American Literature Vocabulary Unit 12

absolve to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt acquit excuse pardon ----------------------- convict condemn

caricature (n) a representation, such as a drawing, that exaggerates a subject’s features (v) to present someone or something in a deliberately distorted way

clangor (n) a loud ringing sound (v) to make a loud ringing noise uproar --------------------- silence

contiguous side by side, touching near next door to --------------------- detached

cupidity an eager desire for something greed craving avarice ------------------- satiation

deleterious harmful injurious destructive damaging --------------------- beneficial

enhance to raise to a higher degree to increase the value or desirability of improve elevate ------------------ reduce

enthrall to captivate, charm to hold spellbound to enslave, to imprison attract ------------------------- repel

extenuate to lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses moderate, diminish, downplay

implicit implied or understood though unexpressed without doubts or reservations unquestioning potentially contained in unspoken ---------------------- stated

incisive perceptive sharp keen acute cutting

ostentatious marked by conspicuous or pretentious display showy flashy overdone flamboyant --------------------------- modest, plain

paragon a model of excellence or perfection ideal paradigm model good example

politic prudent shrewdly conceived and developed tactful diplomatic --------------------- unwise, rash

prosaic dull, lacking in distinction and originality matter-of-fact literal --------------------- inspired, poetic

redundant more than is needed wordy repetitive unnecessary superfluous verbose

sanctimonious making a show of virtue or righteousness hypocritically moralistic or pious holier-than-thou ------------------------ sincere, humble

scintillating sparkling, twinkling exceptionally brilliant stimulating glittering ---------------------- dull

winsome charming attractive pleasing delightful ------------------ repulsive

inimical tending to cause harm or obstruct developments being oppositional or adverse unfriendly hostile antagonistic