AP LANG VOCAB

  1. frozen in amber – stuck or preserved exactly as it was, unable to change.

  2. atrocity – an extremely cruel or wicked act.

  3. lean – lacking extra fat or unnecessary stuff; efficient or thin.

  4. dreads / dreadlocks – long, rope-like locks of hair formed by matting sections together.

  5. gravity – the force that pulls things toward Earth; also seriousness or importance.

  6. prosecutor – the lawyer who brings criminal charges against someone in court.

  7. pulpit – the raised platform where a preacher or speaker stands in church.

  8. abide / abiding – to accept or follow a rule; abiding means lasting or enduring.

  9. zeal – intense energy or passion for a cause or goal.

  10. inchoate – just starting to form; not fully developed.

  11. in vogue – currently popular or fashionable.

  12. pedestrian (adj.) – ordinary, dull, lacking creativity.

  13. repress (v.) – to hold back or keep under control (like emotions or desires).

  14. repressive (adj.) – using force or authority to control people harshly.

  15. sprawl / sprawling – spreading out in an untidy or uneven way.

  16. carceral / carceral state – relating to prisons or a prison-like system.

  17. ghetto – a part of a city where a minority group is forced or tends to live, often due to poverty or discrimination.

  18. compel – to force or strongly persuade someone to do something.

  19. fascist – relating to a government that’s dictatorial, intolerant, and controls people through fear.

  20. majoritarian – ruled by or favoring the majority.

  21. scorch – to burn the surface of something.

  22. mangle (v.) – to severely damage, tear, or distort something.

  23. heretic – someone who rejects accepted beliefs, especially religious ones.

  24. void (n.) – an empty space; a feeling of emptiness.

  25. nausea – the sick feeling that you might throw up.

  26. demote – to move someone to a lower rank or position.

  27. build (n.) – the physical shape or structure of a body or object.

  28. confront – to face something difficult or challenging directly.

  29. jurisdiction – the legal authority to make decisions or judgments.

  30. plunder – to steal goods, usually during war or chaos.

  31. superlative – the highest quality; better than all others.

  32. scion – a descendant of a wealthy or influential family.

  33. strive (v.) – to make a serious effort to achieve something.

  34. striving (adj.) – working hard or determined to achieve a goal.

  35. vessel – a container for holding liquid; also means a ship or something that carries something else (like a blood vessel).

  36. disembodied – separated from or lacking a physical body.

  37. racket – a loud, chaotic noise; or a dishonest business scheme.

  38. galaxy – a massive system of stars, planets, and space matter bound by gravity.

  39. immutable – unable to be changed.

  40. inscrutable – mysterious or impossible to understand.

  41. subpoena (n./v.) – a legal order requiring someone to appear in court or produce evidence.

  42. typhoon – a violent tropical storm, like a hurricane in the western Pacific.

  43. call slip – a form used to request a book or item from a library’s storage.

  44. novel (adj.) – new and different from anything seen before.

  45. revel (v.) – to take intense pleasure or satisfaction in something.