Vocab List #1

English II Honors

1. Themes: Linking devices that hold a text together structurally, e.g. the battle between
good and evil: the general idea or insight about life a writer wishes to express. All of the
elements of literary terms contribute to theme. A simple theme can often be stated in a
single sentence.

2. Repetition of certain words: Why, with all the words at his or her disposal, does a
writer choose to repeat particular words?

3. Imagery: language that evokes one or all of the five senses: seeing, hearing, tasting,
smelling, touching.

4. Metaphor and symbolism: non-literal, imaginative substitutions in which, for

instance, a tree becomes a metaphor for family, or springtime symbolizes rebirth.

5. Plot development: Linear or fragmented, chronological or driven by a theme or some

other unifying device.

6. Introduction and conclusion: Framing strategies.

7. Narrator: Usually first or third person. Is the narrator the same as the author?

8. Style, tone, and voice: Gut reactions are useful here. Examine your own responses.
What is it that makes you respond as you do? Are you the author’s intended audience? If
not, who is? The attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character: serious, humorous,
sarcastic, ironic, satirical, tongue-in-cheek, solemn, objective.

9. Analogy: The comparison of two pairs that have the same relationship. The key is to
ascertain the relationship between the first so you can choose the correct second pair. Part
to whole, opposites, results of are types of relationships you should find.

Example:
Hot is to cold as fire is to ice OR hot:cold::fire:ice

10. Flashback: Action that interrupts to show an event that happened at an earlier time,
which is necessary to better understanding.

11. Foreshadowing: The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in
literature.

12. Hyperbole: Exaggeration or overstatement.

Example:
I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
He’s as big as a house.

13. Personification: giving human qualities to animals or objects.

Example:
A smiling moon, a jovial sun

14. Allusion: A reference to something real or fictional, to someone, some event, or

something in the Bible, history, literature, or any phase of culture.

Example:
the author alludes to Helen of Troy when discussing woman who brings about ruin.

15. Irony: An expression, often humorous or sarcastic, that exposes perversity or

absurdity.

For example, the fact that only teams from the U.S. and Canada play in the World
Series is ironic.

16. Oxymoron: A contradiction in terms, such as faithless devotion, or searing cold.

17. Paradox: Reveals a kind of truth which at first seems contradictory.

Example:
Red win is paradoxically good and bad for us.

18. Symbolism: is using an object or action that means something more than it literal
meaning.

*The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic

meanings or significances to objects, events, or relationships.
*A system of symbols or representations.
*A symbolic meaning or representation.

Example:
The bird of night (owl is a symbol of death)

19. Parody: A humorous exaggerated imitation, or travesty.

The character of Indiana Jones parodies the type of macho adventurer of the
1930s epitomized by Ernest Hemingway. He is a parody of that stereotype.

20. Sarcasm: a cutting, often ironic remark intended to wound.

A form of wit that is remarked by the use of sarcastic language and is intended to make
its victim the butt of contempt or ridicule.
21. Satire: literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often
with the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satiric attack.

22. Allegory: an allegory is an extended metaphor in the form of a narrative. The

persons, objects, and setting represents abstractions, and the actions define the
relationship between the actions. The most famous extended allegory in English prose is
probably John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress; the most famous poetic allegory is Edmund
Spenser’s Fairie Queen. Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Man Is Hard to Find” is a thinly
disguised allegory.

23. Authorial Intrusion: Discussions directed to the reader and constituting a substantial
break in the narrative illusion of reality are termed authorial intrusions. While ordinary
descriptions are not authorial intrusions, substantial essays addressed to the reader are.

24. Central Consciousness: (also centre of consciousness, central intelligence, holder

of point of view) The central consciousness belongs to the character who most obviously
shapes and limits the narrative voice of a text. Situations and events are largely perceived
as though through this character’s eyes, although the narrator may at times represent an
independent point of view. Cory Johnson is clearly the central consciousness of R.V.
Cassill’s “The Father,” although the narrator rises above Cory at times.

25. Effaced Narrator: Third-person narrators can be almost invisible. When the narrator
uses only language and sentiments appropriate to the character acting as the current
centre of consciousness, the narrator is said to be effaced.

26. Epiphany: An epiphany is literally a “showing-forth”; the Christian festival

commemorates the visit of the Magi who found the infant Jesus in a manger. Joyce uses
the term to describe the sudden, intuitive flash of recognition by which a commonplace
object’s “soul, its whatness, leaps to us from the vestment of its appearance.”

27. Foreshadowing: The technique of hinting at the nature of coming action is

foreshadowing. Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher” is filler with foreshadowing; a major
elemnt in the design of the novel is the diminishing gap between foreshadowing and
event. Near the end of the story, the evnts of the Mad Trist the narrator is reading so
closely foreshadow “real” events that they happen almost as they are narrated.

28. Hypotaxis: Hypotaxis is the opposite of parataxis. Thus, a hypotactic style is one
marked by sophisticated subordination of ideas within sentences.

29. In Medias Res: In medias res means literally “in the middle of things.” Homeric
epics begin in medias res; a shift to an earlier period of time normally follows such an
introduction.

30. Limited Point of View: The perceptual range of a narrative is often limited in some
way, most often by adopting the limitations of the character providing the central
consciousness. Mansfield suggests a more sophisticated point of view than Bertha
Young’s in “Bliss,” but she deliberately limits the narrative to Bertha’s range of insight;
thus, the reader sees how little Bertha understands, but is offered no greater
understanding.

31. Motif: In literature, any element which recurs—incidents, phrases, descriptions,

image cluster. It is a structural principle which cuts across the admittedly division of
content and style.

32. Narrative Approach: the way a writer chooses to tell the story (the narrative
approach) establishes the tone and character of a narrative. The basic choice is whether to
tell the story from without (the third person omniscient point of view exemplified by
Mansfield’s “Bliss,” O’Connor’s “A Good Man,” and Cassill’s “The Father”) or within
(the first person point of view exemplified by O’Connor’s “My Oedipus Complex,”
Tan’s “Rules of the Game,” and Joyce’s “Araby0. Authors may make deliberate and
substantial distinctions between the moral outlook of a narrator or central consciousness
and the moral standards of a story. Subtle matters distinguish the narrative approach even
of writers sharing the same point of view. Frank O’Connor, for example, allows his child-
narrator to work with a rather formal adult vocabulary. Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”
displays a narrative approach too complex to be described by any standard point of view.
Point of attack is also considered in discussions of narrative approach. The best
explanation of the term is that it concerns the relationship the author creates between the
voice that tells the story and the characters in the story.
33. Point of Attack: Point of attack is originally a dramatic concept; it designates the
stage of the plot at which a work begins. In composing “Occurrence at Owl Creek
Bridge,” for example, Bierce chose a late point of attack: Farquhar is actually being
hanged as the story opens. Subsequently, a flashback explains how Farquhar was duped
into making his van assault on the bridge (this story, of course, is a trick: in relation to the
real action of the story, the point of attack coincides with the beginning).
34. Point of View: The term describes the way the reader is presented with the story—
whether through the voice of an observer or participant who refers to him- or herself (first
person) or through a more impersonal voice which describes the action from without
(third person). Third person omniscient describes a narrative point of view that is all-
knowing and provides the reader with “privileged” information about the story. More
commonly, the third person narrator is deliberately limited in some way.
35. Realism: Realism signifies a specific historical movement in literature and a mode of
literary representation without regard to period. In the former sense, the term refers to the
nineteenth-century movement represented by Balzac in the France, George Eliot in
England, and William Dean Howells in America. These writers (and their many
followers, rivals, and imitators) opposed themselves to romanticism, insisting that a
writer must present an accurate imitation of life. The techniques of realism are not,
however, natural, but are themselves conventional approaches to representing the world.
In general, the realist deliberately pursues commonplace object in preference to the
bizarre, even though the real world includes the bizarre. Also, details are often
accumulated “unrealistically.” Realist narrative often includes excessively descriptive
descriptions. On entering a room, a real person rarely notices anything special about the
surroundings, unless he or she is very bored indeed. A realist narrative will use the
accumulation of detail to induce the reality effect, the appearance that the fictional object
has the same objective depth as a real object. Hemingway commented on another basis of
selection when he mentioned seizing on “the unnoticed things that made emotions”
(Norton 1672).
36. Tone: The concept of “tone” is based upon the assumption that a literary work can be
regarded as representing some of the special qualities of a mode of speech. It is
considered to be the author’s way of revealing an attitude toward some subject—but not
necessarily the attitude of the author. An author may adopt a persona which is at variance
with his own character—the tone of such a persona will be chosen by the author, but will
not be that of the author.

Aristotelian Appeals
37. Logos
Appeals to the head using logic, numbers, explanations, and facts. Through Logos, a
writer aims at a person’s intellect. The idea is that if you are logical, you will understand.

38. Ethos
Appeals to the conscience, ethics, morals, standards, values, principles.

39. Pathos
Appeals to the heart, emotions, sympathy, passions, sentimentality.

Effective Rhetorical Strategies

• Tone (the voice of the author)

• Repetition
• Analogy (complex)
• Comparison
• Association
• Narration, narrative (experiences, stories)
• Facts
• Appeal to authority
• Analysis of language
Parallelism
Allusion
Examples
• Rhetorical
• Current situation
• Appeal of popular opinion
• Unifying the audience
• Showing a gap (useful way to start a essay)
• Challenging the reader to challenge an assumption
• Counter argument (a way is not insulting to the reader
• Qualifying the argument
 Vocabulary List # 2
Eng. II, H
Twenty-three Four letter Words You
Can Use in Class
1. Arid- adj. Very dry, lacking
moisture
2. Balk- v. to stop short and refuse to
proceed
3. Bard- n. a composer or singer in
epic verse
4. Bask- v. to lie in or expose oneself
to pleasant warmth
5. Bilk- v. to cheat out of something
valuable
6. Boor- n. A person known for rude or
insincere behavior, someone who
lacks refinement
7. Dolt- n. a person known for
stupidity
8. Dupe- v. to trick or deceive by
underhanded means
9. Flag- v. to loose energy or
enthusiasm
10. Foil- n. someone or something that
serves as a contrast to another
11. Gait- n. a manner of walking
12. Hail- v. to praise, acclaim; to call
out to
13. Lull- n. temporary period of calm
14. Mute- v. to muffle the sound, to tone
down
15. Plod- v. to walk slowly or tediously
16. Quip- n. a clever, witty remark
17. Rend- v to tear apart or split, as to
red a fabric
18. Ruse- n. a wily or clever trick,
stratagem
19. Smug- adj. very self-satisfied
20. Stem- v. to restrain, check
21. Tiff- n. a petty quarrel
22. Vain- adj. marked by futility, as a
vain effort
23. Wary- adj. cautious, careful
Twenty-two Words Off the Beaten
Path
1. Apathy- n. having no feelings,
indifferent
2. Banter- v. to speak in a witty or
teasing manner
3. Chaff- n. the seed coverings and
other debris separated from the seed
in threshing grain
4. Conspicuous- adj. easy to see
5. Cur- n. a mongrel or inferior dog
6. Dingy- adj. very shabby; dirt-
colored
7. Dirge- n. a song or hymn of grief,
lamentation
8. Drivel- v. to talk stupidly in an
infantile way, to lack sense
9. Drone- v. to talk in a persistently
dull or monotone way
10. Extravagant- adj. excessive,
unrestrained
11. Inane- adj. lacking sense or
meaning, vacuous
12. Prattle- n. chatter, babble
13. Quibble- n. a minor objection or
criticism
14. Salvo- n. a spirited attack, often
verbal
15. Scamp- n. an impish or playful
young person
16. Scamper- v. to move in a nimble,
playful manner
17. Self-deprecating- v. thinking or
speaking poorly of oneself
18. Snivel- v. to speak in a whining,
tearful, emotional manner
19. Superficial- adj. just above the
surface, shallow, lacking in depth
20. Vapid- adj. flat, dull, lacking taste
21. Wheedle- v. to influence or persuade
by flattery
22. Whelp- n. a young dog
 Vocabulary List #3
Eng. II, H

1. Abash (v.)- to make ashamed; to embarrass

2. Banal (adj.)- unoriginal; ordinary
3. Cacophony (n.)- harsh sound mixture or words, voices, or distractions or sounds
4. Daunt (v.)- to make fearful; to intimidate
5. Eccentric (adj.)- not conventional; a little kooky; irregular
6. Fabrication (n.)- a lie; something made up
7. Garrulous (adj.)- talkative; chatty
8. Hedonism (n.)- the pursuit of pleasure as a way of life
9. Abate (v.)- to subside; to reduce
10. Beget (v.)- to give birth to; to create; to lead to; to cause
11. Cadence (n.)- rhythm; the rise and the fall of sounds
12. Dearth (n.)- lack; scarcity
13. Eclectic (adj.)- choosing the best from many sources; drawn from many sources
14. Facetious (adj.)- humorous; not serious; clumsily humorous
15. Genre (n.)- a type or category, especially of art or writing
16. Hapless (adj.)- unlucky
17. Abdicate (v.)- to step down from a position of power or responsibility
18. Belabor (v.)- to go over repeatedly or to an absurd extent
19. Cajole (v.)- to persuade someone to do something he or she does not want to do
20. Debacle (n.)- violent breakdown; sudden overthrow; overwhelming defeat
21. Edify (v.)- to enlighten; to instruct, especially in moral or religious manner
22. Facile (adj.)- skillful in a superficial way; easy
23. Genteel (adj.)- refined; polite; aristocratic; affecting refinement
24. Harbinger (n.)- a forerunner; a signal of
25. Abhor (v.)- to hate very, very much; to detest
26. Belittle (v.)- to make to seem little; to put someone down
27. Candor (n.)- truthfulness; sincere honesty
28. Debauchery (n.)- wild living; excessive intemperance
29. Elicit (v.)- to bring out; to call forth
30. Faction (n.)- a group, usually a small part of a larger group, united around some cause
31. Gesticulate (v.)- to make gestures, especially when speaking or in place of speaking
32. Heresy (n.)- any belief that is strongly opposed to established belief
33. Abject (adj.)- hopeless; extremely sad; defeated
34. Belligerent (adj.)- combative; quarrelsome; waging war
35. Capricious (adj.)- unpredictable; likely to change at any moment
36. Debilitate (v.)- to weaken; to cripple
37. Effusion (n.)- a pouring forth
38. Fastidious (adj.)- meticulous; demanding; finicky
39. Grandiose (adj.)- absurdly exaggerated
40. Hiatus (n.)- a break or interruption, often from work
41. Absolve (v.)- to forgive or free from blame; to be free from sin; to be free from an obligation
42. Bemused (adj.)- confused; bewildered
43. Callow (adj.)- immature
44. Decimate (v.)- to kill or destroy a large part of
45. Egocentric (adj.)- selfish; believing that one is the center of everything
46. Fatuous (adj.)- foolish; silly; idiotic
47. Gratuitous (adj.)- given freely; unjustified; unprovoked; uncalled for
48. Hierarchy (n.)- an organization based on rank or degree; ordered by class or rank, etc.
 Vocabulary list #4
Eng. II, H

1. Abstinent (adj.)- voluntarily not doing something, especially something pleasant

2. Broach (v.)- to open up a subject for discussion, often a delicate subject
3. Catalyst (n.)- anyone or anything that makes something happen without being directly involved in
it
4. Emulate (v.)- to strive to be equal or excel, usually through imitation
5. Felicity (n.)- happiness; skillfulness, especially at expressing things; adeptness
6. Fervor (n.)- great warmth or earnestness; ardor
7. Immutable (adj.)- unchangeable
8. Judicious (adj.)- exercising sound judgment
9. Laconic (adj.)- using few words, especially to the point of seeming rude
10. Malleable (adj.)- easy to shape or bend
11. Nebulous (adj.)- vague; hazy; indistinct
12. Notorious (adj.)- famous for something bad
13. Abstract (adj.)- theoretical; impersonal
14. Brevity (n.)- briefness
15. Categorical (adj.)- unconditional; absolute
16. Deference (n.)- submission to another’s will; respect; courtesy
17. Empirical (adj.)- relying on experience or observation; not merely theoretical
18. Fetter (v.)- to restrain; to hamper
19. Hypothetical (adj.)- uncertain; unproven
20. Ideology (n.)- a system of social or political ideas
21. Juxtapose (v.)- place side by side
22. Kinetic (adj.)- having to do with motion; lively; active
23. Labyrinth (n.)- a maze; something like a maze
24. Lament (v.)- to mourn
25. Paltry (adj.)- insignificant; worthless
26. Abstruse (adj.)- hard to understand
27. Blatant (adj.)- unpleasantly or offensively noisy; glaring
28. Catharsis (n.)- purification that brings emotional relief or renewal
29. Definitive (adj.)- conclusive; providing the last word
30. Eminent (adj.)- well-known and respected; standing out from all the others in quality or
accomplishment
31. Fidelity (n.)- faithfulness; loyalty
32. Figurative (adj.)- expressing something in terms usually used for something else; metaphorical
33. Homogeneous (adj.)- uniform; made entirely of one thing
34. Idiosyncrasy (n.)- peculiarity; an eccentricity
35. Languish (v.)- to become weak; listless, or depressed
36. Malinger (v.)- to pretend to be sick to avoid doing work
37. Nepotism (n.)- showing favoritism to friends or family in business or politics
38. Nihilism (n.)- the belief that there are no values or morals in the universe
 Vocabulary List #5
Eng. II, H

1. Accolade (n.)- an award; an honor

2. Blasphemy (n.)- irreverence; an insult to something held sacred; profanity
3. Catholic (adj.)- universal; embracing everything (small “c”)
4. Degenerate (v.)- to break down; to deteriorate
5. Emigrate (v.)- to move to a new country; to move to a new place to live; to expatriate
6. Finesse (n.)- skillful maneuvering; subtlety; craftiness
7. Guile (n.)- cunning; duplicity
8. Idyllic (adj.)- charming in a rustic way; naturally peaceful
9. Latent (adj.)- present but not visible or apparent; potential
10. Malaise (n.)- a feeling of depression, uneasiness or queasiness
11. Bereaved (adj.)- deprived or left desolate, especially through death
12. Nominal (adj.)- in name only; insignificant
13. Accost (v.)- to approach and speak to someone (usually a negative connotation is subscribed)
14. Benign (adj.)- gentle; not harmful; mild
15. Censure (v.)- to condemn severely for doing something bad
16. Defame (v.)- to libel or slander
17. Delineate (v.)- to describe accurately; to draw in outline
18. Elusive (adj.)- hard to pin down; evasive
19. Flagrant (adj.)- glaringly bad; notorious; scandalous
20. Gregarious (adj.)- sociable; enjoying the company of others
21. Ignominy (n.)- deep disgrace
22. Lethargy (n.)- sluggishness; laziness; drowsiness; indifference
23. Magnanimous (adj.)- forgiving; not resentful; noble in spirit; generous
24. Nostalgia (n.)- sentimental longing for the past
25. Paradox (n.)- a true statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems to contradict itself; an untrue statement or
phenomenon that nonetheless seems logical
26. Acquiesce (v.)- to comply passively; so accept; to assent; to agree
27. Benevolent (adj.)- generous; kind; doing good deeds
28. Chagrin (n.)- humiliation; embarrassed disappointment
29. Deduce (v.)- to conclude from evidence; to infer
30. Flaunt (v.)- to show off; to display ostentatiously
31. Fatalist (n.)- someone who believes that future events are already determined and that humans are powerless to change
them
32. Gravity (n.)- seriousness
33. Illicit (adj.)- illegal; not permitted
34. Imminent (adj.)- just about to happen
35. Levity (n.)- lightness; frivolity; lacking seriousness
36. Machination (n.)- scheming activity for an evil purpose
37. novel (adj.)- new; original
38. Noxious (adj.)- harmful; offensive
39. Obtuse (adj.)- insensitive; blockheaded
40. Abysmal (adj.)- extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless
41. Obsequious (adj.)- fawning; subservient; sucking up to
42. Officious (adj.)- annoyingly eager to help or advise
43. Blight (n.)- anything that injures or destroys
44. Charisma (n.)- a magical- seeming ability to attract followers or inspire loyalty
45. Charlatan (n.)- fraud; quack; con man
46. Deleterious (adj.)- harmful
47. Encroach (v.)- to make gradual or stealthy inroads into; to trespass
48. Engender (v.)- to bring into existence; to create; to cause
49. Flout (v.)- to disregard something out of disrespect
50. Impeccable (adj.)- flawless; entirely without sin
51. Lugubrious (adj.)- exaggeratedly mournful
52. Luminous (adj.)- giving off light; glowing; bright
53. Mandate (n.)- a command or authorization to do something; the will of voters as expressed by the results of an
 Vocabulary List #6
Eng. II, H

1. Acrid (adj.)- harsh; like acid

2. Capitulate (v.)- to surrender; to give up or give in
3. Delude (v.)- to deceive
4. Deluge (v.)- a flood; an inundation
5. Enfranchise (v.)- to grant the privileges of citizenship, especially the right to vote
6. Disenfranchise (v.)- to take away the rights of citizenship, especially the right to vote
7. Foible (n.)- a minor character flaw
8. Foment (v.)- to stir up; to instigate
9. Heyday (n.)- golden age; prime
10. Iconoclast (n.)- one who attacks the popular beliefs or institutions
11. Impartial (adj.)- fair; not favoring one side or the other; unbiased
12. Manifest (adj.)- visible; evident
13. Manifesto (n.)- a public declaration of beliefs and principles, usually political ones
14. Acrimonious (adj.)- full of spite; bitter; nasty
15. Burgeon (v.)- to expand; to flourish
16. Burlesque (n.)- ludicrous; mocking, or exaggerated imitation
17. Demagogue (n.)- a leader of the people, but more a rabble rouser
18. Enervate (v.)- to reduce the strength or energy of, especially to do so gradually
19. Enigma (n.)- a mystery
20. Forbear (v.)- to refrain from; to abstain
21. Gregarious (adj.)- sociable; enjoying the company of others
22. Hermetic (adj.)- impervious to external influence; airtight
23. Impervious (adj.)- not allowing anything to pass through; impenetrable
24. Marshal (v.)- to arrange in order; to gather together for the purpose of doing something
25. Martial (adj.)- having to do with combat
26. Obscure (adj.)- unknown; hard to understand; dark
27. Panacea (n.)- something that cures everything
28. Quixotic (adj.)- romantic or idealistic to a foolish or impractical degree
29. Admonish (v.) – to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty
30. Breach (n.) an opening, gap; a violation or infraction; (v.) to create an opening, break through
31. Brigand (n) – a bandit
32. Circumspect (adj.) – careful, cautious
33. Commandeer (v.) – seize for military of official use
34. Cumbersome (adj.) clumsy, hard to handle
35. Deadlock (n.) a complete standstill; (v.) to bring to a standstill
36. Debris (n.) – scattered fragments, wreckage
37. Diffuse (v.) – to spread or scatter freely or widely; (adj.) wordy, long-winded, or unfocused
38. Boorish (adj.) – rude, unrefined; clumsy
39. Efface (v.) - to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed
40. Harangue (v.) – to deliver a loud, ranting speech; (n.) a loud speech
41. Dubious (adj.) – causing uncertainty or suspicion; in a doubtful or uncertain state of mind, hesitant
42. Perennial (adj.) – lasting for a long time, persistent; (n.) a plant that lives for many years
43. Predisposed (v.) – to incline to beforehand
44. Relinquish (v.) – to let go, give up
45. Knave (n.) – a tricky, deceitful, or unprincipled fellow
46. Subterfuge (n.) an excuse or trick for escaping or hiding something
47. Spurious (adj.) not genuine, not true, not valid
48. Unbridled (adj.) uncontrolled, lacking in restraint
 Vocabulary List #7
Eng. II, H

1. Altercation (n.) an angry argument

2. Condone (v.) to pardon or overlook
3. Dissent (v.) to disagree; (n.) disagreement
4. Eminent (adj.) famous, outstanding, distinguished
5. Fabricate (v.) to make, manufacture; to make up, invent
6. Irate (adj.) extremely angry
7. Marauder (n.) a raider, plunderer
8. Pilfer (v.) to steal in small quantities
9. Rift (n.) a split, break, breach
10. Semblance (n.) a likeness; an outward appearance
11. Surmount (v.) to overcome, rise above
12. Trite (adj.) commonplace; overused, stale
13. Usurp (v.) to seize and hold a position by force or without right
14. Precipitous (adj.) very steep
15. Profuse (adj.) very abundant; given or flowing freely
16. Shackle (v.) to put into chains; (n.) a chain, fetter
17. Threadbare (adj.) shabby, old and worn
18. Embroil (v.) to involve in a conflict or difficulty; to throw into confusion
19. Debacle (n.) an overwhelming defeat, rout; a complete collapse or failure
20. Abscond (v.) to run off and hide
21. Arduous (adj.) hard to do, requiring much effort
22. Auspicious (adj.) favorable; fortunate
23. Daunt (v.) to overcome with fear, intimidate; to dishearten or discourage
24. Hoodwink (v.) to mislead by a trick, deceive
25. Intrepid (adj.) very brave, fearless, unshakable
26. Larceny (n.) theft
27. Pliant (adj.) bending readily, easily influenced
28. Rectify (v.) to make right, correct
29. Reprieve (n.) a temporary relief or delay; (v.) to grant a postponement
30. Revile (v.) to attack with words, call bad names
31. Ad infinitum (adv.) endlessly
32. Congenial (adj.) getting on well with others; agreeable, pleasant
33. Sordid (adj.) wretchedly poor; run-down; mean or selfish
34. Untenable (adj.) not capable of being held or defended; impossible to maintain
35. Wane (v.) to lose size, strength or power
36. Blanch (v.) to remove the color from; to make or turn pale
37. Illustrious (adj.) very famous, distinguished
38. Laborious (adj.) not easy, requiring hard work
39. Lithe (adj.) bending easily, limber
40. Wily (adj.) sly, shrewd
 Vocabulary List #8
Eng. II, H

1. annihilate (v.) to destroy completely

2. arbitrary (adj.) unreasonable; based on one’s own wishes w/o regards to fairness
3. brazen (adj.) made of brass; shameless, impudent
4. catalyst (n.) any agent that causes change
5. incorrigible (adj.) not able to be corrected, beyond control
6. latent (adj.) hidden, present but not realized
7. militant (adj.) given to fighting; active and aggressive in support of a cause
8. morose (adj.) having a gloomy or sullen manner; not sociable or friendly
9. opaque (adj.) not letting light through; not clear or lucid; dense or stupid
10. prattle (adj.) to talk in an aimless, foolish, or simple way
11. slapdash (adj. ) careless and hasty
12. succumb (v.) to give way to superior force, yield
13. temperate (adj.) mild, moderate
14. brevity (n.) shortness
15. comport (v.) to conduct or bear oneself, behave; to be in agreement
16. rivulet (n.) a small stream
17. demure (adj.) sober or serious in manner, modest
18. divulge (v.) to tell, reveal; to make public
19. forestall (v.) to prevent by acting first
20. squander (v.) to spend foolishly, waste
21. atone (v.) atone to make up for
22. defray (v.) to pay for
23. doleful (adj.) sad, dreary
24. ghastly (adj.) frightful, horrible; deathly pale
25. hamper (v.) to hold back
26. hew (v.) to shape or cut down with an axe
27. incessant (adj.) never stopping, going on all the time
28. lucid (adj.) easy to understand, clear; rational, sane
29. posthumous (adj.) occurring or published after death
30. prim (adj.) overly neat, precise, proper or formal; prudish
31. sardonic (adj.) grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic
32. superfluous (adj.) exceeding what is sufficient or required, excess
33. supplant (v.) to take the place of, supersede
34. tenacious (adj.) holding fast; holding together firmly; persistent
35. mire (n.) mud; wet, swampy ground
36. adept (adj.) thoroughly skilled; (n.) an expert
37. chide (v.) to blame, scold
38. diminutive (adj.) small, smaller than most others of the same type
39. erroneous (adj.) incorrect, containing mistakes
40. languid (adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish
 Vocabulary List #9
Eng. II, H

1. advent (n.) an arrival; a coming into place or view

2. apex ( (n.) the highest point, tip
3. assimilate (v.) to absorb fully or make one’s own; to adapt fully
4. exorbitant (adj.) unreasonably high; excessive
5. interim (n.) the time in between (adj.) temporary
6. inundate (v.) to flood, overflow
7. malign (v.) to speak evil of, slander
8. meander (v.) to wander about
9. metropolis (n.) a large city; the chief city of an area
10. laconic (adj.) Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise
11. obstreperous (adj.) noisy; unruly, disorderly
12. pensive (adj.) thoughtful; (as in a person who is full of thought)
13. nape (n.) the base of the neck
14. shoddy (adj.) of poor quality; characterized by inferior
15. sprightly (adj.) lively, full of life
16. surly (adj.) angry and bad-tempered; rude
17. tirade (n.) a long, angry speech, usually very critical
18. vagrant (n.) an idle wanderer, tramp
19. salacious (adj.) obscene, lascivious
20. sagacious (adj.) Having keen discernment, sound judgment, and farsightedness
21. dross (n.) waste products
22. dwindle (v.) to lessen, diminish
23. flippant (adj.) lacking in seriousness; disrespectful, saucy
24. impunity (n.) without punishment or penalty
25. preposterous (adj.) ridiculous, senseless
26. pugnacious (adj.) quarrelsome, fond of fighting
27. rabid (adj.) furious, violently intense, infected with rabies
28. remunerate (v.) to reward, pay, reimburse
29. auxiliary (adj.) giving assistance of support; (n.) a helper, aid
30. drudgery (n.) work that is hard and tiresome
31. envoy (n.) a representative or messenger
32. feign (v.) to pretend
33. heterogeneous (adj.) composed of different kinds, diverse
34. incredulous (adj.) disbelieving, skeptical
35. monologue (n.) a speech by one actor; a long talk by one person
36. prognosis (n.)forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease or situation
37. repugnant (adj.) offensive, disagreeable, distasteful
38. truculent (adj.) disposed to fight
39. misanthropic (adj.) characterized by a hatred or mistrustful scorn for humankind
40. languid (adj.) lacking energy or vitality; weak