AP Lang Vocabulary List #2

assimilate

1: to be or become absorbed; to conform 2: to absorb; to bring into conformity

arid

describing a dry, rainless climate

brusque

rudely abrupt

candor

sincerity; openness

conflagration

a widespread fire

deleterious

having a harmful effect; injurious

dilettante

one with an amateurish or superficial understanding of a field of knowledge

distractor

a possible answer that seems correct but is either wrong or not as good as the other answers

enumerate

1: to name one by one, as in a list 2: to ascertain the amount of; to count

erudite

characterized by great knowledge; scholarly

fractious

quarrelsome; unruly

gesticulating

making gestures while speaking

hackneyed

worn out through overuse; trite

harbinger

something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner

heinous

hatefully evil; abominable

malapropism

a form of word play in which one word is mistakenly substituted for another that sounds similar. Ex: When problems arise, it's best to nip them the [insert synonym for buttocks (Quizlet censors the intended word)].

mundane

commonplace; ordinary

nomenclature

names or terms used in a certain system

non sequitur

(literally means "does not follow") a statement that doesn't logically follow what was just said

omnipotent

all powerful

onomatopoeia

figure of speech in which the word imitates the sound being described Ex: Boom

permeated

spread or flowing throughout

pragmatic

practical

prodigious

impressively great in extent, size, or degree

prudent

exercising good judgment; wise

pugnacious

combative; belligerent

replete

abundantly supplied; filled to capacity

sardonic

disdainfully or ironically humorous; harsh, bitter, or caustic

sonorous

producing a deep or full sound

trepidation

uncertainty; apprehension