AP Lit Vocab

Adulterate

(v) to corrupt, make worse by the addition of something of lesser value

Ambidextrous

(adj) able to use both hands equally well; very skillful; deceitful, hypocritical

Augment

(v) to make larger, increase

Bereft

(adj) deprived of; made unhappy through a loss

Deploy

(v) to position or arrange; to utilize; to form up

Dour

(adj) stern, unyielding, gloomy, ill-humored

Fortitude

(n) courage in facing difficulties

Gape

(v) to stare with open mouth; to open the mouth wide; to open wide

Gibe

(v) to utter taunting words; (n) an expression of scorn

Guise

(n) an external appearance, cover, mask

Morass

(n) a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp

Noisome

(adj) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful

Oblivious

(adj) forgetful; unaware

Poltroon

(n) a base coward

Proselyte

(n) a convert; a disciple

Quasi

(adj) resembling but not actually being

Raillery

(n) good-humored ridicule; teasing

Ribald

(adj) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language

Supine

(adj/adv) lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargy; apathetic or passively

Vignette

(n) a short description or sketch; a picture with edges that gradually shade off

Aegis

(n) protection; patronage; sponsorship

Apprise

(v) to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice

Bibulous

(adj) fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent

Claque

(n) a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; an opera hat

Deracinate

(v) to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate to eliminate all traces

Exegesis

(n) an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of a text)

Indigenous

(adj/n) originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn; inherent

Lachrymose

(adj) given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears

Lexicon

(n) a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject

Melee

(n) a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all

Adjunct

(n) something added to something else as helpful or useful

Bellwether

(n) male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse

(n) an indicator or predictor of a trend

Caterwaul

(v) to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel

(n) a howl or screeching noise

Chimerical

(adj) absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible

Effete

(adj) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy

Fait Accompli

(n) an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed

Hidebound

(adj) narrow-minded and rigid; especially in opinions or prejudices

Hierarchy

(n) any system of things or people arranged one above the other

Laisse-Faire

(n) deliberate abstention from direction or interference

Liturgy

(n) religious service or rite

Microcosm

(n) a miniature world or universe

Minuscule

(adj) very small, tiny, a lowercase letter

Obfuscate

(v) to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder

Paternalism

(n) the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children

Polarize

(adj) to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions

(v) to cause light to vibrate in a pattern

Purview

(n) the range, extent, or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute

Sanguine

(adj) having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook

Solecism

(n) a substandard or ungrammatical usage, a breach of etiquette

Vassal

(n) a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent

Verisimilitude

(n) the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable

Ancillary

(adj) subordinate or supplementary

Bowdlerize

(v) to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc)

Condescend

(v) to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner

Cozen

(v) to trick; to cheat or swindle

Enclave

(n) an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character

Forte

(n) a person’s strong point; what a person does best

Gratis

(adj) free; without charge

Icon

(n) a representation of an image of sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; and object of blind devotion

Interstice

(n) a small, narrow space between things or parts of things

Macrocosm

(n) the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something

Paean

(n) a song of praise, joy, or triumph

Persiflage

(n) lighthearted joking, talk, or writing

Mountebank

(n) a trickster or swindler; charlatan

Plethora

(n) overfullness; superabundance

Pragmatic

(adj) concerned with practical considerations or values; stiff in one’s opinions

Quizzical

(adj) puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal

Rapacity

(n) inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one’s desire by force, extortion, or plunder

Schism

(n) a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group into hostile factions

Therapeutic

(n) having the power to heal or cure; beneficial

Virtuoso

(n) a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique

Affinity

(n) a natural attraction to a person, thing, or activity; a relationship, connection

Bilious

(adj) peevish or irritable; sickeningly unpleasant

Cognate

(adj) closely related in origin, essential nature, or function

Corollary

(n) a proposition that follows from one already proven; a natural consequence or result

(adj) resultant or consequent

Cul-de-sac

(n) a blind alley or dead-end street; any situation in which further progress is impossible; an impasse

Derring-do

(n) valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heroics)

Divination

(n) the art of act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge

Elixir

(n) a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines

Folderol

(n) foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle

Gamut

(n) an entire range or series

Hoi Polloi

(n) the common people, the masses

Ineffable

(adj) not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered

Lucubration

(n) laborious study or thought, especially at night; the result of such work

Mnemonic

(n/adj) relating to or designed to assist the memory

Obloquy

(n) public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment

Parameter

(n) a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary

Pundit

(n) a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions

Risible

(adj) pertaining to laughter; able or inclines to laugh; laughable

Symptomatic

(adj) typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease

Volte-face

(n) an about face; a complete reversal

Aficionado

(n) an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan

Browbeat

(v) to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully

Commensurate

(n) equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measurable by the same standards

Diaphanous

(adj) very sheer and light; almost completely transparent

Emolument

(n) profit derived from an office or position or from employment; a fee or salary

Foray

(n) a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor

Genre

(n) a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition; a style of painting in which everyday scenes are realistically depicted

Homily

(n) a sermon stressing moral principles; a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse

Immure

(v) to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate

Insouciant

(adj) blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky