Lesson 1 Definitions AP English 11th grade

Antipathy

a dislike,distaste, or enmity

ascetic

one who leads a life of self-denial and contemplation; absent of luxury

decorum

appropriate conduct, correct and proper behavior

edifice

a very large building

eulogy

praise or tribute

foliage

leaves of a plant, leafage

grievous

characterized by severe suffering or sorrow, serious or grave

ignominy

disgraceful or dishonorable conduct

inclement

stormy, severe

inopportune

inconvenient, poorly timed

labyrinthine

like a maze, very convoluted and intricate

lurid

sensational, gruesome and causing shock or horror

pallor

extreme paleness usually relating to the face

placid

peaceful, calm

portent

a sign or forewarning

potentate

a monarch, very powerful ruler, sovereign

propriety

correct conduct

quaint

unusual in character or appearance

witticism

a clever and witty remark

zenith

the highest point overhead, peak

benign

not causing harm, of gentle disposition, beneficial

Estrange

to alienate, to separate

furrow

to make wrinkles or grooves

inviolable

secure from violation or from being profaned

jocular

jesting or joking

languid

slow, sluggish, listless, weak

Ominous

threatening

ponderous

very heavy, unwieldy from weight

solace

to comfort or to cheer

superfluous

beyond what is needed or required, an overflow

abate

to reduce in intensity or amount

abyss

bottomless hole, a vast expanse or depth

expiate

to atone or make amends for a sin or a crime

import

relative importance, significance

incongruity

nonconformity, disagreement, incompatibility

indefatigable

tireless, incapable of being fatigue

inextricable

not able to be disentangled

infamous

having a reputation of the worst kind, vicious, notoriously bad

piety

devotion and reverence to God

scintillating

sparking, shining, or flashing

calamity

a serious event causing distress or misfortune

depravity

moral corruption, a wicked or perverse act

erudite

scholarly

esoteric

understand only by a small group or a select few

ethereal

heavenly, unusually delicate, light, lacking material substance, intangible

evanescent

fleeting; impermanent

exigent

urgent, requiring immediate attention

palliate

to ease pain, guilt or intensity

plaintive

mournful and expressing sorrow

propinquity

nearness; kinship

abase

to degrade, to humiliate

ascend

to move upward, to rise from a lower station

dearth

a lack, a scarcity

derision

scoffing at, mockery, ridicule

foreboding

premonition of evil, an ominous omen

fugitive

a person who is elusive or hard to find, wandering

malefactor

a criminal

peal

a loud ringing (usually of bells)

regimen

the regular process, procedure, or system of doing something

replete

filled to capacity, abundantly supplied

abstruse

difficult to understand, recondite, concealed

alchemist

one who practices medieval chemistry or tries to change metals into gold

amenable

open to or willing to follow advice or suggestion, tractable, malleable

effervescent

showing high spirits

gentility

state of refinement, member of the upper class or gentry

portal

a doorway

precipice

a very steep cliff or mass of rock, the brink of something dangerous

primeval

ancient, relating to the earliest ages

prolific

abundantly fruitful, marked by great productivity

stalwart

one who supports a cause with firm partisanship

austere

strict, stern; unadorned, ascetic

gaunt

very thin, emaciated, angular

odious

deserving hate or contempt

petulance

unreasonable touchiness or irritability

revere

to honor, to regard with respect

rotund

very plump, round

tarry

to delay in coming or going, to linger

vicissitude

a passing from one thing to another, change of luck

virtous

having excellent morals, righteous

vitiated

impaired, corrupted, or made ineffective

audacity

excessive boldness, rashness, daring

auspicious

favorable

consecrate

to dedicate or to declare sacred

credible

reliable and believable

enumerate

to count one by one

gratuitous

given freely, unwarranted

imbibe

to absorb or to drink in

inauspicious

unfavorable

pompous

exaggerated show of dignity or self- importance, bombastic

sedulous

very diligent, accomplishing with painstaking care

endow

to provide with income or [property, to supply with a talent or quality

enmity

absolute hatred

fervent

ardent, showing great emotion, impassioned

obviates

makes unnecessary, prevents as a result of anticipating

opaque

not allowing the passage of light, not transparent; hard to understand

palpable

tangible, perceptible, easily noticeable

propensity

preference, natural inclination

remonstrate

to protest, to make objections

tome

a book that is a large volume

wan

very pale and sickly