AP Lang & Comp Unit 4-6

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

(n.) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

flotsam

(n.) floating debris; homeless, impoverished people

frenetic

(adj.) frenzied, highly agitated

glean

(v.) 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

(v.) to imprison, confine, jail

incumbent

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

jocular

(adj.) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

ludicrous

(adj.) 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

(adj.) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

recumbent

(adj.) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

stratagem

(n.) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end

acuity

(n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses); clever in noticing and understanding one's surroundings

synonyms: keenness, acuteness

delineate

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

synonyms: depict, picture, render

depraved

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

syn: perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt

ant: moral, virtuous, upright, uncorrupted

enervate

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

syn: impair, cripple, paralyze
ant: invigorate, strengthen, buttress

esoteric

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

syn: occult, cryptic, arcane, recondite
ant: accessible, comprehensible, intelligible

fecund

(adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

syn: fertile, teeming, prolific
ant: infertile, barren, unproductive

fiat

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

syn: edict, dictum, ukase

figment

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

syn: creation, invention, fancy

garner

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

syn: collect, accumulate, accrue
ant: scatter, squander, waste, dissipate

hallow

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

idiosyncrasy

(n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

syn: eccentricity, quirk, mannerism

ignominy

(n.) shame and disgrace

syn: dishonor, humiliation, disrepute, odium
ant: honor, glory, acclaim

mundane

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

syn: prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary
ant: heavenly, unworldly, spiritual, transcendental

nuance

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

overweening

(adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate

syn: arrogant, unbridled, inflated
ant: restrained, understated, modest, meek

penchant

(n.) a strong attraction or inclination

syn: proclivity, propensity, predilection
ant: disinclination, aversion

reputed

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

syn: putative, reputable, supposed
ant: proven, corroborated, authenticated

sophistry

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

syn: specious reasoning

sumptuous

(adj.) costly, rich, magnificent

syn: lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid
ant: skimpy, meager, stingy, niggardly, spartan

ubiquitous

(adj.) present or existing everywhere

syn: omnipresent, pervasive, universal
ant: restricted, limited, rare, scarce

abject

(adj.) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

agnostic

(n.)one who believes that nothnig can be known about god; a skeptic

complicity

(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

effigy

(n.) a crude image of a despised person

equity

(n.) the state or quality of being just or fair

inane

(adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value

indictment

(n.) the act of accusing, a formal accusation

indubitable

(adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied

intermittent

(adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

moot

(adj.) debatable, questionable

motif

(n.) a principal idea, theme or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design

neophyte

(n.) beginner, novice

perspicacity

(n.) keenness in observing and understanding

plenary

(adj.) complete in all aspects; absolute

surveillance

(n.) careful, close, and disciplined observation

sylvan

(adj.) pertaining to or characteristic of forests

testy

(adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation

travesty

(n.) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation