English II KAP Spring Semester Vocab

appease

to bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment; soothe

carousing

activity of drinking alcohol and enjoying oneself with others in a noisy, lively way

deftly

in a way that is neatly skillful and quick in movement; in a clever way

diminutive

indicating small size; sometimes state/quality of being familiarly known, loveable, or pitiable

equivocate

to use ambiguous or unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or in order to mislead

harbinger

a person or thing that announces/signals the approach of another

malice

desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness

minion

a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power; a favored or highly regarded person

palpable

readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived; evident, tangible

pernicious

causing insidious harm or ruin; injurious; hurtful

scruples

a feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality or propriety of a course of action

bravado

a bold manner or a show of boldness often intended to impress or intimidate

clamor

shouting loudly and insistently

flaunt

display something, especially in order to provoke envy or admiration or to show defiance

indignantly

feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment

ineffectual

not producing the proper or intended effect, futile

inimical

being adverse often by reason of hostility or malevolence

inscrutable

not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood

recrimination

an accusation in response to one from someone else

sanctity

the state or quality of being holy, sacred, or saintly; ultimate importance

tacit

understood or implied without being stated

tirade

a long, angry speech or criticism or accusation

vicissitude

a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.

analogous

comparable in certain respects, typically in a way that makes clearer the nature of things compared

brevity

concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

capitalize

to take the chance to gain advantage from

culmination

the highest or climatic point of something, especially attained after a long time

empirical

based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic

endow

provide with a quality, ability, or asset

entrenched

firmly established and difficult or unlikely to change; ingrained

pragmatic

dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.

postulate

suggest or assume the existence, fact, or truth of something as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief

subsequent

coming after something in time; following

substantiate

provide evidence to support or prove the truth of

underscore

to make evident, emphasize, stress