SAT Vocab

abase

to humiliate, degrade

abate

(v.) to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit

abberation

something that differs from the norm

abdicate

to give up a position, right, or power

abduct

to kidnap

abet

to assist or encourage, especially in wrongdoing

abhor

to hate

abide

to remain; continue; stay; endure

abject

Lowly, miserable and wretched

abjure

to renounce, repudiate under oath; to avoid, shun

abnegation

denial of comfort to oneself

abort

(v.) to give up on a half-finished project or effort (After they ran out of food, the men, attempting to jump rope around the world, had to abort and go home.)

abridge

to make shorter

abrogate

to abolish

abscond

to run off and hide

absolution

forgiveness; pardon; release

abstain

to choose not to do something

abstruse

difficult to understand

accede

to yield to; to assume an office or dignity

accentuate

to emphasize

accessible

easy to approach; obtainable

acclaim

praise

accommodating

helpful, obliging, polite

accord

agreement

accost

to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way

accretion

growth in size or increase in amount

acerbic

biting, bitter in tone or taste

acquiesce

(v.) to accept without protest; to agree or submit

acrimony

bitterness

acumen

keen insight

adament

unyielding; firm in opinion

adept

(adj.) thoroughly skilled; (n.) an expert

adhere

to stick to

admonish

(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty

adorn

to decorate

adroit

skillful, expert in the use of the hands or mind

adulation

high praise

adumbrate

to sketch out in a vague way

adverse

(adj) unfavorable, negative; working against, hostile

advocate

to speak in favor of

aerial

somehow related to the air

aesthetic

concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

affable

friendly

affinity

an attraction to

affluent

wealthy

affront

an insult

aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater

aggregate

gather; accumulate

Aggrevied

feeling or expressing a sense of injustice, injury, or offense

agile

able to move quickly and easily

agnostic

(n.) one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; (adj.) without faith, skeptical

agriculture

farming

aisle

a passageway between rows of seats

alacrity

brisk and cheerful readiness

alias

an assumed name

allay

(v.) to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve

allege

to assert without proof or confirmation

alleviate

to relieve, make more bearable

allocate

to set apart or designate for a special purpose; to distribute

aloof (a.)

reserved, distant

altercation

an angry argument

amalgamate

to combine

ambiguous

open to more than one interpretation

ambivalent

Having mixed feelings

ameliorate

to improve

amenable

agreeable

amenity

something that adds to one's comfort or convenience

amicable

peaceable, friendly

amorous

Expressing love or the state of being in love

amorphous

shapeless

anachronistic

out of date

analgesic

drug that relieves pain

analogous

comparable

anarchist

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

anathema

(n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)

anecdote

a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

anesthesia

loss of sensation

anguish

severe mental or physical pain or suffering

animated

lively

annex

to add or attach

annul

declare invalid

anomaly

deviation from what is normal

anonymous

of an unknown source or unrevealed name

antagonism

active hostility or opposition

antecedent

something that came before

antediluvian

extremely old; antiquated

anthology

A collection of various writings, such as songs, stories, or poems

antipathy

strong dislike

antiquated

no longer used or useful; very old

antiseptic

clean, sterile

antithesis

Direct opposite

anxiety

The condition of feeling uneasy or worried about what may happen

apathetic

feeling or showing little emotion

apocryphal

of questionable authority or authenticity

appalling

inspiring shock, horror, disgust

appease

to calm; to make satisfied (often only temporarily)

appraise

to assess the worth or value of

apprehend

To seize; to arrest

approbation

approval or praise

appropriate

proper