AP Lang- Unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Vocab

glean

to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers. By means of painstaking investigation, the detectives will eventually _________ the truth. S: collect, cull, pick up

reputed

(adj) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part) alleged Although he is the ______ head od a crime syndicate, he has never spent time in jail. S: putative, reputable, supposed A: proven, corroborated, authenticated

suppliant

(adj) asking humbly and earnestly; (n) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor As soon as there was evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the official was ____ ousted from his post. S: promptly, peremptorily, abruptly

mordant

(adj) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh The actor was upset by the ______ criticism of the gossip columnist who seemed out to ruin his reputation. S: acrimonious, acidulous, sardonic, scathing A: bland, mild, gentle, soothing

tenable

(adj) capable of being held or defended The researchers put forth a __________________ theory, but their conclusions would be reviewed carefully by others. synonyms: defensible, justifiable, maintainable antonyms: indefensible, unjustifiable

consummate

(adj) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v) to bring to a state of completion of completion or perfection. Michelangelo's painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican are works of ________ artistry. The lawyers could not _______ the settlement until the two parties met face to face. S: (adj) masterful; (v) clinch, conclude A: (v) launch, initiate, begin, kick off

overweening

(adj) conceited, presumptuous, excessive, immoderate It was the _______ confidence the candidate that prevented her from acknowledging her weaknesses. S: arrogant, unbridled, inflated A: restrained, understated, modest, meek

pecuniary

(adj) consisting of or measured in money; of related to money The couple was forced by ________ considerations to sell their large home and buy a smaller one. S: monetary, financial

pusillanimous

(adj) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited It is often said that bullies, when tested, are the most ______ people of all. S: craven, lily-livered A: stouthearted, courageous, daring

sumptuous

(adj) costly, rich, magnificent The _____ feast honoring the king's birthday was followed by musical entertainment S: lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid A: skimpy, meager, stingy, niggardly, spartan

murky

(adj) dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision Many visitors have claimed to see a mysterious creature in the ________ waters of Loch Ness in Scotland. S: dim, cloudy,unclear A: clear, transparent, lucid, limpid

abject

(adj) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved. In the American dream, those who work hard can escape lives of ________ poverty. S: wretched, miserable, ignoble, sheer, utter A: lofty, noble, exalted

incendiary

(adj) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife. The arsonist planted an ___ device in the basement of the store. The radical ___ was sentenced to life imprisonment. S: (adj) inflammatory, provocative, (n) A: (adj) soothing, quieting, (n) peacemaker

avid

(adj) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager. Most writers are also ____ readers who have loved books since childhood. S: keen, enthusiastic, grasping A: reluctant, indifferent, unenthusiastic

primordial

(adj) developed or created at the very beginning; fundamental, basic The ______ stages of most civilizations are founded on common needs met by common goals. S: original, primeval, primal

mundane

(adj) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary. The painter left all _________ concerns to her sister while she single-handedly pursued her artistic goals. S: prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary A: heavenly, unworldly, spiritual, transcendental

utopian

(adj) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical. A number of American religious groups like the Shakers have built separate communities based on _________. S: idealistic A: realistic, pragmatic

frenetic

(adj) frenzied, highly agitated When a court order was issued, the social services department made a _____ search for the missing report. S: frantic, overwrought A: calm, controlled, relaxed, leisurely

fecund

(adj) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive Albert Einstein produced theories that revolutionized the science of physics. The remarkably _______ mind of Albert Einstein produced theories that revolutionized the science of physics. S: fertile, teeming, prolific A: infertile. barren, unproductive

verdant

(adj) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment The tourists on safari traveled over the _______ grasslands of Kenya in search of native wildlife. S: artless, naive A: scorched, sere, barren, arid

taciturn

(adj) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little. Abraham Lincoln has the reputation of having a dour and ________________ personality. synonyms: tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic antonyms: garrulous, loquacious, prolix, verbose

banal

(adj) hackneyed, trite, commonplace The new playś ___________ dialogue made it seem more like a soap opera than a serious drama synonyms: stale, insipid antonyms: fresh, novel, original, new

viscous

(adj) having a gelatinous or gluey, lacking in easy movement or fluidity The varnish left a _______ residue on the wood that was hard to remove. S: gummy, sticky, thick A: runny, watery, aqueous

brackish

(adj) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink. The shipwrecked passengers adrift on the lifeboat became ill after drinking ___ water. S: briny, saline A: fresh, clear, sweet

coherent

(adj) holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful The physics teacher gave a surprisingly ____________ description of quantum mechanics. synonyms: connected, unified, consistent, cohesive antonyms: muddled, chaotic, disjointed

jocular

(adj) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking After receiving the news that she was ahead in the polls, the candidate was in a delightfully _______ mood. S: waggish, facetious, droll, witty A: humorless, solemn, grave, earnest, grim

recumbent

(adj) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting. The tired toddlers were ______ on the couch after playing all afternoon in the yard. S: A:

esoteric

(adj) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret The fraternity developed a set of _____ rites that had to be performed by anyone seeking membership. S: occult, cryptic, arcane, recondite A: accessible, comprehensible, intelligible

feckless

(adj) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable. Although a _________ youth, he eventually matured into a hard-working and responsible citizen. S: feeble, helpless, incompetent, ineffectual A: competent, capable, effective

depraved

(adj) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles. Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a ________ man whose portrait reveals his wickedness. S: perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt A: moral, virtuous, upright, uncorrupted

myopic

(adj) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment. The ____ foreign policy of the last administration has led to serious problems with our allies. S: shortsighted A: farsighted

incumbent

(adj) obligatory, required (n) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of Voting on election day is a duty _____ on all Americans who value a democratic government. S: (adj) mandatory, necessary A: (adj) optional, unnecessary

invidious

(adj) offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment Teachers should avoid making __________________ comparisons between their students. synonyms: malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative antonyms: complimentary, flattering, ameliorative

overt

(adj) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that easily recognized. In order for Congress to declare war, the President must demonstrate an ____ threat. S: clear, obvious, manifest, patent A: secret, clandestine, covert, concealed

histrionic

(adj) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic Upon receiving his award, the young actor gave a ____ speech. S: affected, stagy A: low-keyed, muted, theatrical, subdued

ubiquitous

(adj) present or existing everywhere The ____ eye of the TV camera threatens to rob citizens of any sense of privacy. S: omnipresent, pervasive, universal A: restricted, limited, rare, scarce

intransigent

(adj) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable Little will get accomplished if the legislators of both parties maintain their _______________ attitudes. synonyms: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate antonyms: lukewarm, halfhearted, yielding

germane

(adj) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting. Bringing up examples from the past is not _________ to the present discussion. synonyms: pertinent antonyms: irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate

ludicrous

(adj) ridiculous, laughable, absurd Her comment was so ______ that we finally understood that she was joking. S: risible, preposterous A: heartrending, poignant, pathetic

insatiable

(adj) so great or demanding as not to be satisfied. People with an _____________ appetite for gossip often do not have compelling stories of their own. synonyms: unquenchable, ravenous, voracious

piquant

(adj) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent, appealingly provocative The chef was expert in making those _____ dishes that are characteristic of South Indian cooking. S: tangy, zestful A: bland, insipid, tasteless, mild

devious

(adj) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way. The interrogator used ____ methods to try to get the suspect to incriminate himself. S: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful A: direct, straightforward, open, aboveboard

carping

(adj) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n) petty, nagging criticism. The trainee resign after a week rather than put up with the __________ complaints of the sales manager. most artists choose to ignore the _____________ of critics and simply go on with their work. synonyms: (adj) nit-picking, caviling antonyms: (adj) approving, uncritical

pejorative

(adj) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling. A: complimentary, ameliorative

unwonted

(adj) unaccustomed or unusual.

distraught

(adj) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict. The workforce became ________ in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash. S: frantic, distracted A: calm, composed, collected

nefarious

(adj) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards. Brutus and Cassius hatched a ______ plot to assassinate Julius Caesar on the steps of the Roman Senate. S: iniquitous, reprehensible A: virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious

acquisitive

(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property In an __________ society, there is a great deal of emphasis on buying and selling. synonyms: greedy, grasping, avaricious, retentive antonyms: altruistic, unretentive

summarily

(adv) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely As soon as there was evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the official was _____ ousted from his post. S: promptly, peremptorily, abruptly

animadversion

(n) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval. The inexperience filmmaker was disheartened by the ____ of the film critic. S: rebuke, reproof A: praise, compliment

encomium

(n) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute. On Veterans Day, the President delivered a heartfelt ______________ to those who died for their country. synonyms: panegyric, eulogy, commendation antonyms: condemnation, castigation, criticism

eulogy

(n) a formal statement of commendation; high praise The best friend and longtime law partner of the deceased delivered the ________ at the funeral. S: panegyric, encomium, tribute, testimonial A: philippic, diatribe, invective

bastion

(n) a fortified place, stronghold Contrary to popular belief, the military is not always a ____________ of political conservatism. S: citadel, rampart, bulwark, parapet

idiosyncrasy

(n) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify The fact that the plurals of some nouns are formed irregularly is an _____ English grammar. S: eccentricity, quirk, mannerism

nettle

(n) a prickly or stinging plant (v) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely If you are pricked by a _____ student's disrespectful behavior. S: (v) peeve, annoy, incense, gall, irk A: (v) please, delight, soothe, pacify

stratagem

(n) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end. The defense attorney used a clever ______ to curry sympathy for her client. S: ruse, trick, ploy, subterfuge

concord

(n) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant A spirit of __________ was restored when the company compensated its employees. A: disagreement, strife, discord

penchant

(n) a strong attraction or inclination A teacher with a _____ for belaboring the obvious is bound to be boring. S: proclivity, propensity, predilection A: disinclination, aversion

nuance

(n) a subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality) delicate graduation or shade of difference. In his writing, the poet paid close attention to every ________ of meaning in the words he chose. S: shade, nicety, refinement

reconnaissance

(n) a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection of examination. The field officer required a thorough __________ before ordering any troop movements. synonyms: scouting expedition

grouse

(n) a type of game bird; a complaint; (v) to complain, grumble. The patient's latest _____ was that he did not get any dessert with his dinner the night before. S: (v) gripe, kvetch, bellayache

maelstrom

(n) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction. Many innocent people caught in the ___ of the revolution lost their lives and property. S: vortex, chaos, turbulence, tumult

fiat

(n) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness. The ruler instituted several new ______. S: edict, dictum, ukase

talisman

(n) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish Most people do not believe that rabbit's feet and other ____ actually bring good luck.

credence

(n) belief, mental acceptance The government and the public failed to give ____to the reports of an impending water shortage. S: credit, trust, confidence A: disbelief, skepticism, incredulity

disarray

(n) disorder, confusion; (v) to throw into disorder If you leave the window open,a breeze may _____ the papers on the desktop. S: (n) disorganization; (v) dishevel, mess up A: (n) organization, order, tidiness

figment

(n) fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion The silhouette of a man on the porch was a mere ______ of your overheated imagination. S: creation, invention, fancy

flotsam

(n) floating debris; homeless, impoverished people After the two ships collided, the survivors clung to various pieces of ________ and hoped for rescue. S: floating wreckage

largesse

(n) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions The university was the fortunate benefiary of the ________________ of many of its graduates. synonyms: liberality, munificence, bounty antonyms: stinginess, miserliness, niggardliness

sacrilege

(n) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred The anthropologist was accused of committing a ____ when she disturbed an ancient burial ground. S: desecration, profanation, defilement

gambit

(n) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifices of a minor piece in order to fain a later advantage; any opening move of this type. Asking an interesting stranger about his or her job is a popular party ____. S: ploy, stratagem, ruse, maneuver

verbiage

(n) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression The contract was full of meaningless _______ that seemed designed to confuse the lay person. S: verbosity, prolixity, diction, jargon

propinquity

(n) nearness in place or time; kinship The ________ of the two cities has created a greater metropolitan area that in effect is one city. S: proximity, similarity A: remoteness, distance

sophistry

(n) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound a fallacy The couple was beguiled into buying a bigger house than they needed by the clever ____ of the broker. S: specious reasoning

ignominy

(n) shame and disgrace He went from glory to _______. S: dishonor, humiliation, disrepute, odium A: honor, glory, acclaim

celerity

(n) swiftness swiftness rapidity of motion or action. Although the heavy snowfall was not expected, the highway department responded with surprising _______. S: promptness, alacrity, speed A: slowness sluggishness dilatoriness

propriety

(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable. The social worker questioned the ____ of the police's request to see confidential records. S: fitness, correctness, decorum A: unseemliness, inappropriateness

atrophy

(n) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v) to waste away The _________________ of the downtown business district began when two huge malls opened. S: (n) degeneration, deterioration; (v) wither A:(n) growth development; (v) mature, develop

halycon

(n)a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher (adj) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful, happy, golden; prosperous, affluent The teacher read the legend of the ____ a mythic bird that nested in a calm sea. S: (adj) tranquil, serene, placid, palmy A: (adj) turbulent, chaotic, tumultuous

exigency

(n, often pl) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency ]The governor emphasized the _______ of the situation by requesting the immediate dispatch of rescue teams. S: requirement, crisis

acuity

(n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses) The ________ of most people's hearing diminishes as they grow older. S: keenness, acuteness A: dullness, obtuseness

garner

(v) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use Over the years, the writer was able to _______ some wisdom that she passed on to others in her books. S: collect, accumulate, accrue A: scatter, squander, waste, dissipate

eschew

(v) to avoid, shun, keep away from The young athletes promised the coach that they would train vigorously and ___________ bad habits. synonyms: abstain from, steer clear of, forgo antonyms: embrace, adopt

congeal

(v) to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid If you do not wash your dishes right away, the food on them will _____________. synonyms: harden, jell, coagulate, solidify antonyms: melt, liquefy

arrogate

(v) to claim or take without right. The ambitious noblemen will put the young king under house arrest and _________ royal privileges to themselves. synonyms: expropriate, usurp, commandeer antonyms: relinquish, renounce, abdicate, abandon

decry

(v) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate. Every arm of government and every educational institutional should __________ bigotry in all its forms. S: denounce, censure, devalue A: tout, commend, extol, laud, praise

dissemble

(v) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression The young man was unable to _______ his feelings and admitted to having committed the crime. S: dissimulate, mask, feign

evince

(v) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke. The crowd did not _________any signs of panic but moved in an orderly fashion to the nearest exits. S: exhibit, manifest, occasion

substantiate

(v) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to. The prospector was unable to ____________ his claim to the land where the gold was found. synonyms: verify, confirm, validate, authenticate antonyms: refute, disprove, invalidate

emulate

(v) to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model Most beginning writers try to ___________________ great writer and later develop their own individual individual styles. synonyms: copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to

incarcerate

(v) to imprison, confine, jail They will _____ the convicted felon at the state penitentiary S: intern, immure A: liberate, release, free

undulate

(v) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form. The baseball fans began to ____ as they cheered, so that they appeared to move in a wave. S: ripple, fluctuate, rise and fall

delineate

(v) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail, to represent pictorially. The architects will _________ the main features of their plan at the next client meeting. S: depict, picture, render

articulate

(v) to pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to connect by a joint or joints; (adj.) expressed clearly sand forcefully; able to employ language clearly and forcefully; jointed Few people can ____ emotions during times of stress The most _____ student in the class was chosen to mediate the debate. S: (v) pronounce, elucidate; (adj) eloquent A: (v) mumble, slur; (adj) tongue-tied, halting

exhume

(v) to remove from a grave; to bring to light Suspecting foul play, the coroner issued an order to ______ the body immediately. S: disinter, unearth, uncover A: bury, inter

cavort

(v) to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry The actors in the musical _______ on stage. S: gambol

hallow

(v) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln ______ the battlefield on which the Union soldiers fought and died. S: venerate, bless A: desecrate, defile, profane

temporize

(v) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise. For most of Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, the protagonist Hamlet chooses to ________________rather than act. synonyms: hedge, dillydally, procrastinate

enervate

(v) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of, enfeeble, hamstring. Unfortunately, the great musician's mind was ________ by disease in the last decade of her life. S: impair, cripple, paralyze A: invigorate, strengthen, buttress

belabor

(v) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly His tendency to __________ the small points often made him miss the big picture. synonyms: overwork,