June 6 SAT Vocab: CB-Style

High-yield SAT vocabulary deck built from College Board practice-test patterns.

manifest

clearly show; become evident. SAT trap: not just a list.

tenuous

weak; thin; poorly supported. Opposite: strong or robust.

undermine

weaken; damage support. Opposite: bolster.

underscore

emphasize; highlight.

substantiate

support with evidence; prove with facts.

corroborate

confirm or support with additional evidence.

ameliorate

improve; make better. Opposite: exacerbate.

exacerbate

make worse; intensify a problem.

mitigate

reduce severity; make less harmful.

preclude

prevent; make impossible.

conflate

mix up or combine incorrectly.

contentious

controversial; disputed.

plausible

believable; reasonable, but not necessarily proven.

skeptical

doubtful; questioning.

ambivalence

mixed feelings or conflicting attitudes.

incongruous

out of place; mismatched.

inconsequential

unimportant; having little effect.

substantial

considerable; meaningful; important.

recognizable

identifiable; able to be known again.

indecipherable

impossible to read, understand, or interpret.

compelling

convincing; forceful; interesting.

critique

evaluate critically; analyze strengths and weaknesses.

outmoded

outdated; no longer current.

universal

applying everywhere or to all cases.

approximate

estimate; close to exact but not exact.

analogous

similar in a relevant way.

distinct

clearly different or separate.

conventional

traditional; standard; ordinary.

innovative

new; original; introducing change.

robust

strong; reliable; able to withstand challenge.

novel

new; original. SAT trap: not necessarily a book.

plastic

flexible; moldable. SAT trap: not only synthetic material.

check

restrain; stop; limit.

wanting

lacking; deficient.

mark

indicate; signal.

qualify

limit or modify a claim; not only meet requirements.

sanction

approve or penalize depending on context.

economy

efficiency; restraint; careful use of resources.

color

influence or distort perception.

occupy

take up; fill; hold attention.

eschew

avoid deliberately.

ubiquitous

present everywhere; widespread.

proponent

supporter; advocate.

conjecture

guess or inference based on incomplete evidence.

attenuate

weaken; reduce in force.

abridge

shorten; condense.

idiosyncratic

unusual; distinctive to a person or group.

index

indicate; serve as a sign of.

equivocal

ambiguous; unclear; open to multiple interpretations.

abate

decrease; lessen.

capacious

spacious; able to hold much; broad.

transpose

move or switch position/order.

anomalous

unusual; deviating from a pattern.

evince

show; reveal; make evident.

precede

come before.

vindicate

justify; prove right; clear from blame.

enumerate

list one by one.

belie

contradict; give a false impression of.

quintessential

most typical or perfect example.

irrefutable

impossible to disprove.

sporadic

occasional; irregular.

capricious

unpredictable; impulsive.

cursory

quick and superficial.

discerning

perceptive; showing good judgment.

pernicious

harmful, especially subtly.

supersede

replace; take the place of.

augment

increase; add to.

dearth

shortage; scarcity.

denote

indicate; mean.

supplant

replace; take over the role of.

meticulous

extremely careful and precise.

discrepancy

difference; inconsistency.

pervade

spread throughout.

insurmountable

impossible to overcome.

alleviate

reduce pain, difficulty, or severity.

however

contrast transition: signals a turn or exception.

therefore

result transition: signals consequence.

nevertheless

contrast transition: despite that.

moreover

addition transition: adds support.

likewise

similarity transition: in the same way.

conversely

contrast/opposite transition: from the other side.

whereas

contrast transition: while on the other hand.

although

concession transition: despite the fact that.

bolster

support; strengthen.

refute

disprove; argue against.

explicit

clearly stated.

implicit

suggested but not directly stated.

transparent

clear; easy to understand.

negligible

so small as to be unimportant.

untenable

not defensible; not able to be maintained.

fragile

weak; easily broken or damaged.

exploit

use effectively; take advantage of.

impending

about to happen; approaching soon.

innocuous

harmless; not likely to cause damage.

perpetual

continuous; unending; lasting forever.

antecedent

something that came before.

discount

dismiss; minimize; treat as less important.

rationalize

justify, often with weak reasoning.

postulate

assume or propose as true.

rectify

fix; correct a problem.