AP Lit Tone Vocab

benevolent

well meaning and kindly

conciliatory

intended or likely to placate or pacify.

ebullient

cheerful and full of energy.

elegiac

relating to or characteristic of an elegy.

euphoric

characterized by or feeling intense excitement and happiness.

exuberant

filled with or characterized by a lively energy and excitement.

jocund

cheerful and lighthearted

ominous

giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious.

pensive

engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought.

sanguine

optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.

whimsical

playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way.

wistful

having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing.

wry

using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor.

didactic

intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

lyrical

expressing the writer's emotions in an imaginative and beautiful way.

pithy

concise and forcefully expressive.

reminiscent

tending to remind someone of something

admonitory

giving or conveying a warning or reprimand.

burlesque

an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody.

colloquial

used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary.

diffident

modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.

effusive

expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner.

fervent

having or displaying a passionate intensity.

mock-heroic

imitating the style of heroic literature in order to satirize an unheroic subject.

mock-serious

pretending to be serious as a joke

nostalgic

characterized by or exhibiting feelings of nostalgia.

reticent

not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.

stoic

a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining

zealous

showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective.

audacious

showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.

brusque

abrupt or offhand in speech or manner.

choleric

bad tempered or irritable

contentious

causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.

derisive

expressing contempt or ridicule

facetious

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

flippant

not showing a serious or respectful attitude.

haughty

arrogantly superior and disdainful.

insipid

lacking flavor

insolent

showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect

lugubrious

looking or sounding sad and dismal.

pretentious

attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

sardonic

grimly mocking or synical

simpering

affectedly coy or ingratiating.

staid

sedate, respectable, and unadventurous.

timorous

showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence.

vitriolic

filled with bitter criticism or malice.