AP Lang Vocab List

intercede

(v.) to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement

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He asked me to intercede with the coach on his behalf.

hackneyed

(adj.) used so often as to lack freshness or originality

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The novel had a dull and hackneyed plot.

approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion

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The official approval or sanction was greeted by smiles of approbation.

innuendo

(n.) a hint, indirect suggestions, or reference (often derogatory)

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My reputation was tarnished by innuendo.

coalition

(n.) a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose

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We created a coalition of many community organizations.

elicit

(v.) to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)

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After the crime, there was an attempt to elicit information.

hiatus

(n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)

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The exhausted physician needs a hiatus from her career.

assuage

(v.) to make easier or milder, to relieve, to quiet, calm

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Trying to assuage her hurt feelings, I apologized profusely.

decadence

(n.) decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay

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Excessive self-indulgence: an example of decadence in ancient societies.

expostulate

(v.) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasioning

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I found it useless to expostulate with the stubborn referee.

simulate

(v.) to make a pretense of; to imitate

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She tried hard to simulate interest in what he was saying.

jaded

(adj.) wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)

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He was jaded from too many parties.

umbrage

(n.) an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; vague suspicion

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I took umbrage at such vile treatment of the guest.

prerogative

(n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence

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As the President of the club, it was her prerogative to appoint a secretary.

lurid

(adj.) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale of sallow in color; terrible in intensity or lack of restraint

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Please spare us the lurid details of the murder.

transcend

(v.) to rise above or beyond, to exceed

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Hopefully, I’ll be able to transcend the language barriers with visual storytelling.

provincial

(adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; narrow in outlook; the sense of being limited and backward; (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; person from an outlying area

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He is a very narrow-minded and provincial in his views.

petulant

(adj.) peevish, annoyed by trifles; easily irritated and upset

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He acted like a petulant child who had been refused what he wanted.

unctuous

(adj.) fatty, oily, and pliable; excessively smooth; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness or sincerity

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His insincere and unctuous compliments were an obvious effort to win votes for Prom King.

meritorious

(adj.) deserving recognition and praise

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He was rewarded with a plaque after many years of meritorious service

Ameliorate

v. Make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.

Aplomb

.n Self-confidence or assurance, especially when in a demanding situation.

Bombastic

adj. High-sounding but with little meaning; inflated.

Callow

adj. (of a young person) Inexperienced and immature.

Drivel

n. (talking) nonsense

Epitome

n. A person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type.

Exhort

v. Strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something

Egregious

adj. Outstandingly bad; shocking.

Infringe

v. Actively break the terms of (a law, agreement, etc.)

Ingratiate

v. Bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them.

intrinsic

(adj) belonging to someone or something by its very nature; essential; inherent

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Her intrinsic interest in the field of astronomy was evident from a young age, as she spent countless hours stargazing and learning about the constellations.

permeate

(v) to spread through; penetrate; soak through

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The aroma of brewing coffee began to permeate the kitchen, gradually filling the entire house with its rich, enticing scent.

occult

(adj) secret or hidden from view; mysterious, magical, or uncanny; (n) matters involving the supernatural

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Some people believe that certain ancient symbols hold occult powers and can bring luck or protection when used in rituals and charms.

inveigh

(v) to make a violent attack in words; express strong disapproval

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She would often inveigh against the injustices she saw in society, passionately advocating for change and equality.

nonplussed

(adj) puzzled; not knowing what to do; at a loss

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When the professor asked Leah an unexpected question, she was completely nonplussed, unable to formulate a coherent response.

surmise

(v) to think or believe without supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; (n) likely idea that lacks definite proof

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Based on the evidence at the crime scene, the detective could only surmise what happened, as the true motive remained a mystery.

stringent

(ad) strict or severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste

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The school's dress code was so stringent that it required students to wear uniforms, adhere to a specific color code, and maintain a strict grooming policy.

interloper

(n) one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be; an intruder

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As an outsider in the tight-knit community, she often felt like an interloper at their local gatherings.

precipitate

(v) to fall as moisture; to bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; (adj) characterized by excessive haste;

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The CEO's decision to cut costs without consulting the employees precipitated a wave of uncertainty and concern among the staff.

lassitude

(n) weariness of body or mind; lack of energy;

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The hot, humid weather left me feeling a deep sense of lassitude, making it difficult to gather the energy to do anything productive.

immutable

(adj) unchanging over time or unable to be changed; unalterable.

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Scientists labored to discover a set of immutable laws of the universe.

contrive

(v) to plan with ingenuity; to bring about through a plan

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He contrived a plan to surprise me on my birthday.

vicarious

(adj) experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.

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In search of vicarious excitement, we watched movies of action and adventure.

castigate

(v) to reprimand someone severely; to criticize harshly.

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After he castigated the unruly children, they settled down to study quietly.

heinous

(adj) shockingly wicked or evil; utterly reprehensible.

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A town so peaceful and law-abiding was bound to be horrified by such a heinous crime.

transmute

(v) to change from one nature or form to another

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Through hard work and dedication, she managed to transmute her passion for art into a successful career.

cajole

(v) to persuade someone to do something by flattery or coaxing.

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After countless efforts to cajole his dog into donning a bow tie proved futile, he conceded that canine couture was a non negotiable affair.

fetter

(v) to restrain with chains or shackles; to render hopeless; (n) a chain or shackle placed on the feet

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It is said that good inventors do not fetter themselves with conventional thinking.

transgress

(v) to go beyond a limit or boundary; violate a law

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Despite the danger of certain death, Romeo chose to transgress into Capulet lands in order to pledge his love for Juliet.

ennui

(n) weariness and dissatisfaction from a lack of occupation or interest; boredom

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The students collectively sighed with ennui as the teacher announced yet another round of quadratic equations.

brusque

(adj) abrupt; blunt; with no formalities

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The waiter’s brusque demeanor towards customers made the dining experience less enjoyable, leaving patrons feeling unwelcome.

surreptitious

(adj) stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation; made or accomplished by fraud Detecting a surreptitious movement in the shadows, I realized someone was quietly observing our private conversation.

bizzare

(adj) extremely strange, unusual, or atypical Years from now, you will look at this photo in the yearbook and wonder what sort of bizzare costume you were wearing for spirit day.

megalomania

(n) a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth talent, etc. His megalomania reached new heights when he insisted on having a throne installed in his classroom, and a "Ruler of the School" nameplate.

disabuse

(v) to free from deception or error, set right in ideas or thinking High school disabused me of the belief that popularity was the key to happiness.

aspersion

(n) a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming

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The critic's constant aspersion on the actor's talent seemed driven more by personal bias than a fair evaluation of his work.

impromptu

(adj) without preparation; offhand; suddenly or hastily done

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The impromptu decision to have a picnic in the park turned out to be the highlight of our weekend.

sinecure

(n) a position requiring little or no work; an easy job.

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His job felt more like a sinecure with minimal responsibilities and ample free time.

anomalous

(adj) abnormal or irregular; departing from the usual

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The sudden and anomalous usually quiet and reserved student raised concerns among the teachers.

deference

(n) courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission

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In the meeting, she spoke with deference to her experienced colleagues, acknowledging their expertise in the matter.

vulnerable

(adj) open to attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected

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Those who were brave enough to oppose the dictator's rise now found themselves in a vulnerable position.

prate

(v) to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion

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Despite knowing little about the topic, he couldn't resist the urge to prate on endlessly, contributing nothing to the conversation.

inconsequential

(adj) trifling, unimportant; lacking significance

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The argument was over some inconsequential worth the time and energy spent debating it.

debase

(v) to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade

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Her decision to spread false rumors about her colleague was an attempt to debase his reputation and undermine his professional standing.

redoubtable

(adj) inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent

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The general was redoubtable leader, inspiring unwavering loyalty and respect from his troops.

concoct

(v) to prepare by combining ingredients, make up, devise, invent, fabricate

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The chef was known to concoct innovative dishes, blending unexpected flavors to create culinary masterpieces.

reprove

(v) to express disapproval of someone's actions or behavior; to find fault with

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The teacher had to reprove the student for consistently disrupting the class with inappropriate behavior.

infraction

(n) a violation or breach of a law or obligation

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Exceeding the posted speed limit was a clear infraction of the traffic laws and resulted in a speeding ticket for the driver.

disconcert

(v) to confuse or cause discomfort or unease; to disturb the composure of

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The sudden change in travel plans seemed to disconcert Julianna, leaving her unsure of what to pack or how to prepare for the trip.

restitution

(n) the act of restoring or compensating for something that has been lost, damaged, or taken away

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The court ordered the thief to make restitution by returning the stolen items and compensating the victims.

punctilious

(adj) very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquette

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The lawyer was punctilious in reviewing every detail of the contract to ensure accuracy and fairness for both parties.

grandiose

(adj) grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affectation or grandeur; absurdly exaggerated

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The architect's grandiose vision for the new city skyline included towering skyscrapers and futuristic designs.

cadaverous

(adj) pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse

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His cadaverous appearance, with sunken eyes and pale skin, suggested a long period of illness.

desecrate

(v) to commit sacrilege upon; to treat irreverently or with contempt

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Vandals had chosen to desecrate the ancient burial ground by spray-painting graffiti on the historic tombstones.

stalwart

(adj) strong and sturdy; brave and resolute In times of adversity, Sarah was a stalwart friend, offering unwavering support and loyalty to those in need.

pillage

(v) to rob of goods by open force; to plunder or loot The invading army sought to pillage the village, taking valuables and causing widespread destruction.

austere

(adj) severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury; simple and plain The room's austere decor, with its minimalistic furniture and neutral colors, conveyed a sense of simplicity and seriousness

mitigate

(v) to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity Planting more trees in the urban area helped mitigate the effects of pollution and improved air quality.

beneficent

(adj) performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits; doing good Her beneficent actions, such as regularly volunteering at the local animal shelter, were recognized with an award acknowledging her outstanding contributions to the community.

crass

(adi) behavior, language, or actions that are extremely insensitive, vulgar, or lacking refinement His crass jokes and insensitive comments often made others uncomfortable in social settings.