal

Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.

Erroneous

Containing error; incorrect.

Exemplary

Worthy of imitation; outstanding.

Expedient

Convenient and practical, though possibly improper.

Extraneous

Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject.

Formidable

Inspiring fear or respect through size, skill, or power.

Frivolous

Not serious; carefree and trivial.

Grueling

Extremely tiring and demanding.

Haphazard

Lacking any organization or planning.

Heretic

Someone who holds opinions contrary to the orthodox doctrine.

Hindrance

Something that obstructs or delays progress.

Hypocrisy

Pretending to have beliefs or virtues you do not.

Iconoclast

A person who challenges or opposes established beliefs or institutions.

Incessant

Never stopping; continuous.

Incidental

Occurring as a minor accompaniment; not essential.

Incite

To stir up or provoke trouble or action.

Incorrigible

Impossible to correct, improve, or reform.

Indoctrinate

To teach someone to accept beliefs uncritically.

Insurgent

A rebel; someone who rises against authority.

Intangible

Unable to be touched; not having physical presence.

Judicious

Having, showing, or done with good judgment.

Lavish

Extravagant or generous in quantity, spending, or appearance.

Listless

Lacking energy or enthusiasm.

Meager

Lacking in quality or quantity; scanty.

Meander

To wander without direction.

Negligent

Failing to take proper care; careless.

Obliterate

To destroy completely; to wipe out.

Ponderous

Heavy, slow, and clumsy; dull.

Preclude

To prevent something from happening.

Prerequisite

A required condition or thing beforehand.

Proximity

Nearness in space, time, or relationship.

Rectify

To correct or make right.

Rescind

To revoke, cancel, or repeal.

Resolution

Determination or a firm decision.

Rigorous

Extremely thorough and careful; harsh.

Scrutinize

To examine carefully and thoroughly.

Substantiate

To provide evidence to support or prove.

Surmise

To guess or infer without strong evidence.

Tirade

A long, angry speech of criticism.

Turbulence

Violent or unsteady movement; conflict or disorder.

Unimpeachable

Beyond doubt; unquestionable.

Unobtrusive

Not attracting attention; inconspicuous.

Usurp

To seize power or position without authority.

Vacillate

To waver between different opinions or actions.

Whimsical

Playfully quaint or fanciful; unpredictable.