English Vocab quiz

docile

adj. easily taught; obedient; easy to handle

mitigate

v. to moderate the effect of something

approbation

n. approval; praise

hyperbole

n. an exaggeration used as a figure of speech

surreptitious

adj. sneaky; secret

doggerel

n. comic, trivial, often satirical poetry; words badly written or expressed

intractable

adj. uncontrollable; stubborn

penchant

n. strong taste or liking for something; a predilection

prodigal

adj. wastefully extravagant

vacillate

v. to be indecisive; to waver

proclaim

v. to publicly or formally declare something

supplant

v. to displace, to substitute for another

circumscribe

v. to draw a line around; to set the limits; to define

vapid

adj. without liveliness; dull; spiritless

inert

adj. inactive; sluggish; not reacting chemically

insidious

adj. treacherous; sneaky and crafty

reparation

n. paying back; making amends

turpitude

n. shameful wickedness

fulsome

adj. offensively flattering or insincere

hone

v. to sharpen; to make perfect

inveterate

adj. habitual; firm in habit; deeply rooted

sanctimonious

adj. pretending to be devout

saccharine

adj. sweet; excessively or disgustingly sweet

vicissitude

n. one of the sudden or unexpected changes or shifts often encountered in one's life, activities, or surroundings

abject

adj. hopeless; extremely sad and servile; defeated

strife

n. a bitter conflict; discord

homage

n. special respect or honor

mollify

v. to soothe; to pacify

precipitate

v. to cause to happen abruptly

magnate

n. a rich, powerful, or very successful business person

diffident

adj. timid; lacking in self-confidence

edify

v. to enlighten; to instruct

malfeasance

n. an illegal act, especially by a public official

exonerate

v. to free completely from blame

vilify

v. to say vile things about; to defame

derogatory

adj. disapproving; degrading

gregarious

adj. sociable; enjoying the company of others

facetious

adj. humorous; not serious

despondent

adj. extremely depressed; full of despair

choleric

adj. hot-tempered; quick to anger

loquacious

adj. talkative

deride

v. to laugh at contemptuously; to ridicule

indolent

adj. lazy

rhetoric

n. the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively

impugn

v. to attack, especially the truth or integrity of something

nefarious

adj. evil; flagrantly wicked

equanimity

n. composure; calm

labyrinth

n. a maze; something like a maze

conciliatory

adj. making peace; attempting to resolve a dispute through good will

intransigent

adj. uncompromising; stubborn

recondite

adj. hard to understand; over one's head

Masculine rhyme

A type of rhyme where the final syllables are stressed and the rhyme occurs on a single syllable, often found at the end of lines in poetry.

Meter

The structured pattern of rhythm in poetry, defined by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn't literally true, often used for comparative purposes.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, often used for symbolic representation.

Mimesis

The imitation of life in art and literature, often used to represent reality or convey human experience.

Modes

Ways of representation in art or literature, reflecting reality or imitating life.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere or feeling evoked by a literary work, often influenced by the author's tone and style.

Motif

A recurring element or theme in a work of art or literature that helps to develop and inform the main ideas.

Narration

a mode of writing that retells events in a logical sequence

Nemesis

Ones enemy

Ode

An elaborate poem expressed in language dignified, sincire, imaginative, and intellectual in tone

Onomatopeia

Using words whose pronunciation suggests their meaning

Open Form

a Poem that is written in free verse; it does not prescribe to an established form or metrical pattern

Oxymoron

Placing together two contradictory words