AP LIT VOCAB 5 C-H

comeuppance (n.)

a well-deserved punishment or fate; retribution

congenial (adj.)

pleasant to be around; sociable

congenital (adj.)

present from birth; inherent; innate

connoisseur (n.)

an expert in matters of taste

consecrate (v.)

to make or declare something holy/sacred

countenance (n.)

one’s face or facial expressions

debauchery (n.)

indulgence in sensual pleasures; hedonism

deify (v.)

to portray someone/something as god-like

democratize (v.)

to spread the ideals/practices of democracy

demonize (v.)

to portray someone/thing as evil/wicked; vilify

denigrate (v.)

to insult; to defame; to revile

draconian (adj.)

harsh; severe; cruel—esp. punishments

effeminate (adj.)

having/showing traits associated w/ a woman; unmanly

effusive (adj.)

enthusiastically expressing one’s emotions; heartfelt; gushy

egalitarian (adj.)

relating to the belief that all people deserve equal rights, opportunities

emasculate (v.)

to weaken or make less effective; to deprive a man of his role/identity

entreat (v.)

to request earnestly, pleadingly; to implore

excoriate (v.)

to criticize harshly; to censure

feign (v.)

to pretend; to fake

fraught (adj.)

filled w/; teeming w/; rife w/ something undesirable

gird (v.)

to prepare oneself for a challenge; to steel one

glacial (adj.)

extremely slow; plodding; sluggish

glad-hand (v.)

to greet warmly—or w/ the appearance of warmth

gratis (adj.)

w/o charge; free

gratuitous (adj.)

excessive and uncalled for; superflous

guffaw (n/v)

(n.) loud, hearty laugh (v.) to laugh in such a manner

guileless (adj.)

trusting; genuine; innocent; naive

gusto (n.)

enjoyment; enthusiastic; zest

harrowing (adj.)

extremely distressing; terrifying

harangue (v/n)

(v.) to persistently criticize/pester another (n.) speech critical of another

harried (adj.)

persistently harassed; bedeviled; nagged

histrionic (adj.)

overly theatrical; melodramatic; exaggerated

hoi polloi (n.)

the masses; common people; everyday folk

homespun (adj.)

simple; unsophisticated; rustic

hubbub (n.)

a busy, noisy, chaotic situation; a ruckus, a commotion; a hullabaloo

huffy (adj.)

annoyed; grouchy; testy; miffed