SAT Vocabulary: The 1000 Most Common SAT Words

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards containing essential terms and definitions from the 1000 Most Common SAT Words list.

abase

to humiliate, degrade

abate

to reduce, lessen

abdicate

to give up a position, usually one of leadership

abduct

to kidnap, take by force

aberration

something that differs from the norm

abet

to aid, help, encourage

abhor

to hate, detest

abide

1. (v.) to put up with; 2. (v.) to remain

abject

wretched, pitiful

abjure

to reject, renounce

abnegation

denial of comfort to oneself

abridge

1. (v.) to cut down, shorten; 2. (adj.) shortened

abrogate

to abolish, usually by authority

abscond

to sneak away and hide

absolution

freedom from blame, guilt, sin

abstruse

hard to comprehend

accede

to agree

acclaim

high praise

accolade

high praise, special distinction

accretion

slow growth in size or amount

acerbic

biting, bitter in tone or taste

acumen

keen insight

adamant

impervious, immovable, unyielding

adulation

extreme praise

adumbrate

to sketch out in a vague way

affable

friendly, amiable

affinity

a spontaneous feeling of closeness

aggrandize

to increase or make greater

alacrity

eagerness, speed

amalgamate

to bring together, unite

ambivalent

having opposing feelings

ameliorate

to improve

amenable

willing, compliant

amorphous

without definite shape or type

anachronistic

being out of correct chronological order

anathema

a cursed, detested person

antediluvian

ancient

antipathy

a strong dislike, repugnance

apocryphal

fictitious, false, wrong

approbation

praise

arable

suitable for growing crops

arcane

obscure, secret, known only by a few

arrogate

to take without justification

ascetic

practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious

assiduous

hard-working, diligent

assuage

to ease, pacify

atrophy

to wither away, decay

avarice

excessive greed

banal

dull, commonplace

bane

a burden

beguile

to trick, deceive

benevolent

marked by goodness or doing good

bilk

cheat, defraud

bombastic

excessively confident, pompous

brusque

short, abrupt, dismissive

cacophony

tremendous noise, disharmonious sound

cajole

to urge, coax

calumny

an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies

camaraderie

brotherhood, jovial unity

capricious

subject to whim, fickle

caustic

bitter, biting, acidic

censure

1. (n.) harsh criticism; 2. (v.) to rebuke formally

circumlocution

indirect and wordy language

clandestine

secret

clemency

mercy

coagulate

to thicken, clot

coalesce

to fuse into a whole

coerce

to make somebody do something by force or threat

cogent

intellectually convincing

collusion

secret agreement, conspiracy

compunction

distress caused by feeling guilty

conflagration

great fire

contrite

penitent, eager to be forgiven

conundrum

puzzle, problem

cupidity

greed, strong desire

cursory

brief to the point of being superficial

dearth

a lack, scarcity

debacle

a disastrous failure, disruption

decry

to criticize openly

deleterious

harmful

demagogue

a leader who appeals to a people’s prejudices

denigrate

to belittle, diminish the opinion of

depravity

wickedness

deride

to laugh at mockingly, scorn

desecrate

to violate the sacredness of a thing or place

desiccated

dried up, dehydrated

despot

one who has total power and rules brutally

diaphanous

light, airy, transparent

didactic

1. (adj.) intended to instruct; 2. (adj.) overly moralistic

diffident

shy, quiet, modest

dilatory

tending to delay, causing delay

disaffected

rebellious, resentful of authority

dissemble

to conceal, fake

dissonance

lack of harmony or consistency

dogmatic

aggressively and arrogantly certain about unproved principles

duplicity

crafty dishonesty

ebullient

extremely lively, enthusiastic

eclectic

consisting of a diverse variety of elements

effrontery

impudence, nerve, insolence

egregious

extremely bad