Common ASVAB Words

an official ban

COVID prompted a worldwide embargo on travel.

embargo

lacking internal strength or structure

Sarah's legs became limp after crossing the finish line.

limp

a spell or sustained period

I want to go on a shopping spree after I win the lottery.

spree

having a hole or empty space inside

We hollowed out a space in the cabinet and turned it into a desk.

hollow

pay attention to

Heed the warnings and suggestions of the ones that came before you.

heed

uncertain or unclear meaning

The spoken directions to the farm were very vague.

vague

huge, enormous

They soon hired thousands more employees to handle the mammoth number of inquiries.

mammoth

a state of confused and noisy disturbance

Mr. Dill could not sleep with all the commotion his neighbors were making.

commotion

a pause or gap

He took a week-long hiatus after the divorce was finalized.

hiatus

Live in or be settled

Native Americans dwelled in these lands far before us.

dwell

reluctant, unwilling

Henry was loath to marry Winefred until he learned she was pregnant.

loath

Unable to bend, not flexible

Try not to be late as Mr. Porter’s schedule is very rigid.

rigid

tired or exhausted

Henry always returns home from work tired and weary.

weary

climb up or over

The hikers scaled the mountain surprisingly fast.

scale

greatly surprised or astonished

The way this year is going has me deeply flabbergasted.

flabbergasted

grow or develop well

She began to thrive once she was transferred to a new school.

thrive

state of confusion or uncertainty

The ATM spit out an inappropriate amount of money leaving Ben in a state of turmoil deciding what to do.

turmoil

disappear or decrease

As the moon wanes, it gets smaller.

wane

bitterly or sneeringly distrustful or pessimistic

Maybe something from his past made him so cynical.

cynical

a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm

Niko and Paula usually end their days by watching the sunset into the abyss by a fire.

abyss

to greatly astonish or amaze

Travelers are usually dumbfounded at the cost of goods in certain South Asian countries.

dumbfound

danger of loss, harm, or failure

Ever since she lost her memory, their marriage has been in jeopardy.

jeopardy

give special importance, bring attention to

I’m pretty sure this will be on the exam because of the way professor Gessner emphasized its importance.

emphasize

a fertile spot in a desert where water is found, watering hole

I am dreaming of an oasis to fulfill this thirst.

oasis

urgently call for, request the presence of

I’ve summoned my broom but it hasn’t arrived yet.

summon

having no legal or binding force, void

Our contract is not null and void since you’ve breached the rights of our agreements.

null

behavior or manners

I wish for you to court Daphne as she has a charming deportment and wealthy dowry.

deportment

begin or introduce

The new CEO was inaugurated on Wednesday morning with a catered breakfast for the company.

inaugurate

enough, more than enough, plenty of

Jose returned home with ample time to get ready for the night’s activities.

ample

a person new or inexperienced

Please welcome a novice that’s quickly made a name for herself in the comedy scene, Alexis.

novice