Cause & Effect Vocabulary, 1. Reading: Craft and Structure, SAT Reading and Writing

abet

to assist, encourage, or support someone in doing something wrong or illegal

abstain

(v.) to deliberately choose not to do or participate in something.

adapt to

to adjust or become accustomed to new conditions. ('He adapted quickly to the colder climate.')

affable

friendly and easy to talk to; approachable and pleasant in manner.

affront

(n.) an insult or action that causes offense or hurt feelings.

Agitate

(v.) to actively campaign for something, often a cause. Example: They are agitating for better healthcare.

alienate

to cause someone to feel isolated, unwelcome, or hostile.

amenity

(n.) a feature that provides comfort, convenience, or pleasure. Amenities make living or staying somewhere more pleasant and enjoyable.

amiable

friendly and kind; displaying a pleasant or agreeable nature.

Annihilate

(v.) to completely destroy or wipe out.

Appreciate

to recognize the value of something or someone, or to increase in value

Arrest

to stop or halt

ascendancy

(n.) a position of dominance or power

basal (adj.)

forming or relating to the base or bottom layer of something.

belittle

(v.) to put down; to make someone or something seem less important or valued.

benevolent

generous, kind, and charitable towards others

Boost

(n.) an increase or improvement; (v.) to raise or encourage growth

caucus

(n.) a meeting of people with a common goal, often to decide on a course of action or select candidates.

cease (v.)

to stop or bring to an end.

circulate (v.)

to move or cause to move continuously throughout a closed system or within an area.

coalesce

(v.) to come together or merge to form a unified whole.

commemorate

(v.) to honor or remember someone or something, often with a ceremony.

Commission

(n.) payment given to request the creation of something, such as a service or product. Example: This painting was commissioned by a wealthy merchant in 1589.

compliant

willing to agree with others or obey rules; submissive.

conciliatory

(adj.) intended to make peace or calm by being friendly or agreeable. Example: Amanda's invitation was a conciliatory gesture.

contribution (n.)

1. Something given, like a donation. 2. An action or service that helps achieve or increase something.

cordial

warm, sincere, and friendly in manner; welcoming.

covert

(adj.) done in secret; not openly acknowledged (Nerwin waged a covert campaign against his enemies while pretending to be friendly.)

crescendo

(n.) a gradual increase in intensity or loudness (The crescendo of the brass instruments gave the piece a patriotic feel.)

cultivate

(v.) to develop or nurture something (At the library, she cultivated her interest in spy novels.)

decry

(v.) to openly criticize or express strong disapproval (The helpful video store clerk decried the policy of charging late fees to customers.)

degrade (v.)

1. To treat someone with contempt or disrespect. 2. To break down or deteriorate, especially chemically.

deleterious

Harmful or damaging, especially to health or well-being.

detachment

(n.) emotional distance; lack of involvement.

detrimental

Causing harm or damage; harmful.

disinclination

(n.) a feeling of reluctance or unwillingness; slight aversion.

disperse

(v.) to scatter or cause to scatter. (When the rain began, the baseball crowd quickly dispersed.)

dissipate

1. (v.) to disappear or cause to disappear (The sun dissipated the haze.) 2. (v.) to waste (She dissipated her fortune on bad investments.)

Double-blind study

An experiment where neither participants nor researchers know who receives the treatment or placebo.

duplicity

(n.) deceitfulness or dishonesty (His duplicity involved tricking employees and stealing money from the company.)

efficacious

(adj.) effective, capable of producing the intended result. (The doctor said the cold medicine was efficacious, though I am still sniffling.)

efficient

(a) working quickly and effectively in a well-organized way.

espouse

(v.) to adopt or support a belief, cause, or way of life.

evanescent

quickly fading or disappearing; soon passing out of sight or memory.

exploit (noun)

(n.) a bold or notable act or deed.

exponential (adj.)

(of increase) becoming more rapid over time; growing at an accelerating rate

fawning

trying to gain favor by being overly flattering or excessively kind.

forbear

to deliberately avoid doing something; to hold back or refrain

galvanize

verb. To motivate or urge people into action, often suddenly. ("The speech galvanized the audience into supporting the cause.")

gluttony

(n.) excessive eating or drinking; overindulgence in food or drink. (Ada's fried chicken is so good that gluttony seems forgivable.)

grasp

(v) to seize or hold something firmly; also, to take advantage of an opportunity eagerly.

gratuitous

(adj.) given freely, unnecessary, or excessive; not required by the situation.

hegemony

(n.) dominance or leadership over others, especially by one nation or group.

hiatus

(n.) a pause, break, or interruption in continuity or activity.

hospitable

Welcoming and generous to guests or strangers.

impede

(v.) to hinder or delay; to block progress or movement.

impervious

(adj.) not affected or penetrated; immune. (Because of their thick layer of fur, many seals are almost impervious to the cold.)

impetuous

(adj.) acting quickly without thought; impulsive. (Hilda's hasty slaying of the king was an impetuous, thoughtless action.)

implacable

(adj.) cannot be appeased or calmed; unforgiving. (Watch out: once you shun Grandma's cooking, she is totally implacable.)

indeterminate

adj. Not exactly known, established, or defined. ("The cause of the explosion remains indeterminate.")

inoculate

(v.) to introduce a vaccine or substance into the body to produce immunity against disease; to vaccinate.

insularity

(n.) narrow-mindedness or isolation from others or outside influences.

inure

(v.) to become accustomed to something unpleasant through repeated exposure.

legerdemain

(n.) trickery or skillful deception, often involving slight of hand.

meritorious

(adj.) deserving of praise or reward.

microbe (n.)

a tiny living organism, such as a bacterium or virus, that can only be seen under a microscope and may cause disease.

moderate

1. (adj.) not extreme or excessive. 2. (n.) a person with moderate opinions.

Momentum

The quantity of motion of an object, calculated as mass multiplied by velocity.

morass

(n.) a swampy, boggy area; figuratively, a complicated or confusing situation.

munificence

(n.) great generosity in giving.

obsequious

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

parallel

lines or objects that stay the same distance apart along their length.

patronize (v.)

1. to treat someone as if they are less important 2. to be a regular customer 3. to provide financial support

penchant

(n.) a strong liking or preference for something.

perceive (v.)

1. to think of or understand something in a certain way 2. to notice or become aware of something

philanthropic

desiring to help others through generous gifts or charity; humane

philanthropist

(n.) someone who seeks to promote human welfare, typically by donating money to good causes.

plethora

An excessive amount or overabundance.

pollen (n.)

a fine yellow powder from flowers that helps plants reproduce, carried by wind or insects

profusion

(n.) a large quantity of something; abundance.

proliferation

(n.) a rapid and often excessive increase in number or spread.

promptly

(adv) immediately, without delay, or at the scheduled time.

promulgate

(v.) to officially announce or make something widely known.

reciprocate

(v.) to give something in return for a gesture or action.

reinforce

verb. To make something stronger or more effective; to support or strengthen. ("The bridge was reinforced to withstand strong winds.")

renown

(n.) widespread fame, honor, or acclaim.

retrospective

adj. Looking back on or dealing with past events. ("The artist held a retrospective exhibition of his early works.")

ruse

(n.) a crafty trick or scheme intended to deceive. Example: He invented a ruse to sneak out undetected.

rush

(v) to go or do something very quickly or in a hurry.

scribble

(v) To write or draw quickly or carelessly. (n) Messy or careless writing or drawing.

seclusion

(n.) isolation or the state of being kept apart from others; solitude.

servile

very submissive, like a slave; overly humble and eager to please.

submissive

willing to yield to authority or others; humble and obedient.

sustain

(v.) to keep up, support, or maintain an action or state over time.

umbrage

(n.) offense or resentment (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult.)

validate

(v.) to confirm or prove to be true. Example: Her lab partner could not validate her results because he was asleep during the experiment.

ventilate (v.)

1. to allow fresh air to move freely in a space 2. to bring up or discuss an issue or opinion publicly

volatile

liable to change quickly and unpredictably; unstable or explosive

zealot

(n.) a person intensely devoted to a cause, especially in a fanatical way.

buttress

1. (v.) to support, hold up (The column buttresses the roof above the statue.) 2. (n.) something that offers support (The buttress supports the roof above the statues.)