AP Lang Midterm review

avail

to be of use, benefit, or advantage, or to serve a helpful purpose

ambivalence

the state of having simultaneous, contradictory feelings, beliefs, or attitudes toward a person, object, or situation

circumspect

thinking very carefully about potential risks, consequences, or circumstances before saying or doing anything

dissuade

to persuade or convince someone not to do something, or to turn them away from a course of action through reasoning, advice, or warnings

dogmatic

strongly asserting personal opinions, beliefs, or rules as undeniable facts, while refusing to consider counter evidence, alternative viewpoints, or debate

epitome

a person or thing that serves as the perfect, ideal, or most representative example of a particular quality, class, or type

evaluate

to judge, measure, or determine the quality, value, significance, or amount of something

exhort

to strongly urge, encourage, or try to persuade someone to do something

explicate

to explain, interpret, or analyze a complex idea, theory, or literary work in careful detail

explicit

stated or shown clearly, directly, and in full detail, leaving no room for confusion, doubt, or hidden meaning

fallacy

a failure in reasoning or an unsound argument that makes a claim look valid when it is actually false or deceptive

gist

the main point, central theme, or essential meaning of a speech, conversation, article, or event, without all the specific details

impeccable

completely free from fault, error, or flaw; perfect

implicit

a. capable of being understood from something else though not clearly or directly stated

b. present but not consciously held or recognized

c. not lessened by doubt

d. involved in the nature or essence of something though not revealed, expressed, or developed

imply

to express, suggest, or indicate something indirectly without stating it directly

indisputable

impossible to question, doubt, or deny because it is obviously or certainly true

inexplicable

incapable of being explained, interpreted, or understood

infer

to reach a conclusion, guess, or form an opinion based on available evidence, clues, or reasoning rather than from a direct statement

introspective

examining and reflecting on your own thoughts, feelings, motives, and internal experiences rather than focusing on the outside world

parlance

a particular manner of speaking, style of expression, or specialized vocabulary used by a specific group, profession, or subculture

perspicuous

plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation

plausible

seeming reasonable, believable, or likely to be true

polemic

a strong, aggressive written or spoken attack on—or defense of—a particular opinion, belief, idea, or set of values

ponder

to think about something carefully and deeply, often for a long time

prevail

to gain victory, triumph, or ascendancy through strength, superiority, or persistence

red herring

a clue, piece of information, or topic that misleads, distracts, or diverts attention from a central, more important issue

refute

to prove, show, or demonstrate that a statement, argument, theory, or claim is false or incorrect using evidence, logic, or facts

specious

A term describing an argument that appears to be valid or true but is actually misleading or superficial.

spectrum

A range of different ideas, opinions, or phenomena, often represented as a continuous scale.

stratagem

A plan or scheme, especially one used to outwit an opponent or achieve a specific goal.

sublime

A quality of greatness or vastness in degree, or an inspiring or elevated moral, intellectual, or spiritual nature.

substantiate

To provide evidence or support for a claim or argument, making it more solid or believable.

vociferous

Characterized by noisy or loud expressions of opinions or feelings; outspoken.

vulgar

relating to the common people, often used to describe something lacking in refinement or sophistication.