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