SAT High-Frequency Word List (Barron's)

abridge

condense or shorten

abstemious

sparing in eating and drinking; temperate

abstract

theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational

abstruse

obscure; profound; difficult to understand

accessible

easy to approach; obtainable

acclaim

applaud; announce with great approval

acknowledge

recognize; admit

adulation

flattery; admiration

adversary

opponent

adversity

unfavorable fortune; hardship; a calamitous event

advocate

urge; plead for

aesthetic

artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful

affable

easily approachable; warmly friendly

affirmation

positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath

alleviate

relieve

aloof

apart; reserved

altruistic

unselfishly generous; concerned for others

ambiguous

unclear or doubtful in meaning

ambivalence

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes

analogous

comparable

anarchist

person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority

anecdote

short account of an amusing or interesting event

animosity

active enmity

antagonism

hostility; active resistance

antidote

medicine to counteract a poison or disease

antiquated

old-fashioned; obsolete

apathy

lack of caring; indifference

appease

pacify or sooth; relieve

apprehension

fear

arbitrary

capricious; randomly chosen; tyrannical

archaic

antiquated

arrogance

pride; haughtiness

articulate

effective; distinct

artifact

object made by human beings, either handmade or mass-produced

artisan

manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist

ascendancy

controlling influence; domination

ascetic

practicing self-denial; austere

aspire

seek to attain; long for

astute

wise; shrewd; keen

attribute

ascribe; explain

augment

increase; add to

austere

forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented

authoritarian

subordinating the individual to the state; completely dominating another's will

autonomous

self-governing

aversion

firm dislike

belie

contradict; give a false impression

benevolent

generous; charitable

bolster

support; reinforce

braggart

boaster

brevity

conciseness

cajole

coax; wheedle

calculated

deliberately planned; likely

candor

frankness; open honesty

capricious

unpredictable; fickle; fanciful

censorious

critical

censure

blame; criticize

coercion

use of force to get someone to obey

commemorate

honor the memory of

compile

assemble; gather; accumulate

complacency

self-satisfaction; smugness

compliance

readiness to yield, conformity in fulfilling requirements

composure

mental calmness

comprehensive

thorough; inclusive

concede

admit; yield

conciliatory

reconciling; soothing

concise

brief and compact

concur

agree

condone

overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse

conflagration

great fire

confound

confuse; puzzle

consensus

general agreement

constraint

compulsion; repression of feelings

contend

struggle; compete; assert earnestly

contentious

quarrelsome

contract

compress or shrink; make a pledge; catch a disease

conviction

judgement that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief

cordial

gracious; heartfelt

corroborate

confirm; support

credulity

belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete

criterion

standard used in judging

cryptic

mysterious; hidden; secret

cursory

casual; hastily done

curtail

shorten; reduce

decorum

propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners

deference

courteous regard for another's wish

degradation

humiliation; debasement; degeneration

delineate

portray; depict; sketch

denounce

condemn; criticize

deplore

regret; disapprove of

depravity

extreme corruption; wickedness

deprecate

express disapproval of; protest against; belittle

deride

ridicule; make fun of

derivative

unoriginal; derived from another source

despondent

depressed; gloomy

detached

emotionally removed; calm and objective; physically unconnected

deterrent

something that discourages; hindrance

detrimental

harmful; damaging

devious

roundabout; erratic; not straightforward

devise

think up; invent; plan

diffuse

wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas)