AP Lang & Comp: Vocabulary Lists 1-9

approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval

assuage

(v.) to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench

coalition

(n.) a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose

decadence

(n.) moral deterioration

elicit

(v.) to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)

expostulate

(v.) to argue earnestly in an attempt to dissuade or show strong disapproval

hackneyed

(adj.) used so often as to lack freshness or originality

hiatus

(n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)

innuendo

(n.) a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)

intercede

(v.) to mediate; plead on behalf of someone else

jaded

(adj.) wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)

lurid

(adj.) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; pale/sallow color

meritorious

(adj.) - deserving of praise or merit

petulant

(adj.) peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset

prerogative

(n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence

provincial

(adj.) outlying area; local; limited + backward; simple (n.) person with narrow pov; soldier from province or colony

simulate

(v.) to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of

transcend

(v.) To rise above or beyond, exceed.

umbrage

(n.) offense or annoyance

unctuous

(adj.) trying too hard to give an impression of sincerity

Ameliorate

(v.) to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming

Aplomb

(n.) poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity

Bombastic

(adj.) pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas

Callow

(adj.) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers

Drivel

(n.) foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense

Epitome

(n.) a summary, condensed account; the perfect example

Exhort

(v.) to urge strongly, advise earnestly

Ex officio

(adj., adv.) by virtue of holding a certain office

Infringe

(v.) to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds

Ingratiate

(v.) to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense)

Interloper

(n.) one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder

Intrinsic

(adj.) belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part

Inveigh

(v.) to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval

Lassitude

(n.) weariness of body or mind, lack of energy

Millennium

(n.) a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy

Occult

(adj.) mysterious, magical, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; (v.) to hide, conceal; eclipse; (n.) matters involving the supernatural

Permeate

(v.) to spread through, penetrate, soak through

Precipitate

(v.) to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height, to give distinct form to; (adj.) characterized by excessive haste; (n.) moisture; the product of an action or process

Stringent

(adj.) strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste

Surmise

(v.) to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; (n.) likely idea that lacks definite proof

Abominate

(v.) To have an intense dislike or hatred for

Acculturation

(n.) assimilation to a different culture, typically the dominant one

Adventitious

(adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character

Ascribe

(v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source)

Circuitous

(adj.) roundabout, not direct

Commiserate

(v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress

Enjoin

(v.) instruct or urge (someone) to do something

Expedite

(v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster

Expiate

(v.) to make amends, make up for

Ferment

(n.) a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action

Inadvertent

(adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention

Nominal

(adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously

Noncommittal

(adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no

Peculate

(v.) to steal something that has been given into one's trust; to take improperly for one's own use

Proclivity

(n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)

Sangfroid

(n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances

Seditious

(adj). resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government

Tenuous

(adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance

Vitriolic

(adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)

Wheedle

(v.) to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end

Affable

(adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to

Aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater

Amorphous

(adj.) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion

Aura

(n.) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality

Contraband

(n.) illegal traffic, smuggled goods; (adj.) illegal, prohibited

Erudite

(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic

Gossamer

(adj.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n.) a very thin, light cloth

Infer

(v.) to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought

Inscrutable

(adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically

Insular

(adj.) narrow or isolated in outlook or experience

Irrevocable

(adj.) not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered; final

Propensity

(n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward

Querulous

(adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful

Remonstrate

(v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to

Repudiate

(v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of

Resilient

(adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly

Reverberate

(v.) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly

Scurrilous

(adj.) coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul-mouthed

Sedulous

(adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination

Sleazy

(adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable

amnesty

(n.) a general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution

autonomy

(n.) self-government, political control

axiomatic

(Adj.) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule

Blazon

(V.) display prominently or vividly

Caveat

(N.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior

equitable

(Adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice

extricate

(v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort

filch

(v.) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts

flout

(V.) to mock, treat with contempt

fractious

(adj.) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable

precept

(n.) a rule of conduct or action

salutary

(adj.) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome

scathing

(adj.) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm

scourge

(v.) To whip, punish severely; (n.) A cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism

sepulchral

(adj.) funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal

soporific

(adj.) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (n.) something that induces sleep

straitlaced

(adj.) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical

transient

(adj.) lasting only a short time, fleeting; (n.) one who stays only a short time

unwieldy

(Adj.) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity

vapid

(adj.) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force