AP Lang - Unit 2 Vocabulary

accost (the nobleman was accost by beggars on his way to the castle)

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

animadversion (the inexperienced filmmaker was disheartened by the animadversion of the film critic)

a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

avid (most writers are also avid readers who have loved books since childhood)

desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

brackish (the shipwrecked passengers adrift on the lifeboat became ill after drinking brackish water)

having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink

celerity (although the heavy snowfall was not expected; the highway department responded with surprising celerity)

swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

devious (the interrogator used devious methods to try to get the suspect to incriminate himself)

straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way

gambit (asking an interesting stranger about this or her job is a popular party gambit)

in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type

halcyon (the teacher read the legend of the halcyon mythic bird that nested in a calm sea. the woman often spoke of the halcyon days of her childhood)

a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

histrionic (upon receiving his award, the young actor gave a histrionic speech)

pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic

incendiary (the arsonist planted an incendiary device in the basement of the store. the radical incendiary was sentenced to life imprisonment)

deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires tending to stir up strife or rebellion; one who deliberately sets fire, arsonist; one who causes strife

maelstrom (many innocent people caught in the maelstrom of the revolution lost their lives and property)

a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling whirlpool in violence and destruction

myopic (the myopic foreign policy of the last administration has led to serious problems with our allies)

nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment

overt (in order for congress to declare war, the president must demonstrate an overt threat)

open, not hidden, expressed ore revealed in a way that is easily recognized

pejorative (the lawyer was accused of making a pejorative remark when referring to the defendant’s background)

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

propriety (the social worker questioned the propriety of the police’s request to see confidential records)

the state of being proper, appropriateness; standards of what is proper or socially acceptable

sacrilege (the anthropologist was accused of committing a sacrilege when she disturbed a burial ground)

improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

summarily (as soon as there was evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the official was summarily ousted from his post)

without delay or formality; briefly, concisely

suppliant (he made a suppliant address to the parole board. stranded in the deserted city of moscow, napoleon had to turn to the czar not as a conqueror but as a suppliant)

asking humbly and earnestly; one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

talisman (most people do not believe that rabbit’s feet and other talisman actually bring good luck)

an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish

undulate (the baseball fans began to undulate as they cheered, so that they appeared to move in a wave)

to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form