Vocabulary Pre-AP English

accost

(v.) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging way

animadversion

(n.) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

avid

(adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

brackish

(adj.) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink

celerity

(n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

devious

(adj.) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way

gambit

(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain later advantage; any opening move of this type

halcyon

(n.) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

incendiary

(adj.) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n.) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife

maelstrom

(n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction

myopic

(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment

overt

(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized

pejorative

(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling

propriety

(n.) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable

sacrilege

(n.) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

summarily

adv.) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely

suppliant

(adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

talisman

(n.) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, and amulet

undulate

(v.) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form

abject

(adj.) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

agnostic

(n.) one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; (adj.) without faith, skeptical

complicity

(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

effigy

(n.) a crude image of a despised person

equity

(n.) the state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is fair; the money value of a property value of a property above and beyond any other mortgage or other claim

inane

(adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value

indictment

(n.) a act of accusing; a formal accusation

indubitable

(adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied

intermittent

(adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

moot

(adj.) open to discussion and debate, unresolved; (v.) to bring up for discussion; (n.) a hypothetical law case argued by students

motif

(n.) a principal idea, feature, theme, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design

neophyte

(n.) a new convert, beginner, novice

perspicacity

(n.) keenness in observing and understanding

plenary

(adj.) complete in all aspects or essentials; absolute; attended by all qualified members

surveillance

(n.) a watch kept over a person; careful, close, and disciplined observation

sylvan

(adj.) pertaining to or characteristic or forest; living or located in a forest; wooded, woody

testy

(adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation

travesty

(n.) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially the clothing of the opposite sex; (v.) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion

acuity

(n.) sharpness [particularly of mind or senses]

delineate

(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially

depraved

(adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

enervate

(v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring

esoteric

(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

fecund

(adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

fiat

(n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness

figment

(n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion

garner

(v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use

hallow

(v.) to set apart as holy or scared, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

idiosyncrasy

(n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

ignominy

(n.) shame and disgrace

mundane

(adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary

nuance

(n.) a subtle or slight variation [as in color, meaning, quality], delicate gradation or shade or difference

overweening

(adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate

penchant

(n.) a strong attraction or inclination

reputed

(adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged

sophistry

(n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy

sumptuous

(adj.) costly, rich, magnificent

ubiquitous

(adj.) present or existing everywhere

atrophy

(n) The wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline of failure; (v) to waste away

bastion

(n) A fortified place, strong hold

concord

(n) A state of agreement, harmony, unanimity, a treaty, pact, covenant

consummate

(adj) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v) to bring to a state of completion

disarray

(n) Disorder, confusion; (v) to throw into disorder

exigency

(n, often pl) Urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

flotsam

(n) Floating debris; homeless, impoverished people

frenetic

(adj) Frenzied, highly agitated

glean

(v) To gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers

grouse

(n) A type of game bird; a complaint; (v) to complain, grumble

incarcerate

(v) To imprison, confine, jail

incumbent

(adj) Obligatory, required; (n) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of

jocular

(adj) Humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

ludicrous

(adj) Ridculous, laughable, absurd

mordant

(adj) Biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

nettle

(n) A prickly or stinging plant; (v) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely

pecuniary

(adj) Consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money

Pusillanimous

(adj) Contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

recumbent

(adj) In a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

stratagem

(n) A scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end

articulate

(v.) to pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to connect by a joint or joints; (adj,) expressed clearly and forcefully; able to employ language clearly and forcefully; jointed

cavort

(v.) to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry

credence

(n.) belief; mental acceptance

decry

(v.) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate

dissemble

(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

distraught

(adj.) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

eulogy

(n.) a formal statement of commendation; high praise

evince

(v.) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke

exhume

(v.) to remove from a grave; to bring to light

feckless

(adj.) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

murky

(adj.) dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision

nefarious

(adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

piquant

(adj.) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative

primordial

(adj.) developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic

propinquity

(n.) nearness in place or time; kinship

unwonted

(adj.) not usual or expected; not in character

utopian

(adj.) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical

verbiage

(n.) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression

verdant

(adj.) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgement

viscous

(adj.) having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

acquisitive

(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property