Accelerated Literature and Composition: Semester 2 Vocabulary

abide(v)

accepting without objection

ex: Residents of the dorm agreed to abide by the dorm’s rules.

avuncular(adj)

unc

ex: The shopkeeper was known for his avuncular charm, always handing out free treats to the neighborhood children.

bespoke(adj)

custom-made

ex: Nothing beats the charm of a bespoke, hand-carved chair.

bombinate(v)

murmur, buzz

ex: The classroom was freezing, but you could hear the furnace bombinating below.

defile(v)

dirty

ex: Students were supended for defiling the school bathrooms.

frenetic(adj)

excitement and disorder

ex: The party was frenetic, lasting until 3:00 AM.

hyperbole(n)

describes something that’s much better or worse than reality

ex: The children were disappointed to learn that while the ice cream cones were very large, describing them as “foot-high” was pure hyperbole.

peculiar(adj)

odd

ex: The dog's peculiar behavior worried them.

spiel(n)

fast speech to persuade

ex: Salesmen speak with an opening spiel.

volition(n)

free will

ex: Joe Bart talks about volition on his philosophy channel.

anthropomorphic(adj)

human-like

ex: The story tells the adventures of a group of anthropomorphic animals.

atone(v)

making amends

ex: James tried to atone for the wrongdoings of his youth by devoting his life to helping 

others.

emblazon(v)

to decorate the surface

ex: Her favorite souvenir from her trip to the Grand Canyon was a t-shirt emblazoned with a rosy sunset over the famous chasm.

kerfuffle(n)

disturbance

ex: The reclassification of Pluto from a planet to a small star caused quite a kerfuffle among astronomy lovers.

laconic(adj)

few words

ex: Her bubbly personality was a humorous yet complementary contrast to her friend’s more laconic demeanor.

languid(adj)

few strength

ex: The trial proceeded at a languid pace as each attorney called up a whole roster of witnesses to testify.

onus(n)

responsibility

ex: Management has made it clear that the onus is on employees to ask for further training if they don’t understand the new procedures.

proffer(v)

offer

ex: Several recommendations were proffered by the finance board on how to reduce the city’s debt without making drastic cuts in department budgets.

proselytize(v)

persuade
ex: Eliza is a staunch environmentalist who always feels the need to proselytize to anyone who doesn't drive an electric or hybrid car.

sporadic(adj)

occasionally

ex: The team’s regular meetings became sporadic over the summer months, when at some points up to half of its members were on vacation.