AP English Vocab Quiz #1

acquisitive

(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property.

greedy, grasping, avaricious, retentive

acquisitive synonyms

arrogate

to claim or take without right

usurp, expropriate, commandeer

arrogate synonyms

banal

hackneyed, trite, commonplace

state, insipid

banal synonyms

belabor

(v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly

overwork

belabor synonym

carping

(adj.) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n.) petty, nagging criticism

nitpicking, caviling

carping synonyms

coherent

holding or sticking together; making logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

connected, unified, consistent, cohesive

coherent synonyms

congeal

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

harden, jell, coagulate, solidify

congeal synonyms

emulate

to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to

emulate synonyms

encomium

a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

panegyric, eulogy, commendation

encomium synonyms

eschew

to avoid, shun, keep away from

abstain from, steer clear of, forgo

eschew synonyms

germane

(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting

pertinent

germane synonym

insatiable

so great or demanding as not to be satisfied

unquenchable, ravenous, voracious

insatiable synonyms

intransigent

refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate

intransigent synonyms

invidious

offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative

invidious synonyms

largesse

generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions

liberality, munificence, bounty

largesse synonyms

reconnaissance

a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

scouting expedition

reconnaissance synonyms

substantiate

(v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to

verify, confirm, validate, authenticate

substantiate synonyms

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic

taciturn synonyms

temporize

(v.) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise

hedge, dillydally, procrastinate

temporize synonyms

tenable

capable of being held or defended

defensible, justifiable, maintainable

tenable synonyms