College Board Vocabulary

Affluent (adj.)

having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

Arduous (adj.)

characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion

Blight (adj.)

affected by something that prevents growth or prosperity

Breach (v)

to make an opening or gap in 

Buffet (v)

strike, beat repeatedly 

Cachet (n)

an indication of approved or superior status

Demise (n)

the time when something ends

Drudgery (n)

hard, monotonous, routine work 

Equestrian (adj.)

of or relating to or featuring horseback riding 

Indolence (n)

inactivity resulting from a dislike of work

Litigious (adj.)

inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree 

Priggish (adj.)

exaggeratedly or self-righteously proper

Resilience (n)

an occurrence of rebounding or springing back

Tedium (n)

the feeling of being bored by something

Treacherous (adj.)

dangerously unstable and unpredictable

Dote (v)

to shower with love and attention

Ecstatic (adj.)

feeling great rapture or delight (from the noun, ecstasy)

Enamel (n)

glossy, decorative coating that's applied to metal or pottery

Fraught (adj.)

filled with something—often something bad

Gratification (n)

the act or an instance of satisfying; state of being gratified or satisfied

Grueling (adj.)

very difficult; characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion

Idyllic (adj.)

charmingly simple and serene; so wonderful it seems almost magical

Instill (v)

impart gradually; teach by frequent repetitions

Mettle (n)

the courage to carry on

Nuisance (n)

something that causes small annoyances

Passivity (n)

the trait of remaining inactive; a lack of initiative; submission to others

Sheer (adj.)

almost see-through (ex.: curtains); steep (ex.: cliffs)

Squander (v)

to spend extravagantly, thoughtlessly, or wastefully

Tedious (adj.)

boring; so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

Unwitting (adj.)

not aware or knowing; not done with purpose or intent