AP Lang: 150 Vocab. Words

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 daring; recklessly brave; fearless

Authoritarian

having an air of authority; accustomed to exercising 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, virtue, or integrity 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

duplicitious

deceitful

earnest

serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous

ebullient

overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; 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

empathetic

showing empathy or ready comprehension of others' states

encouraging

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

enigmatic

difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious

erudite

characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly

eulogistic

to praise highly in speech or writing, especially in a formal eulogy

euphoric

a feeling of happiness, confidence, or well-being sometimes exaggerated in pathological states as mania

evasive

deliberately vague or ambiguous/ tending or seeking to evade; characterized by evasion

exhilarated

to enliven; invigorate; stimulate/ to make cheerful or merry

exuberant

effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; lavishly abundant

facetious

not meant to be taken seriously or literally/ amusing; humorous

fanciful

characterized by or showing fancy; capricious or whimsical in appearance

farcical

ludicrous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable

fatalistic

the acceptance of all things and events as inevitable; submission to fate

fervent

having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.; ardent

flippant

frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity

foreboding

a strong inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune, evil, etc.; presentiment; ominous

frivolous

characterized by lack of seriousness or sense; self-indulgently carefree; unconcerned about or lacking any serious purpose; of little or no weight, worth, or importance; not worthy of serious notice

haughty

disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious

histrionic

over the top; dramatic

impassive

without emotion; apathetic; unmoved; calm; serene

impertinent

insolently rude; uncivil; impudent; characterized by effrontery

incisive

penetrating; cutting; biting; trenchant/ remarkably clear and direct; sharp; keen; acute

incredulous

not credulous; disinclined or indisposed to believe; skeptical

indifferent

without interest or concern; not caring; apathetic/ having no bias, prejudice, or preference; impartial; disinterested

indignant

feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base

inflammatory

tending to arouse anger, hostility, passion, etc.

innocuous

not harmful or offensive

insipid

without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid

insistent

earnest or emphatic in dwelling upon, maintaining, or demanding something; persistent; pertinacious

insolent

boldly rude or disrespectful; contemptuously impertinent; insulting

instructive

serving to instruct or inform; conveying instruction, knowledge, or information; enlightening

introspective

given to examining own sensory and perceptual experiences

irascible

easily provoked to anger; very irritable

irreverant

showing lack of due respect or veneration

jocund

cheerful; merry; gay; blithe; glad

jovial

endowed with or characterized by a hearty, joyous humor or a spirit of good-fellowship

laudatory

containing or expressing praise

lofty

exalted in rank, dignity, or character; eminent/ elevated in style, tone, or sentiment, as writings or speech

ludicrous

causing laughter because of absurdity; provoking or deserving derision; ridiculous; laughable

lugubrious

mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an affected, exaggerated or unrelieved manner

lyrical

expressing deep personal emotion or observations; highly enthusiastic; rhapsodic

malicious

desiring to harm others or to see others suffer; ill-willed; spiteful

matter-of-fact

adhering strictly to fact; not imaginative; direct or unemotional; straightforward; down-to-earth

meditative

deeply or seriously thoughtful

melancholy (melancholic)

characterized by or causing or expressing sadness

melodramatic

exaggeratedly emotional or sentimental; overdramatic

mirthful

joyous; gay; jolly; arousing or provoking laughter

mocking

to treat with ridicule or contempt; deride; to mimic, as in sport or derision

mournful

feeling or expressing sorrow or grief; sorrowful; sad

nonchalant

coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual

nonplussed

totally puzzled, perplexed, or confused

nostalgic

unhappy about being away and longing for familiar things or persons

obdurate

unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding; stubbornly resistant to moral influence