AP Literature & Composition- Vocab Units #1-5

acquisitive

(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property
Syn: greedy, avaricious, retentive
Ant: altruistic

arrogate

to claim or take without right
syn: expropriate, commandeer
ant: renounce, abdicate, abandon

banal

hackneyed, trite, commonplace
syn: stale, insipid
ant: fresh, original, new

belabor

(v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly
syn: overwork

carping

(adj.) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n.) petty, nagging criticism
syn: nit-picking, caviling
ant: approving, uncritical

coherent

(adj.) holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful
syn: connected, unified, consistent, cohesive
ant: muddled, chaotic, disjointed

congeal

(v.) to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid
syn: harden, jelly, solidify
ant: liquefy

emulate

to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
syn: copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to

encomium

a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute
syn: panegyric, eulogy
ant: condemnation, castigation, criticism

eschew

to avoid, shun, keep away from
syn: abstain from, steer clear of, forgo
ant: embrace, adopt

germane

(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
syn: pertinent
ant: irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate

insatiable

so great or demanding as not to be satisfied
syn: unquenchable, ravenous

intransigent

refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
syn: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate
ant: flattering, ameliorate

invidious

offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment
syn: malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative
ant: flattering, ameliorate

largesse

generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
syn: liberality, bounty
ant: stinginess, miserliness, niggardliness

reconnaissance

a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
syn: exploration

substantiate

(v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to
syn: confirm, validate, authenticate
ant: refute, disprove, invalidate

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
syn: tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic
ant: garrulous, loquacious, prolix, verbose

temporize

(v.) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise
syn: dillydally, procrastinate

tenable

capable of being held or defended
syn: defensible, justifiable, maintainable
ant: indefensible, unjustifiable

accost

to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
Syn: Buttonhole, approach
Ant: avoid, shun

animadversion

a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
Syn: rebuke, reproof
Ant: praise, compliment

avid

desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager
Syn: keen, enthusiastic, grasping
Ant: reluctant, indifferent, unenthusiastic

brackish

having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink
Syn: saline
Ant: clear, sweet

celerity

swiftness, rapidity of motion or action
Syn: promptness, speed
Ant: slowness, sluggishness, dilatoriness

devious

(adj.) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way
Syn: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful
Ant: direct, straightforward, open, aboveboard

Gambit

(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type
Syn: ploy, ruse, maneuver

Halycon

(n.) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent
Syn: tranquil, placid, palmy
Ant: turbulent, tumultuous

Histrionic

(adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
Syn: affected, stagy
Ant: muted, untheatrical, subdued

incendiary

(adj.) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n.) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife
Syn: inflammatory, provocative, fireband
Ant: soothing, quieting, peacemaker

Maelstrom

(n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction
Syn: chaos, turbulence, tumult

myopic

(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
Syn: shortsighted
Ant: farsighted

Overt

(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized
Syn: clear, obvious, manifest, patent
Ant: clandestine, covert, concealed

pejorative

(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling
Ant: complimentary, ameliorative

propriety

(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable
Syn: fitness, correctness
Ant: unseemliness, inappropriateness

Sacrilege

improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred
Syn: desecration, profanation, defilement

Summarily

(adv.) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely
Syn: promptly, peremptorily

suppliant

(adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

talisman

(n.) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish

undulate

(v.) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form
Syn: fluctuate, rise and fall

viscous

(adj.) having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity
syn: sticky, thick
ant: watery, aqueous

euology

(n.) a formal statement of commendation; high praise
Syn: panegyric, encomium, tribute

feckless

(adj.) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable
Syn: feeble, incompetent, ineffectual
ant: competent, capable, effective

propinquity

(n.) nearness in place or time; kinship
syn: similarity
ant: remoteness, distance

murky

(adj.) dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision
syn: dim, cloudy
ant: clear, transparent, lucid, limpid

evince

(v.) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke
syn: exhibit, manifest, occasion

dissemble

(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression
syn: dissimulate, mask, feign

substantive

(adj.) real, having a solid basis; considerable in number or amount; meaningful and on topic
syn: firm, substantial, meaty
ant: imaginary, unreal, meaningless

decry

(v.) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate
syn: denounce, censure, devalue
ant: tout, commend, extol, laud, praise

piquant

(adj.) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative
syn: zestful, tangy
ant: bland, insipid, tasteless, mild

verbiage

(n.) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression
syn: prolixity, diction, jargon

primordial

(adj.) developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic
syn: original, primal

nefarious

(adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards
syn: iniquitous, reprehensible
ant: virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious

unwonted

(adj.) not usual or expected; not in character
syn: unusual, uncommon, unexpected, atypical
ant: usual, customary, typical

cavort

to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry
syn: gambol

distraught

(adj.) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict
syn: distracted
ant: calm, collected

exhume

(v.) to remove from a grave; to bring to light
syn: disinter, unearth, uncover
ant: bury, inter

utopian

(adj.) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical
syn: idealistic
ant: realistic, pragmatic

verdant

(adj.) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment
syn: artless, naive
ant: scorched, sere, barren

credence

belief, mental acceptance
syn: credit, trust, confidence
ant: disbelief, skepticism, incredulity

stratagem

a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end
syn: trick, ploy, subterfuge

recumbent

in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting
syn: prone, supine, inactive
ant: erect, energetic, dynamic

pusillanimous

contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited
syn: lily-livered
ant: stouthearted, courageous

pecuniary

(adj.) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money
syn: monetary

nettle

(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely
syn: peeve, annoy, incense, gall
ant: please, delight, soothe, pacify

mordant

(adj.) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh
syn: acrimonious, acidulous, sardonic, scathing
ant: bland, mild, gentle, soothing

ludicrous

ridiculous, laughable, absurd
syn: risible, preposterous
ant: heartrending, poignant, pathetic

jocular

humorous, jesting, jolly, joking
syn: waggish, facetious, droll
ant: solemn, grave earnest, grim

incumbent

(adj.) obligatory, required; (n.) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of
syn: mandatory, necessary
ant: optional, unnecessary

incarcerate

to imprison, confine, jail
syn: intern
ant: liberate, free

grouse

(n.) a type of game bird; a complaint; (v.) to complain, grumble
syn: kvetch, bellyache

glean

to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers
syn: cull, pick up

frenetic

frenzied, highly agitated
syn: frantic, overwrought
ant: calm, controlled, relaxed, leisurely

flotsam

floating debris; homeless, impoverished people
syn: floating wreckage

exigency

urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency
syn: requirement, crisis

disarray

(n.) disorder, confusion; (v.) to throw into disorder
syn: disorganization, dishevel, mess up
ant: organization, order, tidiness

consummate

(adj.) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) to bring to a state of completion or perfection
syn: masterful, clinch, conclude

concord

(n.) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant
ant: disagreement, strife, discord

bastion

(n.) a fortified place, stronghold
syn: citadel, rampart, parapet

atrophy

(n.) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v.) to waste away
syn: degeneration, deterioration, wither
ant: growth, mature

acuity

(n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)
syn: acuteness,
ant: dullness, obtuseness

delineate

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

depraved

(adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles
syn: perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt
ant: moral, virtuous, uprights, 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: cryptic, arcane, recondite
ant: accessible, comprehensible, intelligible

fecund

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: dictum

figment

(n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion
syn: 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
syn: venerate, bless
ant: defile, profane

idiosyncrasy

a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify
syn: quirk, mannerism

ignominy

(n.) shame and disgrace
syn: humiliation, disrepute, odium
ant: honor, acclaim

mundane

(adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary
syn: prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary
ant: heavenly, 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, meek

penchant

a strong attraction or inclination
syn: proclivity, predilection
ant: disinclination, aversion

reputed

(adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged
syn: putative, reputable
ant: proven, corroborated, authenticated

sophistry

(n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy
syn: specious reasoning

sumptuous

costly, rich, magnificent
syn: lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid
ant: skimpy, stingy, niggardly, spartan

ubiquitous

present or existing everywhere
syn: pervasive, universal
ant: restricted, limited, rare, scarce