SSAT Upper Level Vocab 1

Ambience

The atmosphere or mood of a place

Ambiguous

Unclear/Uncertain

Bemuse

to confuse or bewilder

Capitulate

to give up

Creed

system of beliefs

Dearth

(n.) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine

Debade

a complete failure; a total collapse

Exalt

to glorify, to praise, to raise in rank

Fiasco

(n.) the complete collapse or failure of a project

Gaffe

a clumsy social error; a faux pas

Idiosyncrasy

a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

Livid

Furious

Medley

(n.) a mixture of differing things (Susannah's wardrobe contained an astonishing medley of colors, from olive green to fluorescent pink.)

precocious

(adj.) showing unusually early development (especially in talents and mental capacity)

tentative

experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant

Vendetta

Grudge

Amnesty

Full forgiveness

Blemish

An imperfection

Candid

honest

Coalesce

come together and form one mass or whole

Contrite

feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt

Convoluted

intricate; complex

delineate

(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially

Eschew

avoid;shun

extol

praise

fickle

inconsistent

hubris

excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

irate

angry;annoyed

magnanimous

generous

nascent

starting to develop; coming into existence

Philanthropy

charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness

piety

devotion

prudent

careful

quixotic

exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical

reproach

disapprove, blame

schism

division

strenuous

arduous

umbrage

offense

wily

(adj.) sly, shrewd, cunning

Abeyance

temporary inactivity or suspension

abnegate

renounce; reject

acrmonious

angry; bitter

Acumen

keen insight; shrewdness

amalgamate

combine

admonish

reprimand; punish

antecede

v. To precede.

antiquated

obsolete; old-fashioned

apparatus

the technical equipment or machinery needed for a particular activity or purpose

attenuate

weaken

baleful

threatening

Cataclysm

a violent event

clandestine

done in secret

Compunction

remorse, regret

confluence

act of merging

congenital

present from birth

din

loud, unpleasant noise

elucidate

make clear

enjoin

to command

ennui

weariness form having nothing to do' boredom

ersatz

artificial

filch

steal casually

fraught

(adj.) full of or loaded with; accompanied by

Galvanize

shock into taking action

garrulous

very talkative

gyrate

to rotate or revolve quickly; to spiral

harbinger

something that warns of another event

homage

a public honor

ignominy

public shame

jocund

cheerful

kismet

fate, destiny

jeremiad

a drawn out complaint

lachrymose

tearful; sad

licit

legal

lugubrious

gloomy, depressing

malaise

discomfort

malapropism

the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar

malfeasance

misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official

maxim

rule of conduct

neophyte

beginner, fledgling

Nexus

a means of connection; a center

obstreperous

noisy or hard to control

paean

song of joy or triumph; a fervent expression of joy

pariah

outcast, misfit; refugee

paroxysm

(n.) a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion

pathos

a quality that evokes pity or sadness

polyglot

a speaker of many languages

prolix

wordy

purloin

steal

quandary

dilemma

quotidian

daily, ordinary

recalcitrant

defying authority

sanguine

optimistic

stentorian

loud and powerful

subterfuge

deception used to get or hide something

synthesis

combination of parts to make a whole

tome

a thick book

verisimilitude

the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable

zenith

climax;highest point

Bashful

shy

counsel

something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action