Ap lang vocab list 1−3

Ambivalent

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Avant-Garde

Innovative, experimental, or pushing the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm.

Belie

To fail to give a true impression of something; to contradict or misrepresent.

Blithe

Showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper.

Crass

Showing no intelligence or sensitivity; grossly insensible.

Dichotomy

A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Disavow

To deny any responsibility or support for something; to disclaim or disown.

Discerning

Having or showing good judgment or understanding; perceptive.

Ephemeral

Lasting for a very short time; transient.

Epigram

A concise, clever, and witty statement often with a satirical or paradoxical twist.

Equanimity

Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.

Fortuitous

Happening by accident or chance rather than design; fortunate.

Magnanimous

Very generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself.

Pacifist

A person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable and advocates peaceful solutions.

Paternalistic

Showing a fatherly or parental attitude, especially in restricting the freedom and responsibilities of others.

Reverent

Feeling or showing deep and solemn respect.

Saccharine

Excessively sweet or sentimental to the point of being insincere or artificial.

Staunch

Loyal and committed in attitude; steadfast.

Substantiate

To provide evidence to support or prove the truth of something.

Validate

To check or prove the accuracy of something; to confirm or corroborate.

Acquiesce

To accept something reluctantly but without protest.

Belligerent

Hostile and aggressive.

Callous

Showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.

Censure

To express severe disapproval of someone or something, typically in a formal statement.

Conciliatory

Intended or likely to placate or pacify.

Despondency

A state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage.

Dubious

Hesitating or doubting.

Equivocal

Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.

Euphony

The quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words.

Feign

To pretend to be affected by a feeling, state, or injury.

Inherent

Existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute.

Invective

Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.

Paucity

The presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities.

Pragmatic

Dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.

Pretentious

Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed.

Prosaic

Lacking poetic beauty; commonplace; unromantic.

Protuberant

Bulging out; protruding.

Supercilious

Behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.

Vindictive

Having or showing a strong desire for revenge.

Wrought

(of metals) beaten out or shaped by hammering; (of a text) elaborately embellished.

Abscond

To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection or arrest.

Aesthetic

Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

Colloquial

Used in ordinary or familiar conversation; informal.

Cynical

Believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity.

Deleterious

Causing harm or damage.

Didactic

Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

Diatribe

A forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.

Disillusion

To free someone from a false belief or illusion.

Emphatic

Expressing something forcibly and clearly.

Esoteric

Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge.

Exhort

To strongly encourage or urge someone to do something.

Exploit

To make full use of and benefit from a resource, often in a selfish or unethical way.

Feasible

Capable of being done or achieved, practical and possible.

Mercurial

Subject to sudden changes of mood or mind; volatile.

Pedantic

Excessively concerned with minor details and rules, often in teaching or learning.

Poignant

Evoking a strong emotional response; touching.

Premise

A statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion.

Punctilious

Showing great attention to detail or correct behavior.

Reportorial

Relating to the reporting of news or information, often characterized by a journalistic style.

Synonymous

Having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or phrase.