AP Lang Vocab

Abdicate

to step down from a position of power

Abridge

to shorten, condense, or lessen in length

Abysmal

extremely wretched or bottomless

Acquiesce

to comply passively; to give in

Aesthetic

concerned with or appreciative of beauty

Affinity

sympathy, attraction, kinship

Aggrandize

to make great

Altruistic

unselfishly concerned with the welfare of others

Amnesty

an official pardon for a group of people who violate a law

Animosity

ill will or hatred

Anomalous

irregular, abnormal, unusual

Arduous

difficult to do

Augment

to increase or enlarge

Austere

stern in manner or appearance

Banal

boring, unoriginal

Baroque

extravagant; characterized by bold ornamentation

Blanch

to turn pale

Blithe

happy, lighthearted

Bracing

invigorating, refreshing

Broach

to open up a subject for discussion

Bulwark

a strong defense or protection

Cache

hiding place or something hidden in a secret place

Candor

truthfulness, honesty

Capitulate

to surrender

Catharsis

emotional release or cleansing

Caustic

biting in humor

Censure

act of blaming or condemning

Circumspect

carefully thought out

Clemency

mildness or mercy

Coalesce

to unite or join together

Colloquial

used in informal speech

Copious

abundant

Corroborate

give evidence to support

Craven

cowardly

Cursory

without much attention

Dearth

a shortage

Deference

respect, courtesy

Deft

skillful

Delineate

to describe, give detail

Depravity

moral corruption

destitute

very poor

diatribe

harsh, angry speech or lecture

didactic

instructive; intended to educate

diffuse

wordy / to spread widely

digress

to stray from the main subject

discerning

perceptive (understanding things others may not get)

docile

easily taught; submissive

dogmatic

arrogantly positive about unproven ideas

dupe

to deceive or trick

ebb

to decline or recede

eccentric

nonconventional; “kooky”

eclectic

drawn from many source; including many styles

efface

to erase or obscure

egocentric

self-involved; selfish

egregious

extremely bad

elucidate

to make clear or evident

emissary

messenger or representativeem

emulate

to imitate or strive to equal

enigma

a puzzle or baffling situatione

esoteric

understood by only a few

exacerbate

to make worse or more severe

exacting

greatly demanding; requiring close attention

exorbitant

extravagant; exceeding what is usual

expedite

to make faster or easier; to carry out promptly

explicit

clearly stated; precisely shown

expunge

to erase

extol

to praise highly

fallacy

false idea or mistaken belief

fawn

to show excessive affection

feign

to pretend or give a false impression

fledgling

a beginner or novice; a young bird

fluke

chance event or coincidence

fodder

raw material for a given endf

foray

an initial venture; a raid in search of plunder

fortuitous

happening by chance; lucky or fortunate

furtive

secret

futile

useless, hopeless, without effect

gamut

the full range of somethingga

garner

to gather and store away; to acquire by effort

gratuitous

freely given, unnecessary, uncalled for

grovel

to beg persistently, to degrade oneself

guile

purposeful deceit

guise

an external appearance

harbinger

a precursor, an indication, one that foreshadows what is coming

heresy

any belief that is strongly opposed to established beliefs or practices

hiatus

a break or interruption from work or any other established routine

hubris

excessive pride, arrogance, exaggerated self-confidence

imminent

about to occur, hanging threateningly over one’s headi

immutable

unchangeable, permanent

imperious

commanding, lordly, arrogant

incipient

beginning to be, in an early stage

incontrovertable

not disputable, not open to question

indigenous

native, produced or living in a particular area

indigent

poverty strickend, needy

inept

clumsy, awkward, incompetent

infamy

an evil reputation born of a criminal act, a reputation for evil deeds

insidious

treacherous, having a gradual effect

insipid

lacking taste, dull, bland

intrepid

fearless, having fortitude and endurance

irreverent

disrespectful, gently or humorously mocking