Pre-AP English 1 – Fall 2014 Vocabulary Final Review
Nouns:
adversary – How can adversity make a person stronger?
almsgiver – Is it better to be an almsgiver or to volunteer? Why?
altruism – Which quality is more important for a leader: altruism or ambition?
amphora – Draw a picture of an amphora.
anecdote – How long should an entertaining anecdote be?
annals – What significant event from the year 2014 do you think will go down
in the annals of history?
apiary – What would be an advantage of working in an apiary?
appellation – What kinds of appellations would you use to demonstrate to
someone that you show them respect?
assassination – Which Presidential assassination do you think was more
damaging to the United States: that of President Lincoln or President Kennedy?
avarice – What are some of the negative consequences of avarice?
barbarism – What country today do you think exhibits some barbarism? How?
black lung – What kinds of professions do you think are most likely to lead to
black lung?
blue streak – When you were a small child, were you mostly quiet or did you
talk a blue streak?
bowels – What part of a house would you consider to be the bowels?
brevity – Why is brevity important in an expository essay?
cataract – Which is more beautiful (and why): a raging cataract or a placid lake?
cathouse – Should the government make cathouses illegal?
charlatan – How would you react if you were tricked out of your life savings by
a charlatan?
confluence – Do great things happen because of the work of brilliant
individuals, or is it the confluence of many different people’s collective efforts?
conformist – Does high school today promote conformity or individualism?
How?
conjecture – Why should a jury rely on facts and not conjecture?
consolation – If your team lost a soccer game, what might help you to feel
some consolation?
contempt – Describe what the emotion of contempt is like.
cornucopia – What does a cornucopia symbolize?
countenance – What part of the body can a countenance be found on?
cretin – If someone calls you a “cretin,” is it a compliment or an insult? Why?
crone – Give a theory on why we tend to think of witches as crones.
cusp – If you were born on a cusp of the astrological chart, what does that
mean?
cynic – Why might it be bad to be a cynic?
debt – Do you owe your parents a debt of gratitude? Why/why not?
deluge – How should you survive a deluge?
detachment – Why do people sometimes act with detachment after a tragedy?
diatribe – Write a diatribe against a proposal to institute uniforms at Bellaire.
discourse – What do you think of the discourse in the media about the
Ferguson case?
disposition – How are cats’ dispositions different from those of dogs?
dissent – What does it mean when a Supreme Court Justice dissents from the
majority opinion on a case?
edict – If you were made King or Queen of Bellaire for a day, what edicts
would you deliver to the school?
essence – If you are baking and you use almond essence, explain what that
ingredient is.
gestapo – Do you think it would ever be possible for a gestapo-like police
force to rise to power in the United States?
gimmick – What is your favorite infomercial gimmick? (For example, the
Sham-Wow.)
grievance – What were some of the American colonists’ major grievances
against Great Britain before the Revolution?
gumption – Give an example of a hero who had a lot of gumption, and explain
how.
hypocrite – How was Rose Mary from The Glass Castle a hypocrite?
ingrate – How would an ingrate behave if you invited him or her over to
Thanksgiving dinner?
insurrection – Do you think the insurrection in Ferguson was justified?
manacle – Do you think of marriage as a manacle?
manifestation – If you have the flu, what symptoms might you see as a
manifestation of the illness?
mentor – Describe who your greatest mentor has been.
mirage – If you were lost in the desert, what do you think you would see as a
mirage?
moratorium – Should there be a moratorium on the sale of guns?
noggin – Is it more important to use your noggin or follow your heart?
nomad – Would you like to be a nomad over summer vacation and travel all
over the country in a tent?
obeisance – Describe a student who acts with extraordinary obeisance?
palsy – What would it look like if someone had palsy?
pariah – Should people known to have Ebola be treated as pariahs?
pity – Do the ASPCA commercials make you feel pity for animals? Why or why
not?
Pre-AP English 1 – Fall 2014 Vocabulary Final Review
plight – How do you feel about the plight of the children who have lost their
parents due to Ebola?
posse – Who is in your posse at school?
poultice – What ingredients do you think Katniss’ mother uses in the poultice
she puts on Gale’s back after he has been whipped?
procession – Would you rather watch a procession, or be a part of it?
prodigy – In what ways would it be difficult to be a child prodigy?
prohibition – If there are problems with students spitting gum on the ground,
do you think Bellaire should institute a gum prohibitions?
prospector – If you could travel back in time for the 1849 California Gold
Rush, would you take the risk of being a prospector?
pyre – Would you rather be buried or burned on a funeral pyre?
ramification – List some of the ramifications of cheating.
renegade – How might it sometimes be good to be a renegade?
reprisal – Is reprisal or forgiveness better?
ruckus – Describe what a ruckus in a classroom might sound and look like.
sagacity – What kinds of people are known for their sagacity?
saguaro – Would you want to climb a saguaro? Why or why not?
scandal – What kinds of scandals might you hear about in the world of
professional sports?
scintilla – If you have a scintilla of doubt that a person accused of a crime is
guilty, should you vote to convict him or her?
semblance – Explain how Polyjuice Potion in the Harry Potter books worked,
using the word “semblance.”
septuagenarian – What do you need to do to live to be a septuagenarian?
Shangri-La – What would your own personal Shangri-La include?
sieve – What might you use a sieve for while cooking?
simony – What do you think of religious leaders who practice simony?
sluice – If your best friend lost her ring in a sluice, would you dive in to retrieve
it?
sojourn – Where would you like to make a sojourn over the winter holidays?
spoils – During the time of Odysseus, what sort of spoils might he and his men
have won from the war with Troy?
stupefaction – What kind of surprise would put you in a state of stupefaction?
surplus – What should stores do when they have a surplus of inventory?
swan song – At what stage in your life would you sing a swan song?
vigilante – Why were there so many vigilantes in the Old West?
Verbs:
allay – If you had a younger brother or sister who woke up from a bad
nightmare, how would you allay his or her fears?
bellow – Under what circumstances is it acceptable to bellow?
bluster – Explain how Rex Walls blustered.
buoy – What kind of news would buoy your spirit?
calcify – Why do you think people’s opinions become calcified as they get
older?
capital – How much capital would you need to start a lemonade stand?
capitulate – Would you capitulate in a fight against Odysseus, or would you
continue to the death?
circumvent – Look up the root words for “circumvent,” and explain how they
create the definition of the word.
commandeer – Should the government be able to commandeer important
supplies during times of war?
condone – If someone condones bullying, what does that mean?
dictate – Who in your household dictates the rules?
disparage – Why is it bad for parents who are divorced to disparage one
another in front of their children?
divulge – How long would it take for you to trust someone again who had
once divulged a secret of yours?
dominate – Name several famous leaders who have dominated the world.
ebb – Do you think that the amount of homework we have will ebb as we start
the spring semester?
eke out – Would it be correct to say that a heart surgeon eked out a living by
practicing medicine?
emancipate – What does it mean for a teenager to be declared legally
emancipated?
embroil – List several scandals celebrities have been embroiled in recently.
eradicate – What is the best way to eradicate an infestation of ants?
essay – What kind of person do you essay to be?
expatriate – If you had to be expatriated, where would you choose to go?
extirpate – Why do you think Hitler wanted to extirpate Jews, Roma
(“gypsies,”) and gay people from Europe?
fetter – What rules do you think unfairly fetter you at home?
flit – Under what circumstances might a person flit?
flog – Why do you think holy people sometimes flogged themselves?
flophouse – Would you consider it an adventure to stay in a flophouse?
flout – What is likely to happen if you flout the rule about no cellphones in
class?
Pre-AP English 1 – Fall 2014 Vocabulary Final Review
gestate – How long does it take for baby elephants to gestate?
glean – What is one major lesson you gleaned from the Odyssey?
gloat – Do you believe karma will find you if you gloat after winning?
gnaw – If you were a guinea pig, what kinds of substances would you enjoy
gnawing on?
hoist – What is the most amount of weight you think you could hoist over your
head?
incinerate – Why do some governments incinerate books that they dislike?
lope – What kinds of animals lope?
nix – If your teacher nixes your suggestion that we cancel the final and instead
have a party, what does that mean?
obscure – Give an example of an obscure fact.
ostracize – Why do some students try to ostracize their peers?
pilfer – Is it wrong to pilfer office supplies?
procure – If you needed to procure a first-edition copy of The Count of Monte
Cristo, what would you do?
rescind – Why might the school rescind a student’s invitation to join the
National Honor Society?
ridicule – If you slipped in the middle of the hallway, would your friends
ridicule you or help you up?
shamble – Describe what it looks like when a person shambles.
shanghai – Explain the origin of the verb “shanghai.” (Not the city!)
skedaddle – What does it mean to do the skedaddle?
strut – How is a person probably feeling if he or she struts?
subdue – How do you subdue a fussy baby?
subjugate – In what ways were the people of District 12 subjugated?
subside – If you have a headache, what will help the pain to subside?
subvert – How did Katniss subvert the Capitol’s authority?
surmise – If you notice that a woman is throwing up every morning, what
might you surmise would be the cause of her illness?
transfigure – What kinds of transfiguration can happen to vampires?
trill – Do you think it is pretty or obnoxious when Snow White trills?
undulate – If the ocean is undulating wildly, what does that mean for your
voyage?
venerate – Do we venerate pop stars too much in our culture?
warble – Do you like to listen to songbirds warble?
wheedle – What might you say to wheedle your mom into buying you a new
iPhone?
writhe – What would cause you to writhe in pain?
Adjectives:
abashed – If everyone found out the name of the people you have a crush on,
would you feel abashed?
addled – Do you think Rose Mary Walls was at all addled, or was she just
strange?
aloof – Why did Gale act aloof from Katniss after she returned from the
Hunger Games?
anticlimactic – Tell a short anticlimactic story.
antiseptic – Why is it important to use antiseptic?
arrogant – Why do some people find arrogance attractive?
asinine – Do you think UFO conspiracy theories are true or asinine?
avid – What hobby are you most avid about?
binary – If you have a binary set of choices, what does that mean?
blowsy – Is it a compliment to call someone “blowsy?” Why or why not?
cantankerous – When did Rex Walls get most cantankerous?
clandestine – If your teacher gives you a clandestine mission to deliver a note,
what should you not do?
complacent – What happens if you are complacent about your grades?
consecrated – What sorts of places have consecrated ground?
convoluted – If your teacher tells you that your essay is convoluted, what does
that mean?
corporal – Does corporal have to do with the body or the mind? How can you
remember this?
curt – If someone gives you a curt response, how is he or she probably feeling?
dank – What is the dankest part of a house?
defiant – Explain why the movie Defiant is so named.
deft – Would you want a heart surgeon who was deft?
despondent – Do you think Penelope ever felt despondent? Why or why not?
diabolical – How is this word related to the Spanish “diablo?”
dire – If you are in a dire financial situation, will you be able to afford a new
car?
egregious – What would be an example of egregious disrespect towards a
police officer?
elusive – What kinds of animals are good at being elusive?
empyrean – Where is the most empyrean place to vacation?
epistolary – Explain what an epistolary novel is.
errant – How should parents correct a child’s errant behavior?
felonious – What will happen if you do something felonious?
funereal – Would you want to go to a party with a funereal atmosphere?
Pre-AP English 1 – Fall 2014 Vocabulary Final Review
furtive – If you notice that two of your friends are looking at one another
furtively, what would you think?
gallant – Should boys behave gallantly toward girls?
imminent – If the bell to end class is going to ring imminently, what does that
mean?
inaudible – Why are some noises that dogs can hear clearly inaudible to
humans?
indigent – In your opinion, should charities or the government do more to
help indigent people?
indignant – If you ask a woman when her baby is due and she becomes
indignant, what might that mean?
indolent – If you are feeling indolent, what are you going to do?
infernal – What would an infernal setting look like?
innate – Is intelligence something that is innate, or can it be developed over
time?
insolent – If your teacher asks you to close the door and you respond
insolently, what will probably happen?
intrinsic – What subjects are intrinsic to a good education (in your opinion)?
irredeemable – Are there any crimes that are irredeemable?
jocular – Would you enjoy being around someone who had a jocular attitude?
lexical – Is it better to have lexical or mathematical intelligence? Why?
literal – Why do you think people misuse the word “literal?”
lofty – When writing expository essays, is it better to have a lofty or straightforward tone?
lucent – Which is more beautiful: the lucent moon, or the glittering stars?
malicious – Was Maleficent truly malicious?
mangy – Would you pet a mangy dog?
marginal – Do you think the history books will remember Obama as a great,
terrible, or marginal president?
marital – What should a couple do if they are having marital problems?
mediocre – If your teacher tells you that your word choice in your essay is
mediocre, what does that mean?
mellifluous – In your opinion, what is the most mellifluous sound?
modest – If you live in a modest house, what would that look like?
monosyllabic – What kinds of people tend to be monosyllabic?
municipal – If you are running for municipal office, how much power are you
likely to get?
nascent – What are some nascent signs that you are getting a cold?
oblivious – How is Sherlock able to see clues the rest of us are oblivious to?
ominous – What is the most ominous bird to see in the sky?
omnipotent – When you were a very small child, did you think that your
parents were omnipotent?
orthodox – Is it overly orthodox to insist that cell phones stay off at the dinner
table?
paltry – Let’s say you are a woman of advanced years, and your last name is
Hubbard. You have a rather pitiful-looking hound to keep you company, and
you want to give him a treat, so you open your pantry and the contents are
paltry. How is your dog going to feel?
paralytic – What might cause a paralytic state?
pedestrian – If a critic describes a play performance as “pedestrian,” what does
that mean?
perceptible – Are molecules perceptible to the naked eye?
pious – Why do some people become very pious after they have had a neardeath experience?
potent – What might happen if you take too much of a potent medicine?
pyrrhic – Explain what a pyrrhic victory while playing Monopoly might mean.
quixotic – Is it admirable to have a quixotic view of the world?
resilient – Are you resilient after a setback, or do you dwell on it?
rote – Describe some rote parts of your day.
scraggly – Would you want a scraggly haircut?
scrappy – Who is the scrappiest character we have read about this year?
sentient – What is sentient life?
shiftless – Would you want to be paired with a shiftless student for a group
project?
spindly – Why was Jeannette Walls so spindly when she was growing up?
submissive – Is it better to be submissive or defiant?
sullen – How do you cheer up a friend who is sullen?
superfluous – Why is it bad to have superfluous words in your thesis
statement?
taciturn – When are you most taciturn?
tactful – What is a tactful way to tell a friend they need to shower?
terrestrial – What does the word “extraterrestrial” literally mean?
third-person – Write a sentence about yourself studying in third-person.
verboten – Name three objects that are verboten in school.