real SAT

Abate

— verb

[no object]

: to become weaker : to decrease in strength

• We waited for the wind/storm to abate.

• The excitement has abated.

— abatement noun, plural abatements

[noncount]

• The violence has continued without abatement.

[count]

• a tax abatement [=an amount by which a tax is reduced]

Abrupt

adj. Sudden and unexpected. His abrupt departure surprised everyone.

Abysmal

adj. extremely bad I got an abysmal grade on my research paper!

Acceptable

adj. Satisfactory or permissible. The teacher deemed Sara's late assignment acceptable.

Accidental

adj. Happening by chance. The oil spill was purely accidental.

Accommodate

— verb

1 

[+ object]

a : to provide room for (someone) : to provide a place to stay and sleep for (someone)

• The hotel can only accommodate about 100 people. [=is only large enough for about 100 people]

• Over 600 people can be accommodated on the cruise ship.

b : to have room for (someone or something)

• The ceilings were too low to accommodate his terrific height.

• The table accommodates [=seats] 12 comfortably.

• This ancient stadium could accommodate [=hold] up to 60,000 people.

2 

[+ object] somewhat formal : to do something helpful for (someone)

• They were kind enough to accommodate me with a ride to the train station.

: to provide what is needed or wanted for (someone or something)

• I asked them for additional money, and they accommodated me with a loan.

• He would often change his schedule to accommodate his clients.

• New facilities are being added to accommodate the special needs of elderly residents.

3 

: to get used to or become comfortable with something : to adapt or adjust to something

[no object]

• Smart investors quickly accommodated to the new market conditions.

[+ object]

• Smart investors quickly accommodated themselves to the new market conditions. = Smart investors quickly became accommodated to the new market conditions.

Accuracy

n. The quality of being correct or precise. The accuracy of the intern's report was impressive.

Acknowledge

v. To recognize or admit the truth. She refused to acknowledge her mistake.

Acquired

adj. Gained through effort or experience. Edmund had acquired a taste for fine wine.

Adapt

v. To adjust to new conditions. Newly-released animals generally adapt to their environments over time.

Adept

— adjective

[more adept; most adept]

: very good at doing something that is not easy

• He's adept in several languages.

• politically adept

— usually + at

• She's adept at fixing flaws in the system.

• He was adept at (using) computers.

— adeptly adverb

• He switched adeptly between English and Italian.

— adeptness noun [noncount]

• her adeptness at fixing flaws

.

— noun

[count]

: a highly skilled or well-trained person : someone who is adept at something

• a computer adept

• an adept at chess

Adequate

adj. having sufficient qualifications to meet a specific task or purpose Though his resume was adequate, the company doubted whether he’d be a good fit.

Adhere

v. To stick to or follow closely. You must adhere to the rules if you don't want to get in trouble.

Adjust

v. To modify or change slightly. He had to adjust his seat for comfort.

Admire

v. To respect or look up to. I admire my mother's dedication to her work.

Advantageous

adj. Beneficial or useful. Speaking multiple languages is advantageous.

Advent

1 

[singular] : the time when something begins or arrives : the first appearance of something

• the advent of spring

• the advent of the printing press

• the advent of personal computers

Advise

— verb

1 

a : to give an opinion or suggestion to someone about what should be done : to give advice to (someone)

[+ object]

• I strongly advise you to sell your old car.

• We advised them to save their money.

• My doctor advised me to lose some weight.

[no object]

• We were thinking of buying that house, but our lawyer advised against it.

b [+ object] : to recommend or suggest (something)

• I advise selling your old car.

• We were thinking of buying that house, but our lawyer advised caution. [=said that we should be cautious]

• He advises patience/restraint when dealing with children.

— see also ill-advised, well-advised

2 

[+ object] formal : to give information to (someone)

• The police advised them of their rights. [=the police told them what their legal rights were]

• She says she was never advised [=informed, told] about the new procedures.

• We advised [=apprised] them of the danger.

• The boss asked us to keep him advised about/on how the project is going.

— adviser also advisor noun, plural advisers also advisors [count]

• a financial/legal/medical adviser

• She's an adviser to the President on foreign affairs.

Aggravate

— verb

[+ object]

1 

: to make (an injury, problem, etc.) more serious or severe

• She aggravated an old knee injury.

• They're afraid that we might aggravate an already bad situation.

• A headache can be aggravated by too much exercise.

• The symptoms were aggravated by drinking alcohol.

2 

informal : to make (someone) angry : to annoy or bother (someone)

• All of these delays really aggravate me.

• Our neighbors were aggravated by all the noise.

— aggravating adjective [more aggravating; most aggravating]

• It was an incredibly slow and aggravating process.

• He has some very aggravating [=annoying, irritating] habits.

— aggravatingly adverb

• an aggravatingly slow process

Aggressive

adj. Forceful or overly assertive. The man's aggressive tone made everyone uneasy.

Allude

— verb

allude to [phrasal verb]

allude to (something or someone)

: to speak of or mention (something or someone) in an indirect way

• I'm interested in hearing more about the technology you alluded to a minute ago.

• She alluded to her first marriage/husband.

Ambiguity

n. Uncertainty or multiple interpretations. The ambiguity in his vague statement caused confusion.

Ambivalence

n. Mixed or conflicting feelings. Jessie felt ambivalence about moving to a new city.

Ameliorate

— verb

[+ object] formal

: to make (something, such as a problem) better, less painful, etc.

• trying to ameliorate the suffering of people who have lost their jobs

• This medicine should help ameliorate the pain.

— amelioration noun [noncount]

Amplify

v. To increase in size or effect. The microphone will amplify your voice.

Amusing

adj. Entertaining or humorous. Jason's joke was quite amusing.

Analogous

— adjective

[more analogous; most analogous] formal

: similar in some way

• I could not think of an analogous situation.

— usually + to

• I could not think of a situation analogous to this one.

• The telescope's lenses are analogous [=comparable] to a person's glasses.

• Think of the process as analogous to [=like] riding a bike.

— analogously adverb

Annotate

v. To add notes or comments. Please annotate the medical text with your observations.

Announce

v. To make a public statement. The CEO will announce the new policy tomorrow.

Anomaly

n. something different from the norm This result is an anomaly and very rarely happens.

Antagonistic

adj. Showing hostility or opposition. His antagonistic behavior created tension at work.

Antecedent

n. A preceding event or condition. The antecedent to the war was political unrest.

Anticipate

v. To expect or predict. Does the weatherman anticipate a rise in temperatures next week?

Antipathy

— noun

formal

: a strong feeling of dislike

[noncount]

• There has always been strong antipathy between the two groups.

• feelings of antipathy

[count]

• The author's antipathies and prejudices are obvious.

— often + to or toward

• The author's antipathy to/toward other cultures is obvious.

— antipathetic adjective

• antipathetic views/feelings

— often + to

• He is antipathetic to change.

Apex

— noun

[count]

: the top or highest point of something — usually singular

• the mountain's apex [=peak, summit]

— usually used figuratively

• Tragically, she died at the apex [=acme, high point] of her career/fame.

• The excitement was about to reach its apex.

Appropriate

adj. Suitable for a specific situation. Lily's velvet dress was appropriate for the formal occasion.

Approximate

adj. Nearly accurate or close to. The approximate cost is $50.

Arcane

— adjective

[more arcane; most arcane]

: secret or mysterious : known or understood by only a few people

• an arcane scientific puzzle

• an arcane ritual

• a theory filled with arcane details

Arduous

— adjective

[more arduous; most arduous]

: very difficult

• He went through a long and arduous training program.

• arduous efforts

• years of arduous study

• an arduous chore/duty/job/task

• an arduous journey across miles of desert

— arduously adverb

• working arduously

— arduousness noun [noncount]

Assemble

v. To gather or put together. We need to assemble the bed if we want a place to sleep tonight.

Austere

[more austere; most austere]

1 

: simple or plain : not fancy

• They choose austere furnishings for the office.

• He was known for his austere style of writing.

2 

of a person : having a serious and unfriendly quality

• Her father was an austere [=stern, unapproachable] figure.

3 

: having few pleasures : simple and harsh

• They lived an austere life in the country.

— austerely adverb

• an austerely furnished office

Avoid

v. To stay away from or prevent. Mara hates fighting, so she always tries to avoid conflict.

Beneficial

adj. Producing good results. A balanced diet is beneficial to your health.

Benevolent

adj. kind, generous Many cultures believe in benevolent spirits.

Bold

adj. Courageous or striking. Elsie made a bold move by quitting her job.

Borrow

v. To take temporarily. Libraries will let you borrow books for several weeks.

Buttress

— verb

[+ object]

: to support, strengthen, or defend (something)

• The treaty will buttress the cause of peace.

• The theory has been buttressed by the results of the experiment.

Bypass

v. To go around or avoid. We took a shortcut to bypass traffic.

Calibrate

— verb

[+ object]

1 

: to adjust or mark (something, such as a measuring device) so that it can be used in an accurate and exact way

• calibrate a thermometer

2 

: to measure (something) in an exact and precise way

• carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine

— calibration noun, plural calibrations [count, noncount]

Candid

— adjective

[more candid; most candid]

1 

: expressing opinions and feelings in an honest and sincere way

• He was quite candid about his past.

• a candid confession

• a refreshingly/remarkably candid interview

• She gave us her candid opinion on the matter.

2 

photography : showing people acting in a natural way because they do not know that they are being photographed

• a candid snapshot

— candidly adverb

• He stated his opinion candidly.

• She spoke candidly about some of the difficulties she had been experiencing.

— candidness noun [noncount]

• He responded to the question with surprising candidness. [=(more commonly) candor]

Carelessly

adv. Without caution. He carelessly left his keys on the bus.

Catastrophe

— noun

: a terrible disaster

[count]

• The oil spill was an environmental catastrophe.

• Experts fear a humanitarian catastrophe if food isn't delivered to the refugees soon.

• a global/nuclear/economic catastrophe

[noncount]

• an area on the brink of catastrophe

— catastrophic adjective [more catastrophic; most catastrophic]

• The effect of the war on the economy was catastrophic.

• a catastrophic drought

— catastrophically adverb

• The dam failed catastrophically, flooding the entire valley.

Cause

n. A reason for an action or event. The fire's cause is still unknown.

Characterization

— noun

1

somewhat formal : the act of describing the character or qualities of someone or something

[count]

• The reporter was criticized for his characterization of the people of the town as poor and uneducated.

[noncount]

• News reporting requires accurate characterization.

2 

: the way a writer makes a person in a story, book, play, movie, or television show seem like a real person

[count]

• The class discussed the author's characterization of the boy as someone who wanted to be accepted by others.

[noncount]

• The story has good characterization.

Circumvent

— verb

[+ object] formal

: to avoid being stopped by (something, such as a law or rule) : to get around (something) in a clever and sometimes dishonest way

• We circumvented the problem by using a different program.

• He found a way to circumvent the law.

— circumvention noun [noncount]

• The circumvention of tax laws is illegal.

Coincidence

n. A surprising and unexpected event. Meeting my neighbor at the airport was a coincidence.

Collaboration

n. Working together on a task. The scientists' collaboration led to a breakthrough.

Commercialize

— verb

[+ object]

1 

disapproving : to use (something) as an opportunity to earn money — usually used as (be) commercialized

• She hates to see Christmas commercialized.

• The beach resort has been commercialized and has none of its original charm.

2 

business : to make (something) available to customers

• The company hopes to commercialize the drug next year.

— commercialization noun [noncount]

• the commercialization of Christmas

Committed

adj. Dedicated to a cause or task. Ava is committed to her studies and always wants top grades.

Common

adj. Occurring frequently or shared. It's very common for students to feel stressed before exams.

Compelling

— adjective

[more compelling; most compelling]

1 

: very interesting : able to capture and hold your attention

• The novel was so compelling that I couldn't put it down.

2 

: capable of causing someone to believe or agree

• compelling evidence

• He made a compelling argument.

3 

: strong and forceful : causing you to feel that you must do something

• I would need a very compelling reason to leave my job.

• She had a compelling need to share what she had heard.

• a compelling desire

— compellingly adverb

• The novel was compellingly written.

Competent

adj. Having the necessary ability or skill. Noah has worked at this job for a long time and is a competent engineer.

Complementary

adj. Enhancing or completing another. The artist and the engineer have skills that are complementary in the project.

Complexity

n. The state of being intricate or complicated. The complexity of the 1,000 piece puzzle made it challenging.

Compose

— verb

[+ object] : to come together to form or make (something)

• Minorities composed [=made up] about a third of the attendees at the conference.

— usually used as (be) composed of

• a stew composed of [=made from/with] many ingredients

• Our group is composed of [=is made up of; consists of] travelers from 7 countries.

• The clouds are composed of water vapor.

2 

a [+ object] : to create and write (a piece of music or writing)

• compose a song/symphony

• compose music

• She composed a letter to her sister.

b [no object] : to practice the art of writing music

• He is in his studio composing.

3 

[+ object] : to arrange the appearance of (something, such as a picture or image) in an orderly or careful way

• an elegantly composed photograph

4 

[+ object]

a : to make (yourself) calm

• Take a moment to compose yourself before you pick up the phone.

b : to gain control of (your emotions)

• She sat quietly on the bench outside the courthouse, trying to compose her feelings.

Compound

— verb

1 

[+ object] : to make (something, such as an error or problem) worse : to add to (something bad)

• He compounded [=exacerbated] his mistake by announcing it to the whole table.

2 

finance : to pay interest on both an amount of money and the interest it has already earned

[+ object]

• The interest is compounded at regular intervals.

[no object]

• The interest compounds quarterly.

3 

[+ object] : to form (something) by combining separate things

• compound a medicine

— usually used as (be) compounded

• an attitude compounded of [=made up of] equal parts greed and arrogance

Comprise

— verb

[+ object]

1 

: to be made up of (something) : to include or consist of (something)

• Each army division comprised 4,500 troops.

• The play comprises three acts.

2 

: to make up or form (something)

• Nine players comprise [=make up] a baseball team.

• Plants comprise [=constitute, form] the bulk of their diet.

— often used as (be) comprised

• The play is comprised of [=is composed of] three acts.

Conceal

v. To hide or keep secret. Luca tried to conceal his disappointment.

Concede

— verb

1 

[+ object] : to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something) : to admit (something) usually in an unwilling way

• I concede that the work has been slow so far, but it should speed up soon.

• When she noted that the economy was actually improving, he grudgingly/reluctantly conceded the point. [=he admitted that she was right]

• “Your plan might work,” she conceded, “but I still think mine is better.”

• It is generally conceded [=acknowledged, agreed] that they are the superior team. [=most people agree that they are the superior team]

2 

: to admit that you have been defeated and stop trying to win

[no object]

• Although it seems clear that he has lost the election, he still refuses to concede.

[+ object]

• He's not ready to concede the election.

• They were forced to concede defeat. [=to admit that they were defeated]

3 

[+ object] : to give away (something) usually in an unwilling way

• The former ruler was forced to concede power to a new government.

• The company says that workers are not conceding enough in negotiations.

4 

[+ object] sports : to allow an opponent to score (a point, goal, etc.)

• The team has not conceded [=allowed] a goal this half.

Conceptualize

— verb

: to form (an idea, picture, etc.) of something in your mind

[+ object]

• She described her plans to me, but I found them hard to conceptualize.

• He conceptualizes the family as an economic unit.

[no object]

• A programmer needs to analyze and conceptualize in order to solve problems.

— conceptualization noun, plural conceptualizations [count, noncount]

Concerning

adj. Causing worry or distress. The news about the approaching hurricane is quite concerning.

Condition

n. The state of something. The car I bought is in excellent condition.

Confident

adj. Feeling sure or self-assured. Michael Jordan is confident in his abilities as a basketball player.

Conflated

— verb

1

: to combine two or more separate things

• The director conflated two different storylines into a single, cohesive film.

2

: to treat two distinct things as if they are the exact same thing

• People often mistakenly conflate the national debt with the federal deficit.

Conform

— verb

[no object]

1 

: to be similar to or the same as something — usually + to or with

• The animals' behavior conforms to a common pattern.

• Our budget numbers conform with official estimates.

2 

: to obey or agree with something

• There are new security rules and all airlines are required to conform. [=(more commonly) comply]

— usually + to or with

• The building doesn't conform to local regulations.

• She refuses to conform to society's traditional image of a mother.

• Employees have to conform with company rules.

• The priest's teachings do not conform with church doctrine.

3 

: to do what other people do : to behave in a way that is accepted by most people

• Most teenagers feel pressure to conform.

Consensus

n. General agreement. The team finally reached a consensus on the decision.

Consistent

adj. Acting in the same way over time. My grandmother's knitting is always consistent in quality.

Constant

adj. Occurring continuously. The criminal lived in constant fear that he'd be found out.

Contentious

— adjective

[more contentious; most contentious]

1 

a : likely to cause people to argue or disagree

• I think it's wise to avoid such a highly contentious [=controversial] topic/issue at a dinner party.

b : involving a lot of arguing

• After a contentious debate, members of the committee finally voted to approve the funding.

• They have a contentious relationship. [=they argue with each other a lot]

2 

: likely or willing to argue

• a contentious student

• The dispute involves one of the region's most contentious leaders.

— contentiously adverb

— contentiousness noun [noncount]

Contingent

— adjective

formal

: depending on something else that might or might not happen — usually + on or upon

• Our plans are contingent on the weather.

.

— noun

1 

: a group of people who go to a place together, do something together, or share some quality, interest, etc.

• The group that makes up the largest contingent of voters in this area is the elderly.

• A contingent of reporters waited in front of the court for the defendant to appear.

Contradict

v. to be in contrast with The camera footage contradicts his alibi.

Contrived

— adjective

[more contrived; most contrived]

: having an unnatural or false appearance or quality

• The movie's contrived ending was a big disappointment.

• The results of the test seemed somewhat contrived.

Controversial

adj. Causing public disagreement. The judge's decision to free the criminal was highly controversial.

Cordial

— adjective

[more cordial; most cordial]

: politely pleasant and friendly

• We received a cordial greeting from our hostess at the party.

• The two nations have maintained cordial relations.

— cordiality noun [noncount]

• They greeted the ambassador with cordiality.

— cordially adverb

• You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of our daughter on May 14.

Corroborate

— verb

[+ object] formal

: to support or help prove (a statement, theory, etc.) by providing information or evidence

• Two witnesses corroborated [=confirmed] his story.

— often used as (be) corroborated

• The theory has been corroborated by recent studies.

— corroborating adjective

• No corroborating evidence was found.

— corroboration noun [noncount]

• the corroboration of his story

— corroborative adjective

• corroborative evidence/testimony

Costly

adj. Expensive or requiring sacrifice. The mistake was a costly one and caused the company to go bankrupt.

Counteract

v. to work in opposition to This ingredient seems to counteract the other ones.

Critical

adj. Expressing analysis or judgment. The review was highly critical of the film.

Criticize

v. To express disapproval. My father tends to criticize others harshly.

Deceptive

—adjective

[more deceptive; most deceptive]

1 

: intended to make someone believe something that is not true

• The article accuses the company of deceptive [=misleading] advertising.

• The low price is deceptive. [=deceiving, misleading] Many fees are added to it before the purchase is complete.

2 

: likely to make someone believe something that is not true

• the deceptive simplicity of the lyrics [=the lyrics are not as simple as they seem]

• Don't buy the car without driving it first—appearances can be deceptive. [=something can look much better than it actually is]

— deceptively adverb

• deceptively simple lyrics

• deceptively low prices

Deciding

deciding factor

1 

: something that causes you to make a particular decision

• The deciding factor was cost. [=the decision was based on cost; the least expensive option was chosen]

• His lack of experience was the deciding factor in my decision not to hire him.

2 

: something that causes something to end a particular way

• His home run was the deciding factor in the game. [=his home run won the game]

Decisive

— adjective

more decisive; most decisive]

1 

: able to make choices quickly and confidently

• You must be decisive and persistent to succeed in this competitive field.

• I stood there wondering what to do, but my sister was more decisive and immediately went to the phone.

• a decisive leader

• In emergency situations, one must be able to take decisive action. [=to act quickly and with confidence]

— opposite indecisive

2 

: causing something to end in a particular way : determining what the result of something will be

• She cast the decisive [=deciding] vote.

• The fight ended with a decisive blow.

• the decisive battle of the war

◊ A decisive factor is a reason to make a particular choice or decision.

• The decisive factor [=deciding factor] was cost.

• His lack of experience was the decisive factor in my decision not to hire him.

3 

: very clear and obvious

• a decisive victory/win/advantage

— decisively adverb

• You must be able to act decisively to succeed in this competitive field.

• She decisively rejected their proposal.

— decisiveness noun [noncount]

• The job requires decisiveness [=decision] and persistence.

Deficient

— adjective

[more deficient; most deficient]

1 

: not having enough of something that is important or necessary

• a nutritionally deficient diet

— usually + in

• a diet deficient in certain vitamins

• a man who is deficient in judgment [=a man whose judgment is poor]

• students who are deficient [=lacking] in their knowledge of history

2 

: not good enough : not as good as others

• mentally deficient

• Several bridges in the city are structurally deficient.

Deliberate

— adjective

[more deliberate; most deliberate]

1 

: done or said in a way that is planned or intended : done or said on purpose

• I don't think that was a mistake; I think it was deliberate. [=intentional]

• a deliberate [=planned] attempt to trick people

2 

: done or decided after careful thought

• a deliberate choice/decision

3 

: slow and careful

• She spoke in a clear, deliberate manner/way.

• He advocates a slow and deliberate approach to the problem.

.

— verb

: to think about or discuss something very carefully in order to make a decision

[no object]

• The jury deliberated for two days before reaching a verdict.

[+ object]

• They will deliberate the question.

— often + whether, what, etc.

• I've been deliberating [=debating] whether or not to accept the job offer.

.

— deliberation noun

: careful thought or discussion done in order to make a decision

[noncount]

• After hours of deliberation, the council came to a decision.

[count]

• Jury deliberations lasted two days.

2 

[noncount] : the quality of being slow and careful

• She spoke to the audience with clarity and deliberation.

Delicate

adj. Fragile or requiring careful handling. The delicate glass sculpture broke easily.

Demarcate

— verb

[+ object] formal

: to show the limits or edges of (something)

• The plot of land is demarcated by a low brick wall.

• The boundary between the countries must be clearly demarcated.

— demarcation noun, plural demarcations

[noncount]

• the demarcation of the boundary

• Troops are positioned on either side of the line of demarcation. = Troops are positioned on either side of the demarcation line.

[count]

• The media has blurred the demarcations [=lines, boundaries] between news and entertainment.

Derived

adj. Obtained or developed from a source. The word "aqua" is derived from Latin.

Despise

v. To strongly dislike or look down upon. The judge despises dishonesty.

Desultory

— adjective

[more desultory; most desultory] formal

1 

: not having a plan or purpose

• desultory [=aimless] conversation.

2 

: done without serious effort

• He made a desultory [=halfhearted] attempt to study.

— desultorily adverb

• Talk drifted desultorily from one topic to another.

Determine

v. To establish or decide. The final exam will determine your grade.