AP Lang Vocab

aesthetic

having to do with the appreciation of beauty

affable

easy going, friendly

alienated

removed or disassociated from

amenable

responsive, agreeable

anaphora

repetition of words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses

antecedent

the noun to which a later pronoun refers

antimetabole

repetition of words in an inverted order to sharpen a contrast

apology

defense of an idea

apposition

a grammar construction in which a noun or noun phrase is placed with another as an explanation

arbiter

a judge who decides a disputed issue

archetype

perfect example

assertion

a declaration or statement

assiduous

hard-working

astute

shrewd, clever

asyndeton

leaving out conjunctions

austere

without decoration, strict

brusque

rudely abrupt

candor

frankness

capricious

impulsive and unpredictable

caustic

bitingly sarcastic or biting

chiasmus

an inversion in the second of two parallel phrases

clandestine

secretive

cogent

convincing, reasonable

coherent

logically connected

conception

the ability to form or understand an idea

convoluted

intricate, complex

copious

plentiful, having a large quantity

cumulative (loose) sentence

independent clause follow by subordinate clauses

declarative sentence

makes a statement

decorous

proper, marked by good taste

deductive

reasoning from general to specific

despotic

exercising absolute power

didactic

intended to instruct

dilettante

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

discourse

verbal expression or exchange; conversation

disparage

to belittle

dogged

stubbornly persevering

dogmatic

stubbornly adhering to unproved beliefs

ebullience

intense enthusiasm

eclectic

made up of a variety of sources or styles

Effusive

Emotionally unrestrained, gushing

egregious

Conspicuously bad or offensive

Elegiac

Mournful

Eloquence

The ability to speak vividly or persuasively

Enmity

Mutual hatred or ill will

Epigram

Brief, witty statement

Equanimity

The quality of being calm and even tempered

Equivocate

To avoid making a definite statement

Exculpate

To free form guilt or blame

Facile

Done or achieved with little effort; easy

fastidious

possessing careful attention to detail; difficult to please

flagrant

extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable

florid

describing flowery or elaborate speech

fluid

easily flowing

fractious

quarrelsome, unruly

frenetic

vividly excited or active

gratuitous

given freely, unearned, unwarranted

hackneyed

worn out through overuse

heinous

abominable

hortatory

urging, strongly encouraging

hypophora

asking a question and answering it

imperative sentence

command

imperious

arrogantly domineering or overbearing

impinge

hinder, interfere with

implication

the act of suggesting or hinting

incorrigible

unable to be reformed

indolent

lazy

induction

reasoning from specific to general

insipid

uninteresting, unchallenging

insolent

insulting in manner or speech

intrepid

courageous, fearless

intuition

sharp insight

inversion

a sentence in which the verb precedes the subject

inveterate

long-established, deep-rooted

lament

express grief, mourn

laudatory

giving praise

listless

lacking energy

lucid

easily understood, clear

malfeasance

wrongdoing, misconduct

maverick

one who is independent and resists adherence to a group

mediocrity

quality of being average

metonymy

figurative tool in which one term is substituted for another term with which it is closely associated

mollify

to calm or soothe

nascent

coming into existence, emerging

nominalization

turning a verb or adjective into a noun

notorious

infamous

novel

strikingly new or unusual

obdurate

stubborn, inflexible

obstinate

stubbornly adhering to an opinion or course of action

ostentatious

describing a showy or pretentious display

oxymoron

an apparent contradiction of terms

pacing

relative speed or slowness with which a story is told or idea presented

panegyric

statement of high praise

paradigm

example or model

paradox

a statement that seems contradictory but is actually true

paramount

of chief concern or importance

parody

artistic work that imitates the style of another work for comic effect

patronizing

treating in a condescending manner

pejorative

describing words or phrases that belittle or speak negatively of someone

penitent

expressing remorse