AP Lang & Comp: Vinny Pan’s Vocab

Affable

(adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to

Aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater

Amorphous

(adj.) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion

Aura

(n.) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality

Contraband

(n.) illegal traffic, smuggled goods; (adj.) illegal, prohibited

Erudite

(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic

Gossamer

(adj.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n.) a very thin, light cloth

Infer

(v.) to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought

Inscrutable

(adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically

Insular

(adj.) narrow or isolated in outlook or experience

Irrevocable

(adj.) not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered; final

Propensity

(n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward

Querulous

(adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful

Remonstrate

(v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to

Repudiate

(v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of

Resilient

(adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly

Reverberate

(v.) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly

Scurrilous

(adj.) coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul-mouthed

Sedulous

(adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination

Sleazy

(adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable

amnesty

(n.) a general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution

autonomy

(n.) self-government, political control

axiomatic

(Adj.) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule

Blazon

(V.) display prominently or vividly

Caveat

(N.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior

equitable

(Adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice

extricate

(v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort

filch

(v.) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts

flout

(V.) to mock, treat with contempt

fractious

(adj.) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable

precept

(n.) a rule of conduct or action

salutary

(adj.) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome

scathing

(adj.) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm

scourge

(v.) To whip, punish severely; (n.) A cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism

sepulchral

(adj.) funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal

soporific

(adj.) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (n.) something that induces sleep

straitlaced

(adj.) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical

transient

(adj.) lasting only a short time, fleeting; (n.) one who stays only a short time

unwieldy

(Adj.) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity

vapid

(adj.) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force

acrimonious

(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone

bovine

(adj.) resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive

consternation

(n.) feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected

corpulent

(adj.) fat; having a large, bulky body

disavow

(v.) to deny responsibility for or connection with

dispassionate

(adj.) impartial; calm, free from emotion

dissension

(n.) disagreement, sharp difference of opinion

dissipate

(v.) to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure

expurgate

(v.) to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify

gauntlet

(n.) an armored or protective glove; a challenge or ordeal

hypothetical

(adj.) based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation

ignoble

(adj.) dishonorable; shameful

impugn

(v.) to call into question; to attack as false

intemperate

(adj.) immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement

odium

(n.) hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct

perfidy

(n.) faithlessness, treachery

relegate

(v.) to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish

squeamish

(adj.) inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined

subservient

(adj.) subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end

susceptible

(adj.) open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance

abate

(v.) to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit

adulation

(n.) praise or flattery that is excessive

anathema

(n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)

astute

(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom

avarice

(n.) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth

culpable

(adj.) deserving blame

dilatory

(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone

ergregious

(adj.) conspicuously bad or offensive

equivocate

(v.) to be deliberately vague or ambiguous

evancescent

(adj.) fleeting, momentary

irresolute

(adj.) unable to make up one's mind, hesitating

nebulous

(adj.) hazy; vague; uncertain

novice

(n.) one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally)

penury

(n.) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

pretentious

(adj.) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably

recapitulate

(v.) to summarize; to repeat briefly

resuscitate

(v.) to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence

slovenly

(adj.) untidy, dirty, careless

supposition

(n.) an uncertain belief

torpid

(adj.) mentally or physically inactive; lethargic