American Literature Vocab

Approbation

the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise, official approval

Assuage

To make easier or milder, relieve to calm or pacify; to satisfy

Coalition

A combination or alliance between groups or individuals for a specific purpose, often political.

Decadence

characterized by excessive indulgence, decline of standards, or deterioration, often associated with moral decay.

Elicit

To draw out or bring forth a response, answer, or fact from someone.

Expostulate

To atempt to dissuade someone from a decison by earnest reasoning

Hackneyed

use of lacking originality or freshness; clichéd.

Hiatus

A gap, opening, break in continuity or time.

Innuendo

A hint, indirect suggestion, or refrence

Intercede

To plead on behalf of someone else, to serve as a third party or go between in a dispute or negotiation.

Jaded

Wearied woen-out dulled

Lurid

Causing shock or disgust; involving sensational or gruesome details.

Meritorious

worthy, deserving recongnition and praise for one's actions or qualities.

Petulant

peevish annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset

Prerogative

a special right or privilege, a special quality showing excellence

Provincial

local, plan design that originated in the countryside, a person with a narrow point of view, a person from an outlying area or colony

Simulate

To make a pretense of, imitate, to show the outer signs of

Transcend

to rise above or beyond, exceed

Umbrage

shade cast by trees, foliage giving shade, an overshadowing influence or power, offense, resentment, a vague suspicion

Unctuous

exessively smooth or smug, trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness and fatty oily, pliablein texture; often used to describe insincerity or smugness in behavior.