AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Literature Exam Vocab

Terms : Hide Images
113093398ABASEverb: cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
113093399ABDICATEverb: give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations
113093400ABERRATIONnoun: an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm
113093401ABEYANCEnoun: temporary cessation or suspension
113093402ABJECTadj: showing humiliation or submissiveness; of the most contemptible kind; most unfortunate or miserable; showing utter resignation or hopelessness
113093403ABSTRUSEadj: difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
113093404ACERBICadj: harsh or corrosive in tone; sour or bitter in taste
113093405ACQUIESCEverb: to agree or express agreement
113093406ACRIMONYnoun: a rough and bitter manner
113093407ADULTERATEadj: mixed with impurities; verb corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
113093408AESTHETICadj: concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste; aesthetically pleasing; relating to or dealing with the subject of aesthetics; noun (philosophy) a philosophical theory as to what is beautiful
113093409AGGRANDIZEverb: add details to
113093410ALACRITYnoun: liveliness and eagerness
113093411ALLEGORYnoun: an expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances; an extended metaphor; a short moral story (often with animal characters); a visible symbol representing an abstract idea
113093412AMALGAMATEadj: joined together into a whole; verb to bring or combine together or with something else
113093413AMELIORATEverb: get better; to make better
113093414AMORTIZEverb: liquidate gradually
113093415ANACHRONISMnoun: an artifact that belongs to another time; a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another age; something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred
113093416ANATHEMAnoun: a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication; a detested person
113093417ANCILLARYadj: furnishing added support
113093418ANTEDILUVIANadj. so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period; of or relating to the period before the biblical flood; noun any of the early patriarchs who lived prior to the Noachian deluge; a very old person
113093419ANTERIORadj. earlier in time; of or near the head end or toward the front plane of the body; noun a tooth situated at the front of the mouth
113093420ANTIPATHYnoun the object of a feeling of intense aversion; something to be avoided; a feeling of intense dislike
113093421APOCRYPHALadj. being of questionable authenticity; of or belonging to the Apocrypha
113093422APOTHEOSISnoun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
113093423APPROBATIONnoun official recognition or approval; official approval
113093424ARDENTadj. glowing or shining like fire; characterized by strong enthusiasm; characterized by intense emotion
113093425ARDORnoun feelings of great warmth and intensity; intense feeling of love; a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
113093426ARDUOUSadj. difficult to accomplish; demanding considerable mental effort and skill; characterized by toilsome effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort; taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance
113093427ASCETICadj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
113093428ASPERSIONnoun the act of sprinkling water in baptism (rare); an abusive attack on a person's character or good name; a disparaging remark
113093429ASSIDUOUSadj. marked by care and persistent effort
113093430ASSUAGEverb provide physical relief, as from pain; satisfy (thirst); cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
113093431ASTRINGENTadj. tending to draw together or constrict soft organic tissue; sour or bitter in taste; noun a drug that causes contraction of body tissues and canals
113093432ATROCIOUSadj. provoking horror; exceptionally bad or displeasing; shockingly brutal or cruel
113093433ATROPHYnoun any weakening or degeneration (especially through lack of use); a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse; verb undergo atrophy
113093434ATTENUATEadj. reduced in strength; verb become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude; weaken the consistency of (a chemical substance)
113093435AUGURYnoun an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come
113093436AUGUSTadj. profoundly honored; of or befitting a lord; noun the month following July and preceding September
113093437AUSPICIOUSadj. auguring favorable circumstances and good luck
113093438AVARICEn; greed for wealth
113093439AXIOMn; generally accepted truth
113093440BALEFULadj; threatening, or seeming to threaten, harm or misfortune
113093441BANALadj; dull and unoriginal
113093442BASTIONn; strong supporter
113093443BELABORv; harp on something; criticize somebody
113093444BELEAGUERv; annoy, siege
113093445BELIEv; give false impression
113093446BELLICOSEadj; warlike
113093447BELLIGERENTadj; hostile or aggressive
113093448BENIGHTEDadj; ignorant, lacking knowledge or advantages others have
113093449BEQUEATHv; leave somebody something in will
113093450BESEECHv; beg somebody
113093451BILKv; cheat somebody; avoid paying somebody or something; escape, ellude
113093452BLANDISHv; cajole, persuade somebody by flattery
113093453BLIGHTn; destructive force; v; disfigure, damage, scar
113093454BONHOMIEn; easy friendliness
113093455BOONn; great benefit; gift or favor
113093456BOURGEOISadj; conventional, capitalist
113093457BREACHn; failure to maintain something; estrangement; hole; gap v; surpass limit, get through
113093458BRIGANDa robber or bandit
113093459BRUSQUEabrupt, blunt, or curt in manner or speech
113093460BURGEONto grow or develop rapidly
113093461BUTTRESSa structure, usually brick or stone, built against a wall for support
113093462CADENCEbalanced, rhythmic flow, as of poetry or oratory
113093463CAJOLEto persuade by flattery
113093464CALLOWlacking adult maturity or experience, immature
113093465CAPACIOUSspacious or roomy
113093466CAPITULATEto surrender under specified conditions
113093467CAPRICIOUSimpulsive and unpredictable
113093468CASTIGATEto inflict severe punishment on
113093469CATHARSISa release of emotional tension
113093470CATHOLICof broad or liberal scope; comprehensive
113093471CAVALIERa gallant or chivalrous man
113093472CENTRIPETALmoving or directed toward a center or axis
113093473CHAGRINa keen feeling of mental unease
113093474CHARLATANa person who makes elaborate
113093475CHICANERYdeception by trickery or sophistry
113093476CHOLERICeasily angered; bad tempered
113093477CIRCUMLOCUTIONthe use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language
113093478CIRCUMSCRIBEverb draw a line around; to draw a geometric figure around another figure so that the two are in contact but do not intersect; restrict or confine, "I limit you to two visits to the pub a day"
113093479CIRCUMSPECTadj. heedful of potential consequences
113093480CLANDESTINEadj. conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
113093481CLEMENCYnoun leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice; good weather with comfortable temperatures
113093482COALESCEverb fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements
113093483COLLATERALadj. descended from a common ancestor but through different lines; situated or running side by side; accompany, concomitant; serving to support or corroborate; noun a security pledged for the repayment of a loan
113093484COLLOQUYnoun formal conversation; a conversation especially a formal one
113093485COLLUSIONnoun secret agreement; agreement on a secret plot
113093486COMELINESSnoun the quality of being good looking and attractive
113093487COMMENSURATEadj. corresponding in size or degree or extent
113093488COMMODIOUSadj. large and roomy (`convenient' is archaic in this sense)
113093489COMPLICITYnoun guilt as an accomplice in a crime or offense
113093490COMPUNCTIONnoun a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed)
113093491CONCILIATORYadj. intended or likely to overcome animosity or hostility; making or willing to make concessions
113093492CONGENITALadj. present at birth but not necessarily hereditary; acquired during fetal development
113093493CONGRUITYnoun the quality of agreeing; being suitable and appropriate
113093494CONJECTUREnoun reasoning that involves the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence; a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence); a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence; verb to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
113093495CONJUREverb engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together; ask for or request earnestly; summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic
113093496CONSONANTadj. involving or characterized by harmony; in keeping; noun a speech sound that is not a vowel; a letter of the alphabet standing for a spoken consonant
113093497CONSTRUEverb make sense of; assign a meaning to
113093498CONSUMMATEv; complete marriage; fulfill relationship through sex; conclude something
113093499CONTINENCEn; self restraint
113093500CONTRAVENEv; violate rule or law; contradict something
113093501CONVIVIALadj; pleasant; sociable
113093502CONVOKEv; call formal meeting
113093503CONVOLUTEDadj; extremely intricate; very twisted
113093504COPIOUSadj; abundant
113093505CORPOREALadj; concerning physical body
113093506CORPULENCEn; obesity
113093507CORROBORATEv; confirm
113093508COSSETv; give excessive care
113093509COUNTENANCE (N)face or expression; composure
113093510COUNTENANCE (V)tolerate or approve something
113093511COUNTERMANDv; cancel command, call somebody or something back
113093512CRAVENadj; cowardly
113093513CREDENCEn; acceptance; trustworthiness
113093514CREDULOUSadj; gullible; caused by readiness to believe
113093515CRESCENDOn; increase in loudness; intensification
113093516CULPABLEadj; guilty
113093517CUPIDITYn; greed for wealth

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!