acc lit and comp(i swear it helps)

grade 11

assay(v)

testing something to find out what it contains

ex: Experts will assay the gold to determine its purity.

caustic(adj)

blunt and harsh remarks

ex: She was a writer whose caustic wit endears her still to readers everywhere.

copecetic(adj)

things that are very satisfactory

ex: As long as the place looked nice and there were chairs to sit in and tables to eat at, everything was copacetic.

duplicity(n) 

dishonest behavior meant to trick someone

ex: The extent of his duplicity wasn't clear until a century after his death, when documents revealing more of his many deceptions were discovered.

embargo(n)

government order that limits trade

ex: Since its review embargo lifted on July 18, ‘Barbie’ has received a largely positive critical response.

lackluster(adj)

lacking in sheen, brilliance, or vitality

ex: After a summer of lackluster sales, business is booming at the coffee shop.

oxymoron(n)

combination of words that have different meanings

ex: Her favorite Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, is filled with clever wordplay, including oxymorons such as “sweet sorrow” and “heavy lightness.”

myriad(n)

usually followed by of, means “a great number,” as in “a myriad of possibilities”

ex: The middle school class generated a myriad of ideas for ways they could volunteer in the community.

pundit(n)

someone who is an expert on a particular subject 

ex: Grandpa likes watching liberal and conservative pundits spar about the issues of the day on the Sunday morning talk shows.

upbraid(v)

to scold them

ex: The teacher upbraided the class after discovering the chalkboard erasers had been clapped all over the walls.

chasten(v)

to cause one to feel embarrassed about something that happened

ex: He was arrogant as a young man, but he has been chastened by life's hardships and is now more aware of his own failings and weaknesses.

frisson(n)

a brief moment of emotional excitement

ex: He felt a frisson of delight as he stepped tentatively through the door to the walled garden.

inkling(n)

a slight, uncertain idea

ex: As the professor explained the complex math formula in class, I didn’t have an inkling of what it all meant.

malaise(n)

a slight or general feeling of not being healthy or happy

ex: She couldn’t pinpoint the cause of this overwhelming feeling of malaise.

nexus(n)

a relationship or connection between people or things

ex: Her final research paper for her education class highlighted the nexus between teachers and students.

preen(v)

to make one's appearance neat and tidy or to behave or speak with obvious pride or self-satisfaction

ex: She stood preening herself in front of the mirror.

reticent(adj)

someone who does not openly talk to others

ex: She is reticent about discussing her personal business with anyone.

slake(v)

to satisfy

ex: The quest to slake his wanderlust was never-ending.

travesty(n)

something that is shocking, upsetting, or ridiculous because it is not what it is supposed to be

ex: That the timber company only had to pay a minimal fine after being found guilty of illegal logging was considered by many to be a travesty of justice.

volatile(adj)

describes something that is subject to rapid or unexpected change

ex: Our financial advisor cautioned us to be conservative with our investments while the stock market was still volatile.

aggrandize(v)

to enhance its power, wealth, position, or reputation

ex: Critics of the book argued that the author aggrandizes corrupt politicians.

debonair(adj)

someone who may be called fashionable, attractive, and confident

ex: Now a professional dancer himself, Raul remembers idolizing Gene Kelly, Gregory Hines, and other debonair performers as a child.

disavow(v)

to deny responsibility for

ex: In the face of intense public scrutiny, the college's president is now trying to disavow her previous statements about eliminating tenure.

evince(v)

to display clearly
ex: She evinced a fondness for animals of all kinds from an early age.

filch(v)

secretly or casually steal something

ex: I couldn’t help but chuckle when I woke up to find my four-year-old daughter filching a cookie from the plate on the kitchen counter.

forte(n)

a person’s strong point
ex: It was no surprise that she got accepted to the performing arts school; dancing was always her forte.

gumption(n)

initiative, courage and confidence

ex: It took a lot of gumption to speak up for yourself like that.

illustrious(adj)

describes a person or deed that is highly admired and respected

ex: During the ceremony, the illustrious star of stage and screen was presented with a lifetime achievement award.

perquisite(n)

something extra that someone receives in addition to regular pay for doing a job 

ex: Her fancy new job came with several perquisites, including use of the company’s jet.

stoic(adj)

describes someone who shows very little emotion

ex: He remained stoic even as his manager reprimanded him in front of his colleagues.

abscond(v)

to leave in secret and go into hiding with something

ex: The suspect absconded to Canada before investigators could reach her at home.

assuage(v)

lessening guilt or fear

ex: City officials tried to assuage neighbors' concerns about the new factory.

disingenuous(adj)

describes a false sense of honesty

ex: Her recent expressions of concern about the community center closing are disingenuous at best because she stands to benefit financially when the property is redeveloped.

fallible(adj)

capable of making mistakes

ex: We can be too hard on ourselves at times and often need gentle reminders that everyone is fallible.

jaundiced(adj)

biased

ex: She developed a very jaundiced view of politics and politicians after years of chairing her local school board committee and witnessing all kinds of petty shenanigans.

lambent(adj)

soft light

ex: Sitting around the campfire, we were mesmerized by the lambent flames dancing into the night.

loquacious(adj)

talkative

ex: She's the loquacious host of a weekly news podcast.

nudnik(n)

bore

ex: She dreads family gatherings, as her nudnik of a brother-in-law is always sure to be there droning on about this or that.

prowess(n)

great skill

ex: Already a proven virtuoso on guitar, she extends her considerable instrumental prowess to the piano throughout her new album as well.

whimsical(adj)

unusual or playful

ex: Her younger sister’s whimsical sense of humor often leaves her friends giggling at the lunch table, as when she built a castle out of her mashed potatoes, complete with a moat.

aficionado(n)

someone who likes and knows a lot about an interest or subject

ex: Mickey’s brother, an aficionado of jazz, was a regular at the downtown clubs and often bought new records on the day they were released.

coax(v)

to influence or persuade them to do something by talking in a gentle and friendly way

ex: It took almost an hour to coax the cat down from the tree.

cordial(adj)

politely pleasant and friendly

ex: Despite past conflicts, the two nations now maintain cordial relations. 

demarcate(v)

to fix or define its limits or edges

ex: Treaty negotiations are underway, and both parties have agreed to accept whatever boundaries are demarcated in that document.

enthral(v)

to hold the attention of someone by being very exciting, interesting, or beautiful,” or in other words, “to charm.”

ex: A captivating take on the human experience, the movie has enthralled audiences across the country.

fervid(adj)

people or things that express, or are expressive of, strong feelings
ex: Many of the movie franchise’s most fervid fans camped outside of theaters for days leading up to the new installment’s opening night.

gamut(n)

a range or series of related things

ex: On that fateful day, her emotions ran the gamut from joy to despair.

obstinate(adj)

stubborn

ex: The project that had been the group's main focus for weeks was temporarily stymied by one obstinate member's refusal to compromise.

perennial(adj)

things that exist or continue in the same way or state for a long time, as well as things that happen again and again

ex: Parking is a perennial problem in the quaint seaside town, especially during the summer.

zephyr(n)

a gentle breeze

ex: We were relieved when a zephyr blew in just as the heat of the day was peaking, allowing us to remain comfortably on the beach for a little while longer.

berserk(adj)

out of control, intense anger or excitement

Ex: The crowd went wild with berserk fans screaming as Joji finally walked onto the stage.

circumvent(v)

to get around something in a clever and dishonest way

Ex: We circumvented the technical issues by using a different computer program.

expedite(v)

to speed up

Ex: To expedite the processing of your request, please include your account number on all documents.

fortitude(n)

the strength of mind
Ex: Junior year takes a great amount of fortitude to persevere no matter the challenge.

importune(v)

to annoy with questions or requests
Ex: Several residents importuned me to ask for their meds. 

juncture(n)

an important point in a process or activity

Ex: At this juncture of my shift, I start putting people to bed. 

officious(adj)

offering unwanted advice

Ex: After the boss told his workers what to do, his officious assistant stepped in to micromanage.

plausible(adj)

possible

Ex: One problem with the horror movie is that the plot is barely plausible—there was no good reason for the kids to enter the abandoned mansion to begin with.

reprehensible(adj)

deserving blame

Ex: A recent news article called for Trump’s resignation, citing the government shutdown as both plausible and reprehensible.

voracity(n)

an intense desire

Ex: Elena reads books with a voracity that requires multiple weekly visits to the library.

extraneous(adj)

irrelevant

Ex: The woman who reported the robbery kept bringing up extraneous facts, such as what she'd had for lunch. 

divulge(v)

to make something, secret or private, known

Ex: Rather than divulge our list of potential names to friends and family before our baby’s due date, we prefer our eventual choice to be a surprise.

dubious(adj)

causes doubt

Ex: Jesse made the dubious claim that he could eat a whole watermelon in one sitting; then we sat in awe and watched him do it.

gallivant(v)

to travel to many different places for pleasure

Ex: She spent her gap year gallivanting around Europe with her best friend.

immaculate(adj) 

without flaw or error

Ex: Even a minor scandal has the power to tarnish an otherwise immaculate reputation.

nadir(n)

the lowest or worst point of something

Ex: Only once the novel's protagonist reaches her nadir does she arouse the reader's empathy, and we root for her to climb back to respectability.

recuse(v)

to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest

Ex: The judge decided to recuse herself from the case due to the nature of her relationship with the plaintiff’s family. 

regale(v)

to entertain or amuse by telling stories, describing experiences, etc.”

• often followed by with.

Ex: He regaled his party guests with stories of his adventures abroad.

tactile(adj)

describes something related to the sense of touch

Ex: Blindfolded, Benny’s experience became much more tactile as he extended his hand to feel his 

surroundings.

flibbertigibbet(n)

a silly, talkative person

Ex: Addie, who frequently told jokes, was known as the class flibbertigibbet.

audacious(adj)

confident 

Ex: She made the audacious decision to quit her job. 

bugbear(n)

dread

Ex: The biggest bugbear of the skiing business is a winter with no snow.

gravitate(v) 

attracted to or toward someone or something
Ex: Many young people now gravitate toward careers on social media.

hallmark(n)

a distinguishing characteristic, trait, or feature 
Ex: The entertainer's new book features the same kind of wry humor that is the hallmark of his radio show.

inordinate(adj)

exceeds reasonable limits

Ex: We waited an inordinate amount of time to get a table at the restaurant, especially given that it was a Tuesday night.

olfactory(adj)

describes things that have to do with the sense of smell
Ex: Few can deny the olfactory pleasures of fresh-baked bread, sea breezes, and apple blossoms—all scents with the power to trigger intense nostalgia.

ransack(v)

to search for something in a way that causes disorder or damage
Ex: My sister ransacked my room looking for the shoes I had borrowed (and returned).

requisite(adj)

necessary

Ex: It's clear from her application materials that Leona has the requisite knowledge and experience for the job.

valorous(adj)

marked by courage or heroism
Ex: For carrying three wounded members of his squadron out of harm's way, the lieutenant was presented with an award that recognized his valorous actions in the heat of battle.

woebegone(adj)

misery
Ex: The team never looked more woebegone than it did heading back to the locker room after losing the championship to their rivals by a single run.

countenance(n)

a person's facial expression

Ex: Her cheerful countenance put the visitors at ease.

espouse(v)

to take up and support a cause

Ex: The issues in Sudan has been espoused by many leading activists.

exacerbate(v)

bitter

Ex: It seemed as though every tackle in the game served only to exacerbate the problem.

garner(v)

to gather something

Ex: The researchers garnered more evidence to support their theory.

halcyon(adj)

happy time in the past remembered as being better than today

Ex: She’s relieved to be retired, but looks back fondly on the halcyon years of her career.

paladin(n)

a leading champion of a cause

Ex: Greta Thunburg is regarded as a paladin of environmental justice.

retrospective(adj) 

relating to the past

Ex: Though mostly pleased with her final grades at the end of the semester, she undertook a retrospective analysis of her work from the previous months.

smite(v)

to hit someone very hard
Ex: He smote the ball mightily, which helped us win the game.

speculate(v)

to form theories about something

Ex: I frequently speculate about laundromats actually being a money laundering scheme.

undulate(v)

to move or be shaped like waves

Ex: Onlookers were mesmerized by the beautiful rows of lavender undulating across the field.

abandon(n)

a feeling or attitude of wild or complete freedom

Ex: In an act of reckless abandon, he quit his job and moved to Hawaii.

crucible(n)

a place or situation that forces someone or something to change

Ex: Her religious beliefs were forged in the crucible of the church.

doughty(adj)

brave, strong, and determined

Ex: The family sent gifts to the doughty firefighters for saving their cat.

encapsulate(v)

to show or express the main idea or quality of (something) in a brief way

Ex: His first album encapsulates his mental state. 

fustiagte(v)

to criticize severely

Ex: The singer’s awards show performance was fustigated by several prominent media outlets.

gauche(adj)

having or showing a lack of awareness about the proper way to behave

Ex: Some people view giving cash in lieu of a wrapped present to be terribly gauche, but I like knowing that my friends and family will be able to pick out something they truly want.

magnanimous(adj)

having or showing a generous and kind nature
Ex: She was too magnanimous to resent the unkind words of those grousing about her winning the spelling bee.

notorious(adj)

describes people and things that are famously known, especially for something unfavorable.

Ex: They live in a region that's notorious for its severe winters.

rapscallion(n)

someone who causes trouble, often in a mischievous way.

Ex: With his shaggy, perpetually unkempt hair and his charmingly crooked smile, the actor seems to have been born to play scamps and rapscallions.

utopia(n)

a place of ideal perfection

Ex: Her vision of utopia was a world where no one ever went hungry or lived in fear of war.