First Quarter Vocab List - Language and Literature II Honors

Vocabulary flashcards for the First Quarter Vocab List. Each card provides a term and a concise definition.

abstruse (adj)

d difficult to understand; obscure.

amity (n)

friendship; friendly relations.

affable (adj)

friendly and easy to talk to.

alienate (v)

to cause someone to become hostile or distant; to turn away.

antiquated (adj)

old-fashioned; out of date.

arrogant (adj)

having an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance; conceited.

assail (v)

to attack verbally or physically.

averse (adj)

having a strong dislike or opposition.

belie (v)

to misrepresent; to prove false.

arbitrary (adj)

based on personal whim or random choice; not fixed by rules.

astute (adj)

shrewd; perceptive.

benign (adj)

kindly; not harmful.

bolster (v)

to support or strengthen.

candor (n)

honesty and openness.

censure (v)

to express strong disapproval; to criticize.

clemency (n)

mercy or lenience.

complacent (adj)

self-satisfied; unaware of potential danger.

contingent (adj)

dependent on; conditional.

converge (v)

to come together; to meet.

cupidity (n)

greed for money or possessions.

daunted (adj)

intimidated or discouraged.

desultory (adj)

lacking a plan or purpose; unfocused.

dissolution (n)

the ending or disintegration of a system; dissolving.

emulate (v)

to imitate with the aim of equaling or surpassing.

euphemism (n)

a mild or indirect word substituted for a harsher one.

fastidious (adj)

very attentive to detail; meticulous.

garish (adj)

gaudy; excessively bright or showy.

heed (v)

to pay attention to; to follow.

impetuous (adj)

acting quickly without thought; impulsive.

incredulous (adj)

unwilling or unable to believe something.

insolent (adj)

boldly rude or disrespectful.

digress (v)

to depart from the main topic; to go off on a tangent.

dogmatic (adj)

strongly opinionated; asserting beliefs as facts.

enigma (n)

a person or thing that is mysterious or puzzling.

expurgate (v)

to remove offensive or unsuitable material.

fledgling (n)

a young or inexperienced person or organization; a young bird.

gravity (n)

seriousness; also the force that attracts.

hyperbole (n)

exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.

inadvertent (adj)

unintentional; accidental.

infamy (n)

notoriety; fame for a bad reason.

intractable (adj)

hard to manage or control; stubborn.

jubilant (adj)

feeling or expressing great happiness or triumph.

loath (adj)

reluctant; unwilling.

meager (adj)

lacking in quantity or quality; insufficient.

mundane (adj)

ordinary; lacking excitement; of this world.

composure (n)

calmness and self-control.

cordial (adj)

warm and friendly.

deplore (v)

to express strong disapproval of; to regret.

disdain (n)

a feeling of contempt or scorn.

elated (adj)

extremely happy; jubilant.

erratic (adj)

unpredictable; irregular.

extraneous (adj)

irrelevant; unnecessary.

fulminate (v)

to explode with anger; to denounce loudly.

harbor (v)

to give shelter to; to hold in the mind (a thought)มาก.

imminent (adj)

about to happen very soon.

incompatible (adj)

unable to exist together; conflicting.

infer (v)

to deduce or conclude from evidence; to guess.

irascible (adj)

easily angered; irritable.

laconic (adj)

brief and to the point; concise.

lucid (adj)

clear; easy to understand; sane.

mellifluous (adj)

pleasant to hear; sweet sounding.

novelty (n)

the state of being new or unusual; newness.

jeopardy (n)

danger; risk of harm.

legacy (n)

something handed down from the past; inheritance.

malefactor (n)

a person who commits a crime; wrongdoer.

mitigate (v)

to make less severe or harmful; to lessen.

nurture (v)

to care for and encourage growth or development.

obscure (adj)

not well known; unclear; hidden.

obtuse (adj)

slow to understand; not sharp.

optimist (n)

a person who expects good outcomes; positive thinker.

paragon (n)

a model of excellence or perfection.

pervade (v)

to spread through or be present in every part.

phlegmatic (adj)

calm and unemotional; not easily excited.

penury (n)

extreme poverty; destitution.

ponderous (adj)

heavy, slow-moving, or dull.

preclude (v)

to prevent from happening; to make impossible.

pretentious (adj)

attempting to seem important; showy.

profound (adj)

deep; meaningful; intellectually significant.

proximity (n)

nearness in space, time, or relationship.

quandary (n)

a state of perplexity or doubt.

recluse (n)

a person who lives in solitude; a hermit.

revere (v)

to regard with deep respect or admiration.

seditious (adj)

inciting or causing rebellion against authority.

stealth (n)

secretive or cautious movement.

tangent (n)

a digression from the main topic; or a line touching a curve.

trite (adj)

overused and unoriginal; cliché.

vacillate (v)

to waver between opinions or actions; be indecisive.

wane (v)

to decrease in vigor, power, or extent; to diminish.

reprove (v)

to reprimand or censure; express disapproval.

sanction (v)

to approve or authorize; to impose penalties.

slander (n)

false spoken statements damaging a person's reputation.

subtle (adj)

not obvious; delicate; understated.

tenacious (adj)

persistent; determined; holding firmly.

ubiquitous (adj)

present or found everywhere.

vapid (adj)

lacking liveliness or interest; dull.

wax (v)

to increase in size, number, or intensity; to grow.

rampant (adj)

widespread and unrestrained.

reserve (n)

a supply kept back for future use; reluctance to show emotion.

scrutinize (v)

to examine closely and thoroughly.

sporadic (adj)

occurring at irregular intervals; scattered.