AP Lang vocab first 50

Abhorring

to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate

Abstruse

difficult to understand

Acerbic

harsh or severe, as of temper or expression; polemical

Admonishing

cautioning, advising, or counseling against something; reproving or scolding, especially in a mild and good-willed manner; reminding; exhortatory

Ambiguous

open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations

Ambivalent

uncertainty or fluctuation, esp. when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things

Antagonistic

acting in opposition; opposing, esp. mutually/hostile; unfriendly

Apathetic

Having or showing little or no emotion/not interested or concerned; indifferent or unresponsive

Audacious

extremely bold or faring; recklessly brave; fearless

Authoritarian

having an air of authority; accustomed to excercising authority; positive; peremptory; dictatorial

Bantering

good-humored, playful conversation

Belligerent

warlike; given to waging war

Bemused

bewildered or confused/lost in thought; preoccupied

Benevolent

characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings

Bewildered

completely puzzled or confused; perplexed

Blithe

joyous, merry, or gay in disposition; glad; cheerful

Brusque

abrupt in manner; blunt; rough

Candid

frank; outspoken; open and sincere/free from reservation, disguise, or subterfuge; straightforward

Capricious

flighty; led by whims; erratic

Caustic

making biting, corrosive comments

Censorious

severely critical; faultfinding

Choleric

extremely irritable or easily angered; irascible

Churlish

rude in a mean-spirited and surly way

Colloquial

characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation rather than formal speech or writing

Conciliatory

to overcome the distrust or animosity of; appease

Condescending

showing or implying a usually patronizing descent from dignity or superiority

Contemptuous

showing or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful

Contentious

tending to argument or strife; quarrelsome/causing, involving, or characterized by argument or controversy

Credulous

having or showing too great a readiness to believe things on slight or uncertain evidence

Curt

rudely brief in speech or abrupt in manner/brief; concise; terse; laconic

Cynical

scornful of the motives or virtues of others; bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic

Derisive

characterized by or expressing derision; contemptuous; mocking; disdainful

Derogatory

tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing; disparaging; depreciatory

Detached

impartial or objective; disinterested; unbiased/not involved or concerned; aloof

Diabolic

having the qualities of a devil; devilish; fiendish; outrageously wicked

Didactic

intended for instruction; instructive

Diffident

lacking confidence in one’s own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy

Disconcerting

causing one to feel unsettled; unsettling, unnerving, discomfiting, troubling

Dogmatic

asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated

Dubious

wavering or hesitating in opinion; inclined to doubt

Duplicitous

deceitful

Earnest

serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous

Ebullient

overflowing with dervor, enthusiasm, or excitment; high-spirited; enthusiastic

Effusive

unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve

Egotistical

given to talking about oneself; vain; boastful; opinionated; indifferent to the well-being of others; selfish

elegiac

expressing sorrow or lamentation

Elevated

exalted or noble; lofty/exalted or noble; lofty

Empathetic

showing empathy or ready comprehension of others’ states

Encouraging

to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence/to stimulate by assistance, approavl, etc.; to promote, advance, or foster

Enigmatic

difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious