AP Lang & Comp Unit 10-12

study terms!

askance

(adv.) with suspicion, distrust; with disapproval
syn: distrustfully, suspiciously

attenuate

(v.) to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value to make thin or slender
syn: thin out, dilute, water down
ant: thicken, strengthen, bolster

benign

(adj.) gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect; not malignant
syn: benevolent, salubrious, harmless
ant: malevolent, deleterious

cavil

(v.) to find fault in a petty way, to carp;
(n.) a trivial objection or criticism

syn: nitpick

charlatan

(n.) one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, an impostor; a quack
syn: mountebank

decimate

(v.) to kill or destroy a large part of
syn: devastate

foible

(n.) a weak point; failing; minor flaw
syn: shortcoming, quirk
ant: forte, virtue

forgo

(v.) to do without; to abstain from; to give up
syn: refrain from, renounce
ant: indulge in, partake of

fraught

(adj.) full of or loaded with; accompanied by
syn: charged with
ant: devoid of, lacking, deficient in

inure

(v.) to toughen, harden; to get used to something by long subjection or exposure
syn: accustom, acclimate

luminous

(adj.) emitting or reflecting light; glowing; illuminating
syn: bright, refulgent, lustrous
ant: dark, opaque, dim, murky

obsequious

(adj.) marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons
syn: fawning, servile, sycophantic, mealymouthed
ant: assertive, bumptious, candid, frank, independent

obtuse

(adj.) slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 and 180 degrees; not causing a sharp impression; blunt, not coming to a point
syn: dumb, thick, mild, dull-witted
ant: perceptive, quick-witted

oscillate

(v.) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver
syn: vibrate

penitent

(adj.) regretful for one's sins or mistakes; (n.) one who is sorry for wrongdoing
syn: (adj.) remorseful, regretful, rueful
ant: (adj.) remorseless

peremptory

(adj.) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured; dictatorial; determined, resolute
syn: unconditional
ant: irresolute, mild, unassuming

rebuff

(v.) to snub; to repel, drive away; (n.) a curt rejection, a check
syn: (v.) repulse, reject; (n.) setback
ant: (v.) accept, welcome

reconnoiter

(v.) to engage in reconnaissance; to make a preliminary inspection
syn: scout

shambles

(n.) a slaughterhouse; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess; a place of mass bloodshed

sporadic

(adj.) occurring at irregular intervals; having no set plan or order
syn: intermittent, spasmodic
ant: steady, continuous, uninterrupted

abrogate

(v.) to repeal, cancel, declare null and void

ambient

(adj.) completely surrounding, encompassing

asperity

(n.) roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness

burnish

(v.) to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish; (n.) gloss, brightness, luster

cabal

(n.) a small group working in secret

delectable

(adj.) delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory;
(n.) an appealing or appetizing food or dish

deprecate

(v.) to express mild disapproval; to belittle

detritus

(n.) loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction

ebullient

(adj.) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling

eclectic

(adj.) drawn from different source;
(n.) one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources

flaccid

(adj.) limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness

impecunious

(adj.) having little or no money

inexorable

(adj.) inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding

moribund

(adj.) dying, on the way out

necromancer

(n.) one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard

onerous

(adj.) burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty

rife

(adj.) common prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, replete

rudiments

(n. pl.) the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything

sequester

(v.) to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody

winnow

(v.) to get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan

Aesthetic

(Adj.) pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty
Synonym: artistic

Defunct

(Adj.) no longer in existence or functioning, dead
Synonyms: extinct, nonexistent
Antonyms: alive, extant

Discomfit

(V.) to frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass
Synonyms: nonplus, disconcert, foil

Espouse

(V.) to take up and support; to become attatched to, adopt; to marry
Synonyms: embrace, wed
Antonyms: repudiate, disavow, renounce

Fetish

(N.) an object believed to have magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence
Synonyms: charm, talisman, obsession

Gregarious

(Adj.) living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others
Synonyms: outgoing, extroverted
Antonyms: aloof, introverted, reclusive

Hapless

(Adj.) marked by a persistent absence of good luck
Synonyms: unlucky, ill-started, unfortunate
Antonyms: lucky, charmed, fortunate

Impeccable

(Adj.) faultless, beyond criticism or blame
Synonyms: flawless, spotless, immaculate
Antonyms: grimy, soiled, spotted, sullied

Importune

(V.) to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently
Synonyms: implore, entreat, dun, tax

Interpolate

(V.) to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction
Synonyms: inject, interpose, introduce

Irreparable

(Adj.) incapable of being repaired or rectified
Synonyms: irremediable
Antonyms: remediable, fixable, reversible

Laconic

(Adj.) concise, using few words
Synonyms: terse, succinct, pithy, compact
Antonyms: garrulous, prolix, loquacious, verbose

Languish

(V.) to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect
Synonyms: flag, wilt, fade, pine

Mendacious

(Adj.) given to lying or deception; untrue
Synonyms: untruthful, false
Antonyms: truthful, veracious

Nadir

(N.) the lowest point
Synonyms: rock bottom
Antonyms: apex, pinnacle, zenith

Omnipresent

(Adj.) present in all places at all times
Synonyms: ubiquitous, ever-present

Perfunctory

(Adj.) done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm
Synonyms: slapdash, cursory, shallow
Antonyms: throrough, assiduous, diligent, meticulous

Plaintive

(Adj.) expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy
Synonyms: sad, doleful, lugubrious
Antonyms: cheerful, blithe, joyous, merry

Requite

(V.) to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate
Synonyms: reimburse, recompense, avenge

Tantamount

(Adj.) equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect
Synonym: indistinguishable from