AP Lang Vocab 7-11

nemesis

powerful rival, enemy

nominal

insignificant

nuance

subtle distinction; slight difference in definition

obviate

to make unnecessary

odious

hateful, evil, vile

odyssey

long, difficult journey marked by changes in fortune

ogle

to stare at in a disrespectful way

opaque

difficult to see through; unclear; dark

osmosis

gradual absorption; onconscious process of absportion

oust

to banish or expel

palatable

pleasant to the taste

paltry

tiny or insignificant amount

pariah

an outcast

paucity

smallness in number or amount

pedantic

boringly scholarly or academic

penchant

strong like for something

peruse

to study or read over leisurely

philanthropy

good will towards others; acts of generosity

pious

reverent; devout; dutiful

pique

to hurt someone’s feelings or irritate

pivotal

crutial; something around which things turn

placate

to soothe or appease with concessions

plausible

believable

poignant

emotionally moving

polemic

a powerful argument to defend an idea

precept

a rule or principle to guide conduct

preclude

to make impossible; to shut out

pretentious

showy; self-important

prolific

marked by abundant production

prosaic

dull; unimaginative; lacking excitement

provincial

narrow in ideas

prudent

careful; cautious

quaint

pleasantly old-fashioned

quell

to put an end to; to calm

quintessential

the most perfect example of

quixotic

foolishly impractical and idealistic

raucous

harsh sounding; noisy and disorderly

rebuff

to snub; to refuse in a blunt or rude way

reciprocal

mutual; interchangeable; shared

relegate

to dismiss to a less prominent position; to banish

relic

an object associated with a saint; something that remains from the past

reprehensible

deserving of blame

reprove

to gently criticize

rescind

to cancel; to repeal

resilient

having an ability to recover from or adjust easily

respite

an interval of rest; a temporary delay

resplendent

brilliant; gloriously bright

robust

strong and healthy; vigorous

saccharine

excessively sweet

sardonic

scornfully mocking

scanty

minimal; hardly sufficient

scintillate

to sparkle; to gleam; to be animated

servile

submissive; behaving like a slave

spurious

false; fake; not genuine

stagnate

to lie inactive; to stay in one place

static

not changing or moving

steadfast

loyal; faithful

stratagem

a trick or deceptive scheme

strident

loud; harsh

stymie

to get in the way of; to prevent; to block

succinct

concise; clearly expressed with few words (positive connotation)

surfeit

abundance; excessive amount

surmise

to infer on minimal grounds; to suppose

table

to remove from consideration

teem

to become full to overflowing

tenet

belief held by a specific group

tenuous

flimsy; lacking stability

terse

brief; free of extra words (negative connotation)

thwart

to prevent from being accomplished

tirade

a long and angry speech

tortuous

winding; twisting; full of curves

tout

to brag publicly; to praise highly

transfix

to cause to stand motionless with awe or other intense emotion

travesty

a parody or imitation that makes crude fun of something serious

trite

unorginial; overused; cliche

tryst

a secret meeting of lovers

turpitude

shameful wickedness; evil

urbane

suave; sophisticated

usurp

to seize wrongfully

vapid

tasteless; dull

vehement

intense, forceful, marked by strong feelings

verbose

wordy

vestige

the remains of something that no longer exists

viable

workable, capable of living and growing, able to succeed

vie

to compete

vilify

to slander or blacken the character of

virulent

extremely poisonous; full of hatred

vivacious

lively, spirited

volatile

explosive; tends to burn quickly

wanton

immoral, lewd

waver

to be indecisive or inconstant; to fluctuate in opinion

winsome

charming, sweetly engaging

wistful

shows a sad longing or gentle desire for something

zealot

person with great enthusiasm for and commitment to a cause

zenith

the highest point