American Literature – Vocabulary List n. – noun adv. – adverb adj. – adjective v. – verb •
Abnormal-­‐ adj. irregular; departing from typical; strange or weird •
Abstractly-­‐ adv. theoretically; ideally; impractically, not concretely •
Abstruse-­‐ adj. difficult to understand or comprehend •
Abundant-­‐ plentiful; in excess; more than adequate •
Accomplice – n. associate, assistant, usually acting to aid a lawbreaker •
Accordant – adj. correspondent; agreeing; harmonious; matching •
Acknowledge-­‐ v. recognize the rights, authority, or status of; accept •
Acquiescent-­‐ adj. quiet; submissive; passive; yielding •
Actuality – n. reality; fact; the way things really are •
Actuate – v. to put into action or motion, as a mechanism •
Admonish-­‐ v. to caution or warn; to reproach gently •
Adolescent – n. or adj. between puberty and maturity; teenager •
Adversity – n. condition of hardship or affliction; difficult times •
Affluent – adj. wealthy; rich •
Agrarian – adj. pertaining to land or its use; related to agriculture •
Alienation – n. state of being turned away; estrangement; loneliness •
Ambiguous – adj. uncertain; vague; unclear •
Antagonistic – adj. aggressive; contentious; quarrelsome •
Apathetic –adj. lacking interest or feeling; uninterested; indifferent •
Aperture – n. an opening or hole; orifice •
Apprehension – n. intense worry; anxious expectation ; foreboding; dread •
Appropriation –n. money set aside by formal action for special use •
Aristocracy –n. hereditary nobility or privileged class; lords and ladies etc. •
Ascetic – adj. deliberately owning or enjoying very few things; strict self-­‐denial; spartan; deprived •
Assure – v. to guarantee; to cause to feel certain •
Atrocity –n. a wicked, cruel, or terrible act •
Attend –v. to accompany; to serve; to wait upon •
Audacity –n. boldness; recklessness; rashness •
Augment – v. to increase, as in size, number, or amount; to intensify •
Aura – n. a certain atmosphere surrounding something or someone; a distinctive air or quality •
Avarice – n. greed; miserliness; selfishness •
Avow –v. to acknowledge frankly; to declare •
Bard – n. poet or minstrel; a singer or musician who tells great stories in his or her music •
Benign – adj. kind and gentle manner; harmless •
Blunder –n. a stupid mistake •
Blunt –adj. insensitive; dull; tactless •
Candied –adj. coated or baked with sugar •
Capricious –adj. inconsistent; changeable; inconstant; flighty •
Caricature –n. picture represented so as to make a subject ridiculous •
Caucus –n. meeting of political party members to select candidates and shape policy •
Chivalrous –adj. valiant; brave; having knightly ideals or qualities •
Circumlocution – n. wordiness; talking around a point; the verbal act of avoiding a question •
Circumvent –v. to surround; to entrap; to outmaneuver; the flank •
Citadel – n. fortress that commands a city; a castle •
Coarse –adj. rough in texture; not smooth •
Coherent – adj. consistent; logical; the opposite of nonsensical •
Collectivist –adj. centralized; corporate; nationalized; socialized •
Commitment – n. engagement or pledge to do something •
Competency –n. a skill; a fitness; qualification for performing a task •
Complacent –adj. satisfied; personally content; sometimes suggesting smugness or laziness •
Complex –adj. complicated; involved; intricate •
Comprehend –v. to understand •
Conceivable -­‐adj. capable of being understood or imagined •
Congenial –adj. alike in interests, tastes, etc.; compatible; agreeable •
Constituent –n. one necessary part of element; a required small part of something larger •
Contemplate –v. to think about; to ponder •
Contemporary –n. a person living during the same time as another •
Contend –v. to argue or to debate; to assert •
Contrive –v. to mischievously plan; to devise a strategy; to scheme; to plot •
Controversy –n. a dispute over an issue; debate; quarrel; a divisive argument •
Conventional –adj. traditional; customary; established by general agreement •
Corpulent – adj. very fat; obese •
Cower –v. to crouch, cringe, or shrink away, as from fear or cold •
Cynicism –n. a distrust of human nature; a belief that people are typically bad •
Debilitate –v. to weaken; to enfeeble; to cause to lose strength •
Debonair – adj. polite and sophisticated; pleasantly gracious; courteous •
Decisive –adj. definite; sure; conclusive; determined •
Default –n. or v. failure or neglect to fulfill an obligation or requirement; to go bankrupt •
Defiant – adj. disobedient; full of angry resistance; rebellious •
Defray –v. to pay the costs or expenses or something •
Deft – adj. nimble; neat and skillful •
Degradation –n. demotion; lowering of rank, status, or character; reduction of worth or value •
Demoralize –v. to discourage; to undermine morale •
Denial – n. rejection; refusal to accept; disavowal •
Deplore – v. to condemn; to strongly criticize •
Depraved – adj. corrupt or evil; thoroughly rotten •
Depredation – n. ravaging; plundering; pillaging •
Desolate –adj. completely lacking happiness; deserted; joyless •
Destiny – n. the inevitable and certain course of events •
Deter –v. to prevent or discourage action because of fear; to turn aside •
Deviation –n. variance from what is normal or expected; a different outcome from the average •
Diaphanous – adj. translucent; transparent; able to be seen through •
Diligent –adj. industrious; hardworking; intent on a goal •
Disconsolate – adj. deeply dejected; sad; discouraged •
Disorientation – n. confusion; causing one to lose a sense of direction, place, or time •
Dispatch – v. to kill; to end; to slay •
Disperse –v. to cause to scatter in various directions •
Disreputable – adj. of poor reputation; in low regard; held in low opinion •
Dissolution –n. disintegration; termination; act of dissolving or breaking apart •
Diversity – n. composed of distinct elements; variety •
Divert – v. to turn aside; to distract; to deflect •
Dividend – n. a number or quantity to be divided and shared among people •
Domestic –adj. local; of the home; not foreign •
Dominated –v. overlooked from a commanding position; controlled •
Drudgery –n. hard tasks; not enjoyable work •
Eccentric –adj. weird; odd; strange •
Eddying – v. circling, only used when referring to a current of water or air •
Edify –v. to instruct or teach; to enlighten •
Effigy –n. a crude image or representation of a person, usually to burn or hang in protest •
Elementary –adj. straightforward; uncomplicated; fundamental; basic •
Embark – v. to go on board a ship for a voyage; to set sail •
Embody – v. to symbolize; represent ideas or values in a visible form •
Eminent –adj. exceptional; notable; well-­‐known •
Encumber-­‐ v. to burden or weigh down; to impede; to handicap •
Enlighten –v. to give revealing or broadening knowledge to •
Enterprise – n. any project, undertaking, or task, especially when difficult or important •
Equanimity – n. evenness of temper and mind; the opposite of a hot-­‐headed attitude •
Essence –n. the basic or fundamental nature •
Estuary – n. where a river meets the sea; a river’s mouth •
Excel –v. to surpass; to achieve beyond others; to be superior •
Explicit – adj. distinctly stated; clear and plain; precise •
Exquisite – adj. marked by rare and delicate beauty •
Extensive –adj. wide; huge; taking up much space •
Extravagance –n. excess; wasteful use of money or material •
Extremity –n. utmost or highest degree; the edges of something •
Fabrication –n. made-­‐up or invented; fiction •
Faction – n. a group of rebels or people operating within, and often in opposition to, a larger group •
Factor – n. an element that contributes to some result •
Fallow – adj. free of crops; unplanted; unused; idle, nearly always used in reference to farmland •
Fickle – adj. indecisive, inconsistent in feeling or purpose •
Finite – adj. limited; having boundaries, opposite of infinite •
Flourish – v. to grow or fare well; to thrive •
Flush – adj. even or level with another surface •
Foible –n. a weakness; frailty, a fault or shortcoming •
Forfeiture –n. loss of something by way of penalty, something given up because of a punishment •
Forlorn –adj. sad and lonely; dejected; abandoned •
Fragmented – adj. broken apart; incomplete; broken into small portions •
Fraudulent – adj. deceitful; dishonest in act and intent •
Frivolous – adj. trivial; unimportant; insignificant •
Furtive –adj. stealthy; secretive; cautious •
Gala – n. a festive and joyous celebration •
Gall – v. to irritate; to vex; to bother; to annoy •
Gambol –v. to run or jump about playfully •
Genealogy-­‐ n. a record or history of ancestral descent; study of family pedigrees •
Genial-­‐ adj. kind, pleasant, or friendly in manner and attitude •
Grandeur-­‐ n. magnificence; majesty; greatness •
Gratitude-­‐ n. thankfulness; appreciation •
Hereditary-­‐ adj. coming from ancestors; transmissible from one generation to the next; inherited •
Heroines-­‐ n. main female characters; legendary female champions •
Hospitable-­‐ adj. welcoming and entertaining guests or strangers warmly and generously •
Humiliation-­‐ n. state of being humbled; lowering of pride and self esteem •
Hybrid-­‐ n. anything of mixed origins •
Ideal-­‐ n. standard of perfection •
Illiterate-­‐ adj. unable to read or write •
Immense-­‐ adj. of great size; enormous •
Impair-­‐ v. to damage; to weaken; to diminish in quality •
Imperious-­‐ adj. commanding; domineering; demonstrating great power and contral •
Implacable-­‐ adj. ruthless; hard-­‐hearted; merciless; not capable of appeasement; relentless •
Impracticable-­‐ adj. not workable or operational; not feasible; impossible •
Impressible-­‐ adj. likely to be led astray; susceptible; easily influenced •
Incongruity-­‐ n. inconsistency; unsuitability; lack of harmony •
Incontinent-­‐ adj. unrestrained; uncontrollable •
Indignation-­‐ n. anger resulting from unjust treatment; fury at having been treated unfairly •
Indiscriminate-­‐ adj. haphazard; confused; chaotic; random •
Indulge-­‐ v. to yield or give in, as to whim or desire •
Infrequently-­‐ adv. rarely; not often •
Inheritor-­‐ n. one who receives property, title, etc., by legal succession or will •
Inhibited-­‐ adj. shy; embarrassed; discouraged by social conventions; restrained •
Insatiable-­‐ adj. incapable of being satisfied; constantly hungry or desiring something specific •
Inscribe-­‐ v. to write, mark, or engrave •
Inseparable-­‐ adj. not capable of being apart permanently joined •
Intrusion-­‐ n. butting in, as to enter where not welcome •
Judicious-­‐ adj. wise; exercising wisdom; careful •
Kloof-­‐ n. a deep glen or ravine •
Lament-­‐ v. to mourn greatly; to express grief •
Lintels-­‐ n. load-­‐bearing crosspieces in doorways or windows •
Ludicrous-­‐ adj. causing laughter; ridiculous; absurd •
Lull-­‐ n. calmness; smoothness; quiet •
Luminous-­‐ adj. shining; brilliant; reflecting intense light •
Magnitude-­‐ n. greatness or importance; the specific size or extent •
Malediction-­‐ n. swear word; curse word; slander •
Matted-­‐ adj. packed densely and tangled •
Meander-­‐ v. to follow a winding, turning, or uncertain course •
Meddle-­‐ v. to mix or mingle; to interfere, especially in others’ affairs •
Mire-­‐ n. slime or mud •
Misgiving-­‐ n. apprehension; feeling of doubt, distrust, or uncertainty •
Moderate-­‐ v. to reduce the violence, severity, etc., of something •
Momentous-­‐ adj. important; of major consequence •
Moor-­‐ n. a cold, hilly grassland greatly affected by fog and useless for farming •
Mortify-­‐ v. to embarrass severely, to affect with shame, irritation, or humiliation •
Mundane-­‐ adj. very normal; routine; ordinary •
Nautical-­‐ adj. related to the sea •
Negligent-­‐ adj. not careful; careless; guilty of not attending to detail •
Negotiate-­‐ v. to discuss or confer with another party in order to reach an agreement •
Nooks and Crannies-­‐ n. hidden or secret places, here and there •
Obsolete-­‐ adj. no longer in use; out of date •
Obtrusive-­‐ adj. disposed to thrust forward or out; forward; pushing •
Odious-­‐ adj. revolting; hateful or disgusting; offensive •
Opulent-­‐ adj. having or suggesting great wealth; luxurious •
Ordeal-­‐ n. a difficult experience •
Ostracism-­‐ n. exclusion from a group or society; banishment •
Pacific-­‐ adj. peaceful; calm •
Paradox-­‐ n. conflicting or absurd statement, though true •
Parasite-­‐ n. one who exists at another’s expense without making any contribution •
Partiality-­‐ n. state of being biased; particular liking or taste •
Perceive-­‐ v. to observe through use of the senses; also , to understand •
Perilous-­‐ adj. dangerous; risky; not safe •
Perjury-­‐ n. lies told under oath •
Permeate-­‐ v. to spread thoroughly through; to pervade •
Permissive-­‐ adj. lenient; tolerant; not strict •
Perpetual-­‐ adj. continuing forever; everlasting; permanent •
Personify-­‐ v. to represent as having human characteristics; to symbolize as a person •
Pervade-­‐ v. to penetrate thoroughly; to diffuse throughout •
Pious-­‐ adj. devout; reverent; religious; virtuous; deeply spiritual •
Placid-­‐ adj. quiet; tranquil; peaceful •
Posterity-­‐ n. all future generations •
Precursor-­‐ n. someone or something that precedes and suggests the course of future events •
Premature-­‐ adj. arriving early; ahead of schedule •
Prescribe-­‐ v. to order or recommend as a rule or guide •
Pretentious-­‐ adj. conceited and arrogant without any cause to be so •
Profuse-­‐ adj. bountiful; lavish; abundant •
Promenade-­‐ v. to walk; to parade; to walk for purpose or exhibition •
Promontory-­‐ n. prominent high point of land or rock; headland •
Prospect-­‐ n. a scene; an extensive view; an outlook; a panorama •
Provocative-­‐ adj. stimulating; electrifying; causing great interest; •
Query-­‐ n. a question or inquiry •
Reciprocation-­‐ n. return; payback; exchange; not a negative word like retribution •
Recoil-­‐ v. to draw back; to fall back; to jolt backwards from shock •
Rehabilitate-­‐ v. to reinstate; to restore; to help recover •
Relic-­‐ n. remaining portion or fragment of that which has vanished or been destroyed; memento •
Remission-­‐ n. reduction; decreasing; lessening •
Remnant-­‐ n. remainder; amount left over •
Remorse-­‐ n. distress, usually from bitter regret •
Repose-­‐ n. state of being at rest •
Representative-­‐ adj. typical; characterizing a group or class •
Repulse-­‐ v. to repel; to drive back •
Retribution-­‐ n. repayment, especially punishment or something negative •
Sacrilege-­‐ n. blasphemy; mockery of that which is sacred •
Salutary-­‐ adj. healthy; beneficial; valuable; good for you •
Sanctum-­‐ n. private place or room where one is not to be disturbed •
Scoundrel-­‐ n. villain; mischievous enemy; worthless lout; a rascal or rogue •
Seamy-­‐ adj. squalid; dirty; filthy •
Seditious-­‐ adj. rebellious against the government; resisting authority •
Serenity-­‐ n. state or quality of being clear and calm; peacefulness •
Servile-­‐ adj. having the spirit of a slave or servant; submissive •
Siege-­‐ n. a persistent attack •
Simulate-­‐ v. to feign; to act out a role •
Sly-­‐ adj. clever in concealing; sneaky; secretive •
Solicitude-­‐ n. state of concern; anxiety about another’s welfare •
Soporific-­‐ adj. inducing sleep or drowsiness; calming •
Sordid-­‐ adj. filthy; dirty; unclean •
Sovereign-­‐ adj. having supreme authority •
Staggering-­‐ adj. overwhelming; unsteadying •
Sterile-­‐ adj. incapable of reproduction; not fertile; lacking the ability to produce offspring •
Steward-­‐ n. one who is entrusted with the management or property, finances, or other affairs not his or her own. •
Submission-­‐ n. subjection; act of bowing to another’s will •
Sullen-­‐ adj. pouting; sulky, outwardly sad •
Sultry-­‐ adj. hot and moist; humid and sticky •
Swell-­‐ v. to increase in size, force, number or intensity; to expand •
Syndicate-­‐ n. a branch of a business in a different area •
Tact-­‐ n. an idea of what is proper; a sense of what is appropriate, appropriateness •
Tepid-­‐ adj. lukewarm; mild; neither hot nor cold •
Torpidity-­‐ n. state of lacking energy; sluggishness; inactivity •
Traverse-­‐ v. to pass over, across, or through •
Trite-­‐ adj. stale; made commonplace by repetition, monotonous and meaningless •
Trivial-­‐ adj. of little importance; trifling •
Trod-­‐ v. walked; traveled •
Turbid-­‐ adj. muddy; cloudy; murky; churned darkly; referring usually to liquids •
Turbulent-­‐ adj. disturbed or agitated violently; causing unrest or violence •
Turrets-­‐ n. small ornamental towers. •
Unfrequented-­‐ adj. seldom or never visited by people •
Unsolicited-­‐ adj. unrequested; not sought after •
Utilize-­‐ v. to use; to make use of •
Valid-­‐ adj. justified or supported; reasonable from evidence •
Vicissitude-­‐ n. irregular change or variation, sometimes of fortune or condition •
Wanton-­‐ adj. flagrantly immoral •
Whimsical-­‐ adj. playful; fanciful; quaint •
Yearn-­‐ v. to long for; to desire greatly; to desperately want •
Zeal-­‐ n. devoted energy; intense pursuit; enthusiasm