ap lang midterm vocab

acquisitive

(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property

arrogate

to claim or take without right

banal

hackneyed, trite, commonplace

belabor

(v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly

carping

(adj.) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n.) petty, nagging criticism

coherent

(adj.) holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

congeal

(v.) to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

emulate

to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

encomium

a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

eschew

to avoid, shun, keep away from

germane

(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting

insatiable

so great or demanding as not to be satisfied

intransigent

refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

invidious

offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

largesse

generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions

reconnaissance

a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

substantiate

(v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

temporize

(v.) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise

tenable

capable of being held or defended

accost

to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way

animidversion

a comment indicating strong criticism or disaproval

avid

desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

brackish

having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink

celerity

swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

devious

(adj.) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way

gambit

(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type

halcyon

(n.) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

histrionic

(adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic

maelstrom

(n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction

myopic

(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment

overt

(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized

pejorative

(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling

propriety

(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable

sacrilege

improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

summarily

without delay or formality; briefly, concisely

suppliant

(adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

talisman

(n.) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish

undulate

(v.) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form

cavort

to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry

credence

belief, mental acceptance

decree

(n.) an order having the force of law; (v.) to issue such an order; to command firmly or forcefully

decry

(v.) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate

dissemble

(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

distraught

(adj.) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

eulogy

(n.) a formal statement of commendation; high praise

evince

(v.) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke

exhume

(v.) to remove from a grave; to bring to light

feckless

(adj.) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

murky

(adj.) dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision

nefarious

(adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

piquant

(adj.) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative

primordial

(adj.) developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic

propinquity

(n.) nearness in place or time; kinship

substantive

(adj.) real, having a solid basis; considerable in number or amount; meaningful and on topic

unwonted

(adj.) not usual or expected; not in character

utopian

(adj.) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical

verbiage

(n.) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression

verdant

(adj.) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment

viscous

(adj.) having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

atrophy

(n.) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v.) to waste away

bastion

(n.) a fortified place, stronghold

concord

(n.) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

consummate

(adj.) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) to bring to a state of completion or perfection

disarray

(n.) disorder, confusion; (v.) to throw into disorder

exigency

urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

floatsam

floating debris; homeless, impoverished people

frenetic

frenzied, highly agitated

glean

to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers

grouse

(n.) a type of game bird; a complaint; (v.) to complain, grumble

incarcerate

to imprison, confine, jail

incumbent

(adj.) obligatory, required; (n.) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of

jocular

humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

ludicrous

ridiculous, laughable, absurd

mordant

(adj.) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

nettle

(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely

pecuniary

(adj.) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money

pusillanimous

contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

recumbent

in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

strategem

a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end

acuity

(n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)

delineate

(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially

depraved

(adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

enervate

(v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring

esoteric

(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

fecund

fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

fiat

(n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness

figment

(n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion

garner

(v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use

hallow

(v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

idiosyncrasy

a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

ignominy

(n.) shame and disgrace

mundane

(adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary

nuance

(n.) a subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality), delicate gradation or shade of difference

overweening

(adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate

penchant

a strong attraction or inclination

reputed

(adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged

sophistry

(n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy

sumptuous

costly, rich, magnificent

ubiquitous

present or existing everywhere