SAT vocab #2
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Created by:
shannenmaghanoy on June 15, 2012
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68 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 abase (v) | 1. to reduce or lower as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade |
| alchemy (n) | 1. an early combination of magic, chemistry, and philosophy from the Middle Ages, the main purposes of which were to turn base metals into gold and to find the elixir for eternal youth 2. a process or power for turning one thing into a better thing as if by miraculous means |
| aplomb (n) | 1. self-confident assurance; poise 2. the perpendicular, or vertical position |
| authoritarian (adj) | 1. characterized by or favoring absolute obedience to authority, as against individual freedom |
| bog (n) | 1. wet, spongy area of ground, noted for smelly decaying mosses that form peat 2. v. to get stuck in; mired |
| chagrin (n) | 1. strong feelings of embarrassment 2. v. cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of |
| callow (adj) | 1. immature or inexperienced 2. featherless; unfledged 3. n. a recently hatched worker ant |
| catharsis (n) | 1. the act or process of removing strong or violent emotions by expressing them through writing, talking, acting etc. |
| complacency (n) | 1. a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation |
| concert (n) | 1. a mutual agreement; concord; togetherness of action 2. a music program in which a number of musicians perform together |
| confluence (n) | 1. a flowing together of two or more streams 2. the point of juncture of such streams 3. a coming together of people or things 4. a crowd or throng; assemblage |
| conventional (adj) | 1. growing out of custom or normal usage; customary 2. conforming to accepted standards, rather than natural |
| deferment (n) | 1. a postponement; a putting off to a later time |
| discourse (n) | 1. exchange of ideas, information, etc. usually through talking 2. a long, formal speech or essay on a subject 3. dissertation 4. v. to carry on a talk; confer 5. v. to speak or write formally and at some length |
| ebb (n) | 1. a gradual decline 2. v. flow back or recede; to decline or decay |
| elusive (adj) | 1. eluding clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define 2. cleverly or skillfully evasive |
| enigmatic (adj) | 1. of or like a puzzle; perplexing; baffling |
| enjoin (v) | 1. to prescribe with authority or emphasis 2. to direct or order to do something |
| equivocal (adj) | 1. capable of being interpreted in more than one way; purposely vague; obscure 2. uncertain; doubtful 3. questionable conduct |
| exemplary (adj) | 1. a model; worthy of imitation 2. serving as a warning 3. acting as a sample, illustration, etc. |
| facade (n) | 1. the front of a building 2. a false, superficial appearance |
| frenetic (adj) | 1. excessively agitated; distraught with fear or violent emotion; frantic |
| humane (adj) | 1. characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, esp. for the suffering or distressed |
| indecorous (adj) | 1. lacking propriety; lacking correctness; not in good taste; unseemly |
| insolvent (adj) | 1. unable to meet debts or discharge liabilities; bankrupt |
| interject (v) | 1. to insert between other things; interpose |
| lambaste (v) | 1. to beat or whip severely; thrash 2. to reprimand or berate harshly; censure; excoriate |
| languid (adj) | 1. lacking vitality; drooping; weak 2. lacking interest 3. indifferent; sluggish |
| lithe (adj) | 1. moving and bending with ease 2. marked by effortless grace |
| menial (adj) | 1. lowly and sometimes degrading 2. servile; submissive 3. pertaining to or suitable for domestic servants |
| mutter (v) | 1. to speak in a low, indistinct voice 2. to complain; to say something in low, angry tones |
| nostalgia (n) | 1. a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time |
| odious (adj) | 1. deserving or causing hatred, loathing 2. highly offensive; repugnant; disgusting |
| pariah (n) | 1. an undesirable; one despised and rejected by others; an outcast 2. a member of the lowest social caste in India |
| periphery (n) | 1. the edge; an outside boundary line; the perimeter 2. an outside surface, especially of a spherical object 3. the immediate surrounding territory; outskirts |
| philistine (adj) | 1. uncultured and smugly conventional 2. small town people; locals |
| pluck (n) | 1. courage to meet difficulties or danger 2. v. to pull out or pick feathers |
| prolong (v) | 1. to lengthen out in time; extend the duration of; cause to continue longer |
| prudent (adj) | 1. wise in handling practical matters; exercising good judgment or common sense 2. careful in regard to one's own conduct |
| recapitulate (v) | 1. to review by a brief summary, as at the end of a speech or discussion 2. summarize |
| restitution (n) | 1. a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury 2. the act of restoring something to its original state 3. getting something back again |
| ribald (adj) | 1. vulgar or indecent in speech |
| sensual (adj) | 1. pertaining to, or inclined to, or preoccupied with the gratification of the senses or the appetites 2. suggesting sexuality 3. lacking in moral or spiritual interests; worldly |
| setback (n) | 1. an unanticipated or sudden check in progress; a change from better to worse |
| stern (adj) | 1. hard, harsh, or severe in manner/character 2. grim, gloomy, or forbidding in appearance or outlook |
| subdue (v) | 1. to conquer and subjugate; vanquish 2. to quiet or bring under control by physical force or persuasion 3. to make less intense or prominent; tone down |
| thwart (v) | 1. to oppose successfully; prevent from accomplishing a purpose 2. to frustrate or baffle 3. adj. eager to oppose; perverse |
| torpid (adj) | 1. inactive or sluggish 2. slow; dull; apathetic; lethargic 3. dormant, as a hibernating animal |
| transparent (adj) | 1. capable of being seen through; passing light through so as to be able to distinctly see what is on the other side 2. easily understood; very clear; obvious |
| turpitude (n) | 1. vile, shameful, or base character; depravity 2. any instance of the forgoing |
| unscathed (adj) | 1. not injured or harmed |
| upshot (n) | 1. the final issue, the conclusion, or the result 2. the central idea or point; the gist |
| vapid (adj) | 1. lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor 2. insipid; flat 3. without liveliness or spirit; dull or tedious |
| viscid (adj) | 1. thick and adhesive 2. covered with a sticky or clammy coating |
| wrath (n) | 1. strong, stern, or fierce anger 2. vengeance or punishment as the consequence of anger |
| opaque (adj) | 1. incapable of allowing light to pass through 2. hard to understand; not clear or lucid; obscure |
| amicable (adj) | 1. feeling friendly; demonstrating goodwill; peaceable |
| enamored (adj) | 1. charmed or fascinated 2. filled or inflamed with love |
| inimical (adj) | 1. injurious or harmful in effect 2. unfavorable 3. unfriendly; hostile |
| paramour (n) | 1. a lover, especially one in an adulterous relationship |
| criminology (n) | 1. the scientific study of crime and criminal behavior and law enforcement |
| decriminalize (v) | 1. to reduce or abolish criminal penalties |
| incriminate (v) | 1. to show evidence of involvement in a crime or a fault |
| recrimination (n) | 1. a countercharge against an accuser |
| approbation (n) | 1. an expression of warm approval; praise |
| disprove (v) | 1. to prove to be false or wrong |
| probity (n) | 1. integrity and uprightness; honesty |
| reprobate (n) | 1. a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person 2. a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation |
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