AP English Allusions

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering allusions from mythology, literature, and the Bible for AP English preparation.

Achilles' heel

One spot that is most vulnerable; one weakness a person may have.

Adonis

A handsome young man loved by Aphrodite.

Aeolian

Pertaining to wind; related to the god who was the Keeper of Wind.

Apollo

The God of music and light, known for his physical beauty.

Argus-eyed

Omniscient, all-seeing; from Argus, the 100-eyed monster.

Athena/Minerva

Goddess of wisdom, the city, and arts; patron goddess of Athens.

Atlantean

Strong like Atlas, who carried the globe on his shoulders.

Aurora

Early morning or sunrise; from the Roman personification of Dawn.

Bacchanal

A wild, drunken party or rowdy celebration, from the god of wine Bacchus.

Calliope

The Muse of eloquence or beautiful voice; also means a series of whistles.

Cassandra

A person who predicts misfortune but is not believed; cursed by Apollo.

Centaur

A monster with the head, arms, and chest of a man, and the body of a horse.

Chimera

A horrible creature of imagination, or an absurd or impossible idea.

Cupidity

Eager desire to possess something; greed or avarice.

Erotic

Of or having to do with sexual passion or love.

Furor

Wild enthusiasm or excitement; rage.

Gorgon

A very ugly or terrible person, especially a repulsive woman.

Halcyon

Calm, peaceful, tranquil; related to a mythical bird.

Harpy

A predatory person or nagging woman.

Hector

To bully; from the bravest Trojan warrior.

Helen (of Troy)

Symbol of a beautiful woman; caused the Trojan War.

Herculean

Very strong or of extraordinary power; from Hercules.

Hydra-Headed

Having many centers or branches, hard to control.

Iridescent

A play of colors producing rainbow effects; from Iris, goddess of the rainbow.

Jovial

Good-humored; related to Jove, expressing surprise or agreement.

Junoesque

Marked by stately beauty; comes from Juno, wife of Jupiter.

Lethargy

Abnormal drowsiness or inertia; from Lethe, a river in Hades.

Martial

Suited for war; related to Mars, the Roman god of war.

Medea

A sorceress known for revenge against Jason.

Mentor

A trusted counselor or guide.

Mercurial

Suddenly cranky or changeable; related to the god Mercury.

Mercury/Hermes

Messenger of the gods, conductor of souls, god of eloquence.

Mnemonics

A device used to aid memory.

Morphine

An alkaloid used to relieve pain; named after Morpheus.

Muse

Creatures of inspiration; divine singers presiding over thought.

Narcissism

Being in love with one's own self-image.

Nemesis

Just punishment; goddess who punishes crime.

Neptune

The sea personified, Roman god associated with Poseidon.

Niobe

A mournful woman; turned into a rock by the gods.

Odyssey

A long journey; named for Odysseus.

Olympian

Majestic in manner; related to the gods of Olympus.

Paean

A song of joy; a healer named Paean.

Pandora's Box

Something that opens the door for bad occurrences.

Parnassus

A mountain sacred to arts and literature.

Pegasus

A winged horse that symbolizes poetic inspiration.

Phoenix

A symbol of immortality or rebirth.

Plutocracy

A government by the wealthy; named after Pluton.

Promethean

Life-bringing; creative or courageously original.

Protean

Taking many forms; versatile, named after Proteus.

Psyche

The human soul; joined to the heart of love.

Pygmalion

Someone who tries to fashion another into a desired figure.

Pyrrhic victory

A too costly victory.

Saturnalia

A period of unrestrained revelry.

Saturnine

Sluggish or gloomy; associated with the god Saturn.

Sibyl

A witch or sorceress; priestess of Apollo.

Sisyphean

Greedy and avaricious; related to the king Sisyphus.

Stentorian

Having a loud voice.

Stygian

Dark and gloomy.

Tantalize

To tempt with unattainable desires.

Terpsichorean

Pertaining to dance; one of the muses.

Titanic

Large, grand; named after the Titans.

Volcanoes

Originated from the Roman god of fire, Vulcan.

Zeus

Powerful ruler of the gods; ruler of Mt. Olympus.

Babbitt

A self-satisfied person focused on material success.

Brobdingnagian

Gigantic; after Brobdingnag, land of giants.

Bumble

To speak clumsily or behave falteringly.

Cinderella

One who gains recognition after obscurity.

Don Juan

A man obsessed with seducing women.

Don Quixote

One who is overly idealistic.

Panglossian

Blindly optimistic; named after Dr. Pangloss.

Falstaffian

Full of wit and bawdy humor.

Frankenstein

Anything that threatens or destroys its creator.

Friday

A faithful attendant, named after Robinson Crusoe's companion.

Galahad

A pure and noble man with limited ambition.

Jekyll and Hyde

A person with two sides to their personality.

Lilliputian

Descriptive of something very small or trivial.

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Refers to a pampered small boy.

Lothario

A man whose chief interest is seducing women.

Malapropism

Humorous misuse of a word.

Mrs. Malaprop

Character notorious for misuse of words.

Milquetoast

A timid or weak person.

Pickwickian

Humorous, sometimes derogatory.

Pollyanna

A person overly optimistic.

Pooh-bah

A pompous official, fulfilling many offices.

Quixotic

Having foolish, impractical ideas.

Robot

A machine resembling a human; performs human acts.

Rodomontade

Boasting; to boast about something.

Scrooge

A bitter and greedy person.

Simon Legree

A harsh and cruel person in authority.

Svengali

A person with hypnotic power.

Tartuffe

Someone who is hypocritical.

Uncle Tom

Someone who is submissive, resembling a slave.

Uriah Heep

A fawning toadie or obsequious person.

Walter Mitty

A non-adventuresome person who daydreams.

Yahoo

A boorish or crass person.

Absolom

A son who brings heartache to his father.

Alpha and Omega

The beginning and the end.

Cain

A brother who kills a brother; from the story of Cain and Abel.

Daniel

Known for wisdom and accurate judgment.

David and Bathsheba

Represents a big sin.