American Literature Vocabulary List 7

Colloquial

(of language) used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary.

Combustible

Able to catch fire and burn easily. / (of a person) easily angered or excited.

Complementary

Combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other./(of colors) directly opposite each other on the color wheel and when combined cancel each other out (producing grayscale).

Confluence

The junction of two rivers, especially rivers of approximately equal width. / An act or process of merging.

Conjecture

An opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information. / (in mathematics) an unproven proposition.

Converge

(of lines) tend to meet at a point. / (of a series) approximate in the sum of its terms toward a definite limit.

Corrode

Destroy or damage (metal, stone, or other materials) slowly by chemical action./(of metal or other materials) be destroyed or damaged in this way.

Corrugated

(of a material or surface) shaped into alternating parallel grooves and ridges.

Culpable

Deserving blame; guilty.

Debilitate

Make (someone) very weak and infirm.

Debunk

Expose the falseness or hollowness of (a myth, idea, or belief).

Dehydrate

Cause (a person or their body) to lose a large amount of water. / Remove water from (food) in order to preserve it.

Deleterious

Causing harm or damage.

Depose

Remove from office suddenly and forcefully. / (in law) testify to or give (evidence) under oath, typically in a written statement.

Desiccate

Remove the moisture from (something, especially food), typically in order to preserve it. / (of something abstract) drain of vitality or creativity.

Diffidence

Modesty or shyness resulting from a lack of self-confidence.

Dilatory

Slow to act; intended to cause delay.

Discourse

Written or spoken communication or debate. / A formal discussion of a topic in speech or writing.

Discrepancy

A lack of compatibility or similarity between two or more facts.

Disquiet

A feeling of anxiety or worry.

Distend

Swell or cause to swell by pressure from inside.

Dupe

Deceive or trick (someone). / A victim of deception.

Ebullient

Cheerful and full of energy/(of liquid or matter) boiling or agitated as if boiling.

Edify

Instruct or improve (someone) morally or intellectually.

Efface

Erase (a mark) from a surface. / Make oneself appear insignificant or inconspicuous.

Effervesce

(of a liquid) give off bubbles. / (of a person) be vivacious and enthusiastic.

Elegy

A poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.

Elicit

Evoke or draw out (a response, answer, or fact) from someone.

Elucidate

Make (something) clear; explain.

Emaciated

Abnormally thin or weak, especially because of illness or a lack of food.

Emend

Make corrections and improvements to (a text).

Equanimity

Calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation.

Equitable

Fair and impartial.

Evanescent

Soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing.

Excerpt

A short extract from a film, broadcast, or piece of music or writing.