AP Lang Vocab 2
impediment (n.) Synonyms: hindrance, obstacle, limitation
a barrier; obstruction Not studying for an assessment can be an impediment for good grades in a class.
labyrinth (n.) Synonyms: maze, web, entanglement
a complicated network of winding passages; a maze Being a freshman in high school, walking through the halls of school is like a labyrinth.
emendation (n.) Synonyms: rectification, correction
a correction After a bad essay, I like to provide myself with multiple emendations to prevent myself from making the same mistake later.
shard (n.) Synonyms: sliver, chip, bit
a fragment The minuscule glass shards were difficult to remove from the small child's foot.
bauble (n.) Synonyms: trinket, ornament, frippery
a showy but useless thing Most people like to fill their homes with different types of baubles to give the house a more homey feel.
nihilism (n.) Synonyms: skepticism, cynicism, pessimism
a total rejection of established laws Those who believed that laws were unfair in society practiced nihilism.
antithesis (n.) Synonyms: inverse, contrary, converse
an exact opposite; an opposite extreme The weather last weak was the antithesis of how the sky is behaving today.
chagrin (n.) Synonyms: exasperation, dissatisfaction, displeasure
embarrassment; a complete loss of courage The experience was an utter chagrin for those who lost the bet.
bland (adj.) Synonyms: uninteresting, boring, monotonous
mild; tasteless; dull The business woman's style was bland in comparison to her colleagues.
impotent (adj.) Synonyms: powerless, inadequate, weak
powerless; lacking strength The body builder made the professor look impotent when they stood side-by-side.
bestial (adj.) Synonyms: brutish, barbarous, vicious
savage; brutal Some teachers have a more bestial style of grading.
concede (v.) Synonyms: admit, allow, grant
to admit something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it; surrender or yield During the debate, the opponent refused to concede the other's opinion into consideration.
dismiss (v.) Synonyms: discharge, terminate, send away
to decide that something or someone is not important or worth considering After the decrease in funding for the federal business, the CEO was forced to dismiss a number of employees.
articulate (v.) Synonyms: eloquent, fluent, effective
to express (an idea or feeling) fluently and coherently; put into words The college professor was much more experienced than his students when it came to articulating the basis of a topic.
gloat (v.) Synonyms: delight, relish, revel
to look at or think about with great satisfaction Occasional gloating about success is granted, however those who constantly gloat about their successes are egotistical beyond comprehension.
trivialize (v.) Synonyms: minimize, underestimate, belittle
to make something seem less important, significant, or complex than it really is Those who do not have a developed argument on the issue at hand may try to trivialize the issue as if a solution is not necessary.
admonish (v.) Synonyms: reprimand, rebuke, scold
to warn or reprimand someone firmly When the teen disobeyed the parent's rules, his mother began to admonish him and blame his behavior on his friends.
diaphanous (adj.) Synonyms: fine, delicate, sheer
very sheer and light The morning light shone through the diaphanous curtains and woke the man from is slumber.
maelstrom (n.) Synonyms: whirlpool, vortex, turmoil
whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind After the argument with my sister, my mind was like a maelstrom of anger and annoyance.
effete (adj.) Synonyms: pretentious, exhausted, finished
worn out; barren After using the pencil throughout the year, the effete lead was difficult to use.
