Pre-AP English 2 Vocabulary Units 1-15

chivalrous

(adj) marked by honor, courtesy, and courage; knightly, gallant, civil, valiant antonyms: crude, uncouth, churlish, loutish

altruistic

(adj) unselfish, concerned with the welfare of others, selfless antonyms: selfish, self-centered

pungent

(adj.) causing a sharp sensation; stinging, biting, sharp, spicy, piquant, caustic, racy antonyms: bland, unappetizing, colorless, insipid

nonchalant

(adj.) cool and confident, unconcerned, composed, unruffled, indifferent, blase antonyms: perturbed, agitated, disconcerted, abashed

craven

(adj.) cowardly; (n.) a coward; (adj.) fearful, fainthearted, pusillanimous antonyms: (adj.) brave, courageous, valiant

bereft

(adj.) deprived of, made unhappy through a loss, bereaved antonyms: replete, well provided

pliable

(adj.) easily bent, flexible, easily influenced, supple, adaptable, resilient antonyms: rigid, inflexible, recalcitrant

facile

(adj.) easily done or attained; superficial; ready, fluent; easily shown but not sincerely felt

venial

(adj.) easily excused; pardonable, excusable, forgivable antonyms: inexcusable, unforgivable, unpardonable

tentative

(adj.) experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant, provisional, inconclusive antonyms: definite, conclusive, confirmed

meticulous

(adj.) extremely careful; particular about details, fastidious, painstaking, fussy antonyms: careless, negligent, sloppy

virulent

(adj.) extremely poisonous; full of malice; spiteful, venomous, noxious, baneful, hateful antonyms: innocuous, harmless, benign

truculent

(adj.) fierce and cruel; aggressive; deadly, destructive; scathingly harsh

cogent

(adj.) forceful, convincing; relevant, to the point, persuasive, compelling antonyms: weak, unconvincing, ineffective, irrelevant

infallible

(adj.) free from error; absolutely dependable, unerring, certain antonyms: imperfect

belligerent

(adj.) given to fighting, warlike; combative, aggressive; (n.) one at war, one engaged in war

cursory

(adj.) hasty, not thorough, quick, superficial, perfunctory antonyms: thorough, painstaking, careful

averse

(adj.) having a deep-seated distaste; opposed, unwilling, disinclined, loath antonym: favorably disposed, eager, keen

finite

(adj.) having limits; lasting for a limited time, bounded, measurable antonyms: unlimited, immeasurable, everlasting, eternal

punitive

(adj.) inflicting or aiming at punishment, penalizing, retaliatory

insidious

(adj.) intended to deceive or entrap, sly, treacherous, cunning, underhanded, perfidious antonyms: frank, ingenuous, aboveboard

benevolent

(adj.) kindly, charitable, benign, well-meaning antonyms: malicious, spiteful, malevolent

tepid

(adj.) lukewarm; unenthusiastic, marked by an absence of interest

remiss

(adj.) neglectful in performance of one's duty, careless, negligent, lax, slack antonyms: scrupulous, dutiful, punctilious

culinary

(adj.) of or related to cooking or the kitchen

amicable

(adj.) peaceable, friendly, congenial, neighborly, cordial antonyms: hostile, antagonistic

feasible

(adj.) possible, able to be done, workable, practicable, viable antonyms: unworkable, impractical

urbane

(adj.) refined in manner or style, suave, elegant antonyms: crude, uncouth, boorish

diffident

(adj.) shy, lacking self-confidence; modest, reserved, timid, bashful, unassertive, withdrawn antonyms: bold, brash, audacious, self-confident, jaunty

unfeigned

(adj.) sincere, real, without pretense, genuine, heartfelt antonyms: insincere, simulated, phony

adroit

(adj.) skillful, expert in the use of the hands or mind, clever, deft, dexterous, slick antonym: clumsy, inept, all thumbs

negligible

(adj.) so unimportant that it can be disregarded, trivial, inconsequential, insignificant antonyms: significant, crucial, momentous

malevolent

(adj.) spiteful, showing ill will, malicious, wicked, sinister, malignant antonyms: kind, benevolent, compassionate

dour

(adj.) stern, unyielding, gloomy, ill-humored, harsh, bleak, forbidding, saturnine antonyms: cheery, inviting, genial

inclement

(adj.) stormy, harsh; severe in attitude or action, blustery, tempestuous, implacable antonyms: mild, gentle, balmy, tranquil

uncanny

(adj.) strange, mysterious, weird, beyond explanation, eerie, inexplicable, spooky

indomitable

(adj.) unconquerable, refusing to yield, unbeatable, invincible, unyielding antonyms: surrendering, submissive, yielding

opulent

(adj.) wealthy, luxurious, ample, grandiose, rich, lavish, plentiful, abundant antonyms: poverty-stricken, wretched, destitute

affiliated

(adj., part.) associated, connected, attached, related, jointed antonyms: dissociated, unconnected

verbatim

(adj.,adv.) word for word; exactly as written or spoken (adj.) exact; (adv.) precisely antonyms: (adj.) paraphrased

warily

(adv.) cautiously, with great care, carefully, prudently, gingerly antonyms: recklessly, heedlessly, incautiously

discrepancy

(n) a difference; a lack of agreement, disagreement, divergence, inconsistency antonyms: agreement, convergence, consistency

demise

(n.) a death, especially of a person in a lofty position, decease, passing away antonyms: birth, beginning, commencement

intimation

(n.) a hint; indirect suggestion, clue, indication, inkling

impetus

(n.) a moving force, impulse, stimulus, impulse, incentive, spur antonyms: curb, hindrance, impediment, constraint

artifice

(n.) a skillful or ingenious device; a clever trick; a clever skill; trickery

sojourn

(n.) a temporary stay; (v.) to stay for a time; (n.) visit, stopover, brief stay

grimace

(n.) a wry face, facial distortion; (v.) to make a wry face; (n.) pained expression, facial contortion antonyms: (n.) smile, grin; (v.) beam

attainment

(n.) an accomplishment, the act of achieving, achievement, fulfillment antonyms: failure, defeat, frustration

adversary

(n.) an enemy, opponent, antagonist, rival, foe antonyms: friend, ally, supporter, confederate

guise

(n.) an external appearance, cover, mask, costume, semblance, pretense

fortitude

(n.) courage in facing difficulties, resolve, steadfastness, mettle antonyms: fearfulness, timidity, faintheartedness

clemency

(n.) mercy, humaneness; mildness, moderateness, leniency, forbearance, gentleness antonyms: harshness, severity, cruelty, inflexibility

benefactor

(n.) one who does good to others, patron, humanitarian antonyms: misanthrope, malefactor

temerity

(n.) rashness, boldness, recklessness, foolhardiness, effrontery antonyms: timidity, fearfulness, diffidence, humility

duplicity

(n.) treachery, deceitfulness, fraud, double-dealing, chicanery

dearth

(noun) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine, insufficiency, want, paucity antonyms: surplus, oversupply, glut, abundance

coerce

(v.) to compel, force, pressure, bully, intimidate, constrain antonyms: persuade, cajole

harass

(v.) to disturb, worry; to trouble by repeated attacks, annoy, pester, bedevil, beleaguer

expunge

(v.) to erase, obliterate, destroy, delete, efface, annihilate antonyms: insert, mark, imprint, impress

scrutinize

(v.) to examine closely

bequeath

(v.) to give or pass on as an inheritance, transmit, bestow, hand down

embark

(v.) to go aboard; to make a start; to invest, commence, launch, begin, board

augment

(v.) to make larger, increase, enlarge, supplement, amplify antonyms: decrease, diminish

perpetuate

(v.) to make permanent or long lasting, continue, preserve, prolong indefinitely antonyms: discontinue, abolish, abandon

skulk

(v.) to move about stealthily; to lie in hiding, lurk, slink, prowl

converge

(v.) to move toward one point, approach nearer together, meet, unite, intersect, merge antonyms: diverge, separate

deploy

(v.) to position or arrange; to utilize; to form up, station, organize

extol

(v.) to praise extravagantly, glorify, applaud, acclaim, hail antonyms: criticize, belittle, disparage

esteem

(v.) to regard highly (n.) a highly favorable opinion or judgment

repose

(v.) to rest; lie; place, sleep; (noun) relaxation, peace of mind, calmness, tranquility, respite antonyms: (noun) exertion, wakefulness, tumult, bustle, ado

reiterate

(v.) to say again, repeat, restate, rehash, recapitulate

disperse

(v.) to scatter, spread far and wide, break up, dispel antonyms: collect, congregate, assemble, muster

muse

(v.) to think about in a dreamy way, ponder, meditate, contemplate, daydream

gibe

(v.) to utter taunting words; (n.) an expression of scorn, ridicule, mock, deride, jeer antonyms: compliment, praise

plod

(v.) to walk heavily or slowly; to work slowly, lumber, trudge antonyms: scamper, skip, prance

assent

(verb) to express agreement; (noun) agreement; (verb) concur, consent, accede antonyms: (verb) disagree, differ, dissent

omiscient

knowing everything; having unlimited awareness or understanding

invulnerable

not able to be wounded or hurt; shielded against attack

impervious

not affected or hurt by; admitting of no passage or entrance

unkempt

not combed; untidy; not properly maintained; unpolished, rude

stolid

not easily moved mentally or emotionally; dull, unresponsive

fallow

plowed but not seeded; inactive; reddish-yellow; land left unseeded; to plow but not seed

supercilious

proud and contemptuous; showing scorn because of a feeling of superiority

quintessence

the purest essence or form of something; the most typical example

adulterate

to corrupt, make worse by the addition of something of lesser value

exhilarate

to enliven, cheer, give spirit or liveliness to

regress

to move backward

retrogress

to move backward; to return to an earlier condition, revert, degenerate, decline antonyms: advance, evolve, progress

redress

to set right, remedy; relief from wrong or injury, rectify, correct, mitigate

gape

to stare with open mouth, to open mouth wide, to open wide; gawk, ogle

alienate

to turn away; to make indifferent or hostile; to transfer, convey

precedent

an example that may serve as a basis for imitation or later action

holocaust

a large-scale destruction, especially by fire; a vast slaughter; a burnt offering

nostalgia

a longing for something past; homesickness

panacea

a remedy for all ills; cure-all; an answer to all problems

ambidextrous

able to use both hands equally well; very skillful; deceitful, hypocritical

jeopardy

danger; peril

scrupulous

exact, careful, attending thoroughly to details; having high moral standards, principled

ascertain

find out for certain; make sure of