AP Lang vocab final NPHS '24

aesthetic

(adj.) pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty

agnostic

(n.) one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; (adj.) without faith, skeptical

animadversion

(n.) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

aperture

(n.) an opening, gap, hole; orifice

arrant

(adj.) thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant

arrogate

(v.) to claim or take without right

articulate

(v.) To pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to fit together into a system; (adj.) able to use language effectively; expressed clearly and forcefully

askance

(adv.) with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval

atrophy

(n.) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v.) to waste away

attenuate

(v.) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value

avid

(adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

banal

(adj.) hackneyed, trite, commonplace

beatific

(adj.) blissful; rendering or making blessed

bestial

(adj.) beastlike; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility

cavort

(v.) to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry

celerity

(n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

charlatan

(n.) one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack

chicanery

(n.) trickery, deceptive practices or tactices, double-dealing

collusion

(n.) A secret agreement or cooperation

concord

(n.) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

congeal

(v.) to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

contrite

(adj.) regretful for some misdeed or sin; plagued by a sense of guilt; thoroughly penitent

credence

(n.) belief, mental acceptance

cynosure

(n.) the center of attraction, attention, or interest; something that serves to guide or direct

decry

(v.) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate

deign

(v.) to think it appropriate or suitable to one's dignity to do something; to condescend

delectable

(adj.) delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory; (n.) an appealing or appetizing food or dish

delineate

(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially

depraved

(adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

desiccated

(adj.) thoroughly dried out; arid and uninteresting

disarray

(n.) disorder, confusion; (v.) to throw into disorder

discomfit

(v.) to frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass

dissemble

(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

dissidence

(n.) a difference of opinion; discontent

distraught

(adj.) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

eclectic

(adj.) drawn from different sources; (n.) one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources

effrontery

(n.) shameless boldness, impudence

emulate

(v.) to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

encomium

(n.) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

epicurean

(adj.) devoted to the pursuit of pleasure; fond of good food; comfort and ease; (n.) a person with discriminating taste

eschew

(v.) to avoid, shun, keep away from

esoteric

(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

eulogy

(n.) a formal statement of commendation; high praise (often for someone who has died)

evince

(v.) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke

exhume

(v.) to remove from a grave; to bring to light

feckless

(adj.) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

fecund

(adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

fiat

(n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness

figment

(n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion

gainsay

(v.) to deny, contradict, controvert; to dispute, oppose

gambit

(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type

garish

(adj.) glaring; tastelessly showy or overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way

ghoulish

(adj.) revolting in an unnatural or morbid way; suggestive of someone who robs graves or otherwise preys on the dead

hallow

(v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

hapless

(adj.) marked by a persistent absence of good luck

idiosyncrasy

(n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

illusory

(adj.) misleading, deceptive; lacking in or not based on reality

imminent

(adj.) about to happen, threatening

impeccable

(adj.) faultless, beyond criticism or blame

imperturbable

(adj.) not easily excited; emotionally steady

indubitable

(adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied

inexorable

(adj.) inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding

inordinate

(adj.) far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive

insatiable

(adj.) so great or demanding as not to be satisfied

intermittent

(adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

interpolate

(v.) to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction

intransigent

(adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

invidious

(adj.) offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

inviolable

(adj.) sacred; of such a character that it must not be broken, injured, or profaned

languish

(v.) to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect

largesse

(n.) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions

litany

(n.) a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list

maelstrom

(n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction

mendacious

(adj.) given to lying or deception; untrue

misanthrope

(n.) a person who hates or despises people

moribund

(adj.) dying, on the way out

mutable

(adj.) open to or capable of change, fickle

nadir

(n.) the lowest point

nascent

(adj.) just beginning to exist or develop; having just come into existence

necromancer

(n.) one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard

nefarious

(adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

nostrum

(n.) an alleged cure-all; a remedy or scheme of questionable effectiveness

obeisance

(n.) a deep bow or other body movement indicating respect or submission; deference, homage

obsequious

(adj.) marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons

obtuse

(adj.) blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 and 180 degrees; not causing a sharp impression

omnipresent

(adj.) present in all places at all times

onerous

(adj.) burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty

overt

(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized

paroxysm

(n.) a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion

paucity

(n.) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth

peregrination

(n.) the act of traveling; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country

perfunctory

(adj.) done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm

picayune

(adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded

pittance

(n.) a woefully meager allowance, wage, or portion

plaintive

(adj.) expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy

presage

(v.) to foreshadow or point to a future event; to predict; (n.) a warning or indication of the future

promulgate

(v.) to proclaim or issue officially; to make known far and wide

propinquity

(n.) nearness in place or time; kinship

reconnaissance

(n.) a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

refulgent

(adj.) shining, radiant, resplendent