Meyer's AP English Language and Composition Vocab

excoriate (v)

to denounce strongly

nostalgia (n)

remembrance; longing for the past; homesickness

barrage (n/v)

a curtain of artillery fire; any overwhelming attack, as of words or blows

Pollyanna (n)

a person who is able to find happiness in the most disastrous situations

conciliatory (adj)

making peace

manifest (adj)

clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious

peremptory (adj)

irrevocable; decisive; final; dictatorial

histrionic (adj)

overly dramatic; theatrical

replenish (v)

replace; renew; restock; refill

condescend (v)

to patronize, to lower oneself

equivocate (v)

to avoid giving a direct answer; to deceive; to be shifty

disgruntled (adj)

being irritably dissatisfied or discontent

belittle (v)

to put someone down; demean

adamant (adj)

resolute; stubborn; inflexible

belligerent (adj)

quarrelsome; ready to fight

flippant (adj)

showing a rude attitude; shallowly humorous; disrespectful

pragmatic (adj)

practical; matter of fact; down to earth

obsequious (adj)

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree

admonish (v)

to caution or warn; to criticize or scold mildly, but firmly

lionize (v)

to treat a person as a celebrity; to idolize

bigot (n)

a person who is strongly partial to his or her own group, race, or religion

integrity (n)

moral structure; honesty; trustworthiness; structural soundness

concede (v)

to admit, often unwillingly, that something is true; to yield, as in a game or contest

refute (v)

to rebut; invalidate; challenge; prove to be false

heirloom (n)

a family possession handed down from generation to generation

fulcrum (n)

the support which every lever turns; any prop or support

insinuate (v)

to suggest or hint slyly; convey an idea by indirect, subtle means

affluent (adj)

wealthy; rich

discreet (adj)

careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, especially in order to avoid using offense of to gain an advantage

inflammatory (adj)

likely to excite strong feelings, especially of anger; tending to arouse and excite the emotions; firey

unwieldy (adj)

difficult to handle or manage

quarry (n)

an animal that is being hunted down, especially dogs

acquiesce (v)

to agree passively; comply; consent

contemptuous (adj)

feeling contempt; disdainful; scornful

inexorable (adj)

inevitable; unavoidable

incapacitate (v)

to make unfit; to deprive of physical and mental qualities; to handicap

cliché (n)

an overused expression or idea; a commonplace saying

tacit (adj)

without words or speech; implicit

induce (v)

to persuade to do something; to cause to happen; to influence; to stimulate

foster (v)

to encourage the development or growth of; to nurture

glib (adj)

showing little forethought or preparation

amass (v)

to gather and accumulate

imperative (adj/n)

extremely important or urgent; unavoidable