AP Language and Composition is arguably one of the most challenging courses at NASH, and a staple occurrence for each quarter has been a list of 20 vocabulary words, ultimately leading to a high-stakes exam. So far, students have received a total of sixty words to master, but just how viable, original, and respectable are those words?

As a disclaimer, the following reviews and ratings are meant for light-hearted entertainment purposes only. They are one hundred percent subjective and should not be taken overly seriously. These reviews are in no way intended to reflect the author’s opinions on the AP Language and Composition course.

Each word will have a definition, as originally provided by AP English teacher Mr. Rhinehart, a brief review, and a rating on a scale of zero to 100.

Without further ado, the reviews: 

Jaded

• Definition: (adj.) “wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)”
• Review: A great word all in all. It’s one of a kind, easy to remember, and very applicable.
• Rating: 88/100

Expostulate

• Definition: (v.) “to attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning”
• Review: Not a terrible word, but kind of misleading. Expostulate just doesn’t sound like a word that would fit the definition it suggests. Applicable, but not amazing.
• Rating: 47/100

Approbation

• Definition: (n.) “the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval”
• Review: A nice alternative for its simple counterpart–approval–but honestly, not quite as easy to roll off the tongue. However, it does gain some points for being applicable to more specific scenarios–like a master-student dynamic. 
• Rating: 70/100

Innuendo

• Definition: (n.) “a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)”
• Review: Innuendo does not hold up well since it doesn’t really sound like a legitimate word. Simpler terms like “implication” work much better. Not to mention the fact that one of the most commonly used phrases involving Innuendo is “sexual innuendo,” tainting it with a rather suggestive connotation a lot of the time.  
• Rating: 31/100

Assuage

• Definition: (v.) “to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench”
• Review: An extremely viable and applicable word that easily rolls off the tongue. Assuage is arguably the best word of its definition, and even provides great versatility. Really great.
• Rating: 91/100

Coalition

• Definition (n.) “a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose”
• Review: A good word in general, but nothing too special. It was quite a surprise when this word was seen on the vocabulary list, considering how commonly used it is. Still decent though.
• Rating: 59/100

Decadence

• Definition: (n.) “decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence”
• Review: Another fantastic word that’s truly one of a kind. However, it is a little bit misleading, as it is often used to describe very delicious desserts; a stark contrast to most of its negative connotations. But all in all, an extremely versatile, original, and applicable word.
• Rating: 86/100

Elicit

• Definition: (v.) “to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)”
• Review: This word helped me explain various pathological appeals while writing rhetorical analyses…it has to rank high.
• Rating: 95/100

Hackneyed

• (adj.) “used so often as to lack freshness or originality”
• Review: A very fun word to use, but it can be a little too extravagant-sounding at times; a common phenomenon with words that contain the short “a” vowel sound.
• Rating: 55/100

Hiatus

• Definition: (n.) “a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)”
• Review: A very familiar word indeed, but one that has been diminished by the common public. While it can technically be used in any situation, most people only choose to utilize the word when talking about a pause in the release of new episodes from television shows, or other forms of entertainment. But all in all, an applicable and good word.
• Rating: 60/100

Intercede

• Definition: (v.) “to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement”
• Rating: Kind of a strange word that applies to various scenarios where an interruption or interjection occurs. Honestly though, the individual words that can apply to all three of its definitions work better for the most part. This is quite the conflicting word. It is extremely versatile, but also kind of redundant. 
• Rating: 50/100

Lurid

• Definition: (adj.) “causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint”
• Review: Quite honestly, this is a near-perfect sounding word for its first definition. However, this comes at the expense of its other definitions feeling… unnecessary. A great word, but one that loses points for its unnecessary additional definitions.
• Rating: 81/100

Meritorious

• Definition: (adj.) “worthy, deserving recognition and praise”
• Review: A very straightforward word overall. It’s nice, it’s simple, and it gets the job done. There’s really not much more to say.
• Rating: 70/100

Petulant

• Definition: (adj.) “peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset”
• Review: This is another word that is an amazing fit for its definition. While it doesn’t sound quite as fitting as Lurid is for its first definition, it makes up for it with a much more concentrated set of definitions. A top-tier word for sure.
• Rating: 90/100

Ameliorate

• Definition: (v.) “to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming”
• Review: This word is so amazing, it would be near impossible to ameliorate it. A near-perfect fit.
• Rating: 97/100

Prerogative

• Definition: (n.) “a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence”
• Review: This may be a controversial take, but this word is honestly kind of unnecessary. It’s a word that combines the two much more commonly known terms, “permission” and “privilege.” Honestly though, said simpler terms sound better. 
• Rating: 43/100

Provincial

• Definition 1: (adj.) “pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside”
• Definition 2: (n.) “a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony”
• Review: Provincial would be a very nice, straightforward word if it didn’t carry such a negative connotation. It promotes a stereotype that all people living in the rural countryside are automatically simple-minded. Whether or not that holds any truth…I plead the fifth.
• Rating: 37/100

Simulate

• Definition (v.): “to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of”
• Review: Thanks to the rapid technological advances in recent years, the word Simulate–and simulation–has become somewhat synonymous with computers and AI. Similarly to other vocabulary words, this creates an odd phenomenon where a word that was intended to have a broader meaning becomes associated with something specific. However, simulate has a wide array of extremely well-known synonyms, so this isn’t as much of an issue here. Overall, the word simulate adapted well to modern advances.
• Rating: 77/100

Transcend

• Definition (v.): “to rise above or beyond, exceed”
• Review: Only those who have transcended to a new level of intellect can understand the greatness of this word.
• Rating: 98/100

Umbrage

• Definition (n.): “Shade cast by trees; foliage giving shade; an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; a vague suspicion”
• Review: This word is tough to rank. On one hand, it has way too many definitions than it needs, but on the other hand, all of the definitions strangely tie into each other pretty well. The “shade cast by trees” is a good metaphor for the commonly used phrase “giving someone shade,” which ties into the alternate definition of “a vague suspicion.” Very mixed feelings overall.
• Rating: 52/100

Unctuous

• Definition (adj.): “Excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty, oily; pliable”
• Review: A fat, gluttonous businessman is exactly the type of person who would act in an “excessively smooth or smug” way; this is a brilliant word.
• Rating: 86/100 

Aplomb

• Definition (n.): poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity
• Review: Just saying the word out loud makes it sound very proper and confident. It’s certainly a perfect fit. But honestly, when used in a sentence as a noun, it actually sounds kind of clunky. 
• Rating: 62/100

Bombastic

• Definition (adj.): “pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas”
• Review: When first reviewed, this word actually seemed rather childish and immature-sounding. But upon further inspection, its brilliance was discovered; bombastic is a bombastic-sounding word. What more needs to be said?
• Rating: 93/100

Callow

• Definition (adj.): “without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers”
• Review: Off the tongue, this word gives off a feeling of emptiness, which matches its many definitions well. An all-around solid word.
• Rating: 75/100

Drivel

• Definition 1 (n.): “saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense” 
• Definition 2 (v.): “to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly”
• Review: While drivel does fill the void of a more generalized term for “saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose,” there was potential for more. Drivel actually isn’t quite disgusting-sounding enough on its own. However, it is a nice fit for its second definition, and can be a very useful, general term overall.
• Rating: 68/100

Epitome

• Definition (n.): “a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality”
• Review: This is really just a fancier way of saying embodiment–though it could be metaphorical or literal–and it does its job very well.
• Rating: 83/100

Exhort

• Definition (v.): “to urge strongly, advise earnestly”
• Review: This is a very clever verbal alternative to the word “exert.” Instead of applying physical force and(or) pressure, exhortation is the act of applying mental pressure through words. 
• Rating: 71/100

Ex Officio

• Definition (adj., adv.): “by virtue of holding a certain office”
• Review: Hey! This isn’t all one term… NOT A WORD!
• Rating: BANISHED/100

Infringe

• Definition (v.): “to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds”
• Review: Another rather commonly used term–especially in legal situations–but one that sounds great off the tongue.
• Rating: 77/100

Ingratiate 

• Definition (v.): “to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense)”
• Review: Ingratiate makes me feel like I should be gracious for such a word, but honestly, I feel no such responsibility. It’s really just not that great.
• Rating: 39/100

Interloper

• Definition (v.): “one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder:
• Review: I’m sorry, intruder is just a far superior word. Interloper simply does not sound negative enough when said out loud.
• Rating: 26/100

Intrinsic

• Definition (adj.): “belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part”
• Review: It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, but I feel like this word is just intrinsically good. 
• Rating: 71/100

Inveigh

• Definition (v.): “to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval”
• Review: Like Interloper, Inveigh could use something extra in its sound to support its negative connotation, but it does have a bit more of an impact.
• Rating: 33/100

Lassitude

• Definition (n.): “weariness of body or mind, lack of energy”
• Review: If lassitude was the name of a person, they would be lazy…a great fit.
• Rating: 78/100

Millennium

• Definition (n.): a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy
• Review: The main issue with this word is that many people can recognize the first definition, but almost no one knows of the second. This can cause some potential confusion when reading an application of the word.
• Rating: 46/100

Occult

• Definition 1 (adj.): “mysterious, magical, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means”
• Definition 2 (v.): “to hide, conceal; eclipse”
• Definition 3 (n.) “matters involving the supernatural”
• Review: …I don’t even know what to make of this. 
• Rating: 50/100

Permeate

• Definition (v.): “to spread through, penetrate, soak through”
• Review: A nice umbrella term that encapsulates all three of its definitions. There’s not much else to say.
• Rating: 70/100

Precipitate

• Definition 1 (v.): “to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height, to give distinct form to”
• Definition 2 (adj.): “characterized by excessive haste”
• Definition 3 (n.): “moisture; the product of an action or process”
• Review: Versatility is good…but this is just too excessive.
• Rating: 41/100

Stringent

• Definition (adj.): “strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste”
• Review: Similarly to Lurid, Stringent is the perfect-sounding word for something “strict,” but its other definitions don’t feel as fitting; Stringent isn’t enough of a sharp-sounding word to fit its other definitions.
• Rating: 83/100

Surmise

• Definition 1 (v.): “to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess”
• Definition 2 (n.): “likely idea that lacks definite proof”
• Review: This word just feels off in so many ways. It sounds more like some kind of natural phenomenon–sounding very similar to Sunrise–than any human-generated belief. Not a good fit at all.
• Rating: 18/100

Expiate

• Definition (v.): “to make amends, make up for; to avert”
• Review: The ex- prefix makes Expiate seem like it has something to do with…well, something external. However, that isn’t really directly present in any of its definitions. Quite a misleading word that really isn’t all that unique. 
• Rating: 15/100

Expedite

• Definition (v.): “to make easy, cause to progress faster”
• Review: The ex- prefix works better for Expedite since said prefix is sometimes present for adjectives that place extra emphasis on a subject (like Extremely). This works out in Expedite’s favor since it is used to describe an acceleration of a process.
• Rating: 55/100

Abominate

• Definition (v.): “to have an intense dislike or hatred for”
• Review: This word just makes sense to exist. Abomination is commonly used, so it would just be useful to have a verb for it. It’s good, but there could’ve been more creativity with this verb–at least something more than just dropping the -ation, and replacing it with an -ate. 
• Rating: 60/100

Ascribe

• Definition (v.): “to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute”
• Review: I ascribe this word’s good score to its simplicity and versatility.
• Rating: 73/100

Adventitious

• Definition (adj.): “resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital”
• Review: Who cares if there’s a slight difference? Inadvertent is a far superior word, and adventitious is just annoying to pronounce.
• Rating: 22/100

Enjoin

• Definition (v.): “to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit”
• Review: This is a nice umbrella term that encapsulates the act of authoritative commands, but it really does not fit well to its definitions when pronounced out loud.
• Rating: 54/100

Commiserate

• Definition: “(v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress”
• Review: This word encapsulates a more specific Sympathy. It’s okay.
• Rating: 54/100

Acculturation

• Definition (n.): “the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend”
• Review: This word is practically a gateway for political debates. Take it away.
• Rating: 9/100

Circuitous

• Definition (adj.): “roundabout, not direct”
• Review: There’s not much to say here. This word means exactly what it sounds like…that’s about it.
• Rating: 60/100

Ferment

• Definition 1 (n.): “a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence”
• Definition 2 (v.): “to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action”
• Review: Its chemical definitions are quite well-known, but that unfortunately nullifies a lot of its other definitions. Even then, Ferment is just not aggressive-sounding enough to fit its alternative definition.
• Rating: 43/100

Vitriolic

• Definition (adj.): “bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)”
• Review: Oddly enough, this word gets progressively better as it is pronounced out loud. At first, it does not sound like it would fit its definition, but it does achieve that “biting” effect by the end.
• Rating: 57/100

Wheedle

• Definition (v.): “to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end”
• Review: Don’t try to wheedle me into changing this rating. Although it can work out a lot of the time, it won’t on me; I don’t fall for juvenile-sounding flattery techniques.
• Rating: 66/100

Peculate

• Definition (v.): “to steal something that has been given into one’s trust; to take improperly for one’s own use”
• Review: Who knew that removing the “s” from Speculate could entirely alter the word’s definition…Peculate is useful and gets the job done.
• Rating: 68/100

Proclivity

• Definition (n.): “a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)”
• Review: Proclivity rolls off the tongue well enough, but it sounds more like an adjective than a noun. Even despite that, Inclination and Tendency are far better-sounding words anyway.
• Rating: 37/100

Nominal

• Definition (adj.): “existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously”
• Review: A very minor, soft-sounding word that fits its definition pretty well.
• Rating: 82/100

Seditious

• Definition (adj.): “resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government”
• Review: There’s nothing else to say here, Seditious is a perfect fit.
• Rating: 94/100

Tenuous

• Definition (adj.): “thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported”
• Review: This word feels so tenuous, like it could just fall apart at any moment…another perfect fit.
• Rating: 97/100

Noncommittal

• Definition (adj.): “not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no”
• Review: It fits…but there’s no creativity to this word. It’s literally exactly what one would expect.
• Rating: 48/100

Sangfroid

• Definition (n.): “composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances”
• Review: A fun, and exotic sounding word all in all–almost certainly a fan-favorite of many.
• Rating: 86/100

Inadvertent

• Definition (adj.): “resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental”
• Review: The superior Adventitious in every way possible…no one cares about the slight differences.
• Rating: 78/100