English Vocab (Spring 2024)

• provocative


  causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction, especially deliberately.
• incite


  to encourage or stir up (violent or unlawful behavior)
• innocuous


  not harmful or offensive.
• mollify


  appease the anger or anxiety of (someone); to soften the severity of something
• incessant


  (of something regarded as unpleasant) continuing without pause or interruption, esp. something regarded as unpleasant.
• interminable

  endless, often used with a deliberate exaggeration.
• intermittent


  occurring irregularly, not continuous or steady.
• digress


  leave the main subject temporarily in speech or writing; to wander off topic.
• veer


  to change direction suddenly; to change path.
• diverge


  to separate from another route, especially a main one, and go in a different direction.
• brouhaha


  a noisy and overexcited reaction or response to something, especially over something minor.
• hullabaloo


  a commotion or a fuss.
• kerfuffle


  a commotion or fuss caused by conflicting views
• incendiary


  intending to stir up conflict; "fired up with rage"
• polarize


  to cause a divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs
• polemic


  a speech or piece of writing expressing a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something
• argument 


  a reason or set of reasons given to persuade others that an action or idea is right or wrong
• controversial


  giving rise or likely to give rise to public disagreement
• dispute


  a sharp, strong disagreement or argument
• debate


  to formally argue about (a subject)
• consensus


  a general agreement
• concession


  the act of giving into a demand or acknowledging a position
• contend


  to assert or maintain something as a position as an argument
• refute


  prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove
• proponent


  someone who advocates for a cause, theory, or idea; advocate. (antonym of opponent)
• adversary


  one’s opponent in a conflict, dispute, or contest.
• obstructionism


  the practice of deliberately impeding or delaying the course of legal, legislative, or other procedures; an obstructionist is a person who does this
• camp


  the supporters of a particular party or doctrine regarded collectively
• rhetorical

  relating to or concerned with the art of words to persuade or influence
• loaded language


  refers to words, phrases, and overall verbal and written communication that elicit a strong emotional response from the reader or listener
• pro-


  in favor of, truth
• in-


  not
• di-/dis-/de-


  split, two, away
• contro-/contra-


  against
• con-/com-


  with, together
• ob-


  against
• voc/vok


  to say, call
• term/terminus


  limit, boundary, end
• noc/nocere


  to hurt, harm
• cess/ceed/cede


  to go, yield