SAT Vocab Set 12

Vocabulary flashcards to help review and master the terms from Set 12 (words 395–430).

repudiate

to reject

repugnant

offensive; disgusting

rescind

to annul; to retract

reticent / reticence

emotionally reserved; unwilling to speak freely

reverent

respectful; pious

rhetoric(al) / rhetorician

the art of elegant speech or writing; an eloquent speaker or writer

rouse / rousing

to provoke or excite; stimulating

sage

wise; a wise person

sanctimonious

pretending to be religious; hypocritically pious

sanction (verb)

to formally approve

sanctity

holiness; sacredness

sanguine

cheerfully confident; optimistic

satiate

to satisfy fully

satire / satirical / satirize

sarcastic imitation; to mock using irony

saturate

to flood; to soak completely

scanty

barely sufficient; meager

scathing

harshly critical; severely scornful

scintillating

lively; effervescent; brilliantly clever

scope

opportunity; range; extent of something

scrupulous

very careful and precise; having moral integrity

scrutinize / scrutiny

to examine carefully; close inspection

self-righteous

smug; holier-than-thou

self-serving

selfish; acting for one’s own benefit

serendipity

luck; fortunate discovery by chance

servile

submissive; subservient

shrewd

astute; smart; having sharp judgment

shroud

to hide; to obscure; a covering

simile

a comparison using “like” or “as”

slight (verb)

to insult; to snub

slipshod

careless; sloppy; poorly done

solace

comfort; consolation in sorrow

solicitous / solicitousness

expressing care or concern, often too much

somber

bleak; gloomy; serious

sophistry

deceptive reasoning; plausible but false argument

spartan

simple; self-disciplined; austere

sporadic

occurring at irregular intervals