AP Lang Vocab 11-20

decorum

(noun) whatever is suitable or proper; propriety; conformity to recognized standards of conduct; good behavior; proper social conduct

deference

(noun) respect and esteem due to a superior or an elder; courteous regard; respect; homage; submission to the desires, opinions, or judgements of another

deft

(adj) skillful in a quick, sure, and easy way; exhibiting skill and ease in performance; dexterous; adroit; adept

deterrent

(noun) a thing or factor that deters, inhibits, prevents, precludes, etc.; hinderance; discouragement

(adj) restraining; preventing; discouraging; tending to deter

dictum

(noun) a statement, especially a formal statement of fact, opinion, or principle, or of one's will or judgement; pronouncement; an observation intended or regarded as authoritative; decree

didactic

(adj) morally instructive; intended to educate, esp. in moral matters; moralistic

diffident

(adj) lacking in confidence; reserved in manner; timid; shy; unsure of oneself; demure; unassertive

dilettante

(noun) one who follows an art or science only for amusement and in a superficial way; one lacking professional skill in a pursuit; a dabbler

disconsolate

(adj) inconsolable; so unhappy that nothing will comfort; cheerless; dejected; downcast; downhearted

gregarious

(adj) fond of the company of others; sociable; fond of socializing; outgoing

efficacious

(adj) producing the desired effect; effective; efficient

effusion

(noun) an unrestrained expression of feeling; a pouring forth

egregious

(adj) extrordinarily bad; outrageous; flagrant; conspiciously bad

epiphany

(noun) a moment of sudden intuitive understanding; a flash of insight; an illuminating discovery

elicit

(verb) to draw forth; to evoke; cause to be revealed; bring out

emanate

(verb) to come forth; to issue from; to originate from; arise from; flow; stem from

denigrate

(verb) to disparage the character or reputation of; defame; malign; belittle

eminent

(adj) lofty; prominent; standing high in comparison with others; renowned; exalted; remarkable; noteworthy; distinguished

enervate

(verb) to deprive of strength or vitality; weaken physically, mentally, or morally; unnerve

(adj) weakened; deliberated

enigma

(noun) something puzzling or unexplainable; mystery; something hard to understand

Discrepancy

(noun) lack of consistency; a contradiction; a disagreement

Disparage

(verb) slight; express low regard for; belittle

Disparate

(adj.) distinct or different in kind; unequal

Dissemble

(verb) to disguise one's feelings, thoughts, or plans; to pretend, to feign; to cloak one's emotions

Defunct

(adj.) no longer living or existing; dead; extinct; bygone; lost

Disingenuous

(adj.) giving the false appearance of candor; insincere; not straightforward; not candid

Dissolute

(adj.) lacking moral restraint; immoral; very wicked; depraved; licentious

Duplicity

(noun) misrepresentation; deliberate deceitfulness; double-dealing; treachery

Duress

(noun) coercion; compulsion; the use of force or threats

Discrete

(adj.) separate and distinct; not attached to others; unrelated; individually distinct

Discreet

(adj.) careful about what one says or does; prudent; keeping silent or preserving confidence when necessary; unpretentious

ennui

(noun) weariness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest or from inactivity; boredom; tedium; doldrums

enthrall

(verb) to hold as if in a spell; to captivate; to charm

entity

(noun) a being; a discrete unit

epicurean

(adj) devoted to pleasure and luxury; fond of good food and comfort

epitome

(noun) the typical or ideal example; a person or thing that is representative of a larger thing; embodiment; an abstract

ephemeral

(adj) lasting only one day; lasting a very short time; transient; fleeting; short-lived

equivocal

(adj) having two or more meanings; ambiguous; evasive; of uncertain outcome; obscure

ethereal

(adj) delicate; heavenly; celestial; not earthy; airy

erudite

(adj) having or displaying much knowledge; scholarly; learned

esoteric

(adj) intended for or understood by only a select few; limited to a small circle

Edify

(verb) to instruct (especially to improve morally or spiritually); to enlighten; to inform

Ensue

(verb) to come afterward; to follow immediately; to happen as a result

Equanimity

(noun) the quality of remaining calm and undisbuted; composure

Eschew

(verb) to keep away from (something harmful or disliked); to shun; to avoid; abstain from

Erstwhile

(adj) former; once; previous; of an earlier time; one time

Exult

(verb) to rejoice greatly; to be jubilant; to leap for joy

Exalt

(verb) to glorify; to ennoble; to elevate

Excoriate

(verb) to wear off the skin of; abrade; to strip off the skin; to censure scathingly; to denounce

Facade

(noun) a false front; a superficial appearance; the front part of anything , often used figuratively with impplications of an imposing appearance concealing something inferior

Frivolous

(adj) of little value or importance; trifling; trivial; not properly serious; silly

Harbinger

(noun) a person or thing which comes before to announce or give an indiction of what follows; a herald; a forerunner; a precursor

exodus

(noun) a mass departure; egress; exit; emigration

exonerate

(verb) to relieve from responsibility or obligation; to clear from accusation or blame

expatriate

(verb) to withdraw from residence in or allegiance to one’s native country; banish; exile

expound

(verb) to set forth; state; to explain by setting forth in intricate detail; explain

halcyon

(adj) calm; peaceful; happy; golden; prosperous; placid

expunge

(verb) to strike out; obliterate; mark for deletion; to efface completely; to destroy

extant

(adj) currently or actually existing; not destroyed or lost; current

extenuate

(verb) to lesson or try to lesson the seriousness or extent of something (by making partial excuses); mitigate; to lesson the effect on

extirpate

(verb) to destroy completely; wipe out; to pull up by the root; eradicate; to cut out by surgery

extraneous

(adj) existing or coming from the outside; not forming an essential or vital part; having no relevance; irrelevant

Exude

(verb) to flow out slowly; ooze; seep; to display conspicuously or abundantly (as in - to exude confidence)

Factious

(adj.) caused by a faction; causing dissension; seditious; of or relating to a faction

Fallible

(adj.) liable to be erroneous; capable of making a mistake; errant; inclined to error

Fallacious

(adj.) embodying a fallacy; tending to deceive or mislead; delusive

Fatuous

(adj) complacently or inanely foolish; smugly foolish; stupid; senseless; asinine

Fawn

(verb) to seek favor in a cringing or flattering manner; to act servilely; to exhibit affection or attempt to please, as a dog does by wagging its tail, whining, or cringing; "apple-polish"

Feckless

(adj.) having no real worth or purpose; weak; ineffective; careless; irresponsible; worthless

Felicitous

(adj.) very well suited or expressed: apt; very appropriate; well-timed; fitting; fortunate

Fetid

(adj.) having a heavily offensive odor; rancid; reeking; putrid; stinking; malodorous

Flaunt

(verb) to display oneself to public notice; to wave or flutter showily; to display ostentatiously or impudently; to show off proudly; to parade

Flout

(verb) to treat with contemptuous disregard; to scorn; to indulge in scornful behavior; to scoff at; to sneer at; disregard

Garrulous

(adj.) pointlessly or annoyingly talkative; tending to ramble; talking too much, especially about unimportant things; loquacious

flay

(verb) to strip off the skin or hide of, as by whipping; to criticize or scold mercilessly; scourge; castigate

foist

(verb) to introduce or insert surreptitiously or without warrant; to force another to accept, especially by stealth or deceit; to pass off as genuine (something that it is not); to palm off

foible

(noun) a small weakness; a minor fault; a small character flaw; a vice

foment

(verb) to foster trouble, rebellion, or strife; to incite; to instigate; to stir up

fastidious

(adj) not easy to please; very critical; discriminating; refined in an oversensitive way; reflecting a meticulous or demanding attitude; finicky

forte

(noun) something a person does very well; a strong point

fortuitous

(adj) happening by chance; accidental; happening by good fortune; lucky

feign

(verb) pretend; imitate; simulate; to make a false show of

fulminate

(verb) to explode with sudden violence; detonate; to shout forth denunciations

fulsome

(adj) excessively complimentary or flattering; exceeding the bounds of good taste; overdone; too extravagant or ingratiating to be sincere

gauche

(adj) lacking in social graces; likely to commit a social blunder; crude in manner; tactless; unrefined

germane

(adj) truly relevant; pertinent; to the point; appropriate; having a close relationship

gibe

(noun) a jeer or taunt

(verb) to jeer or taunt; to scoff at

goad

(verb) to prod to action; to urge on; to exhort

(noun) a sharp pointed stick used in driving oxen

gratuitous

(adj) granetd without obligation; uncalled for; without cause or justification; given freely; unsolicited

haphazard

(adj) not planned; casual; random; accidental; happening by chance; erratic

hardihood

(noun) resolute courage and fortitude; self-assured audacity (often carried to the point of insolence); temerity; brashness; chutzpah

herculean

(adj) of extraordinary power, intensity, or difficulty; characteristic of Hercules; colossal; immense

hiatus

(noun) a break in continuity; a gap; an interruption in time

gamut

(noun) the entire range or extent (as of emotions); spectrum; a complete series

loath

(adj) unwilling to do something contrary to one’s way of thinking; reluctant; hesitant; averse

loathe

(verb) hate; detest; abhor; despise; to dislike extremely; find repugnant

nonplus

(verb) to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do; perplex

harangue

(noun) a long, blustering, noisy or scolding speech; a tirade

iconoclast

(noun) a person who attacks or ridicules traditional beliefs (regarded by him as erroneous or superstitious)

idiosyncrasy

(noun) any personal peculiarity or mannerism; a quirk; an eccentricity; an individualizing characteristic