Allover vocab
cohesive
condition of sticking together
Eric's essay was cohesive because each point flowed nicely into the next point.
didactic dye DAK tik
intended to instruct
The tapes were entertaining and didactic because they amused and instructed the children.
discourse DIS kors
verbal expression or exchange; conversation
Their discourse varied widely; they discussed everything from Chaucer to ice fishing.
eloquence EH 10 kwens
the ability to speak vividly or persuasively
Cicero's eloquence is legendary; his speeches were well-crafted and convincing.
fluid FLOO id
easily flowing
The two old friends' conversation was fluid; each of them was able to respond quickly and easily
to what the other had to say.
im pli KAY shun
implication
the act of suggesting or hinting
When your mother asks, "Were you raised in a barn?" the implication is that you should close
the door.
lucid LOO sid
easily understood; clear
Our teacher does a good job because he provides lucid explanations of difficult concepts.
rhetoric RET uh rik
the art of using language effectively and persuasively
Because they are expected to make speeches, most politicians and lawyers are well versed in the
art of rhetoric.
I'LL BE THE JUDGE OF THAT
arbiter AHRbih ter
a judge who decides a disputed issue
An arbiter was hired to settle the Major League Baseball strike because the owners and players
could not come to an agreement.
biased BYE ist
prejudiced
Judges should not be biased but should rather weigh the evidence fairly before making up their
minds.
exculpate
EKS kul payt
to free from guilt or blame
When the gold coins discovered in his closet were found to be fake, Dr. Rideau was exculpated
and the search for the real thief continued.
impartial
im PAR shul
not in favor of one side or the other, unbiased
The umpire had a hard time remaining impartial; his son was pitching for the home team, and
this made it difficult to call the game fairly.
in kahn truh VERT uh bul
incontrovertible
not able to be denied or disputed
The videotape of the robbery provided incontrovertible evidence against the suspect—he was
obviously guilty.
integrity
in TEG rit ee
trustworthiness; completeness
The integrity of the witness was called into question when her dislike for the defendant was re-
vealed—some jurors suspected that she was not being entirely truthful.
objettivity
ahb jek TIV ih tee
treating facts without influence from personal feelings or prejudices
It is important that judges hear all cases with objectivity, so that their personal feelings do not
affect their decision.
PLAWZ ih bul
plausible
seemingly valid or acceptable; credible
Keith's excuse that he missed school yesterday because he was captured by space aliens was not
very plausible.
sub STAN shee ay tid
substantiated
supported with proof or evidence; verified
The fingerprint evidence substantiated the detective's claim that the suspect had been at the scene
of the crime.
vindicated
VIN duh kayt id
freed from blame
Mrs. Layton was finally vindicated after her husband admitted to the crime.
YOU'RE SO VAIN
condescending
kahn de SEND ing
treating people as weak or inferior
Robert always looked down on his sister and treated her in a condescending manner.
contemptuous
feeling hatred; scornfill
She was so contemptuous of people who wore fur that she sprayed red paint on them.
despotic
des PAHT ik
exercising absolute power; tyrannical
He was a despotic ruler whose every law was enforced with threats of violence or death.
dictatorial
dik tuh TOR ee ul
domineering; oppressively overbearing
The coach had a dictatorial manner and expected people to do whatever he demanded.
disdain
disDAYN
(n.) contempt, scorn, (v.) to regard or treat with contempt; to look down on
(n.) I felt nothing but disdain for the person who stole my lunch—what a jerk!
(v.) Aself-proclaimed gourmand, he disdains to eat any meal that comes in a box.
haughty
HAW tee
arrogant; vainly proud
His haughty manner made it clear that he thought he was better than everyone else.
imperious
im PEER ee us
arrogantly domineering or overbearing
She had a very imperious way about her; she was bossy and treated everyone as if they were
beneath her.
patronizing
PAY truh ny zing
treating in a condescending manner
Patrick had such a patronizing attitude that he treated everyone around him like a bunch of little
kids.
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH
convoluted
kahn vuh LOO tid
intricate; complex
The directions were so convoluted that we drove all around the city and got lost.
cryptic
KRIP tik
difficult to comprehend
The writing on the walls of the crypt was cryptic; none of the scientists understood it.
futile
FEW tul
having no useful purpose; pointless
It is futile to try to explain the difference between right and wrong to your pet.
impede
im PEED
to slow the progress of
The retreating army constructed barbed-wire fences and destroyed bridges to impede the advance
of the enemy.
obscure
ahbSKYUR
(adj.) relatively unknown, (v.) to conceal or make indistinct
Scott constantly makes references to obscure cult films, and no one ever gets his jokes.
The man in front of me was so tall that his head obscured my view of the movie.
quandary
KWAHN dree
a state of uncertainty or perplexity
Ann was in a quandary because she had no soap with which to do her laundry.
I'M A LOSER, BABY
indolent
IN duh lunt
lazy
Mr. Lan said his students were indolent because they had not done their homework.
insipid
in SIP id
uninteresting; unchallenging
That insipid movie was so boring and predictable.
lament
luhMENT
express grief for; mourn
After Beowulf was killed by the dragon, the Geats wept and lamented his fate.
listless
LIST luss
lacking energy
Because he is accustomed to an active lifestyle, Mark feels listless when he has nothing to do.
melancholy
MEL un kaw lee
sadness; depression
Joy fell into a state of melancholy when her Arcade Fire CD got scratched.
torpor
TOR per
laziness; inactivity; dullness
The hot and humid day filled everyone with an activity-halting torpor.
REVOLUTION
alliance
uh LIE uhns
a union of two or more groups
The two countries formed an alliance to stand against their common enemy.
disparity dis PAR uh tee
inequality in age, rank, or degree; difference
There is a great disparity between rich and poor in many nations.
impinge im PINJ
hinder; interfere with
By not allowing the students to publish a newspaper, the school was impinging upon their right
to free speech.
sanction SANK shun
an economic or military measure put in place to punish another country
In 1962, the United States imposed economic sanctions on Cuba to protest Fidel Castro's dictator-
ship; travel and trade between the countries are severely restricted to this day.
SER vile
Tibhåssive; like a servant
Cameron's servile behavior finally ended when he decided to stand up to his older brother.
suppressed suh PREST
subdued; kept from being circulated
The author's book was suppressed because the dictator thought it was too critical of his regime.
YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL
embellish em BELL
to make beautiful by ornamenting; to decorate
We embellished the account of our vacation by including descriptions of the many colorful people
and places we visited.
florid FLOHRid
describing flowery or elaborate speech
The candidate's speech was so florid that although no one could understand what he was talking
about, they all agreed that he sounded good saying it.
opulent AHP yuh lunt
exhibiting a display of great wealth
Dances at the king's palace are always very opulent affairs because no expense is spared.
or NAYT
ornate
elaborately decorated
The carved wood was so ornate that you could examine it several times and still notice things you
had not seen before.
ostentatious ah sten TAY shus
describing a showy or pretentious display
Whenever the millionaire gave a party, the elaborate decorations and enormous amounts of food
were always part of his ostentatious display of wealth.
poignant
POYN yunt
profoundly moving; touching
The most poignant part of the movie was when the father finally made peace with his son.
OVERKILL
ebullience
ih BULL yuns
intense enthusiasm
Asense of ebullience swept over the crowd when the matador defeated the bull.
effusive
eh FYOO Siv
emotionally unrestrained; gushy
Halle Berry was effusive in her thanks after winning the Oscar; she even burst into tears.
egregious
uh GREE jus
conspicuously bad or offensive
Forgetting to sterilize surgical tools before an operation would be an egregious error.
flagrant
FLAY grunt
extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
His throwing the pie at his teacher was a flagrant sign of disrespect.
frenetic
freh NEH tik
or active
The pace at the busy office was frenetic; Megan never had a moment to catch her breath.
gratuitous
gruh TOO ih tus
given freely; unearned; unwarranted
The film was full of gratuitous sex and violence that was not essential to the story.
superfluous
soo PER floo us
extra; unnecessary
If there is sugar in your tea, adding honey would be superfluous.
IT GETS BETTER
alleviate
uh LEEV ee ayt
to ease a pain or burden
John took aspirin to alleviate the pain from the headache he got after taking the SAT.
asylum
uh SY lum
a place of retreat or security
The soldiers sought asylum from the bombs in the underground shelter.
auspicious
aw SPISH us
favorable; promising
Our trip to the beach had an auspicious start; the rain stopped just as we started the car.
benevolent
buh NEH vuh lunt
well-meaning; generous
She was a kind and benevolent queen who was concerned about her subjects' well-being.
benign
buh NINE
kind and gentle
Uncle Charlie is a benign and friendly man who is always willing to help.
mollify
MAHL uh fye
to calm or soothe
Anna's apology for scaring her brother did not mollify him; he was mad at her all day.
rek luh MAY shun
reclamation
the act of making something useful again
Thanks to the reclamation project, the once unusable land became a productive farm.
sanction
SANK shun
to give official authorization or approval
The students were happy when the principal agreed to sanction the use of calculators in math
classes.
LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE
dubious
DOO bee us
doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
Jerry's claim that he could fly like Superman seemed dubious—we didn't believe it.
fabricated
FAB ruh kay tid
made; concocted to deceive
Fabio fabricated the story that he used to play drums for Metallica; he had never actually held
drumsticks in his life.
hypocrisy
hihPAHK ruh see
the practice of pretending to be something one is not; insincerity
People who claim to be vegetarian but eat chicken and fish are guilty of hypocrisy.
slander
SLAN der
false charges and malicious oral statements about someone
After the radio host stated that Monica was a space alien, she sued him for slander.
spurious
SPUR ee us
not genuine
The sportscaster made a spurious claim when he said that the San Antonio Spurs were undefeated.
SHE's CRAFTY
astute
uh STOOT
shrewd; clever
Kevin is financially astute; he never falls for the tricks that credit card companies play.
clandestine
klan DES tin
secretive
The spies planned a clandestine maneuver that depended on its secrecy to work.
coup
KOO
a brilliantly executed plan
It was quite a coup when I talked the salesperson into selling me this valuable cuckoo clock for
five dollars.
disingenuous
dis in JEN yoo us
not straightforward; crafty
Mr. Gelman was rather disingenuous; although he seemed to be simply asking about your health,
he was really trying to figure out why you'd been absent.
ruse
ROOZ
a crafty tick
The offer of a free cruise was merely a ruse to get people to listen to their sales pitch.
stratagem
STRAT uh jem
a clever trick used to deceive or outwit
Planting microphones in the gangster's home was a clever, but illegal, stratagem.
surreptitiously
sur ep TISH us lee
done by secretive means
Matt drank the cough syrup surreptitiously because he didn't want anyone to know that he was
sick.
wary
WAIR ee
on guard
Myfather becomes wary whenever a salesman calls him on the phone; he knows that many crooks
use the phone so that they can't be charged with mail fraud.
wily
WYE1ee
cunning
Each year, a new batch of wily campers devised ways to torture the cabin leader.
SITTIN' ON THE FENCE
ambiguous
am BIG yoo us
open to more than one interpretation
His eyes were an ambiguous color: Some thought they were brown, and some thought they were
green.
ambivalent
am BIH vuh lunt
simultaneously having opposing feelings; uncertain
She had ambivalent feelings about her dance class: On one hand, she enjoyed the exercise, but on
the other hand, she thought the choice of dances could be more interesting.
a puh THEH tik
apathetic
feeling or showing little emotion
When the defendant was found guilty on all charges, her face remained expressionless and she
appeared to be entirely apathetic.
arbitrary
ARbih trayr ee
determined by impulse rather than reason
The principal made the arbitrary decision that students could not wear hats in school without of-
fering any logical reason for the rule.
capricious
kuh PRI shus
impulsive and unpredictable
The referee's capricious behavior angered the players because he was inconsistent with his calls;
he would call foul for minor contact, but ignore elbowing and kicking.
eh KWI vuh kayt
equivocate
to avoid making a definite statement
On critical reading questions, I choose answers that equivocate; they use words such as could or
may that make them difficult to disprove.
indifferent
in DIF rent
not caring one way or the other
The old fisherman was completely indifferent to the pain and hunger he felt; his only concern was
catching the enormous marlin he had hooked.
spahn TAY nee us
spontaneous
unplanned; naturally occurring
Dave is such a good musician that he can create a song spontaneously, without having to stop
and think about it.
whimsical
WIM zuh kul
subject to erratic behavior; unpredictable
Egbert rarely behaved as expected; indeed, he was a whimsical soul whose every decision was anybody's guess.
JUST A LITTLE BIT
inconsequential in kahn suh KWEN shul
unimportant
The cost of the meal was inconsequential to Quentin because he wasn't paying for it.
superficial soo per FISH ul
concerned only with what is on the surface or obvious; shallow
The wound on his leg was only superficial, even though it looked like a deep cut.
tenuous TEN yoo us
having little substance or strength; shaky; unsure, weak
Her grasp on reality is tenuous at best; she's not even sure what year it is.
trivial TRIHvee ul
of little importance or significance
Alex says he doesn't like trivia games because the knowledge they test is trivial; he prefers to
spend his time learning more important things.
I WILL SURVIVE
assiduous uh SID yoo us
hard-working
Spending hours in the hot sun digging out every tiny weed, Sidney tended her garden with
assiduous attention.
compelling kuhm PEL ing
forceful; urgently demanding attention
By ignoring the problems in the city, the mayor gave people a very compelling reason to vote him
out of office.
diligent DIL uh jent
marked by painstaking effort; hard-working
With a lot of diligent effort, they were able to finish the model airplane in record time.
dogged DOG id
stubbornly persevering
Her first attempts resulted in failure, but her dogged efforts ultimately ended in success.
endure DUR
to put up with; to survive a hardship
It was difficult to endure the incredibly boring lecture given in class the other day.
intrepid in TREH pid
courageous; fearless
The intrepid young soldier scaled the wall and attacked the enemy forces despite being outnumbered 50 to 1.
maverick
MAV uh rik
one who is independent and resists adherence to a group
In the movie Top Gun, Tom Cruise was a maverick; he often broke the rules and did things his
own way.
obdurate
AHB dur ut
stubborn; inflexible
Leanna was so obdurate that she was unable to change her way of thinking on even the most
minor issues.
obstinate
AHB stin ut
stubbornly adhering to an opinion or a course of action
Even though he begged them constantly, Jeremy's parents were obstinate in their refusal to buy
him a WiiTM
proliferate
pro LIF er ayt
increase rapidly
Because the number of cell phones has proliferated in recent years, many new area codes have
been created to handle the demand for phone numbers.
tenacity
ten ASS uh tee
persistence
With his overwhelming tenacity, Clar was finally able to interview Zac Efron for the school
newspaper.
vitality
vy TAlih tee
energy; power to survive
After a few days of rest, the exhausted mo
Go WITH THE FLOW
assimilation
uh sim il AY shun
to absorb; to make similar
tain climber regained his usual vitality.
The unique blend of Mexican culture was formed by the assimilation of the cultures of the Native
Americans and the Spanish.
consensus
kun SEN sus
general agreement
After much debate, the committee came to a consensus, although they differed on minor points.
context
KAHN tekst
circumstances ofa situation; environment
The senator complained that his statements had been taken out of context and were therefore mis-
leading; he said that if the newspaper had printed the rest of his speech, it would have explained the statements in question.
derived de RYVD
copied or adapted from a source
Many AP English Language and Composition questions are derived from older questions—the
details may have been changed, but the same basic concept is being tested.
incumbent in KUM bent
imposed as a duty; obligatory
Since you are the host, it is incumbent upon you to see that everyone is having fun.
inevitable in EV ih tuh bul
certain to happen, unavoidable
Gaining a little extra weight during the wintertime is inevitable, especially after the holidays.
malleable MALee uh bul
easily shaped or formed; easily influenced
Gold is malleable; it is easy to work with and can be hammered into very thin sheets.
subdue sub DOO
to restrain; to hold back
It took four officers to subdue the fugitive because he fought like a madman.
WAYS OF KNOWING
acquired uh KWY erd
developed or learned; not naturally occurring
Alove of opera is an acquired taste; almost nobody likes it the first time he or she hears it.
conception kun SEP shun
the ability to form or understand an idea
Most people have no conception of the enormous amount of genetic information present in a
single living cell.
conviction kun VIK shun
a fixed or strong belief
Although he privately held onto his convictions, threats by the church caused Galileo to publicly
denounce his theory that the Earth orbited the sun.
dogmatic dog MAT ik
stubbornly adhering to unproved beliefs
Doug was dogmatic in his belief that exercising frequently boosts one's immune system.
enlightening en LITE uh ning
informative; contributing to one's awareness
The Rosetta Stone was enlightening because it allowed linguists to begin to translate Egyptian
hieroglyphs, which had previously been a mystery.
impression
a feeling or understanding resulting from an experience
It was my impression that I was supposed to throw a curve ball, but I must have been wrong
because the catcher didn't expect it.
in too ISH un
intuition
the power of knowing things without thinking; sharp insight
It is said that some people have intuition about future events that allows them to predict the future.
misconception
mis kun SEP shun
an incorrect understanding or interpretation
His belief that storks bring babies was just one of his many misconceptions.
perception
per SEP shun
awareness; insight
The detective's perception of people's hidden feelings makes it easy for him to catch liars.
perspective
per SPEK tiv
point of view
People from the North and South vie ed the Civil War from different perspectives—each side's
circumstances made it difficult for the to understand the other side.
profound
pro FOWND
having great depth or seriousness
There was a profound silence during th ceremony in honor of those who died during World War II.
FEELING AT HOME
inherent
in HER ent
inborn; built-in
One of the inherent weaknesses of the AP English Language and Composition Exam is that a
multiple-choice test, by definition, cannot allow students to be creative in their answers.
innate
possessed from birth; inborn
Cats have an innate ability to see well in the dark; they are born with this skill and do not need
to develop it.
inveterate
in VET uh rit
long established; deep-rooted; habitual
Stan has always had trouble telling the truth; in fact, he's an inveterate liar.
om NIP uh tent
omnipotent
all-powerful
He liked to think that he was an omnipotent manager, but he really had very little control over
anything.
proximity
prahk SIM ih tee
closeness
I try to sit far away from Roxy—I don't like sitting in proximity to her because she wears too
much perfume.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
elusive
il 00 Siv
difficult to capture, as in something actuallyfieeting
The girl's expression vias elusive; the painter had a hard time recreating it on the canvas.
emigrate
EM ih grayt
to leave one country or region and settle in another
Many Jews left Russia and emigrated to Israel after it was founded in 1948.
transient
TRAN Zhi unt
passing away with time; passing from one place to another
Jack Dawson enjoyed his transient lifestyle; with nothing but the clothes on his back and the air
in his lungs, he was free to travel wherever he wanted.
transitory
TRAN zih tor ee
short-lived or temporary
The sadness she felt was only transitory; the next day her mood improved.
FRIENDLY
affable
AF uh bul
easy-going; friendly
We enjoyed spending time with Mr. Lee because he was such a pleasant, affable man.
amenable
uh MEN uh bul
responsive; agreeable
Because we had been working hard all day, the group seemed amenable to my suggestion that
we all go home early.
camaraderie
kahm RAH duh ree
good will between friends
There was great camaraderie among the members of the team; they were friends both on and off
the field.
cordial
KORju1
friendly; sincere
Upon my arrival at camp, I received a warm and cordial greeting from the counselors.
facetious fuh SEE shus
playfully humorous
Although the teacher pretended to be insulting his favorite student, he was just being facetious.
I WRITE THE SONGS
aesthetic es THET ik
having to do with the appreciation of beauty
The arrangement of paintings in the museum was due to aesthetic considerations; as long as the
paintings looked good together, it didn't matter who painted them or when they were painted.
anthology an THAH luh jee
a collection of literary pieces
This anthology contains all of William Shakespeare's sonnets, but none of his plays.
contemporary kun TEM puh rer ee
current, modern; from the same time
Contemporary music is verydifferent from the music of the 1920s.
Pocahontas and William Shakespeare were contemporaries; they lived during the same time,
though not in the same place.
dilettante dih lull TAHNT
one with an amateurish or superficial understanding ofa field of knowledge
You can't trust Betsy's opinion because she's just a dilettante who doesn't understand the subtle-
ties of the painting.
eclectic uh KLEK tik
made up ofa variety of sources or styles
Lou's taste in music is eclectic; he listens to everything from rap to polka.
excerpt EK serpt
a selected part ofa passage or scene
We read an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet in which Juliet says, "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou
genre ZHAHNruh
describing a category or artistic endeavor
Gene enjoyed only science-fiction movies; in fact, he never went to see anything that was not in
that genre.
medley MED lee
an assortment or a mixture, especially of musical pieces
At the concert, the band played a medley of songs from its first album, cutting an hour's worth
of music down to five minutes.
mural
MYUR ul
a large painting applied directly to a wall or ceiling surface
The mural on the wall of the library showed the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
narrative
NAR uh tiv
(adj.) characterized by the telling ofa story, (n.) a story
Tony gave us a running narrative of the game, since he was the only one who could see over the
fence.
parody
PAR uh dee
an artistic work that imitates the style of another workfor comic effect
The Onion is a satirical publication that is a parody of other, no satirical newspapers that give
real, true news.
realism
REE uh liz um
artistic representation that aims for visual accuracy
His photographs have a stark realism that conveys the true horv r of the war.
ver choo OH so
virtuoso
a tremendously skilled artist
Some people say that Jason Loewenstein is a guitar virtuoso because of his amazing work in Seba-
doh—others say that his music is just noise.
COOL IT Now
decorous
DEK er us
proper; marked by good taste
The class was well-behaved and the substitute was grateful for their decorous conduct.
equanimity
ee kwuh NIH muh tee
the quality of being calm and even-tempered; composure
She showed great equanimity; she did not panic even in the face of catastrophe.
modest
MAH dist
quiet or humble in manner or appearance
Although Mr. Phillips is well-off financially, he lives in a modest, simple home.
propriety
pruh PRY uh tee
appropriateness of behavior
Anyone who blows his nose on the tablecloth has no sense of propriety.
prudent
PROO dunt
exercising good judgment or common sense
It wouldn't be prudent to act until you've considered every possible outcome.
serene suhREEN
calm
The quiet seaside resort provided a much-needed vacation in a serene locale.
staid STAYD
unemotional; serious
Mr. Carver had such a staid demeanor that he remained calm while everyone else celebrated the
team's amazing victory.
stoic STOH ihk
indifferent to pleasure or pain; impassive
Not one to complain, Jason was stoic in accepting his punishment.
IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE
condemn kun DEM
to express strong disapproval of; denounce
Homer Simpson condemned Mayor Quimby for all wing the schoolchildren to drink spoiled milk;
he was outraged and let the mayor know it.
discredit dis CRED it
to cause to be doubted
The claim that pi is exactly equal to 3 can be discredited simply by careful measurement.
disparage dis PAR uj
to speak of in a slighting way or negatively; to belittle
Glen disparaged Wanda's work as being careless and unoriginal.
pejorative puh JOR uh tiv
describing words or phrases that belittle or speak negatively of someone
Teachers should refrain from using such pejorative terms as numbskull when dealing with students
who need encouragement.
plagiarism PLAY juh riz um
the act of passing off the ideas or writing of another as one's own
The author was accused of plagiarism when an older manuscript was discovered that contained
passages that she had used, word for word, in her own book.
vilify VIL uh fye
to make vicious statements about
Chad issued a series of pamphlets that did nothing but vilify his opponent, but his cruel accusa-
tions were not enough to win him the election.
NASTY Boys
brusque
BRUSK
rudely abrupt
Mr. Weird was a brusque teacher who didn't take time to talk to or listen to his students.
caustic
KAW Stik
bitingly sarcastic or witty
He had a very caustic wit, and he seldom told a joke without offending someone.
shus
fractious
quarrelsome; unr ly
Leonard was fractious child who disagreed with everything and refused to listen.
in KOR ij uh bul
incorrigi e
unabltlfö be reformed
Sheis absolutely incorrigible; no matter how many times you punish her, she goes right ahead
and misbehaves.
ingrate
IN grayt
an ungrateful person
It is a true ingrate who can accept favor after favor and never offer any thanks.
insolent
IN suh lunt
insulting in manner or speech
It was extremely insolent of him to stick his tongue out at the principal.
notorious
noh TOR ee us
known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous
A1 Capone was a notorious gangster in the 1930s; he was feared throughout America.
pugnacious
pug NAY shus
combative; belligerent
Lorenzo was a pugnacious child who settled his differences by fighting with people.
rep ree HEN si bul
reprehensible
worthy of blmne
It was reprehensible of the girls to spit their gum in their teacher's water bottle; they had deten-
tion for a week.
PURE EVIL
del uh TEER ee us
deleterious
having a harmful effect; injurious
Although it may seem unlikely, taking too many vitamins can actually have a deleterious effect
on your health.
enmity
EN muh tee
mutual hatred or ill-will
There was a great enmity between the opposing generals, and each wanted to destroy the other.
heinous
HAY nus
hatefully evil; abominable
To murder someone in cold blood is a heinous crime.
mal FEEZ uns
malfeasance
wrongdoing, misconduct
The senator was accused of malfeasance after he was caught sneaking out of a local brothel.
malice
MAL is
extreme ill-will or spite
It was clear that he was acting with malice when he disconnected the brakes in his business part-
ner's car.
putrid
YOO trid
rotten
He threw •s lunch in the bottom of his locker every day and it was a putrid mess by the end of
the year rotten bananas, moldy sandwiches, and curdled milk were some of the more disgusting
ingredients.
rancorous
RANK er us
hateful; marked by deep-seated ill-will
They had such a rancorous relationship that no one could believe that they had ever gotten along.
toxic
TAHI<sik
poisonous
Since many chemicals are toxic, drinking from random flasks in the chemistry lab could be haz-
ardous to your health.
OLD SCHOOL
ar KAY ik
archaic
characteristic of an earlier period; old-fashioned
"How dost thou?" is an archaic way of saying, "How are you?"
hackneyed
HACK need
worn out through overuse; trite
All my mom could offer in the way of adCiC9 were these hackneyed old phrases that I'd heard a
hundred times before.
medieval
med EE vul
referring to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned
His ideas about fashion were positively medieval; he thought that a man should always wear a
coat and tie and a woman should always wear a dress.
obsolete
ahbsuh LEET
no longer in use; old-fashioned
Eight-track tape players are obsolete because music isn't recorded in that format anymore.
BO-O-O-RING
aw STEER
austere
without decoration; strict
The gray walls and bare floors provided a very austere setting.
mediocrity
mee dee AH krih tee
the state or quality of being average; of moderate to low quality
Salieri said that he was the patron saint of mediocrity because his work could never measure up
to Mozart's.
mun DAYN
mundane
commonplace; ordinary
We hated going to class every day because it was so mundane; we never did anything interesting.
ponderous
PAHN duh rus
extremely dull
The 700-page book on the anatomy of the flea was so ponderous that I could not read more than
one paragraph.
prosaic
pro ZAY ik
unimaginative; dull
Rebecca made a prosaic mosaic—it consisted of only one tile.
sedentary
SEH dun tair ee
not migratory; settled
Galatea led a sedentary existence; she never even left her home unless she had to.
WHO CAN IT BE Now?
a preh HEN shun
apprehension
anxiety or fear about the future
Mygrandmother felt apprehension about nuclear war in the 1960s, so mygrandfather built a bomb
shelter in the backyard to calm her fears.
harbipger
HARbin jer
something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner
Whenit is going to rain, insects fly lower, so cows lie down to get away from the insects; therefore,
the sight of cows lying down is a harbinger of rain.
ominous
AH min us
menacing; threatening
The rattling under the hood sounded ominous because we were miles from the nearest town and
would have been stranded if the car had broken down.
premonition
prem uh NISH un
a feeling about the future
Luckily, my premonition that I would break my neck skiing was unfounded; unluckily, I broke
myleg.
timorous
TIM uh rus
timid; fearful about the future
Tiny Tim was timorous; he was afraid that one day he would be crushed by a giant.
trepidation
trep uh DAY shun
uncertainty; apprehension
We approached Mrs. Fielding with trepidation because we didn't know how she would react to
our request for a field trip.
NEW SENSATION
innovative
IN no vay tiv
introducing something new
The shop on the corner has become known for its innovative use of fruit on its pizzas.
naive
nah YEEV
lacking sophistication
It was naive of him to think that he could write a novel in one afternoon.
nascent
NAYsunt
coming into existence; emerging
If you study Coldplay's first album, you can see their nascent abilities that were brought to ma-
turity by their second album.
novel
NAH vul
strikingly new or unusual
Sharon's novel approach to the problem stunned the scientific community; no one had ever
thought to apply game theory to genetics.
novice
NAH vis
a beginner
Having only played chess a couple of times;Barry was a novice compared with the contestants
who had been playing all their lives.
STRAIGHT Up
candor KAN der
sincerity; openness
It's refreshing to hear Lora's honesty and candor—when asked about her English teacher, she says,
"I can't stand her!"
frank FRANK
open and sincere in expression; straightforward
When Jim lost my calculator, he was frank with me; he admitted to losing it without trying to
make up some excuse.
EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE
arid AYRid
describing a dry, rainless climate
Since they receive little rain, deserts are known for their arid climates.
conflagration kahn fluh GRAY shun
a widespread fire
The protesters burned flags, accidentally starting a fire that developed into a conflagration that
raged out of control.
nocturnal nok TER nul
of or occurring in the night
Owls are nocturnal animals because they sleep during the day and hunt at night.
sonorous SAH nuh rus
producing a deep or full sound
Myfather's sonorous snoring keeps me up all night unless I close my door and wear earplugs.
FULL ON
ample AMpul
describing a large amount of something
Because no one else wanted to try the new soda, Andy was able to have an ample sample.
comprehensive kahm prih HEN Siv
large in scope or content
The final exam was comprehensive, covering everything that we had learned that year.
copious KOHpee us
plentiful; having a large quantity
She had taken copious notes during class, using up five large notebooks.
permeated
PER mee ay tid
spread or flowing throughout
After Kathryn had her hair professionally curled, the scent of chemicals permeated the air.
pervasive
per VAY Siv
dispersed throughout
In this part of town, graffiti is pervasive—it's everywhere.
prodigious
pruh DIJ us
enormous
The shattered vase required a prodigious amount of glue to repair.
replete
ruhPLEET
abundantly supplied; filled to capacity
After a successful night of trick-or-treating, Dee's bag was replete with Halloween candy.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
exemplary
eg ZEM pluh ree
commendable; worthy of imitation
Jay's behavior was exemplary; his parents wished that his brother, A1, were more like him.
idealize
eye DEE uh lyze
to consider perfect
The fans had idealized the new star pitcher; they had such unrealistically high expectations that
they were bound to be disappointed.
laudatory
LAW duh tor ee
giving praise
The principal's speech was laudatory, congratulating the students on their AP exam scores.
paramount
PAR uh mount
of chief concern or importance
The workers had many minor complaints, but the paramount reason for their unhappiness was
the low pay.
venerated
VEN er ay tid
highly respected
Princess Diana was venerated for her dedication to banning land mines around the world; people
today still sing her praises.
catalog
KAT uh log
(v.) to make an itemized list of
He decided to catalog his expenses for the week, hoping that this list would show him where he
could cut back his spending.
facile FASu1
done or achieved with little effort; easy
Last night's math homework was such a facile task that I was done in ten minutes.
fastidious fas TID ee us
possessing careful attention to detail; difficult to please
Because Kelly was so fastidious, we tried to keep her out of our group.
hierarchy HY er ar kee
a group organized by rank
With each promotion raising him higher, Archie moved up in his company's hierarchy.
meticulous muh TIK yuh lus
extremely careful and precise
The plastic surgeon was meticulous; he didn't want to leave any scars.
pragmatic prag MAT ik
practical
Never one for wild and unrealistic schemes, Amy took a pragmatic approach to research.
solvent SAHL vunt
able to pay one's debts
After five years of losing money, the business has finally solved its financial problems and become
solvent.
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
alienated AY lee en ay tid
removed or disassociated from (friends, family, or homeland)
Rudolph felt alienated from the other reindeer because they never let him join in their reindeer
games.
abstract ab STRAKT
not applied to actual objects
"Justice" is an abstract concept because it is merely an idea.
an Akrun ism
anachronism
something out of place in time or sequence
Jill was something of an anachronism; she insisted on carrying a parasol when going out in the
sun and believed that a woman's place was at home in the kitchen and with the children.
an thrah puh MOR fizm
anthropomorphism
the attribution of humanlike characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or forces of nature
Beatrix Potter is known for her children's books filled with anthropomorphism; Peter Rabbit,
Squirrel Nutkin, and Samuel Whiskers were all animal characters with very human qualities.
apology
uh PAWL uh gee
defense of an idea
Du Bellay wrote an apology in which he justified the use of French in place of Latin.
apparatus
ap uh RAT us
equipment; a group of machines
The storeroom behind the physics lab was filled with a cumbersome apparatus that has since been
replaced by a much smaller and more accurate piece of equipment.
app uh ZIH shun
apposition
a grammar construction in which a noun (or noun phrase) is placed with another as an explanation
My grandmother, a fine woman of 83, enjoys riding her motorcycle at high speeds in heavy traffic
on Highway 280.
archetype
AR keh type
a perfect example; an original pattern or model
Steve enjoyed stealing candy from babies, tripping elderly women in crosswalks, and pilfering
money from the Save the Children charity jar; he was the archetype of pure evil.
brittle
BRIT ul
easily broken when subjected to pressure
That antique vase is so brittle that it may break at any moment.
chiasmus
ky AZ muss
an inversion in the second of two parallel phrases
John F. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your
country" is an example of chiasmus.
gesticulating
jes TIK yeh lay ting
making gestures while speaking
The commencement speaker's gesticulating hands were quite distracting; the students had stopped
listening to her words and were now counting the number of times she made awkward gestures.
hypothetical
hye puh THET ih kul
existing only as an assumption or speculation
Heather wondered why her class had to study hypothetical cases when they had actual case his-
tories they could look at.
lexicon
LEKS
a word book describing language with definitions; a dictionary
When his teacher wrote that his essay was "abysmal," Eddie decided to look it up in his lexicon
and found that this was quite insulting.
metonymy
meh TAHN uh mee
a type of figurative language in which one term is substituted for another term with which it is closely
associated
"Today, Capitol Hill (U.S. Congress) voted on the Internet Privacy bill" is an example of metonymy.
oxymoron
ahk see MORE on
an apparent contradiction of terms
Angela spent her lazy summer afternoon contemplating oxymorons: "freezer burn," "plastic
glasses," and "deafening silence" were among her favorites.
panegyric
pan eh JIR ik
statement of high praise
For his senior essay, Boris wrote an eloquent panegyric to his high school; he had truly enjoyed
the last four years, and he wanted his teachers to know how much he appreciated them.
paradigm
PAR a dym
an example or model
The current educational paradigm has students engaged in discovery-based learning, whereas the
older model had teachers lecturing and students merely taking notes.
parallelism
PARE uh lell izm
a grammar construction in which two identical syntactic constructions are used
On Mondays, Ms. Smith spends her time baking cakes for local charities and knitting socks for the
homeless.
penitent
PEN ih tunt
expressing remorse for one's misdeeds
His desire to make amends to the people he had wronged indicated that he was truly penitent, so
the parole board let him out of the penitentiary.
period (periodic sentence)
PEER ee uhd
long, complex, grammatically correct sentence
While writing hiso essay, Sam thought he was being very articulate with his long, complex sen-
tences. However, his English teacher disagreed; those lengthy sentences weren't periods; they were
simply rambling run-ons.
pernicious
per NIH shus
causing great harm
In Mean Girls, the Plastics loved to spread pernicious rumors about their classmates; they effec-
tively ruined the social lives of several students with their nasty gossip.
phenomenon
feh NAH meh nahn
an unusual, observable event
The phenomenon of lightning remained unexplained until scientists discovered electricity.
propitious pruh PIH shus
presenting favorable circumstances; auspicious
In Chinese culture, the color red is seen as sort of propitious omen; red is thought to bring luck.
rational RASH un ul
logical; motivated by reason rather than feeling
While Joe is more impulsive, Frank is more rational because he thinks things through rather than
acting on his feelings.
sardonic sar DAH nik
disdainfully or ironically humorous; harsh, bitter, or caustic
In Rachel's group of friends, Estelle was known as the sardonic one; sometimes her sarcastic com-
ments really hurt the other girls.
syllogism (syllogistic reasoning) SIH luh jih zum
a form of deductive reasoning: a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion
Humans are mortal (major premise); Seth is human (minor premise); Seth is mortal (conclusion).
sin ECK duh kee
synecdoche
a form ofmetonymy that's restricted to cases where a part is used to signify the whole
"A thousand swords came charging toward us from the nearby mountain range; we could hear
the angry army as it marched closer and closer" is an example of synecdoche.
theoretical thee oh RET
lacking application or practical application
Theoretical physics is concerned with ideas, whereas applied physics is concerned with using
ideas.
truncated TRUN kay tid
shortened; cut off
The file Chris downloaded from the Internet was truncated; the end of it was missing.