english 2 honors: FINAL EXAM VOCAB

epistle

a letter or literary composition in letter form

avid

enthusiastic; extremely interested

gadfly

an irritating and persistent person

humility

absence of vanity; humbleness

dolorous

exhibiting sorrow or pain

gargantuan

of huge or extraordinary size and power

arduous

difficult; requiring much effort

affable

friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to

grandiloquent

pompous or high-flown in speech

agrarian

concerning farms, farmers, or the use of land

grimace

a facial expression of fear, disapproval, or pain

harangue

a long, strongly expressed speech or lecture

formidable

arousing fear or awe

sycophant

a flatterer; one who fawns on others in order to gain favor

explicit

clearly and openly stated; leaving nothing to the imagination

insouciant

not concerned; free from care

static

without force or movement; stationary

stipulate

to specify a required part of an agreement

zeitgeist

the general spirit of the time

proliferate

to grow or reproduce rapidly

tenet

a belief or principle held to be true

ruminate

to think deeply or repeatedly

vigilant

alert at all times; watchful

dissident

someone who disagrees

petulant

rude in speech or behavior

derivative

not the original; coming from another source

accolade

an award or honor

demur

to disapprove or to take exception

limpid

transparent; clear

invidious

tending to cause discontent, harm, or resentment; offensively unfair

mellifluous

having a rich, smoothly flowing sound

epicurean

taking pleasure in food and drink

oeuvre

the complete work of an artist

arbiter

a person with the ability to resolve a disagreement; a judge

verdant

fresh and green, referring to plant life

vagary

unpredictable action or behavior

vacuous

lacking intelligence; empty of reason

attrition

a wearing down over time

archetype

a prototype or original model

approbation

formal approval of an act

burgeon

to grow, expand, or bloom

commensurate

an equal measure; corresponding in size and measurement

confluence

a meeting or gathering together

coup

a surprising, brilliant, and usually successful act

secular

not spiritual or religious; worldly

impregnable

not able to be conquered; impenetrable

xenophobia

an intense dislike or fear of strangers or foreigners

inherent

essential

irreverent

disrespectful

subjugate

to dominate, conquer, or bring under control

expedite

to increase the rate of progress

filibuster

to attempt to block a bill from becoming law by speaking at length against it

pristine

pure; completely clean and uncontaminated

pithy

full of meaning; concise

invective

an insult or abuse in speech

prodigal

reckless, wasteful, and extravagant

pliable

easily bent or flexible

torpid

losing motion, feeling, or power; lacking in energy

tenuous

not dense or thick; having little substance

discordant

being in disagreement

circumspect

careful; heedful; attentive to all points

zephyr

a gentle breeze (sometimes specifically the West Wind)

renegade

one who deserts one side in favor of another; traitor; outlaw

retribution

something justly deserved, especially a punishment

hurtle

to move or to fling swiftly and with great force

scourge

a person or thing that causes great trouble or misfortune

caustic

biting; stingingly sharp or sarcastic; highly irritating

taciturn

not fond of talking; usually silent

agnostic

one who believes that the existence of God can be neither proven nor disproven

terse

brief and to the point

uncanny

weird; strange; so keen or acute as to seem bizarre

exodus

a mass departure or emigration

penitent

remorseful; sorry for having done wrong

vindicate

to clear of suspicion or accusations

raillery

good-humored ridicule or teasing

pique

to cause resentment; to provoke

linguistics

the scientific study of the structure, sounds, and meaning of language

plebeian

a commoner; one from the lower class

adj. common or vulgar

precocious

showing early development, especially mental

predatory

inclined to prey on others

prowess

superior skill or ability

pugnacious

eager and ready to fight; quarrelsome

purloin

to steal

pusillanimous

cowardly; fearful

quell

to put an end to; to allay or quiet

quixotic

very idealistic; impractical; caught up in romantic notions

rabble

a disorderly crowd, a mob

rabid

raging; fanatical

raconteur

a person skilled at telling stories

vindictive

seeking revenge; bearing a grudge

noxious

harmful to the health

connive

to cooperate secretly in wrongdoing

chutzpah

nerve; audacity

liege

a lord, master, or sovereign

odium

hatred

crass

coarse; tasteless

hypercritical

overcritical; too severe in judgement

fallacy

a mistaken notion; a misconception

complacent

self-satisfied; smug

befuddle

to confuse; to perplex