AP English Language & composition exam
PART IV
AP English Language
8
The Hit Parade — Words, Words, Words
A great way to improve your reading and essay-writing skills is to improve your vocabulary. The more words you know on the day of the test, the easier it will be. It’s as simple as that. For this reason, it’s important that you get to work on your vocabulary immediately. We suggest that you mark any words you don’t know in the chapter and make flashcards for yourself.
THE HIT PARADE
The Hit Parade list consists of the words that show up most often on the AP English Language and Composition Exam. Each word on the list is accompanied by its definition, a pronunciation guide, and a sentence that uses the word. Your vocabulary-building program should start with these words.
LEARN THE WORDS IN GROUPS
This Hit Parade has been arranged into groups of related words. Learning groups of related words can help you better remember each word’s meaning. After all, even if you don’t remember the exact meaning of a word, you may remember what group it’s from. This will give you an idea of the word’s meaning, which can help you use POE to get to an answer.
Make each group of words a part of your life. Rip out one of the group lists, carry it around with you, and use the words throughout your day. For example, on Monday you may feel like using words of disdain (see the “If you can’t say anything nice” list), but on Friday you may wish to be more affable (see the “Friendly” list).
DON’T MEMORIZE THE DICTIONARY
Only a tiny percentage of all the words in the English language are ever used on the exam. Generally speaking, it tests the kinds of words that an educated adult—your English teacher, for example—would know without having to look up. It tests the sorts of words that you encounter in your daily reading, from a novel in English class to the newspaper.
HOW TO MEMORIZE NEW WORDS
Here are three effective methods for learning new words.
· Flashcards: You can make your own flashcards out of 3 × 5 index cards. Write the word on one side and its definition on the other. It is also quite useful to write a memorable sentence under the definition. Then quiz yourself on the words, or practice with a friend. You can carry a few cards around with you every day and work on them in spare moments, like when you’re riding on the bus.
· The Image Approach: The image approach involves letting each new word suggest a wild image to you, then using that image to help you remember the word. For example, the word enfranchise means, “to give the right to vote.” Women did not become enfranchised in the United States until 1920, when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed them the right to vote in state and federal elections. The word franchise may suggest to you a McDonald’s franchise. You could remember the new word by imagining people lined up to vote at a McDonald’s. The weirder the image, the better you’ll remember the word.
· Mnemonics: Speaking of “the weirder, the better,” another way to learn words is to use mnemonics. A mnemonic is a device or trick, such as a rhyme or song, that helps you remember something. “In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue” is a mnemonic that helps you remember a date in history. The funnier or stranger you make your mnemonic, the more likely you are to remember it. Write down your mnemonics (your flashcards are a great place for these).
Although you may not be able to think of a mnemonic for every Hit Parade term, sometimes you’ll end up learning the word just by thinking about the definition and a suitable mnemonic long enough.
LOOK IT UP
Well-written general publications—such as The New Yorker and The Economist—are good sources of vocabulary. You should read them on a regular basis. When you come across a new word, write it down, look it up, and remember it. You can make flashcards for these words as well.
Before you can memorize the definition of a word you come across in your reading, you have to find out what it means. You’ll need a real dictionary for that. ETS uses two dictionaries in writing the AP English Language and Composition Exam: the American Heritage Dictionary and theWebster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. You should own a copy of one or the other. (You’ll use it in college too—it’s a good investment.)
Keep in mind that most words have more than one definition. The dictionary will list these in order from the most to least common meanings of the word. ETS will also often trip you up by testing the second, third, or even fourth definition of a familiar-sounding word. For example, the word pedestrian shows up repeatedly on the exam. When ETS uses it, however, it never means a person on foot—the definition of pedestrian you’re probably most familiar with. ETS uses it to mean common, ordinary, banal—a secondary definition.
Very often, when you see easy words on hard AP English Language and Composition Exam questions, ETS is testing a second, third, or fourth definition that you may not be familiar with.
Here we go!
ARE YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?
assertion |
uh SUR shun |
a declaration or statement
We could not believe John’s assertion that he had never seen Star Wars.
cogent |
KO jent |
convincing; reasonable
Christina’s argument was so cogent that even her opponents had to agree with her.
coherent |
ko HEER ent |
logically connected
The old prospector’s story was not coherent; he rambled on about different things that had nothing to do with one another.
cohesive |
ko HEE siv |
condition of sticking together
Eric’s essay was cohesive because each point flowed nicely into the next point.
didactic |
dy DAK tik |
intended to instruct
The tapes were entertaining and didactic because they amused and instructed the children.
discourse |
DIS kors |
verbal expression or exchange; conversation
Their discourse varied widely; they discussed everything from Chaucer to ice fishing.
eloquence |
EH lo kwens |
the ability to speak vividly or persuasively
Cicero’s eloquence is legendary; his speeches were well-crafted and convincing.
fluid |
FLOO id |
easily flowing
The two old friends’ conversation was fluid; each of them was able to respond quickly and easily to what the other had to say.
implication |
im pli KAY shun |
the act of suggesting or hinting
When your mother asks, “Were you raised in a barn?” the implication is that you should close the door.
lucid |
LOO sid |
easily understood; clear
Our teacher does a good job because he provides lucid explanations of difficult concepts.
rhetoric |
RET uh rik |
the art of using language effectively and persuasively
Because they are expected to make speeches, most politicians and lawyers are well versed in the art of rhetoric.
I’LL BE THE JUDGE OF THAT
arbiter |
AHR bih ter |
a judge who decides a disputed issue
An arbiter was hired to settle the Major League Baseball strike because the owners and players could not come to an agreement.
biased |
BYE ist |
prejudiced
Judges should not be biased but should rather weigh the evidence fairly before making up their minds.
exculpate |
EKS kul payt |
to free from guilt or blame
When the gold coins discovered in his closet were found to be fake, Dr. Rideau was exculpated and the search for the real thief continued.
impartial |
im PAR shul |
not in favor of one side or the other, unbiased
The umpire had a hard time remaining impartial; his son was pitching for the home team, and this made it difficult to call the game fairly.
incontrovertible |
in kon truh VERT uh bul |
not able to be denied or disputed
The videotape of the robbery provided incontrovertible evidence against the suspect—he was obviously guilty.
integrity |
in TEG rit ee |
trustworthiness; completeness
The integrity of the witness was called into question when her dislike for the defendant was revealed—some jurors suspected that she was not being entirely truthful.
objectivity |
ahb jek TIV ih tee |
treating facts without influence from personal feelings or prejudices
It is important that judges hear all cases with objectivity, so that their personal feelings do not affect their decision.
plausible |
PLAWZ ih bul |
seemingly valid or acceptable; credible
Keith’s excuse that he missed school yesterday because he was captured by space aliens was not very plausible.
substantiated |
sub STAN shee ay tid |
supported with proof or evidence; verified
The fingerprint evidence substantiated the detective’s claim that the suspect had been at the scene of the crime.
vindicated |
VIN duh kayt id |
freed from blame
Mrs. Layton was finally vindicated after her husband admitted to the crime.
YOU’RE SO VAIN
condescending |
kon de SEND ing |
treating people as weak or inferior
Robert always looked down on his sister and treated her in a condescending manner.
contemptuous |
kun TEMP choo us |
feeling hatred; scornful
She was so contemptuous of people who wore fur that she sprayed red paint on them.
despotic |
des PAHT ik |
exercising absolute power; tyrannical
He was a despotic ruler whose every law was enforced with threats of violence or death.
dictatorial |
dik tuh TOR ee ul |
domineering; oppressively overbearing
The coach had a dictatorial manner and expected people to do whatever he demanded.
disdain |
dis DAYN |
(n.) contempt, scorn, (v.) to regard or treat with contempt; to look down on
(n.) I felt nothing but disdain for the person who stole my lunch—what a jerk!
(v.) A self-proclaimed gourmand, he disdains to eat any meal that comes in a box.
haughty |
HAW tee |
arrogant; vainly proud
His haughty manner made it clear that he thought he was better than everyone else.
imperious |
im PEER ee us |
arrogantly domineering or overbearing
She had a very imperious way about her; she was bossy and treated everyone as if they were beneath her.
patronizing |
PAY truh ny zing |
treating in a condescending manner
Patrick had such a patronizing attitude that he treated everyone around him like a bunch of little kids.
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH
convoluted |
kon vuh LOO tid |
intricate; complex
The directions were so convoluted that we drove all around the city and got lost.
cryptic |
KRIP tik |
difficult to comprehend
The writing on the walls of the crypt was cryptic; none of the scientists understood it.
futile |
FEW tul |
having no useful purpose; pointless
It is futile to try to explain the difference between right and wrong to your pet.
impede |
im PEED |
to slow the progress of
The retreating army constructed barbed-wire fences and destroyed bridges to impede the advance of the enemy.
obscure |
ub SKYUR |
(adj.) relatively unknown, (v.) to conceal or make indistinct
Scott constantly makes references to obscure cult films, and no one ever gets his jokes.
The man in front of me was so tall that his head obscured my view of the movie.
quandary |
KWAHN dree |
a state of uncertainty or perplexity
Ann was in a quandary because she had no soap with which to do her laundry.
I’M A LOSER, BABY
indolent |
IN duh lunt |
lazy
Mr. Lan said his students were indolent because they had not done their homework.
insipid |
in SIP id |
uninteresting; unchallenging
That insipid movie was so boring and predictable.
lament |
luh MENT |
express grief for; mourn
After Beowulf was killed by the dragon, the Geats wept and lamented his fate.
listless |
LIST luss |
lacking energy
Because he is accustomed to an active lifestyle, Mark feels listless when he has nothing to do.
melancholy |
MEL un kaw lee |
sadness; depression
Joy fell into a state of melancholy when her Arcade Fire CD got scratched.
torpor |
TOR per |
laziness; inactivity; dullness
The hot and humid day filled everyone with an activity-halting torpor.
REVOLUTION
alliance |
uh LY uhns |
a union of two or more groups
The two countries formed an alliance to stand against their common enemy.
disparity |
dis PAR uh tee |
inequality in age, rank, or degree; difference
There is a great disparity between rich and poor in many nations.
impinge |
im PINJ |
hinder; interfere with
By not allowing the students to publish a newspaper, the school was impinging upon their right to free speech.
sanction |
SANK shun |
an economic or military measure put in place to punish another country
In 1962, the United States imposed economic sanctions on Cuba to protest Fidel Castro’s dictatorship; travel and trade between the countries are severely restricted to this day.
servile |
SER vile |
submissive; like a servant
Cameron’s servile behavior finally ended when he decided to stand up to his older brother.
suppressed |
suh PREST |
subdued; kept from being circulated
The author’s book was suppressed because the dictator thought it was too critical of his regime.
YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL
embellish |
em BELL ish |
to make beautiful by ornamenting; to decorate
We embellished the account of our vacation by including descriptions of the many colorful people and places we visited.
florid |
FLOR id |
describing flowery or elaborate speech
The candidate’s speech was so florid that although no one could understand what he was talking about, they all agreed that he sounded good saying it.
opulent |
AHP yuh lunt |
exhibiting a display of great wealth
Dances at the king’s palace are always very opulent affairs because no expense is spared.
ornate |
or NAYT |
elaborately decorated
The carved wood was so ornate that you could examine it several times and still notice things you had not seen before.
ostentatious |
ah sten TAY shus |
describing a showy or pretentious display
Whenever the millionaire gave a party, the elaborate decorations and enormous amounts of food were always part of his ostentatious display of wealth.
poignant |
POYN yunt |
profoundly moving; touching
The most poignant part of the movie was when the father finally made peace with his son.
OVERKILL
ebullience |
ih BOOL yuns |
intense enthusiasm
A sense of ebullience swept over the crowd when the matador defeated the bull.
effusive |
eh FYOO siv |
emotionally unrestrained; gushy
Halle Berry was effusive in her thanks after winning the Oscar; she even burst into tears.
egregious |
uh GREE jus |
conspicuously bad or offensive
Forgetting to sterilize surgical tools before an operation would be an egregious error.
flagrant |
FLAY grunt |
extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
His throwing the pie at his teacher was a flagrant sign of disrespect.
frenetic |
freh NEH tik |
wildly excited or active
The pace at the busy office was frenetic; Megan never had a moment to catch her breath.
gratuitous |
gruh TOO ih tus |
given freely; unearned; unwarranted
The film was full of gratuitous sex and violence that was not essential to the story.
superfluous |
soo PER floo us |
extra; unnecessary
If there is sugar in your tea, adding honey would be superfluous.
IT’S GETTING BETTER
alleviate |
uh LEEV ee ayt |
to ease a pain or burden
John took aspirin to alleviate the pain from the headache he got after taking the SAT.
asylum |
uh SY lum |
a place of retreat or security
The soldiers sought asylum from the bombs in the underground shelter.
auspicious |
aw SPISH us |
favorable; promising
Our trip to the beach had an auspicious start; the rain stopped just as we started the car.
benevolent |
buh NEH vuh lunt |
well-meaning; generous
She was a kind and benevolent queen who was concerned about her subjects’ well-being.
benign |
buh NINE |
kind and gentle
Uncle Charlie is a benign and friendly man who is always willing to help.
mollify |
MAHL uh fy |
to calm or soothe
Anna’s apology for scaring her brother did not mollify him; he was mad at her all day.
reclamation |
rek luh MAY shun |
the act of making something useful again
Thanks to the reclamation project, the once unusable land became a productive farm.
sanction |
SANK shun |
to give official authorization or approval
The students were happy when the principal agreed to sanction the use of calculators in math classes.
LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE
dubious |
DOO bee us |
doubtful; of unlikely authenticity
Jerry’s claim that he could fly like Superman seemed dubious—we didn’t believe it.
fabricated |
FAB ruh kay tid |
made; concocted to deceive
Fabio fabricated the story that he used to play drums for Metallica; he had never actually held drumsticks in his life.
hypocrisy |
hih POK ruh see |
the practice of pretending to be something one is not; insincerity
People who claim to be vegetarian but eat chicken and fish are guilty of hypocrisy.
slander |
SLAN der |
false charges and malicious oral statements about someone
After the radio host stated that Monica was a space alien, she sued him for slander.
spurious |
SPUR ee us |
not genuine
The sportscaster made a spurious claim when he said that the San Antonio Spurs were undefeated.
SHE’S CRAFTY
astute |
uh STOOT |
shrewd; clever
Kevin is financially astute; he never falls for the tricks that credit card companies play.
clandestine |
klan DES tin |
secretive
The spies planned a clandestine maneuver that depended on its secrecy to work.
coup |
KOO |
a brilliantly executed plan
It was quite a coup when I talked the salesperson into selling me this valuable cuckoo clock for five dollars.
disingenuous |
dis in JEN yoo us |
not straightforward; crafty
Mr. Gelman was rather disingenuous; although he seemed to be simply asking about your health, he was really trying to figure out why you’d been absent.
ruse |
ROOZ |
a crafty tick
The offer of a free cruise was merely a ruse to get people to listen to their sales pitch.
stratagem |
STRAT uh jem |
a clever trick used to deceive or outwit
Planting microphones in the gangster’s home was a clever, but illegal, stratagem.
surreptitiously |
sur ep TISH us lee |
done by secretive means
Matt drank the cough syrup surreptitiously because he didn’t want anyone to know that he was sick.
wary |
WAIR ee |
on guard
My father becomes wary whenever a salesman calls him on the phone; he knows that many crooks use the phone so that they can’t be charged with mail fraud.
wily |
WY lee |
cunning
Each year, a new batch of wily campers devised ways to torture the cabin leader.
SITTIN’ ON THE FENCE
ambiguous |
am BIG yoo us |
open to more than one interpretation
His eyes were an ambiguous color: Some thought they were brown, and some thought they were green.
ambivalent |
am BIH vuh lunt |
simultaneously having opposing feelings; uncertain
She had ambivalent feelings about her dance class: On one hand, she enjoyed the exercise, but on the other hand, she thought the choice of dances could be more interesting.
apathetic |
a puh THEH tik |
feeling or showing little emotion
When the defendant was found guilty on all charges, her face remained expressionless and she appeared to be entirely apathetic.
arbitrary |
AR bih trayr ee |
determined by impulse rather than reason
The principal made the arbitrary decision that students could not wear hats in school without offering any logical reason for the rule.
capricious |
kuh PREE shus |
impulsive and unpredictable
The referee’s capricious behavior angered the players because he was inconsistent with his calls; he would call foul for minor contact, but ignore elbowing and kicking.
equivocate |
eh KWI vuh kayt |
to avoid making a definite statement
On critical reading questions, I choose answers that equivocate; they use words such as could or may that make them difficult to disprove.
indifferent |
in DIF rent |
not caring one way or the other
The old fisherman was completely indifferent to the pain and hunger he felt; his only concern was catching the enormous marlin he had hooked.
spontaneous |
spon TAY nee us |
unplanned; naturally occurring
Dave is such a good musician that he can create a song spontaneously, without having to stop and think about it.
whimsical |
WIM zuh kul |
subject to erratic behavior; unpredictable
Egbert rarely behaved as expected; indeed, he was a whimsical soul whose every decision was anybody’s guess.
JUST A LITTLE BIT
inconsequential |
in kahn suh KWEN shul |
unimportant
The cost of the meal was inconsequential to Quentin because he wasn’t paying for it.
superficial |
soo per FISH ul |
concerned only with what is on the surface or obvious; shallow
The wound on his leg was only superficial, even though it looked like a deep cut.
tenuous |
TEN yoo us |
having little substance or strength; shaky; unsure, weak
Her grasp on reality is tenuous at best; she’s not even sure what year it is.
trivial |
TRIH vee ul |
of little importance or significance
Alex says he doesn’t like trivia games because the knowledge they test is trivial; he prefers to spend his time learning more important things.
I WILL SURVIVE
assiduous |
uh SID yoo us |
hard-working
Spending hours in the hot sun digging out every tiny weed, Sidney tended her garden with assiduous attention.
compelling |
kom PEL ing |
forceful; urgently demanding attention
By ignoring the problems in the city, the mayor gave people a very compelling reason to vote him out of office.
diligent |
DIL uh jent |
marked by painstaking effort; hard-working
With a lot of diligent effort, they were able to finish the model airplane in record time.
dogged |
DOG id |
stubbornly persevering
Her first attempts resulted in failure, but her dogged efforts ultimately ended in success.
endure |
en DUR |
to put up with; to survive a hardship
It was difficult to endure the incredibly boring lecture given in class the other day.
intrepid |
in TREH pid |
courageous; fearless
The intrepid young soldier scaled the wall and attacked the enemy forces despite being outnumbered 50 to 1.
maverick |
MAV uh rik |
one who is independent and resists adherence to a group
In the movie Top Gun, Tom Cruise was a maverick; he often broke the rules and did things his own way.
obdurate |
AHB dur ut |
stubborn; inflexible
Leanna was so obdurate that she was unable to change her way of thinking on even the most minor issues.
obstinate |
AHB stin ut |
stubbornly adhering to an opinion or a course of action
Even though he begged them constantly, Jeremy’s parents were obstinate in their refusal to buy him a Wii.
proliferate |
pro LIF er ayt |
to grow or increase rapidly
Because the number of cell phones has proliferated in recent years, many new area codes have been created to handle the demand for phone numbers.
tenacity |
ten ASS uh tee |
persistence
With his overwhelming tenacity, Clark was finally able to interview Zac Efron for the school newspaper.
vitality |
vy TA lih tee |
energy; power to survive
After a few days of rest, the exhausted mountain climber regained his usual vitality.
GO WITH THE FLOW
assimilation |
uh sim il AY shun |
to absorb; to make similar
The unique blend of Mexican culture was formed by the assimilation of the cultures of the Native Americans and the Spanish.
consensus |
kun SEN sus |
general agreement
After much debate, the committee came to a consensus, although they differed on minor points.
context |
KAHN tekst |
circumstances of a situation; environment
The senator complained that his statements had been taken out of context and were therefore misleading; he said that if the newspaper had printed the rest of his speech, it would have explained the statements in question.
derived |
de RYVD |
copied or adapted from a source
Many AP English Language and Composition questions are derived from older questions—the details may have been changed, but the same basic concept is being tested.
incumbent |
in KUM bunt |
imposed as a duty; obligatory
Since you are the host, it is incumbent upon you to see that everyone is having fun.
inevitable |
in EV ih tuh bul |
certain to happen, unavoidable
Gaining a little extra weight during the wintertime is inevitable, especially after the holidays.
malleable |
MAL ee uh bul |
easily shaped or formed; easily influenced
Gold is malleable; it is easy to work with and can be hammered into very thin sheets.
subdue |
sub DOO |
to restrain; to hold back
It took four officers to subdue the fugitive because he fought like a madman.
WAYS OF KNOWING
acquired |
uh KWY erd |
developed or learned; not naturally occurring
A love of opera is an acquired taste; almost nobody likes it the first time he or she hears it.
conception |
kun SEP shun |
the ability to form or understand an idea
Most people have no conception of the enormous amount of genetic information present in a single living cell.
conviction |
kun VIK shun |
a fixed or strong belief
Although he privately held onto his convictions, threats by the church caused Galileo to publicly denounce his theory that the Earth orbited the sun.
dogmatic |
dog MAT ik |
stubbornly adhering to unproved beliefs
Doug was dogmatic in his belief that exercising frequently boosts one’s immune system.
enlightening |
en LYT uh ning |
informative; contributing to one’s awareness
The Rosetta Stone was enlightening because it allowed linguists to begin to translate Egyptian hieroglyphs, which had previously been a mystery.
impression |
im PREH shun |
a feeling or understanding resulting from an experience
It was my impression that I was supposed to throw a curve ball, but I must have been wrong because the catcher didn’t expect it.
intuition |
in too ISH un |
the power of knowing things without thinking; sharp insight
It is said that some people have intuition about future events that allows them to predict the future.
misconception |
mis kun SEP shun |
an incorrect understanding or interpretation
His belief that storks bring babies was just one of his many misconceptions.
perception |
per SEP shun |
awareness; insight
The detective’s perception of people’s hidden feelings makes it easy for him to catch liars.
perspective |
per SPEK tiv |
point of view
People from the North and South viewed the Civil War from different perspectives—each side’s circumstances made it difficult for them to understand the other side.
profound |
pro FOWND |
having great depth or seriousness
There was a profound silence during the ceremony in honor of those who died during World War II.
FEELING AT HOME
inherent |
in HER ent |
inborn; built-in
One of the inherent weaknesses of the AP English Language and Composition Exam is that a multiple-choice test, by definition, cannot allow students to be creative in their answers.
innate |
in AYT |
possessed from birth; inborn
Cats have an innate ability to see well in the dark; they are born with this skill and do not need to develop it.
inveterate |
in VET uh rit |
long established; deep-rooted; habitual
Stan has always had trouble telling the truth; in fact, he’s an inveterate liar.
omnipotent |
om NIP uh tent |
all-powerful
He liked to think that he was an omnipotent manager, but he really had very little control over anything.
proximity |
prahk SIM ih tee |
closeness
I try to sit far away from Roxy—I don’t like sitting in proximity to her because she wears too much perfume.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
elusive |
il OO siv |
difficult to capture, as in something actually fleeting
The girl’s expression was elusive; the painter had a hard time recreating it on the canvas.
emigrate |
EM ih grayt |
to leave one country or region and settle in another
Many Jews left Russia and emigrated to Israel after it was founded in 1948.
transient |
TRAN zhunt |
passing away with time; passing from one place to another
Jack Dawson enjoyed his transient lifestyle; with nothing but the clothes on his back and the air in his lungs, he was free to travel wherever he wanted.
transitory |
TRAN zih tor ee |
short-lived or temporary
The sadness she felt was only transitory; the next day her mood improved.
FRIENDLY
affable |
AF uh bul |
easy-going; friendly
We enjoyed spending time with Mr. Lee because he was such a pleasant, affable man.
amenable |
uh MEN uh bul |
responsive; agreeable
Because we had been working hard all day, the group seemed amenable to my suggestion that we all go home early.
camaraderie |
kahm RAH duh ree |
good will between friends
There was great camaraderie among the members of the team; they were friends both on and off the field.
cordial |
KOR jul |
friendly; sincere
Upon my arrival at camp, I received a warm and cordial greeting from the counselors.
facetious |
fuh SEE shus |
playfully humorous
Although the teacher pretended to be insulting his favorite student, he was just being facetious.
I WRITE THE SONGS
aesthetic |
es THET ik |
having to do with the appreciation of beauty
The arrangement of paintings in the museum was due to aesthetic considerations; as long as the paintings looked good together, it didn’t matter who painted them or when they were painted.
anthology |
an THAH luh jee |
a collection of literary pieces
This anthology contains all of William Shakespeare’s sonnets, but none of his plays.
contemporary |
kun TEM po rer ee |
current, modern; from the same time
Contemporary music is very different from the music of the 1920s.
Pocahontas and William Shakespeare were contemporaries; they lived during the same time, though not in the same place.
dilettante |
dih luh TAHNT |
one with an amateurish or superficial understanding of a field of knowledge
You can’t trust Betsy’s opinion because she’s just a dilettante who doesn’t understand the subtleties of the painting.
eclectic |
uh KLEK tik |
made up of a variety of sources or styles
Lou’s taste in music is eclectic; he listens to everything from rap to polka.
excerpt |
EK serpt |
a selected part of a passage or scene
We read an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet in which Juliet says, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”
genre |
ZHAHN ruh |
describing a category or artistic endeavor
Gene enjoyed only science-fiction movies; in fact, he never went to see anything that was not in that genre.
medley |
MED lee |
an assortment or a mixture, especially of musical pieces
At the concert, the band played a medley of songs from its first album, cutting an hour’s worth of music down to five minutes.
mural |
MYUR ul |
a large painting applied directly to a wall or ceiling surface
The mural on the wall of the library showed the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
narrative |
NAR uh tiv |
(adj.) characterized by the telling of a story, (n.) a story
Tony gave us a running narrative of the game, since he was the only one who could see over the fence.
parody |
PAR uh dee |
an artistic work that imitates the style of another work for comic effect
The Onion is a satirical publication that is a parody of other, nonsatirical newspapers that give real, true news.
realism |
REE uh liz um |
artistic representation that aims for visual accuracy
His photographs have a stark realism that conveys the true horror of the war.
virtuoso |
ver choo OH so |
a tremendously skilled artist
Some people say that Jason Loewenstein is a guitar virtuoso because of his amazing work in Sebadoh—others say that his music is just noise.
COOL IT NOW
decorous |
DEK er us |
proper; marked by good taste
The class was well-behaved and the substitute was grateful for their decorous conduct.
equanimity |
ek wuh NIM uh tee |
the quality of being calm and even-tempered; composure
She showed great equanimity; she did not panic even in the face of catastrophe.
modest |
MAH dist |
quiet or humble in manner or appearance
Although Mr. Phillips is well-off financially, he lives in a modest, simple home.
propriety |
pruh PRY uh tee |
appropriateness of behavior
Anyone who blows his nose on the tablecloth has no sense of propriety.
prudent |
PROO dunt |
exercising good judgment or common sense
It wouldn’t be prudent to act until you’ve considered every possible outcome.
serene |
suh REEN |
calm
The quiet seaside resort provided a much-needed vacation in a serene locale.
staid |
STAYD |
unemotional; serious
Mr. Carver had such a staid demeanor that he remained calm while everyone else celebrated the team’s amazing victory.
stoic |
STOW ik |
indifferent to pleasure or pain; impassive
Not one to complain, Jason was stoic in accepting his punishment.
IF YOU CAN’T SAY ANYTHING NICE
condemn |
kun DEM |
to express strong disapproval of; denounce
Homer Simpson condemned Mayor Quimby for allowing the schoolchildren to drink spoiled milk; he was outraged and let the mayor know it.
discredit |
dis CRED it |
to cause to be doubted
The claim that pi is exactly equal to 3 can be discredited simply by careful measurement.
disparage |
dis PAR uj |
to speak of in a slighting way or negatively; to belittle
Glen disparaged Wanda’s work as being careless and unoriginal.
pejorative |
puh JOR uh tiv |
describing words or phrases that belittle or speak negatively of someone
Teachers should refrain from using such pejorative terms as numbskull when dealing with students who need encouragement.
plagiarism |
PLAY juh riz um |
the act of passing off the ideas or writing of another as one’s own
The author was accused of plagiarism when an older manuscript was discovered that contained passages that she had used, word for word, in her own book.
vilify |
VIL uh fye |
to make vicious statements about
Chad issued a series of pamphlets that did nothing but vilify his opponent, but his cruel accusations were not enough to win him the election.
NASTY BOYS
brusque |
BRUSK |
rudely abrupt
Mr. Weird was a brusque teacher who didn’t take time to talk to or listen to his students.
caustic |
KAW stik |
bitingly sarcastic or witty
He had a very caustic wit, and he seldom told a joke without offending someone.
fractious |
FRAK shus |
quarrelsome; unruly
Leonard was a fractious child who disagreed with everything and refused to listen.
incorrigible |
in KOR ij uh bul |
unable to be reformed
She is absolutely incorrigible; no matter how many times you punish her, she goes right ahead and misbehaves.
ingrate |
IN grayt |
an ungrateful person
It is a true ingrate who can accept favor after favor and never offer any thanks.
insolent |
IN suh lunt |
insulting in manner or speech
It was extremely insolent of him to stick his tongue out at the principal.
notorious |
no TOR ee us |
known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous
Al Capone was a notorious gangster in the 1930s; he was feared throughout America.
pugnacious |
pug NAY shus |
combative; belligerent
Lorenzo was a pugnacious child who settled his differences by fighting with people.
reprehensible |
rep ree HEN si bul |
worthy of blame
It was reprehensible of the girls to spit their gum in their teacher’s water bottle; they had detention for a week.
PURE EVIL
deleterious |
del uh TEER ee us |
having a harmful effect; injurious
Although it may seem unlikely, taking too many vitamins can actually have a deleterious effect on your health.
enmity |
EN muh tee |
mutual hatred or ill-will
There was a great enmity between the opposing generals, and each wanted to destroy the other.
heinous |
HAY nus |
hatefully evil; abominable
To murder someone in cold blood is a heinous crime.
malfeasance |
mal FEEZ uns |
wrongdoing, misconduct
The senator was accused of malfeasance after he was caught sneaking out of a local brothel.
malice |
MAL is |
extreme ill-will or spite
It was clear that he was acting with malice when he disconnected the brakes in his business partner’s car.
putrid |
PYOO trid |
rotten
He threw his lunch in the bottom of his locker every day and it was a putrid mess by the end of the year—rotten bananas, moldy sandwiches, and curdled milk were some of the more disgusting ingredients.
rancorous |
RANK er us |
hateful; marked by deep-seated ill-will
They had such a rancorous relationship that no one could believe that they had ever gotten along.
toxic |
TAKH sik |
poisonous
Since many chemicals are toxic, drinking from random flasks in the chemistry lab could be hazardous to your health.
OLD SCHOOL
archaic |
ar KAY ik |
characteristic of an earlier period; old-fashioned
“How dost thou?” is an archaic way of saying, “How are you?”
hackneyed |
HACK need |
worn out through overuse; trite
All my mom could offer in the way of advice were these hackneyed old phrases that I’d heard a hundred times before.
medieval |
med EE vul |
referring to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned
His ideas about fashion were positively medieval; he thought that a man should always wear a coat and tie and a woman should always wear a dress.
obsolete |
ahb suh LEET |
no longer in use; old-fashioned
Eight-track tape players are obsolete because music isn’t recorded in that format anymore.
BO-O-O-RING
austere |
aw STEER |
without decoration; strict
The gray walls and bare floors provided a very austere setting.
mediocrity |
mee dee AH krit ee |
the state or quality of being average; of moderate to low quality
Salieri said that he was the patron saint of mediocrity because his work could never measure up to Mozart’s.
mundane |
mun DAYN |
commonplace; ordinary
We hated going to class every day because it was so mundane; we never did anything interesting.
ponderous |
PAHN duh rus |
extremely dull
The 700-page book on the anatomy of the flea was so ponderous that I could not read more than one paragraph.
prosaic |
pro ZAY ik |
unimaginative; dull
Rebecca made a prosaic mosaic—it consisted of only one tile.
sedentary |
SEH dun tair ee |
not migratory; settled
Galatea led a sedentary existence; she never even left her home unless she had to.
WHO CAN IT BE NOW?
apprehension |
ap reh HEN shun |
anxiety or fear about the future
My grandmother felt apprehension about nuclear war in the 1960s, so my grandfather built a bomb shelter in the backyard to calm her fears.
harbinger |
HAR bin jer |
something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner
When it is going to rain, insects fly lower, so cows lie down to get away from the insects; therefore, the sight of cows lying down is a harbinger of rain.
ominous |
AH min us |
menacing; threatening
The rattling under the hood sounded ominous because we were miles from the nearest town and would have been stranded if the car had broken down.
premonition |
prem uh NISH un |
a feeling about the future
Luckily, my premonition that I would break my neck skiing was unfounded; unluckily, I broke my leg.
timorous |
TIM uh rus |
timid; fearful about the future
Tiny Tim was timorous; he was afraid that one day he would be crushed by a giant.
trepidation |
trep uh DAY shun |
uncertainty; apprehension
We approached Mrs. Fielding with trepidation because we didn’t know how she would react to our request for a field trip.
NEW SENSATION
innovative |
IN no vay tiv |
introducing something new
The shop on the corner has become known for its innovative use of fruit on its pizzas.
naive |
nah YEEV |
lacking sophistication
It was naive of him to think that he could write a novel in one afternoon.
nascent |
NAY sunt |
coming into existence; emerging
If you study Coldplay’s first album, you can see their nascent abilities that were brought to maturity by their second album.
novel |
NAH vul |
strikingly new or unusual
Sharon’s novel approach to the problem stunned the scientific community; no one had ever thought to apply game theory to genetics.
novice |
NAH vis |
a beginner
Having only played chess a couple of times, Barry was a novice compared with the contestants who had been playing all their lives.
STRAIGHT UP
candor |
KAN der |
sincerity; openness
It’s refreshing to hear Lora’s honesty and candor—when asked about her English teacher, she says, “I can’t stand her!”
frank |
FRANK |
open and sincere in expression; straightforward
When Jim lost my calculator, he was frank with me; he admitted to losing it without trying to make up some excuse.
EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE
arid |
AYR id |
describing a dry, rainless climate
Since they receive little rain, deserts are known for their arid climates.
conflagration |
kahn fluh GRAY shun |
a widespread fire
The protesters burned flags, accidentally starting a fire that developed into a conflagration that raged out of control.
nocturnal |
nok TER nul |
of or occurring in the night
Owls are nocturnal animals because they sleep during the day and hunt at night.
sonorous |
SAH nuh rus |
producing a deep or full sound
My father’s sonorous snoring keeps me up all night unless I close my door and wear earplugs.
FULL ON
ample |
AM pul |
describing a large amount of something
Because no one else wanted to try the new soda, Andy was able to have an ample sample.
comprehensive |
kahm pre HEN siv |
large in scope or content
The final exam was comprehensive, covering everything that we had learned that year.
copious |
KO pee us |
plentiful; having a large quantity
She had taken copious notes during class, using up five large notebooks.
permeated |
PER mee ay tid |
spread or flowing throughout
After Kathryn had her hair professionally curled, the scent of chemicals permeated the air.
pervasive |
per VAY siv |
dispersed throughout
In this part of town, graffiti is pervasive—it’s everywhere.
prodigious |
pruh DIJ us |
enormous
The shattered vase required a prodigious amount of glue to repair.
replete |
ruh PLEET |
abundantly supplied; filled to capacity
After a successful night of trick-or-treating, Dee’s bag was replete with Halloween candy.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
exemplary |
eg ZEM pluh ree |
commendable; worthy of imitation
Jay’s behavior was exemplary; his parents wished that his brother, Al, were more like him.
idealize |
eye DEE uh lyze |
to consider perfect
The fans had idealized the new star pitcher; they had such unrealistically high expectations that they were bound to be disappointed.
laudatory |
LAW duh tor ee |
giving praise
The principal’s speech was laudatory, congratulating the students on their AP exam scores.
paramount |
PAR uh mount |
of chief concern or importance
The workers had many minor complaints, but the paramount reason for their unhappiness was the low pay.
venerated |
VEN er ay tid |
highly respected
Princess Diana was venerated for her dedication to banning land mines around the world; people today still sing her praises.
catalog |
KAT uh log |
(v.) to make an itemized list of
He decided to catalog his expenses for the week, hoping that this list would show him where he could cut back his spending.
facile |
FAS ul |
done or achieved with little effort; easy
Last night’s math homework was such a facile task that I was done in ten minutes.
fastidious |
fas TID ee us |
possessing careful attention to detail; difficult to please
Because Kelly was so fastidious, we tried to keep her out of our group.
hierarchy |
HY er ar kee |
a group organized by rank
With each promotion raising him higher, Archie moved up in his company’s hierarchy.
meticulous |
muh TIK yuh lus |
extremely careful and precise
The plastic surgeon was meticulous; he didn’t want to leave any scars.
pragmatic |
prag MAT ik |
practical
Never one for wild and unrealistic schemes, Amy took a pragmatic approach to research.
solvent |
SAHL vunt |
able to pay one’s debts
After five years of losing money, the business has finally solved its financial problems and become solvent.
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
alienated |
AY lee en ay tid |
removed or disassociated from (friends, family, or homeland)
Rudolph felt alienated from the other reindeer because they never let him join in their reindeer games.
abstract |
ab STRAKT |
not applied to actual objects
“Justice” is an abstract concept because it is merely an idea.
anachronism |
an A krun ism |
something out of place in time or sequence
Jill was something of an anachronism; she insisted on carrying a parasol when going out in the sun and believed that a woman’s place was at home in the kitchen and with the children.
anthropomorphism |
an thrah puh MOR fizm |
the attribution of humanlike characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or forces of nature
Beatrix Potter is known for her children’s books filled with anthropomorphism; Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, and Samuel Whiskers were all animal characters with very human qualities.
apology |
uh PAWL uh gee |
defense of an idea
Du Bellay wrote an apology in which he justified the use of French in place of Latin.
apparatus |
ap uh RAT us |
equipment; a group of machines
The storeroom behind the physics lab was filled with a cumbersome apparatus that has since been replaced by a much smaller and more accurate piece of equipment.
apposition |
app uh ZIH shun |
a grammar construction in which a noun (or noun phrase) is placed with another as an explanation
My grandmother, a fine woman of 83, enjoys riding her motorcycle at high speeds in heavy traffic on Highway 280.
archetype |
AR keh type |
a perfect example; an original pattern or model
Steve enjoyed stealing candy from babies, tripping elderly women in crosswalks, and pilfering money from the Save the Children charity jar; he was the archetype of pure evil.
brittle |
BRIT ul |
easily broken when subjected to pressure
That antique vase is so brittle that it may break at any moment.
chiasmus |
ky AZ muss |
an inversion in the second of two parallel phrases
John F. Kennedy’s “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” is an example of chiasmus.
gesticulating |
jes TIK yeh lay ting |
making gestures while speaking
The commencement speaker’s gesticulating hands were quite distracting; the students had stopped listening to her words and were now counting the number of times she made awkward gestures.
hypothetical |
hye puh THET ih kul |
existing only as an assumption or speculation
Heather wondered why her class had to study hypothetical cases when they had actual case histories they could look at.
lexicon |
LEKS uh kahn |
a word book describing language with definitions; a dictionary
When his teacher wrote that his essay was “abysmal,” Eddie decided to look it up in his lexicon and found that this was quite insulting.
metonymy |
meh TAHN uh mee |
a type of figurative language in which one term is substituted for another term with which it is closely associated
“Today, Capitol Hill (U.S. Congress) voted on the Internet Privacy bill” is an example of metonymy.
oxymoron |
ahk see MORE on |
an apparent contradiction of terms
Angela spent her lazy summer afternoon contemplating oxymorons: “freezer burn,” “plastic glasses,” and “deafening silence” were among her favorites.
panegyric |
pan eh JIR ik |
statement of high praise
For his senior essay, Boris wrote an eloquent panegyric to his high school; he had truly enjoyed the last four years, and he wanted his teachers to know how much he appreciated them.
paradigm |
PAR a dym |
an example or model
The current educational paradigm has students engaged in discovery-based learning, whereas the older model had teachers lecturing and students merely taking notes.
parallelism |
PARE uh lell izm |
a grammar construction in which two identical syntactic constructions are used
On Mondays, Ms. Smith spends her time baking cakes for local charities and knitting socks for the homeless.
penitent |
PEN ih tunt |
expressing remorse for one’s misdeeds
His desire to make amends to the people he had wronged indicated that he was truly penitent, so the parole board let him out of the penitentiary.
period (periodic sentence) |
PEER ee uhd |
long, complex, grammatically correct sentence
While writing his essay, Sam thought he was being very articulate with his long, complex sentences. However, his English teacher disagreed; those lengthy sentences weren’t periods; they were simply rambling run-ons.
pernicious |
per NIH shus |
causing great harm
In Mean Girls, the Plastics loved to spread pernicious rumors about their classmates; they effectively ruined the social lives of several students with their nasty gossip.
phenomenon |
feh NAH meh nahn |
an unusual, observable event
The phenomenon of lightning remained unexplained until scientists discovered electricity.
propitious |
pruh PIH shus |
presenting favorable circumstances; auspicious
In Chinese culture, the color red is seen as sort of propitious omen; red is thought to bring luck.
rational |
RASH un ul |
logical; motivated by reason rather than feeling
While Joe is more impulsive, Frank is more rational because he thinks things through rather than acting on his feelings.
sardonic |
sar DAH nik |
disdainfully or ironically humorous; harsh, bitter, or caustic
In Rachel’s group of friends, Estelle was known as the sardonic one; sometimes her sarcastic comments really hurt the other girls.
syllogism (syllogistic reasoning) |
SIH luh jih zum |
a form of deductive reasoning: a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion
Humans are mortal (major premise); Seth is human (minor premise); Seth is mortal (conclusion).
synecdoche |
sin ECK duh kee |
a form of metonymy that’s restricted to cases where a part is used to signify the whole
“A thousand swords came charging toward us from the nearby mountain range; we could hear the angry army as it marched closer and closer” is an example of synecdoche.
theoretical |
thee oh RET ih kul |
lacking application or practical application
Theoretical physics is concerned with ideas, whereas applied physics is concerned with using ideas.
truncated |
TRUN kay tid |
shortened; cut off
The file Chris downloaded from the Internet was truncated; the end of it was missing.