SAT Vocabulary Review P2 (P 11-20)

A collection of vocabulary flashcards to help prepare for SAT exams.

balk

(v.) to stop, block abruptly

ballad

(n.) a love song

banal

(adj.) dull, commonplace

bane

(n.) a burden

bard

(n.) a poet, often a singer as well

bashful

(adj.) shy, excessively timid

battery

(1) (n.) a device that supplies power; (2) (n.) assault, beating

beguile

(v.) to trick, deceive

behemoth

(n.) something of tremendous power or size

benevolent

(adj.) marked by goodness or doing good

benign

(adj.) favorable, not threatening, mild

bequeath

(v.) to pass on, give

berate

(v.) to scold vehemently

bereft

(adj.) devoid of, without

beseech

(v.) to beg, plead, implore

bias

(n.) a tendency, inclination, prejudice

bilk

(v.) cheat, defraud

blandish

(v.) to coax by using flattery

blemish

(n.) an imperfection, flaw

blight

(1) (n.) a plague, disease; (2) (n.) something that destroys hope

boisterous

(adj.) loud and full of energy

bombastic

(adj.) excessively confident, pompous

boon

(n.) a gift or blessing

bourgeois

(n.) a middle-class person, capitalist

brazen

(adj.) excessively bold, brash

brusque

(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive

buffet

(1) (v.) to strike with force; (2) (n.) an arrangement of food set out on a table

burnish

(v.) to polish, shine

buttress

(1) (v.) to support, hold up; (2) (n.) something that offers support

cacophony

(n.) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound

cadence

(n.) a rhythm, progression of sound

cajole

(v.) to urge, coax

calamity

(n.) an event with disastrous consequences

calibrate

(v.) to set, standardize

callous

(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling

calumny

(n.) an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies

camaraderie

(n.) brotherhood, jovial unity

candor

(n.) honesty, frankness

canny

(adj.) shrewd, careful

canvas

(1) (n.) a piece of cloth on which an artist paints; (2) (v.) to cover, inspect

capacious

(adj.) very spacious

capitulate

(v.) to surrender

capricious

(adj.) subject to whim, fickle

captivate

(v.) to get the attention of, hold

carouse

(v.) to party, celebrate

carp

(v.) to annoy, pester

catalog

(1) (v.) to list, enter into a list; (2) (n.) a list or collection

catalyze

(v.) to charge, inspire

caucus

(n.) a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal

caustic

(adj.) bitter, biting, acidic

cavort

(v.) to leap about, behave boisterously

censure

(1) (n.) harsh criticism; (2) (v.) to rebuke formally

cerebral

(adj.) related to the intellect

chaos

(n.) absolute disorder

chastise

(v.) to criticize severely

cherish

(v.) to feel or show affection toward something

chide

(v.) to voice disapproval

choreography

(n.) the arrangement of dances

chronicle

(1) (n.) a written history; (2) (v.) to write a history

chronological

(adj.) arranged in order of time

circuitous

(adj.) roundabout

circumlocution

(n.) indirect and wordy language

circumscribed

(adj.) marked off, bounded

circumspect

(adj.) cautious

circumvent

(v.) to get around

clairvoyant

(adj.) able to perceive things that normal people cannot

clamor

(1) (n.) loud noise; (2) (v.) to loudly insist

clandestine

(adj.) secret

cleave

(1) (v.) to divide into parts; (2) (v.) to stick together firmly

clemency

(n.) mercy

clergy

(n.) members of Christian holy orders

cloying

(adj.) sickeningly sweet

coagulate

(v.) to thicken, clot

coalesce

(v.) to fuse into a whole

cobbler

(n.) a person who makes or repairs shoes

coerce

(v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat

cogent

(adj.) intellectually convincing

cognizant

(adj.) aware, mindful

coherent

(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible

collateral

(1) (adj.) secondary; (2) (n.) security for a debt

colloquial

(adj.) characteristic of informal conversation

collusion

(n.) secret agreement, conspiracy

colossus

(n.) a gigantic statue or thing

combustion

(n.) the act or process of burning

commendation

(n.) a notice of approval or recognition

commensurate

(adj.) corresponding in size or amount

commodious

(adj.) roomy

compelling

(adj.) forceful, demanding attention

compensate

(v.) to make an appropriate payment for something

complacency

(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger

complement

(v.) to complete, make perfect

compliant

(adj.) ready to adapt oneself to another’s wishes

complicit

(adj.) being an accomplice in a wrongful act

compliment

(n.) an expression of esteem or approval

compound

(1) (v.) to combine parts; (2) (n.) a combination of different parts; (3) (n.) a walled area containing a group of buildings

comprehensive

(adj.) including everything

compress

(v.) to apply pressure, squeeze together

compunction

(n.) distress caused by feeling guilty

concede

(v.) to accept as valid

conciliatory

(adj.) friendly, agreeable