Honors British Literature Final Exam Vocabulary

Belabor

To work on excessively, to thrash soundly

Coherent

Holding or sticking together, making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

Emulate

To imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

Insatiable

So great or demanding as not to be satisfied

Substantiate

To establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to

Accost

To approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way

Avid

Desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

Incendiary

Deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires, tending to stir up strife or rebellion. One who deliberately starts fires, arsonist; one who causes strife

Overt

Open, not hidden, expressed ir revealed up a way that is easily recognized

Pejorative

Tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling

Credence

Belief, mental acceptance

Dissemble

To disguise, or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

Envince

To display clearly, to make evident, to provoke

Nefarious

Wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

Unwonted

Not usual or expected; not in character

Verbiage

Language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression

Bastion

A fortified place, stronghold

Concord

A state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact covenant

Disarray

Disorder confusion; to throw into disorder

Extingency

Urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

Frenetic

Frenzied, highly agitated

Jocular

Humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

Acuity

Sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)

Delineate

To portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorial

Garner

To acquire as the result if efforts; to gather and store away, as for future use

Ignominy

Shame and disgrace

Penchant

A strong attraction or inclination

Ubiquitous

Present or existing everywhere

Abject

Degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

Diatribe

A bitter and prolonged verbal attack

Equity

A state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is far; the money value of a property above and beyond morgage or other claim

Inane

Silly, empty of meaning or value

Indubitable

Certain; not to be doubted or denied

Motif

A principal idea, feature, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design

Allay

To calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve

Ephemeral

Lasting only a short time, short-lived

Furtive

Done slyly or stealthily; sneaky, secret, shifty, stolen

Inordinate

Far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive

Jettison

To cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome

Raiment

Clothing, garments

Echelon

One of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement

Exacerbate

To make more violet, severe, bitter, or painful

Lackadaisical

Lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted

Litany

A prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternately with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list

Macabre

Grisly, gruesome, horrible, distressing; having death as a subject

Portend

To indicate beforehand that something is about to happen, to give advance warning of

Calumniate

To slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously

Imperturbable

Not easily excited; emotionally steady

Paltry

Trifling, insignificant; mean, despicable, inferior, trashy

Redolent

Fragrant, smelling strongly, tending to arouse memories or create an aura

Unremitting

Not stopping, maintained, steadily, never letting up, relentless

Vacillate

To swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will

Foible

A weak point, failing, minor flaw

Fraught

Full or loaded with; accompanied by

Obtuse

Blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 and 180 degrees; not causing a sharp impression

Peremptory

Having the nature of a command that heaves no opportunities for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self assure, dictatorial; determined, resolute

Rebuff

To snub; to repel, drive away; a curt rejection, a check

Ambient

Completely surrounding, encompassing

Delectable

Delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory, an appealing or appetizing food or dish

Ebullient

Overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling and bubbling

Inexorable

Inflexible; beyond influence; relentless, unyielding

Rudiments

The parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first, the earliest stages of anything

Sequester

To set apart, seperate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody

Aesthetic

Pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty

Gregarious

Living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others

Hapless

Marked by a persistent absence of good luck

Impeccable

Faultless, beyond criticism or blame

Languish

To become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to summer neglect

Perfunctory

Done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm

Affront

An open or intentional insult; a slight; to insult to one’s face; to face in defiance, confront

Cognizant

Aware, knowledgeable; informed having jurisdiction

Contrite

Regretful for some misdeed or sin; plagued by a sense of guilt; thoroughly penitent

Efficacy

The power to produce a desired result

Facade

The front or face of a building; a surface appearance (as opposed to what might be beyond)

Machination

A crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil end)

Coup

A highly successful stroke, master strike, tour de force, act plan, or stratagem; a sudden takeover or powerful leadership

Cacophonous

Harsh sounding, raucous, discordant, dissonant

Euphemism

A mild or inoffensive expression used in place of a harsh or unpleasant one, a substitute

Innate

Natural, inborn, inherent; built-in

Manifest

Clear, evident to be the eyes or mind; to show plainly, exhibit evidence; a list of cargo and/or passengers