SAT Vocab
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193 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 abase | to humiliate or degrade |
| abate | to become less severe, to diminish |
| abdicate | to give up a position, right, or power |
| abet | assist or encourage, usually in some wrongdoing |
| abjure | formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure |
| abridge | to shorten |
| abscond | run away |
| absolve | to pardon or forgive |
| abstain | to choose not to do something |
| abstruse | difficult to understand, obscure |
| accede | 1. to agree (to do something) 2. to rise to a position of power |
| accost | to approach |
| accretion | an accumulation or increase |
| acerbic | sour, bitter, acidic |
| acquiensce | to consent or agree |
| acrimony | strong resentment |
| acumen | insightfulness, quickness or thought |
| admonish | to scold or reprimand strongly |
| adroit | quick and skillful |
| adulation | exaggerated flattery or adoring praise |
| affable | friendly and likable |
| aggrandize | to make larger or grander |
| aggregate | to collect or accumulate |
| aggrieved | angry or unhappy |
| alacrity | enthusiasm or speed |
| allege | to claim something is true |
| altercation | noisy quarrel |
| amalgamation | mixture |
| ameliorate | to make better, improve |
| amenable | willing to do something |
| amenity | a convenience |
| amorphorus | without shape or form |
| analogous | similar to |
| anathema | something one very strongly dislikes |
| annul | to cancel or declare invalid |
| antecedent | something coming before |
| antediluvian | old or old-fashioned |
| anthology | a collection |
| antipathy | strong dislike |
| antithesis | the exact opposite of something |
| apocryphal | probably untrue |
| approbation | praise |
| arable | suitable for growing crops |
| arcane | obscure |
| archetypal | having all the qualities needed to be a perfect example of something |
| ardor | strong feelings of enthusiasm or love |
| ascribe | to attribute |
| aspersion | an attack on someone's reputation |
| asphyxiation | suffocation |
| assuage | to make something less severe |
| avarice | greed |
| balk | to refuse or pull back suddenly |
| banal | boring or commonplace |
| beguile | to deceive or cheat using charm |
| bequeath | to leave to another after one's death |
| bereft | lacking completely, devoid of |
| beseech | to beg or plead |
| bilk | to cheat or swindle |
| blandish | to flatter |
| bombastic | arrogant, snobby or pompous |
| bourgeois | conventionally middle class |
| brazen | shameless |
| burnish | to polish or shine |
| cajole | to coax or persuade |
| canny | careful, clever and crafty |
| capacious | spacious, roomy |
| capitulate | to give in or surrender |
| capricious | changing one's mind on a whim, fickle |
| carouse | to celebrate loudly and drunkenly |
| caucus | a political meeting of people with similar beliefs |
| caustic | bitter, biting acidic |
| cavort | to frolic |
| circuitous | roundabout, long and complicated |
| circumlocution | speaking in a wordy and roundabout way |
| circumspect | cautious and thoughtful |
| clairvoyant | a seer or physic |
| clamor | to make loud demands |
| clandestine | secret, undercover |
| clemency | mercy |
| cloying | sickeningly sappy or sweet |
| coagulate | to clot or congeal |
| coalesce | to come together, to fuse |
| cobbler | a person who repairs shoes |
| coerce | to force |
| cogent | convincing |
| cognizant | aware of |
| collusion | a secret agreement |
| commensurate | proportional, in equal measure |
| commodious | spacious, roomy |
| compunction | remorse or regret |
| concomitant | accompanying |
| concord | agreement |
| consign | to give to someone else |
| constituent | a part of something larger |
| construe | to interpret |
| consummate | 1. perfect, polished 2. to finish or complete |
| contemporaneous | happening at the same tim |
| contentious | controversial |
| contravene | to violate or contradict |
| contrite | truly and deeply sorry |
| contusion | a bruise |
| cordial | friendly, affectionate |
| coronation | the act of crowning a king |
| covert | secret, disguised |
| curt | short and rude |
| dearth | scarcity or lack (of) |
| decry | to denounce |
| deferential | respectful submissive |
| depravity | wickedness, sinfulness |
| derelict | an abandoned wreck |
| diaphanous | delicate and transparent |
| didactic | instructive, intended to teach |
| dilatory | intentionally slow |
| disseminate | to spread or scatter |
| distent | to swell or expand |
| dour | stern and joyless |
| ebullient | cheerful and energetic, bubbly |
| efface | to wipe out |
| effulgent | shining, brilliant |
| elegy | a poem for a dead person |
| elicit | to draw out, to evoke |
| elucidate | to clarify, to shed light on |
| emend | to correct |
| enervating | weakening, draining |
| enfranchise | to grant the right |
| epistolary | relating to letters |
| equanimity | calmness, especially in a bad situation |
| eschew | to avoid |
| esoteric | private and obscure, understood by only a few people |
| expunge | to get rid of completely |
| extant | existing |
| fatuous | obnoxiously stupid, ridiculous |
| fecund | fertile |
| felicity | happiness |
| feral | wild, savage |
| fickle | quick to change opinion or to change sides |
| fidelity | faithfulness or loyalty |
| forbearance | patience in the face of adversity |
| fortitude | strength |
| fortuitous | fortunate, happening by happy chance |
| furtive | secretive |
| hapless | unlucky |
| ignominious | undignified, humiliating |
| immutable | unchangeable |
| impeccable | perfect, flawless |
| impinge | to interfere |
| impudent | badly-behaved, rude |
| inchoate | 1. incomplete, immature 2. chaotic |
| incisive | sharp, quick and insightful |
| ineffable | indescribable |
| ingenuous | naive, simple |
| inimical | harmful , hostile |
| injunction | an official order, usually prohibiting something |
| insipid | 1. boring 2. sappy |
| insurgent | a rebel |
| interlocutor | someone who takes part in a conversation |
| interminable | unending |
| intransigent | unwilling to compromise, stubborn |
| inure | to make someone become used to something |
| iridescent | displaying a brilliant rainbow of colors |
| laudatory | praising, complimentary |
| legerdemain | slight of hand |
| linchpin | the most important part of something |
| lithe | flexible and graceful |
| lucid | clear or bright |
| luminous | shining or glowing |
| manifest | to become obvious or clear |
| mores | customs, moral norms |
| negligent | neglectful or careless |
| noisome | unpleasant, offensive |
| nominal | in name only |
| obdurate | stubborn |
| officious | aggressively offering advice that is neither wanted nor needed |
| oration | a formal speech |
| pallid | pale |
| pathology | sickness, study of sickness |
| pejorative | insulting or belittling |
| penchant | preference or liking for |
| perspicacity | the ability to quickly and accurately understand things |
| pertinacious | stubbornly persistent |
| pittance | a ridiculously small amount |
| plenitude | an abundance |
| potable | safe to drink |
| preponderance | an excess of, outweighing |
| profligate | extravagant and wasteful |
| reclusive | intentionally avoiding others |
| sanguine | optimistic, cheerful |
| scintillate | to sparkle |
| semaphore | a visual signal |
| subjugate | to bring under one's complete control |
| tenacious | unwilling to give up, persistent |
| transmute | to turn one thing into another |
| verisimilitude | the appearance of truth |
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