AP Literature Vocabulary

Deride

To mock or ridicule someone or something with contempt.

Garrulous

Excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters.

Imperturbable

Unable to be upset, agitated, or excited; calm and composed.

Impinge

To have an effect or impact on something, especially in a negative or intrusive way; to strike against.

Litany

A long, repetitive list or recitation, originally a form of prayer in church services.

Myopic

Lacking foresight or imagination; narrow-minded; literally nearsighted.

Keenness

Sharpness or intensity, either of thought, perception, or desire.

Laden

Heavily loaded or burdened with something.

Perfunctory

Done with minimal effort, reflection, or interest; superficial.

Interminable

Seemingly endless; dragging on without an apparent conclusion.

Satiate

To satisfy a desire or appetite fully, often to the point of excess; to fill or gratify completely.

Injunction

A formal command or order, often issued by a court, directing someone to do or refrain from doing something.

Effusion

An unrestrained outpouring of feeling or expression, often emotional or verbal; also, the act of pouring out a liquid.

Inure

To accustom someone to something unpleasant or difficult, making them tougher or less sensitive to it; to harden or habituate.

Suppliant

A person who makes a humble or earnest plea, often begging for help or mercy.

Inexorable

Impossible to stop or prevent; unyielding or relentless in pursuit of a course or outcome.

Solicitude

Care or concern for someone or something, often expressed through attentiveness or anxiety for their well-being.

Paroxysm

A sudden, intense, outburst or fit, often of emotion, laughter, or physical symptoms like convulsions.

Discernment

The ability to judge or perceive things clearly, often with keen insight or understanding; a good judgement.

Ameliorate

To make something better or improve a situation, condition, or problem.

Pittance

A very small or inadequate amount of money or payment, often barely enough to survive.

Penury

Extreme poverty or destitution; a state of lacking basic necessities.

Predilection

A preference or liking for something; a tendency to favor a particular thing.

Chimeric

Unreal, fantastical, or wildly imaginative; often referring to something that is impossible or exists only in imagination.

Prognosticate

To predict or forecast something, especially based on signs or evidence.

Dogmatism

The tendency to assert opinions in an arrogant or authoritative manner, without regard for evidence or opposing views.

Ignominious

Causing or deserving public disgrace, shame, or humiliation.

Exculpate

To clear someone from blame or guilt, often by presenting evidence of innocence.

Immure

To enclose or confine someone within walls, especially against their will, often implying imprisonment or isolation.

Sagacity

Acuteness of mental discernment and soundness of judgement; wisdom in practical affairs.

Ennui

A feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction arising from lack of interest or boredom.

Remonstrate

To protest or object forcefully, often in a reproachful or indignant manner.

Sophism

A deliberately deceptive or fallacious argument, especially one that appears plausible at first glance.

Machination

A scheme or plot, usually crafty or underhanded, devised to achieve a clandestine goal.

Imperious

Arrogantly domineering or assuming command without justification; haughty and overbearing.

Antithesis

The direct opposite of something; a contrast or opposition between two things.

Sepulchral

Gloomy, somber, or suggestive of a tomb or burial, mournful in tone or appearance.

Nonplussed

Surprised, confused, or bewildered to the point of being unsure how to react or proceed.

Tepid

Lukewarm; showing little enthusiasm or warmth; moderately warm in temperature.

Tentatively

In a hesitant, uncertain, or cautious manner, not definite or fully committed.

Diffuse

Spread out over a large area; not concentrated or focused.

Disquieting

Causing unease or anxiety; disturbing.

Inconsequential

Of little or no importance; trivial.

Infinitesimal

Extremely small; immeasurably tiny.

Diaphanous

Light, delicate, and translucent; almost transparent.

Archaic

Belonging to an earlier period; no longer in everyday use; antiquated.

Banal

Lacking originality or freshness; trite and commonplace.

Dulcet

Sweet and soothing to hear; melodious and pleasant-sounding.

Languor

A state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy or vitality; lethargy.

Pedant

A person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules, especially in displaying academic learning; one who overemphasizes book knowledge or formalities.

Tumultuous

Characterized by chaos, disorder, or violent agitation; wildly disturbed.

Elusive

Difficult to catch, find, or achieve; tending to evade grasp or understanding.

Repression

The act of subduing or holding back (especially emotions, instincts, or desires) by force or restraint.

Implore

To beg or plead with someone urgently and desperately.

Exalt

To raise in rank, power, or character; to praise or glorify highly.

Misconstrue

To interpret or understand something incorrectly; to mistake the meaning of.

Derision

Contemptuous ridicule or mockery; scornful laughter.

Undulate

To move or cause to move in a smooth, wavelike motion; to rise and fall like waves.

Debase

To lower in quality value or dignity; to degrade or corrupt.

Congenial

Pleasant, friendly, and sociable; suited to one’s taste or nature.

Nondescript

Lacking distinctive or interesting features; dull, ordinary, or unremarkable.

Askew

Not in a straight or level position; crooked, awry.

Superfluous

Unnecessary, especially through being more than enough; excess or surplus.

Credo

A statement of the beliefs or aims that guide someone’s actions; a creed.

Cynical

Believing that people are motivated purely by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity; pessimistic and scornful.

Morbid

Characterized by and unhealthy interest in disturbing or unpleasant subjects, especially death, disease, or horror; gloomy or gruesome.

Evasive

Tending to avoid direct answers, commitment, or confrontation; deliberately vague or elusive.

Boisterous

Noisy, energetic, rowdy, and often cheerfully unrestrained.

Brazen

Bold and without shame; shamelessly impudent or defiant; made of or resembling brass (archaic sense sometimes used metaphorically).

Unscrupulous

Having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair; willing to exploit others without scruples.

Histrionic

Overly theatrical or melodramatic in expression or behavior; deliberately affected to attract attention.

Conglomeration

A collection or mixture of diverse and often unrelated things; an aggregate.

Baleful

Threatening harm or evil; menacing; having a harmful or destructive influence.

Blithely

In a cheerfully casual or carefree way, often showing a lack of appropriate concern.

Reproachful

Expressing disapproval, blame, or disappointment.

Innocuous

Not harmful or offensive; unlikely to provoke strong reaction or danger.

Ruefully

In a way that expresses sorrowful regret or self-reproach, often with a touch of wry humor.

Surreptitiously

In a secretive or stealthy manner, especially to avoid notice.

Pallid

Abnormally pale, especially from illness, exhaustion, or lack of sunlight; lacking vitality or intensity.

Temerity

Excessive or reckless confidence; audacity bordering on foolhardiness.

Teeming

Abundant or swarming with something; filled to overflowing.

Impervious

Not capable of being affected, penetrated, or influenced; resistant or immune.

Acrid

Sharp, bitter, or irritating in taste or smell; harshly pungent or caustic.

Thwart

To prevent someone from accomplishing something; to oppose or block successfully.

August

Inspiring reverence or admiration; marked by a majestic dignity or grandeur.

Malediction

A curse or spoken expression of wishing harm or evil upon someone; an imprecation of misfortune.

Pagan

Relating to a religion that worships multiple deities or nature, especially one not among the major world religions; (as noun) a person holding such beliefs, often contrasted with monotheistic faiths.

Slatternly

Untidy, slovenly, or dirty in appearance or habits, especially in a way suggesting carelessness or moral laxity (often applied to women historically).

Progenitive

Capable of or relating to reproduction; having the tendency to produce offspring or propagate.

Derelict

In a state of disrepair or abandonment due to neglect; (as a noun) a person abandoned by society, often homeless or destitute.

Abase

To lower in rank, office prestige, or esteem; to humble or degrade someone or oneself.

Plaintive

Expressing sorrow or melancholy; mournful or sad in tone.

Insatiable

Impossible to satisfy; always wanting more; greedily desirous.

Ominous

Giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening or menacing.

Omen

A phenomenon or event regarded as a prophetic sign of future good or evil; a protent.

Chastity

The state of abstaining from sexual activity; purity in conduct and intention, often associated with moral or religious restraint.

Syncopate

To displace or accentuate rhythmic beats by shifting them from strong to weak positions, creating unexpected emphasis in music or movement.

Lament

(As noun) A passionate expression of grief or sorrow; (as verb) to mourn or express deep regret audibly or through action.

Phallic

Resembling or symbolizing a phallus; often suggestive of male sexuality or patriarchal power in shape or connotation.

Anguish

Severe mental or physical suffering; excruciating distress or torment.