AP English Literature Vocabulary Words #1

Allocation

To set apart for a particular purpose, assign or allot

Ascetic

severe self-discipline/ abstinence (a lifestyle)

Beguile

To charm, enchant, or delight someone through flattery (can be used to deceive or mislead)

Crass

Describes behavior: coarse, unrefined, insensitive

Defray

To provide money to pay for part or all of the cost of something

Dint

Force or effort

Enjoin

Command, instruct, or urgent someone to do something

Envoy

Messenger or representative/ offers a final thought (short)

Interloper

A person who intrudes/ interferes

Vicarious

Experienced in imagination through feelings or actions of another person (not directly)

Admonish

Firmly warn or reprimand someone

Akimbo

Having the hand on hip and the elbow turned outward/ set in a bent position

Lassitude

Lack of energy/ mental weariness

Licentious

Lacking legal or moral restraints/ unrestrained

Muse (noun)

A person, imaginary being, or force that serves as a source of inspiration

Muse (verb)

To think about something carefully or to become absorbed in thought

Pecuniary

Relating to or consisting of money, especially in a formal context

Plight

A difficult, unfortunate, or distressing situation

Presumptous

Used to describe a character or behavior that is excessively bold, forward, or arrogant: assumes they have the right to do / say something and they aren’t entitled to (lack of respect)

Subversive

Undermine established norms, authority, ideologies, or power structures within a text

Vacuous

Lacking in intelligence, substance, or meaning