The editors of the American Heritage
dictionaries have compiled a list of 100 words
they recommend every high school graduate
should know, in order to have “a superior
command of the language.” Most of those
words are below, with a few added or
replaced.
AMERICAN LITERATURE 11-1
DAILY VOCABULARY
ABERRATION


His outburst in court seems an aberration,
considering his usually calm demeanor.
Noun– a deviation from what is normal, expected,
or usual; a departure from morality or truth.
ABHOR


While I absolutely abhor his prejudiced speeches,
under our laws, he has a right to freedom of
speech.
Verb– to regard with extreme repugnance or
aversion; detest utterly; loathe.
ABROGATE


During the settlement of the
West, the U.S. government
continued to abrogate
earlier treaties made with
the Native American tribes
in order to attain more
land.
Verb– to abolish by formal
or official means; repeal.
ABSTEMIOUS


The athlete’s abstemious
diet did not provide
enough nutrients to sustain
his strenuous activity.
Adjective– sparing or
moderate in eating or
drinking.
ACUMEN


It was through his unending
determination and acumen
that he was able to solve
the decade’s old mystery.
Noun– keen insight;
shrewdness.
AUSPICIOUS


After reading her
horoscope in the
newspaper, Mary decided
it was an auspicious time
to buy a lottery ticket.
Adjective– promising
success; favorable;
opportune.
BEHEMOTH


The army’s new tank is a
behemoth; it can take out
an entire city block.
Noun– any creature or
thing of monstrous size or
power.
BELIE


His trembling hands belied
his calm voice.
Verb– to show to be false;
contradict; misrepresent.
BELLICOSE


Even though he never won
any of the fights he
started, his bellicose
attitude persisted.
Adjective– inclined or
eager to fight;
aggressively hostile;
belligerent.
CALLOUS


Regina has a callous
attitude toward the
sufferings of others; she is
unmoved by the deepest of
sadness.
Adjective– insensitive;
indifferent; unsympathetic.
QUIZ!~!
CHICANERY


He resorted to the worst
kinds of flattery and
chicanery to win the job,
fudging his resume and
taking the boss out to
expensive dinners.
Noun—trickery or
deception by quibbling or
subterfuge.
CHIDE


The mother chided the
children for their
thoughtless pranks.
Verb– to express disproval
of; scold; reproach.
CHURLISH

Ms. Chaga went home with a headache after many
of her normally lovely students exhibited churlish
behaviors.
CIRCUMLOCUTION


Although it would be easier to be frank, many
politicians use circumlocution in order to avoid
admitting wrongdoing or ignorance.
Noun—a roundabout or indirect way of speaking;
the use of more words than necessary to express an
idea.
DAUNTING


While the amount of work left to be done seems
daunting, I know we will be able to meet our
deadline.
Adjective– seeming difficult to deal
anticipation; intimidating.
with in
DEARTH


According to some students, there is a dearth of
interesting and exciting reading material in the
English curriculum.
Noun– an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack.
DELETERIOUS


It has been proven that too much television has a
deleterious influence on the development of
children’s brains.
Adjective– harmful; injurious.
DENIGRATE


The coach of the Cardinals denigrated the umpire’s
reputation when he said there were different strike
zones.
Verb– to speak damagingly of; criticize in a
derogatory manner.
QUIZ!~!
DIFFIDENT


The diffident toddler hid behind her mother’s legs
when strangers visited.
Adjective– lacking in confidence; timid; shy.
ENERVATE


Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated
the shipwrecked crew, leaving them unable to signal the
passing ship.
Verb– to deprive of force or strength; to weaken or destroy
the vigor of.
EGREGIOUS


Egregious violations of the student code of conduct
will result in expulsion or criminal prosecution.
Adjective– extraordinary in some bad way; glaring;
flagrant.
EPIPHANY


When Bob realized that there was a job where he
would be able to both have fun and make a
difference, he experienced a life-changing
epiphany.
Noun– a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight
into the reality or essential meaning of something.
ENMITY


Because of the enmity that exists between my
cousin Emily and my cousin Greg, I had them seated
at different tables at my wedding.
Noun– a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill
will; animosity.
EVANESCENT


As Helen aged, her memories took on an
evanescent quality; one moment she could almost
reach out and touch them and the next they were
gone.
Adjective– vanishing; fading away; fleeting.
EXPURGATE


Most children read an expurgated version of
Grimms’ fairy tales because the originals are much
more adult in their themes.
Verb– to amend by removing words, passages, etc.
deemed offensive or objectionable.
FACETIOUS


After the couple were overheard talking about installing a
GPS chip in their baby’s heel they were reported to child
services; however, they were obviously only being facetious.
Adjective– not meant to be taken seriously or literally.
FATUOUS


In the animated movie, “Beauty and the Beast,” Gaston is a
fatuous character who brags incessantly about his
meaningless exploits and falsely assumes he is superior to
everyone.
Adjective– smugly, complacently, and unconsciously foolish
and inane; displaying clear lack of intelligence.
FECKLESS


After several feckless attempts to repair the
plumbing, my father gave up and allowed the
water to create a pool in the basement.
Adjective– ineffective; incompetent; futile.
QUIZ!~!
FIDUCIARY


Congress has not done a very good job of
exercising its fiduciary responsibilities to taxpayers.
Adjective-- Involving trust, esp. with regard to the
relationship between a trust and a beneficiary. OR
Noun—A trustee; confidant.
FILIBUSTER


The senator who was opposed to the plan threatened to
filibuster a measure that would permit drilling in Alaska.
Verb– act in an obstructive manner in a legislature, esp. by
speaking at inordinate length. OR Noun– an action such as a
prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative
assembly.
GAUCHE


Their exquisite manners always make me feel gauche.
Adjective– lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness;
awkward; crude; tactless.
GERRYMANDER


Gerrymander the boundaries to try to help the
conservatives.
Verb: to divide the constituencies of (a voting area)
so as to give one party an unfair advantage
GRIEVOUS


The scientist’s tests found enough indication that the
substance could do grievous harm, not only to humans, but
also to the entire ecosystem.
Adjective– causing great pain or suffering; atrocious.
HARANGUE



Under the scathing criticism of the his opponent during the
debate, the speaker vented his pent-up fury by responding
with a particularly fiery harangue.
Noun– a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe or a
sermonizing lecture or discourse.
Verb (with object)– to address in a harangue.
HAUGHTY


When I walked into the boutique looking like a slob,
the haughty salesclerk wouldn’t even look at me
(much less help me.)
Adjective – pretentious; disdainfully proud;
arrogant
HEGEMONY


Cardinal Richelieu probably didn't have culinary
hegemony in mind when he helped invent the modern
dinner knife in 1637.
Noun -
leadership or predominant influence exercised
by one nation or ruler over others.
HOMOGENEOUS

Our class is a pretty homogeneous crew; no one
really stands out as being different from the rest.
Adjective -corresponding in structure because of a
common origin; similar; same
HUBRIS


Already some media outlets are blasting the
director, whom they say has fallen prey to hubris.
Noun – extreme pride or self confidence; arrogance
IDIOSYNCRATIC


We all have our own idiosyncratic gestures, laughs, and
facial expressions.
Adjective– peculiar to the individual; characteristic of a
particular individual or group.
QUIZ! ~~!
INCOGNITO

When Ms. Chaga goes to the movies on a Saturday
evening, she wears shades and a big hat to remain
incognito.
Adjective -having one's identity concealed, as under an
assumed name, especially to avoid notice
or formal attention.
INCONTROVERTIBLE


Casey Anthony swore she was telling the
absolute and incontrovertible truth on the stand.
Adjective - not open to question or dispute;
indisputable
INCULCATE
Socrates inculcated his pupils with
the love of truth.
Verb - to implant by repeated statement
or admonition; teach persistently and earnestly
INFRASTRUCTURE

During construction, the building’s intricate
infrastructure put a damper on its completion time.
Noun - the basic, underlying framework or features
of a system or organization.

IMPEACH


My conservative grandmother signed a petition to
impeach President Obama.
Verb - to accuse (a public official) of misconduct in
office.
IRONY

I didn’t appreciate the irony of her reply, “How
nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
Noun - the use of words to convey a meaning
that is the opposite of their literal meaning.
JUDICIOUS
Robbie knew he wanted to go to New Zealand, so he
rarely spent his cash on superfluous things; he was
judicious with the use of his money.
Adjective – wise, using keen
judgment to make informed decisions

KINETIC

The kinetic energy is converted to heat as the
fission products slow down.
Adjective – pertaining
to motion

KOWTOW


Due to his fear and respect for her, Dan believed he had to
kowtow to Gowry during first block.
Verb – to act in an obsequious manner; show servile
deference
LAUDATORY


The humble teacher was pleasantly overwhelmed
by the speaker's laudatory remarks at the
retirement dinner.
Adjective – containing or expressing praise
LEXICON


The word “lexicon” was not in Samantha’s lexicon
until today.
Noun - the vocabulary of a particular language,
field, social class, person
LOQUACIOUS


Leila enjoys having loquacious dinner guests
because they always keep the conversation going.
Adjective – talkative or garrulous; chatty
LUGUBRIOUS


After another Eagles’ loss, fans left Lincoln Financial
Field feeling defeated and lugubrious.
Adjective - mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially
in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner
MAGNANIMOUS
The director of the homeless shelter was floored by all
of the community’s magnanimous holiday
donations.
Adjective – generous in giving and forgiving; kind.
METAMORPHOSIS


Elisa studied the butterfly’s stages of metamorphosis, from
its early stages as a chrysalis to its beautiful present state.
Noun – evolution; change in form from one state to another
MOIETY


When Cara got a divorce, she was convinced she
would receive at least a moiety of her exhusband’s shared assets.
Noun - an indefinite portion, part, or share.
NANOTECHNOLOGY


My niece has always been science and math minded; I
wouldn’t be surprised if she chooses to study
nanotechnology in college.
Noun - A branch of technology dealing with the
manufacture of objects with dimensions of less than 100
nanometers and the manipulation of individual molecules
and atoms.
NEBULOUS

Sarah was so tired yesterday that she has a
nebulous recollection of the even being in school at
all!
Adjective -hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused
NIHILISM


How can any historian forget the power-mad
nihilism that marked Hitler's last years?
Noun - total rejection of established laws and
institutions.
NOMENCLATURE
For one thing, the basic nomenclature in the medical
handbook was confusing.
Noun- a set or system of names or terms, as those used in a
particular science or art, by an individual or community, etc.
NONSECTARIAN


As a practicing Catholic, John did not appreciate
being taken to his nephew’s nonsectarian house of
worship on Easter Sunday.
Adjective - not affiliated with or limited to a specific
religious denomination.
OBFUSCATE


Hurston’s dialect and intricate lexicon obfuscated
Tess’ understanding of the novel.
Verb - to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy
OBSEQUIOUS


Our block one class would never dream of being
anything but obsequious and cordial when our
teacher is absent.
Adjective - obedient; dutiful.
OMNIPOTENT
Many religions and faiths believe in one,
omnipotent power or god.
Adjective -having very great or unlimited
authority or power.
ONEROUS


My AP Calculus test cast an onerous shadow over
my whole week!
Adjective - burdensome, oppressive, or
troublesome; causing hardship
OXIDIZE


In order to complete the experiment, Tristan had to
oxidize the solution in the test tube.
Verb – to convert an element into an oxide; to
combine with oxygen
PARADIGM


Maybe if you got out of the paradigm you're stuck
in you'd see things for how they really are.
Noun – a set standard; a mold, an ideal
PARAGON

Ms. Chaga is the paragon of all teachers; her
methods, demeanor and attitude put her a step
above everyone else.
Noun - a model or pattern of
excellence.
PEJORATIVE


He took a surprisingly pejorative tone with me,
which left me angry and embarrassed.
Adjective - having a disparaging, derogatory,
or belittling effect or force
PERFUNCTORY


In his lectures he reveals himself to be
merely a perfunctory speaker.
Adjective – hasty, superficial, performed
merely as a routine duty
PLASMA
My college roommate used to make a lot of
money by donating her plasma, but my
fear of needles kept me from it!
Noun – the liquid part of blood or lymph
PLETHORA


My overbearing grandpa will dish out a plethora
of advice but a paucity of assistance.
Noun – overabundance; excess amount
PRECIPITOUS
For three long weeks, nearly 200 cyclists barrel
through spectacular scenery and make lung-bursting
ascents of precipitous peaks.
Adjective - extremely or impassably steep;
characterized by precipices.
QUANDARY


Devon found herself in quite a quandary when she
got her head stuck between the fence posts.
Noun - a state of perplexity or uncertainty,
especially as to what to do; dilemma.
QUOTIDIAN


The art gallery did not impress me; the
quotidian works could have been painted by
my adolescent niece.
Adjective - usual or customary; everyday;
ordinary; commonplace
RANCOR


Katie holds extreme rancor for complainers,
but Nick saves his personal malice for pocket
lint.
Noun - bitter resentment or ill
will; hatred; malice.
RECIPROCAL


We have a reciprocal understanding; he
puts up with my obsession with cats, and I
quietly accept his need to talk to himself
in public.
Adjective - given or felt by each toward
the other; mutual
RECTITUDE
His integrity and moral rectitude continue to
astound me as he makes his way through the
seminary to become a priest.

Noun- rightness of principle or conduct; moral
virtue
RESPIRATION
When an infant is born, doctors perform many
initial tasks; the baby’s respiration is of utmost
importance.

Noun - inhalation and exhalation of air;
breathing.
SANGUINE
It was apparent from Zach’s sanguine manner that he
was prepared to do well on his oral presentation.

Adjective – cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or
confident.
SOLILOQUY



The most dramatic portion of the play was found in
the maudlin soliloquy.
Noun – the act of talking while or as if alone;
monologue
(maudlin – adjective – sad, sappy, dramatic)
To answer Eddie’s question:


Do fetuses go to the bathroom in-utero? How?
Answer: it is believed that fetuses will defecate
amniotic fluid back into the amniotic fluid, which
will pass out of the woman’s body during
childbirth.
SUBJUGATE
The emperor's
armies
subjugated the
surrounding
lands.
Verb - to bring under
complete control or
subjection; conquer;
master.
SUBLIME


There is no better or more sublime
idea than taking a vacation in the
middle of January!
Adjective – supreme or outstanding;
impressing the mind with a sense of
grandeur
SUPERCILIOUS


Nothing annoys me more than working with
condescending, supercilious snobs.
Adjective – haughtily disdainful or contemptuous
TAUTOLOGY
It is tautology to say, "Forward Planning.”


Noun – needless repetition of an idea without
imparting additional clearness or force
(“Never forget the memories.” )
TAXONOMY


The school board proposed a new taxonomy of
educational objectives for the school district.
Noun - a classification into ordered categories
TEMERITY


Collin was appalled by the temerity of the
immature middle school students.
Noun – reckless boldness; rashness
TEMPESTUOUS


Many historians would agree that American politics
were at their most tempestuous during the height
of the Great Depression.
Adjective – tumultuous, chaotic, turbulent
TOTALITARIAN


Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler all appear on my list of
totalitarian leaders.
Adjective - of or pertaining to a centralized
government that does not tolerate parties of
differing opinion and that exercises dictatorial
control over many aspects of life.
UNCTUOUS


Ms. Hartman has the esteemed talent of discerning
the unctuous students from their truly modest and
humble classmates.
Adjective - characterized by excessive piousness or
moralistic fervor, especially in an affected manner;
excessively smooth, suave, or smug.
USURP


She tried to usurp my power; however, I would have
gladly given it to her without a struggle.
Verb - to seize and hold (a position, office, power,
etc.) by force
VACUOUS


There is nothing more annoying than trying to argue
with someone who has a vacuous mind!
Adjective – without contents; empty; lacking in
ideas or intelligence.
VEHEMENT


My niece had a vehement desire to squeeze every
puppy at the pet store.
Adjective – strongly emotional, intense, or
passionate
VORTEX


The vortex of war clouded the young sergeant’s
mind and paralyzed his decision making.
Noun - something regarded as drawing into its
powerful current everything that surrounds it
WINNOW


The thunderclouds gathered ominously overhead as
the strong winds winnowed the tall grasses on the
prairie.
Verb - to blow upon; fan; to drive or blow away by
fanning
WROUGHT
Nobody wants to turn on their television on a daily
basis and see havoc wrought by terrorists.

Adjective – elaborated; embellished; or produced
or shaped by beating with a hammer, as iron or
silver articles.
XENOPHOBE
While I consider myself a patriot, I am not a
xenophobe!

Noun - a person unduly fearful or contemptuous of
that which is foreign, especially of strangers or
foreign peoples
YOLK


While I love the written and spoken word, my
amazing, insightful, kind students are the yolk of my
zest for teaching.
Noun - the essential part; the inner core
ZENITH


While American Literature class has been the zenith
of your academic life thus far, I am certain there
will be many other highlights in the future.
Noun – highest point; peak