550 SAT Vocabulary Words – Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for every term in the provided 550-word SAT list, pairing each word with a clear, concise definition to aid study and retention.

accommodate

To provide comfortable space or suitable lodging for someone, often by making adjustments.

acknowledged

Accepted or recognized as being true, valid, or having a particular status.

adhere

To firmly stick or hold to a surface, or to faithfully follow a belief, rule, or person.

advocacy

The act of actively and publicly supporting or recommending a specific cause, policy, or proposal.

alleviate

to ease or lighten a burden

ambivalence

having mixed or conflicting feelings about someone or something

acquisition

the act of gaining or obtaining something

attribute (v)

To consider something as being caused by or belonging to a specific person or thing; to ascribe or impute.

beneficiary

A person who gains advantage, profit, or benefits from something, such as a trust, will, or insurance policy.

benign

Gentle, kind, and harmless; not dangerous, malignant, or threatening, often used in medical diagnoses.

binary

composed of 2 parts; involving 2 options

bureaucratic

Relating to a bureaucracy, often characterized by rigid adherence to rules, excessive formal procedures, and red tape.

buttress

to support or strengthen

catastrophic

Involving or causing a sudden, widespread, and devastating disaster or misfortune; extremely damaging.

circumvent

To cleverly or resourcefully find a way around an obstacle, difficulty, or rule; to evade or avoid by ingenuity.

coincide

To happen at the same time or to be in perfect agreement and harmony with something else.

commissioned

Formally appointed or given a specific task, duty, or position, often with an official mandate.

complementary

going well together

comprises

Consists of or includes various parts, elements, or members to form a complete whole.

concede

To admit that something is true or valid, often after initially denying or resisting it; to yield or surrender.

conceptualize

To form a concept or abstract idea of something; to understand or imagine something in a particular way.

confined to

Restricted to a specific area, group, or set of conditions; limited within certain boundaries.

conflicted

Experiencing intense internal opposing or contradictory feelings or desires, leading to a struggle or dilemma.

conform to

To act in accordance with rules, standards, or laws; to comply with or be in agreement with established norms.

conjecture

An opinion, theory, or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information or speculation; a well-reasoned guess.

contemporary

Belonging to or occurring in the present time; modern; or existing/living at the same period as something else.

contrive

To create or devise something skillfully and often ingeniously, sometimes with a sense of artificiality or clever manipulation.

convey

To communicate an idea, feeling, or message, often implied rather than explicitly stated; to transport or transmit.

corollary

A proposition or statement that logically follows and is easily deduced from a previous one; a natural consequence or result.

counterintuitive

Contrary to what one would naturally expect or what seems intuitive; goes against common-sense expectation.

decentralized

Having power or authority distributed among various local or regional branches rather than being heavily concentrated at a single central point.

decisive

Having the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively; conclusive and definitive in outcome.

delegate

To entrust a task, responsibility, or authority to another person, typically someone subordinate.

delve

To research or investigate something deeply and thoroughly, often by searching for information or exploring hidden aspects.

deviates

Departs or swerves away from an accepted standard, norm, course, or expectation.

dignity

The state of being worthy of honor and respect; a deep sense of self-respect and self-worth.

discernible

Able to be perceived, recognized, or understood, especially by the senses or the mind; detectable.

disconcerting

Causing a feeling of unease, confusion, or embarrassment; unsettling or disconcerting.

disorienting

Causing a loss of one's sense of direction, location, or reality; severely confusing or bewildering.

disparate

Fundamentally different in kind; not able to be easily compared; distinct or dissimilar.

ditty

A short, simple song or poem, typically lighthearted and with a catchy tune.

diverge

to go in a different direction or become different from something else.

diversification

the act of becoming more varied or adding variety.

dormant

not active but able to become active later.

doth

An archaic third-person singular form of the verb 'does' or 'doeth'.

dulcet

sweet and pleasant to hear.

eclipse

to outshine or become more important than something else.

edifice

A large, imposing building, often with an elaborate or complex structure.

elusive

difficult to find, catch, or understand.

epitomize

to be a perfect example of something.

equanimity

calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation.

establishes

to set up or start something that will last.

etched

Engraved or cut deeply into a surface; also, firmly fixed or impressed in one's memory.

exalt

To praise or glorify someone or something highly; to elevate in rank, power, or character.

exemplify

to show or be a typical example of something.

extensive

Large in amount, scope, or extent; covering a wide area.

fabricate

to make up or invent something, often something false

foreground

the part of a scene or picture that is nearest to the viewer.

foster

to encourage or help something grow or develop.

fruitless

not producing any useful result; unsuccessful

germinate

To begin to grow or sprout, typically referring to a seed or spore.

grapple

To struggle or wrestle with something, typically a difficult problem or challenge; to cope with intently.

guild

An association of people for mutual aid or the pursuit of a common goal; historically, medieval associations of craftsmen or merchants.

haphazard

Lacking any obvious principle of organization, order, or planning; random or unplanned.

hast

An archaic second-person singular form of the verb 'have', meaning 'you have'.

hibernation

A state of minimal activity and metabolic depression in endothermic animals, typically occurring during winter to conserve energy.

imminent

About to happen very soon; impending or forthcoming.

impartial

Treating all rivals or disputants equally; unbiased, fair, and objective.

imperceptible

Impossible or extremely difficult to perceive by the mind or senses; very slight or gradual.

inauguration

The formal beginning or introduction of a period, position, or undertaking, often marked by a ceremony.

indecipherable

Impossible to read, understand, or interpret; illegible or incomprehensible.

indifference

Lack of interest, concern, or sympathy; a state of apathy.

indigenous

Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native to a specific region or environment.

inexplicable

Unable to be explained or accounted for; mysterious or baffling.

infrequent

Not happening often; rare or uncommon.

inherent

Existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute; inborn or intrinsic.

innocuous

Not harmful or offensive; benign or innocuous.

interchangeable

Able to be exchanged or substituted for each other without any loss of function or distinction.

interjected

Inserted a remark or comment suddenly and typically as an interruption during speech.

interminable

Endless or apparently endless; tediously long and drawn out.

intertribal

Occurring or existing between different tribes.

intricate

Very complicated or detailed; elaborately constructed or arranged.

intuitive

Understood or known without conscious reasoning; based on instinct or natural feeling; perceived naturally.

invalidate

To make something legally or officially invalid; to prove that something is false or not valid.

iridescent

Displaying a luminous, shimmering quality with shifting, rainbow-like colors, especially as seen from different angles.

jarring

Causing a strong, unpleasant, and typically shocking or disturbing effect; clashing harshly or incongruously.

juvenile

Young, immature, or characteristic of young people.

laced

Interwoven or tied with cords or laces; also, flavored or mixed with a substance, often subtly.

languish

To grow weak or feeble; to suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant place or situation.

latent

Existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden, concealed, or dormant, but capable of becoming active.

localized

Restricted to a particular area or place; not widespread or general.

mandates

Official orders or commands, often issued by a government or authority; requires a specific course of action.

manifesto

A public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate, outlining their vision.

methodology

A system of methods used in a particular area of study, activity, or field; a set of procedures for conducting research.

mirth

Gladness and amusement, especially as expressed in laughter.

moderation

The avoidance of excess or extremes; temperance or restraint in behavior or indulgence.

mutation

A change or alteration in form or nature, especially a fundamental change in the genetic material of a cell.

mystifying

Completely perplexing, confusing, or baffling.

nondescript

Lacking distinct or interesting qualities or characteristics; difficult to describe or classify; unremarkable.

novel

New, original, or unusual in a way that suggests inventiveness and freshness.