Ap Lang

admiring complimentary, favorable

alarmed excited

allusive suggestive, hinting

aloof haughty, distant

ambivalent indecisive, having mixed emotions

angry irate

anxious uneasy, brooding

apathetic uncaring, uninvolved

apologetic regretful

audacious bold, insolent

belligerent contentious

benevolent kind

bitter hating, malicious, resentful, rancorous

candid frank, truthful

captious ready to detect trivial faults

censorious severely critical, condemnatory

clinical detached, coolly dispassionate

cold unemotional

complacent self-satisfied, smug

condescending showing superiority, patronizing

confident certain, full of conviction

confused perplexed, disconcerted

contemptuous scornful, disdainful, disrespectful, irrelevant

critical judging harshly

cynical contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives, misanthropic

delirious suggesting frenzied excitement

depressed dejected

desperate showing a loss of hope

detached unconcerned, aloof, distant, unbiased

didactic instructive

dispassionate unaffected by strong feeling; showing coolness of judgment

dogmatic authoritative, assertive, arrogant

dreamy vague, in a state of reverie, appearing tranquil

effusive excessively demonstrative, gushing

elated joyful; happy

elegiac expressing sorrow

fanciful whimsical

flippant lacking proper respect or seriousness

forgiving pardoning, excusing

frivolous lacking seriousness, playful, silly

giddy lightheartedly silly

hesitant reluctant

impartial unbiased, objective

impassioned ardent, fervent, fervid

importunate overly persistent in demand

incredulous not believing

indignant showing anger at injustice

insolent arrogant, overbearing, impudent

ironic expressing the opposite of literal meaning

irreverent disrespectful

jocular joking, humorous

lugubrious dismal, mournful

matter-of-fact concerned with fact only, not imaginative or fanciful; objective

melancholy depressed, dejected, sad

optimistic inclined to expect the best possible outcome

pedantic narrowly or unimaginatively academic; ostentatiously learned

pessimistic inclined to expect the worst possible outcome, fatalistic

pompous arrogant, self-important

puerile childish, juvenile

pungent caustic, stinging, biting

restrained reserved

sardonic disdainfully humorous, sarcastic

satirical ridiculing, ironic, mocking, taunting

sentimental affectedly emotional, maudlin

skeptical questioning, doubting

somber serious, solemn, gloomy, grave, melancholy

supercilious haughtily contemptuous

sympathetic favoring, pitying

tongue-in-cheek ironic, facetious, sarcastic

threatening menacing

urgent urging insistently, earnest

vexed annoyed, agitated

vindictive vengeful, spiteful, vicious

zealous eager, passionate, fervent

preamble an introduction to a text

presage to indicate something (usually bad) is about to happen

prescient Having knowledge of something before it happens

predilection a special fondness

precipitate Rash, acting without thinking

predicate To be based on

Presenntiment A feeling that something (typically bad) is about to happen

Precedent Something that sets an example for how things are done in the future

Pretentious Acting more important than others by pretending to know more

Pretense A claim or assertion not based on fact

Predecessor One that comes before, often a person who previously held a position before passing it on to someone else

Precursor Something that comes before another; used only for things, not for people

Pretext A reason given for something that is not the actual reason.

Precocious Developing early (usually in terms of ability)

Preclude To make it impossible for something to happen

Tantalize To torment someone with something they want without ever giving it to them

Pyrrhic Describing a victory that comes with a heavy cost

Laconic Using as few words as possible when speaking

Draconian Extremely strict, as laws or rules

Jeremiad A long speech full of complaints

Cicerone A guide who gives speeches to sightseers

Nemesis One who constantly works to ensure another’s downfall

Platonic Describes a close relationship that has no romantic or sexual basis

Thespian An actor

Spartan Lacking in comfort or flourishes (describing either a lifestyle or accomodations)

Juggernaut An unstoppable, destructive force or thing

Maudlin Overly self-pitying, often used to describe someone who becomes sentimental whhen intoxicated.

Hector To bully (usually through words)

nonchalant Giving off a sense of calmness or coolness

adroit skillful, either mentally or with one’s hands

chicanery Trickery or deception, usually in politics or where money is involved

demur to object to do something

insouciant Showing a lack of concern or interest

arriviste A person who is extremely ambitious and has recently acquired wealth or power

parvenu A person who has recently gained status or celebrity

rapport Understanding and similar feelings that exist between people or groups

passe No longer in fashion; outdated

cache A collection of items hidden or stored away for future use

raconteur A skilled storyteller

sortie An attack from a defensive position.

gauche clumsy and socially awkward

sangfroid utter calmness and composure, especially under pressure

liaison a person who helps two parties communicate

envoy a messenger, usually on a diplomatic mission

sans typically a facetious(whimsical) way of saying “without”

filial Relating to the obligations of a son or daughter

droll odd and therefore amusing

faux pas  An act or comment with embarassing social consequences

in lieu of  In place of, substitute

enfant terrible  A person whose commentary or behavior is aimed to shock

tete-a-tete  A private conversation between two people

savoir vivre   A familiarity and ease with polite society

savoir faire   The Skill of saying and doing just the right thing in social situations

espir de corps  The spirit of belongingness and pride of a tightly knit group