AP Lang Vocab (Synonyms and Adjectives)

AP Lang Terms and thing you should know to elevate writing your essays

ambivalent

(adj.) having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
S: uncertain; unsure
A: unequivocal; certain

avant-garde

(adj.) favoring new and unusual or experimental ideas, especially in the arts, or the people introducing them.
S: innovative; advanced
A: conservative; reactionary

belie

(v.) disguise or contradict; give a false impressio

S: contradict; falsify
A: reveal; uncover

blithe

(adj.) showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper
S: heedless; careless; unworried
A: thoughtful; caring

crass

(adj.) lacking sensitivity, refinement, or intelligence
S: stupid; insensitive; mindless
A: mindful; sharp; clean; smart; intelligent

dichotomy

(n.) a division or contrast between two things that are represented as being opposed or entirely different
S: division; separatio

A: unity; similarity

disavow

(v.) deny any responsibility or support for
S: deny; disclaim; reject
A: claim; accept

discerning

(adj.) having or showing good judgement
S: tasteful; aware; observing
A: indiscriminate; careless

ephemeral

(adj.) lasting for a very short time
S: short; brief; transient
A: prolonged; extensive; lengthy

epigram

(n.) a witty saying or remark, expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way
S: quip; witticism
A: insignificance; irrelevance

equanimity

(n.) mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situatio

S: composure; calmness
A: rowdiness; discomposure; anxiety

fortuitous

(adj.) happening by chance or accident rather than desig

S: chance; unexpected
A: calculated; predictable

magnanimous

(adj.) generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful perso

S: generous; charitable
A: selfish; mean-spirited; unwelcoming

pacifist

(n.) one who is against war or the use of violence
S: peacemaker; appeaser
A: warmonger; instigator

paternalistic

(adj.) tending to supply the needs of or regulate the activities of those under one's control
S: father-like; parental
A: unsolicited; child-ish

reverent

(adj.) feeling or showing deep and solemn respect
S: respectful; reverential
A: disrespectful; inconsiderate

saccharine

(adj.) excessively sweet or sentimental
S: oversentimental; over-emotional
A: cold-hearted; serious

staunch

(adj.) loyal and committed in attitude; (of a wall) of strong or firm constructio

S: loyal; faithful; devoted
A: unfaithful; unloyal

substantiate

(v.) provide evidence to support or prove the truth of
S: prove; verify
A: disprove; refute

validate

(v.) check or prove the validity or accuracy of something
S: prove; verify; ratify; authorize
A: disprove; deny

Acquiesce

(v.) accept something reluctantly but without protest.
S: permit; allow
A: refuse; deny

Belligerent

(adj.) someone who fights/is involved in physical conflict
S: hostile; aggressive
A: peaceful; friendly

Callous

(adj.) showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others
S: heartless; insensitive; unempathetic
A: empathetic; caring

Censure

(v.) express severe disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal statement
S: condemn; attack; abuse
A: praise; commend

Conciliatory

(adj.) intended or likely to placate or pacify; showing good-will to end an argument
S: peacemaking; appeasing
A: antagonizing; instigating

Despondency

(n.) a state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage
S: disheartenment; discouragement; hopelessness
A: hopefulness; cheerfulness; joy

Dubious

(adj.) hesitating or doubting; not to be relied on; suspect
S: suspicious; doubtful; indefinite
A: certain; trustworthy

Equivocal

(adj.) open to more than one interpretation; questionable in nature
S: ambiguous; uncertain; unclear
A: clear; certain

Euphony

(n.) the quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words
S: harmony; uniso

A: inharmonious; cacophony

Feign

(v.) pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury)
S: simulate; bluff
A: sincere; truthful

Inherent

(adj.) existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute
S: intrinsic; structural; essential; ingrained
A: developed; acquired

Invective

(n.) insulting, abusive, or highly critical language
S: insult; vulgar; reproach
A: praise; celebrative

Paucity

(n.) the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts
S: scarcity; shortage; lack
A: abundance; plentifulness

Pragmatic

(adj.) dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations
S: realistic; sensible
A: impractical; unrealistic

Pretentious

(adj.) attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed
S: overambitious; inflated; artificial
A: natural; unaffected

Prosaic

(adj.) having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty
S: commonplace; unromantic; ordinary; dull
A: vibrant; imaginative

Protuberant

(adj.) protruding; bulging
S: popping; swollen; bulbous; prominent
A: small; sunken

Supercilious

(adj.) behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others
S: arrogant; conceited; pompous
A: humble; modest

Vindictive

(adj.) having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge
S: vengeful; unforgiving
A: forgiving; peaceful

Wrought

(adj.) (of metals) beaten out or shaped by hammering
S: malleable; pliable
A: rigid; hard

Abscond

(v.) leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft
S: escape; flee
A: stay; remain

Aesthetic

(adj.) concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty
S: artistic; creative
A: dull; boring

Colloquial

(adj.) used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary
S: conversational; vernacular
A: stilted; formal

Cynical

(adj.) believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity
S: skeptical; scornful
A: optimistic; trusting

Deleterious

(adj.) causing harm or damage
S: destructive; ruining
A: aiding; helpful

Didactic

(adj.) intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive
S: academic; teacherly
A: unenlightening; uninformative

Diatribe

(n.) a forceful or bitter verbal attack against something or someone
S: denunciation; objectio

A: compliment; recommendation

Disillusion

(n.) disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be
S: disappoint; embitter
A: amuse; delight

Emphatic

(adj.) showing or giving emphasis; expressing something forcibly and clearly
S: assertive; forceful
A: weak; uncertain

Esoteric

(adj.) intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with specialized interests
S: mystical; arcane
A: common; familiar

Exhort

(v.) strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something
S: advise; persuade
A: dissuade; discourage

Exploit

(v.) make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource)
S: utilize; abuse
A: neglect; misuse

Feasible

(adj.) possible to do easily or conveniently
S: practical; reasonable
A: unrealistic; impossible

Mercurial

(adj.) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind
S: volatile; changeable
A: constant; stable

Pedantic

(adj.) someone who's too concerned with literal accuracy or formality
S: pompous; stilted
A: simple; plain

Poignant

(adj.) evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret
S: touching; moving
A: happy; cheerful

Premise

(n.) a previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusio

S: assumption; hypothesis
A: denial; rejection

Punctilious

(adj.) showing great attention to detail or correct behavior
S: meticulous; precise
A: informal; careless

Reportorial

(adj.) of or characteristic of newspaper reporters
S: journalistic; editorial
A: imaginative; unlikely

Synonymous

(adj.) having the same or similar meaning as another word or phrase in the same language
S: compatible; identical
A: different; dissimilar

Attenuate

(v.) to reduce in force, effect, or value
S: weaken; diminish
A: strengthen; intensify

Auspicious

(adj.) conducive to success; favorable
S: favorable; propitious
A: inauspicious; ominous

Chauvinism

(n.) excessive or prejudiced support for one's own cause, group, or gender
S: nationalism; ethnocentrism
A: impartiality; open-mindedness

Churlish

(adj.) rude in a mean-spirited and surly way
S: rude; uncivil
A: polite; courteous

Contempt

(n.) the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scor

S: disdain; scor

A: respect; admiration

Delirious

(adj.) in an acutely disturbed state of mind resulting from illness or intoxicatio

S: frenzied; hysterical
A: calm; collected

Delude

(v.) to cause someone to believe something that is not true
S: deceive; mislead
A: clarify; enlighten

Disparage

(v.) to regard or represent as being of little worth
S: belittle; denigrate
A: praise; compliment

Enigmatic

(adj.) difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious
S: mysterious; puzzling
A: clear; obvious

Erudite

(adj.) having or showing great knowledge or learning
S: scholarly; knowledgeable
A: ignorant; uninformed

Frivolous

(adj.) not having any serious purpose or value
S: trivial; superficial
A: serious; important

Hedonistic

(adj.) engaged in the pursuit of pleasure; sensually self-indulgent
S: pleasure-seeking; self-indulgent
A: self-denying; ascetic

Indignant

(adj.) feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment
S: resentful; outraged
A: content; apathetic

Inexorable

(adj.) impossible to stop or prevent
S: unrelenting; inevitable
A: flexible; merciful

Laud

(v.) to praise highly, especially in a public context
S: praise; extol
A: criticize; condemn

Laudatory

(adj.) expressing praise and commendatio

S: complimentary; admiring
A: critical; disparaging

Morose

(adj.) sullen and ill-tempered
S: gloomy; sulle

A: cheerful; upbeat

Obsequious

(adj.) obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
S: fawning; servile
A: assertive; independent

Ornamented

(v.) decorated or embellished
S: embellished; decorated
A: stripped; simplified

Strident

(adj.) loud and harsh; grating
S: harsh; grating
A: soft; mellow

Alacrity

(n.) cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness to do something
S: eagerness; enthusiasm
A: apathy; indifference

Amiability

(n.) the quality of being friendly, pleasant, and good-natured
S: hospitality; affability
A: unfriendliness; cold-hearted

Arbitrary

(adj.) based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system
S: random; inconsistent
A: purposeful; rational

Convolute

(v.) to make something complex, intricate, or difficult to follow
S: complicated; elaborate
A: easy; simple

Demure

(adj.) reserved, modest, or shy in behavior or appearance
S: mild; timid
A: loud; obnoxious

Diffident

(adj.) lacking self-confidence; shy or reserved
S: humble; meek
A: confident; conceited