AP Lang - C-D Vocab

These are words that come up on many collegeboard exams, especially Lang and Lit. They sometimes come up on the SAT too

curtail

to cut off or cut short

corroborate

to support with more evidence or authority; make more certain

clemency

a disposition to be lenient

conflate

combine (two or more texts, ideas, etc.) into one.

crux

essential or main point

castigate

to scold or criticize harshly with the objective of motivating the other person to correct their error

copacetic

very satisfactory or acceptable

culpable

meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful

cajole

to coax

conflagration

a great disastrous fire

contingent

dependent on; conditional

complicit

involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing

catharsis

a purging or cleansing

corpulent

having a large bulky body

cannonade

a continuous, relentless bombardment or effort

caustic

marked by direct often very cruel sarcasm

cursory

rapidly and often superficially performed

chagrin

disappointment

cacophony

a disagreeable, harsh, or discordant sound or combination of sounds or tones

comport

to conduct oneself

confabulate

fabricate imaginary experiences as compensation for loss of memory

credence

a belief

clandestine

marked by, held in, or conducted by secrecy

colloquial

of a specific loyalty or region

complacent

pleased or satisfied with oneself, often to the point of apathy or lack of awareness

diatribe

a sharply abusive attack or criticism

delineation

a portrayal

denigrate

to blacken, sully, or defame

derivative

imitative of the work of another person, and usually disapproved of for that reason

decry

to express strong disapproval of

denizen

an inhabitant or occupant of a particular place

defer

to deliberately put off

deity

a supreme being

deportment

a person's behavior or manners

draconian

extremely severe or cruel

deprecate

to express severe disapproval of another's actions

dexterity

mental skill or quickness

digress

to stray from the main topic of attention in conversation or an argument

dilapidated

fallen into partial ruin

disavowal

to deny responsibility for

discernible

recognizable as separate and distinct

disseminate

to spread about

dissipate

to break up and scatter or vanish

divert

to distract

docile

easily led or managed; calm

dais

a raised platform for guests of honor

dichotomy

a division into two contradictory groups

debase

to lower in status, esteem, quality, or character

debonair

suave, sophisticated

deleterious

harmful