AP Lang Vocab 16, 17, & 18

obdurate

not giving in to persuasion; inflexible; hardened against feeling

dour

marked by stubborn sternness or harshness; silently ill-humored

audacious

fearlessly daring; bold; unrestrained by what is considered acceptable or appropriate

pertinacity

the quality or state of holding firmly to a purpose, belief, or opinion; stubborn persistence

contumacy

obstinate or contemptuous resistance to authority; stubborn rebelliousness

stoic

seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive

indefatigable

incapable of being fatigued; tireless

eclat

great brilliance, as of performance or achievement; conspicuous success

obsequious

excessively eager to serve, obey, or ingratiate oneself; fawning

irresolute

undecided or uncertain as to action or procedure; vacillating

querulous

given to complaining; expressing or showing a complaint

felicitous

well choses; apt; yielding great pleasure or delight

truculent

savage and cruel; fierce; disposed to fight

convivial

sociable; fond of feasting and food company; festive

irascible

prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered

unctuous

characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness; having the quality of oil or ointment; greasy

placid

having an undisturbed surface or aspect; outwardly calm or composed

surly

sullenly ill-humored; gruff

ebullience

the quality of expressing feelings or ideas in an enthusiastic and lively manner; exuberance

sardonic

scornfully mocking and derisive

denomination

the name of a class or group; an organized group of religious congregations

metonymy

a figure of speech in which an attribute or feature is used to name or designate something

homonym

one of two or more words that have the same sound and often the same spelling but differ in meaning

anonymous

having an unknown or withheld name, authorship, or agency; lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizability

nominal

existing in name only and not actuality; insignificantly small

cognomen

a name, especially a descriptive nickname acquired through usage

renown

the quality of being widely honored and acclaimed; fame

nomenclature

a system of names used in the arts and sciences

misnomer

a name wrongly or unsuitably applied to a person, place, or thing; an error in naming

ignominy

personal dishonor or humiliation; shameful or disgraceful action conduct or character