AP Language Vocabulary

AP Language Vocabulary Development Flashcards

Innate

Existing naturally, not through learning or experience.

Self-effacing

Not making yourself noticeable or looking for attention.

Ingratiating

Being charming and agreeable to gain someone’s favor or approval.

Mocking

Making fun of someone by imitating them in a derisive way.

Cultivated

Having been developed, improved or refined through care, training or study.

Exuberance

Joyful enthusiasm and liveliness.

Ambivalent

Conflicting or mixed feelings about something.

Unwarranted

Something not needed, appropriate or permissible.

Admonition

A form of advice that carries a hint of criticism or disapproval.

Aesthetic

A particular style or taste.

Innuendo

A subtle or indirect suggestion or hint implying something is negative or offensive.

Monotony

The state of being boring and dull due to a lack of variation or repetition.

Disavow

To deny responsibility for something, to say you aren’t connected or don’t approve of it.

Self-deprecating

To make fun of yourself or downplay your own abilities/ achievements.

Meddling

To interfere in someone else’s affairs.

Reproachful

Expressing blame, disapproval or criticism in a way showing disappointment or displeasure. (Describes someone's look, tone, actions.)

Objective

A goal or aim you want to achieve.

Subjective

Something based on personal feelings rather than facts or evidence.

Wry

An expression of disgust usually to mock something.

Bolster

To support, reinforce or strengthen something.

Transformative

To cause significant and lasting change in something.

Pedantic

Being overly concerned with unimportant details or rules.

Melodramatic

Overly dramatic in an emotional way that’s exaggerated or excessive.

Disdain

A feeling of strong disapproval and contempt.

Reverential

Showing or having deep respect and admiration.

Brash

Confident and aggressive to the point of rudeness and insensitivity.

Omnipotent

Having unlimited power or authority.

Indignant

Feeling or showing anger after being treated unfairly.

Empirical data

Information gathered through direct observation and measurement.

Condemnation

The act of declaring something as unacceptable.

Intangible

Something that can’t be physically touched or perceived by the senses.

Undermine

To weaken or gradually destroy something.

Implicit

Something understood or implied when not directly stated.

Explicit

Something clearly stated and easy to understand.

Moralize

Expressing judgment about what is right and wrong.

Reprehensible

Deserving blame or strong criticism. Saying something’s very bad.

Candor

The quality of being openly honest and sincere.

Refutation

Disproving something, usually an argument.

Incredulity

The state of not believing or being skeptical of something.

Whim

A sudden, often illogical impulse to do something.

Indiscretion

A careless or inappropriate act often involving lack of judgement.

Domesticity

The focus on home life, family and maintaining a household.

Concrete

Words to describe things that are exactly what they mean.

Abstract

Words and phrases with an implied meaning rather than literal.

Mystical

Something that is mysterious or spiritual, often with hidden meanings.

Jargon

Specialized vocabulary used by a specific group, hard for outsiders to understand.

Speculative

Something based on speculation, guessing not facts.

Ad hominem argument

Instead of addressing the argument, you attack the person who is making the argument.

Preposition

A word showing relationship between a noun or pronoun, indicating location, time or direction. “In, at, on, to, from”

Adverb

A word modifying a verb, adjective or another adverb providing additional info. (Verbs ending in ly.)

Antecedent

The word a pronoun refers to. “The cat was very hunger and ate it’s food.” “cat” is the antecedent and “it’s” is the pronoun.