AP Language Vocabulary for Spring 2025

Flashcards for vocabulary terms relevant to the AP Language course for Spring 2025.

equivocate

1. to avoid committing oneself in what one says, esp. with intent to deceive.

EX: “The politician’s determination to ~ on the issue was as annoying as it was dishonest.”

Etym. from L: “called by the same name” or “to give equal voice to”

importune

 1. to annoyingly press or urge someone to do something.

EX: “Do not continue to ~ me to change my mind!”

ephemeral

1. lasting a very short time.

EX: “Her fame was ~, and she was forgotten within a year.”

titular

1.having a title, without the accompanying power, privileges,or respect.

EX: “King Charles is a ~ king; he doesn’t actually lead the country.”

would

 1. to wish or strongly desire.

EX: “I ~ I were young again” = “I wish I were young again.”

affect, -ation

1. to produce an effect upon someone or something, 2. to put on a false appearance or pretend to feel, believe, or be able to do something.

EX: “He ~ed to be brave, but ran when the fighting started.”

manqué

1. having failed to become what one might have been; unfulfilled.

EX: “Though classically trained, she was a singer ~ , and performed only for friends in karaoke bars.”

NOTE: used postpositively, coming after the noun it describes.

acquiesce

1. to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively.

EX: “You’re bound to ~ in his judgment, whatsoever your private opinion may be”

NOTE: The correct preposition to use, according to most, is “in.”  I.e., “~ in (something

indefatigable

1. incapable of being fatigued; untiring.

EX: “The rookie marathoner seemed ~, and crushed the previous record.”

exculpate

1. To clear from alleged fault or guilt.

EX: “After spending decades in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he was ~d by DNA evidence.”

ecstatic

1. feeling or expressing great happiness or joyful excitement.

EX: “She was ~ to hear she’d been accepted to USC.”

atavistic

1. related to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.

EX: “He gave in to ~ fears and instincts, and ran.”

wan

1. pale, appearing ill or exhausted.

EX: “...looking ~ and bleary-eyed”

insouciant

1. Showing casual lack of concern

2. indifferent.

EX: “...an expression of boyish ~nce” Also, see pronunciation guide.

wax

1. to speak or write about something in a specified manner.

EX: “They were ~ing nostalgic about the music of their youth.”

sage

1. a profoundly wise person, marked by or showing profound wisdom.

EX: “They agreed with his ~ advice.”

avid

1. showing keen interest or enthusiasm.

EX: “She was an ~ sci-fi fan.”

inimical

1. tending to obstruct or harm.

EX:  “These are actions ~ to our interests.”

perfunctory

1. carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.

EX: “He recited the poem ~-ily, without passion.”

vehement

1. showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate.

EX: . “They criticized the policies ~ly.”

extricate

1. to free or remove from.

EX: “Incredibly, the fly managed to ~ itself from the spider’s web.”

divest

1. to deprive someone of something.

2. to rid or relieve oneself of something unwanted

EX: “They were easily ~ed of their freedom.”

EX: “He tried in vain to ~ himself of clutter.”

partake

1. take part in; become involved with, usu. with “in” or “of”

EX: “He did not ~ in the cheating scheme.”

vain

1. hopeless, doomed to fail or pointless, oft. used with “in,”

2. pointless

3. having an unrealistically favorable opinion of oneself.

EX: “She tried in ~ to persuade him.”

entail

1. involve something as a necessary or inevitable part.

EX: “...a situation that ~s many considerable risks”

subvert

1. to undermine the power and authority of.

EX: “The king ~ed the court’s ruling by showing they could not enforce it.”

ineluctable

1. unable to be resisted or avoided.

EX: “The ~ facts prevailed, and reason won the day.”

capricious

1. given to sudden and unexplainable changes in mood or behavior.

EX: “She found most of the toddler's actions to be surprising and ~.”

whimsical

1. playfully fanciful, esp. in an amusing or appealing way.

2. Acting or behaving in a capricious manner

EX: “She had an animated, ~ way of moving her chess pieces.”

obtuse

1. annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand.

2. Difficult to understand

EX: “They found his lecture bewilderingly ~.”

cf “abstruse,” “arcane,” and “cryptic”

native

1. belonging to, or associated with, by birth.

2 inborn, innate “~ talents”

3. natural, normal,

4. indigenous, local

sovereign

1. having autonomy or independence, “a ~ country”

2. autonomy, freedom from external control

liaise

1. establish a working, cooperative relationship.

usher

1. cause the start of something new.

EX: “~ in a new type of music”

provisional

1. temporary, serving in for the time being.

EX: “a ~ government”

epiphany

1. an illuminating discovery or realization.

EX: “A pinch of cayenne pepper in her hot cocoa was an ~”

implication

1. something implied, such as a possible significance.

EX: “The book has political ~s”

perpetuate

1. to make or cause to last indefinitely.

reparation

1. something given as amends for a wrong or injury.

charlatan

1. one who pretends to possess knowledge or abilities they lack.

EX: “a ~ who said anything to get elected”

metastasize

1. to spread or grow in a harmful, seemingly unstoppable way, often used figuratively

EX: “a panic ~d among the massive crowd”

mean

1. trivial, insignificant, mundane,

2. unworthy of regard, respect, or consideration.

EX: “Winning a gold medal is no ~ feat.”

peruse

1. to read thoroughly or carefully.

2. examine closely or at length

EX: “~ this contract before signing it.”

arrogate

1. to take or claim something without justification.

EX: “He ~ to himself the right to remove judges.”

indolent

1. lazy

frivolous

1. of little importance

2. having no sound basis.

3. 3. foolish, indulgent, extravagant

EX: “a ~ lawsuit”

purblind

1. having defective vision

2. slow or unable to understand, dim-witted

odious

1. extremely unpleasant.

EX:  “an ~ task”

delectation

1. pleasure and delight.

EX: “a box of chocolate for their ~ “

cashier

1. to dismiss from service, especially dishonorably.

2. to reject or discard

EX: “He was not promoted, but ~ instead”

panoply

1. a complete or impressive collection of things.

2. a splendid display

EX: “a ~ of French cheeses”

dialectical

1.the use of dialogue as a means of intellectual inquiry.

ontology

1. the study of the nature of being or existence.

epistemology

1. the study of knowledge and what is knowable.

assume

1. to take on or accept.

temporal

1. physical or worldly realm or experience vs spiritual.

incarnate

1. (esp. of a deity, spirit, or concept) embodied in flesh or human form.

EX: She is evil incarnate.

oblige(d)

1. constrained by physical, moral, or legal force.

2. indebted by a favor received

conjure

1. summon a ghost or spirit

2. cause to appear as by magic

3. to give an appearance to something

EX: ~ up life to puppets.

wrought

1. beaten into shape by tools

2. elaborately ornamented.

3. made or composed of

EX: wrought in iron.

vexed

1. feeling or showing irritation or distress.

indignant

1. feeling or showing anger at something unjust or unfair.