SAT Vocab

accede

1. give in, agree to 2. take office

acclaim

praise

acquiesce

give in

affable (related: affability)

friendly

affected

1. influenced by something 2. artificial, trying to impress

affluent

wealthy

ailment

illness

ambivalence (related: ambivalent)

mixed feelings

amenable

1. cooperative, easily persuaded 2. receptive, responsive

animosity

hostility

anomalous(related: anomaly)

not normal, unusual

antecedent

what came before

antithesis

opposite

apathetic (related: apathy)

lacking interest

apparatus

device, equipment

arbitrary

random

archaic

old or old-fashioned

assail

attack

assuage

1. relieve, soothe 2. satisfy

atrophy

waste away

atypical

not normal

augment

to make larger, increase

auspicious

favorable, promising

aversion

dislike

banal

not original, common, boring

benevolent

generous

buoyant

1. cheerful 2. floating 3. very active (in an economic context)

buttress

support

byzantine

excessively complex

bog

marsh, swamp

cajole

to persuade with false promises and flattery

callous

unfeeling, insensitive

capacity

ability

catalyst

something that triggers an event

caustic

1. bitter and sarcastic 2. acidic

cerebral

intellectual

charismatic

charming

circumscribe

restrict, limit

circumvent

overcome an obstacle

cite

1. quote as evidence 2. mention as an example

combustible

able to catch fire easily

compatible

1. able to co-exist peacefully, well-suited 2. consistent

compile

assemble, collect

comply

go along with rules

comprehensive

thorough

conducive

favorable to, likely to bring about a certain outcome

congenial

pleasant

conscientious

careful, hardworking

constraint

restriction, limitation

consummate

1. (verb) complete, make perfect 2. (adjective) highly skilled, perfect

contemporary

1. living or occurring at the same time 2. occurring in the present

contemptuous (related: contempt)

scornful, disrespectful

contingency

1. possibility 2. unforeseen event

convoluted

complicated, twisted

criterion

standard by which things are judged or measured

cursory

quick, hurried, not thorough

deficit

lack, shortage

definitive

absolute, authoritative

demure (related: demurral)

overly modest, shy

denounce

declare to be wrong, criticize

depose

To remove from office or power, testify or give evidence (in a legal context)

deprecate (related: deprecating)

disapprove of, criticize

derivative

unoriginal

derogatory (related: derogate)

insulting, disrespecting

destitute

extremely poor

deter

prevent, discourage

detrimental

harmful; damaging

devoid

lacking

diligent (related: diligence)

hardworking

diplomatic

1. having to do with foreign relations 2. tactful, sensitive, polite

dire

urgent, dreadful

discount (verb)

1. reduce in price 2. ignore, disregard

discourse

discussion

discredit

harm someone's reputation

discrepancy

difference, mismatch

discriminating

selective, having refined taste

disseminate

scatter or spread widely

domestic

relating to the home or the home country

dominant

most important or powerful

dormant

not active

eclectic

from a variety of sources

efface (related: effacement)

erase

effervesce (related: effervescent)

bubble, fizz

eloquence (related: eloquent)

flowing and persuasive speech or writing

elude

escape from, avoid

embitter (related: embittered)

cause someone to feel bitter

empirical

based on observation and experimentation

encompass

include, surround

endorse

approve, support

enigma (related: enigmatic)

mystery

equanimity

calmness

equitable

fair, even-handed

erroneous

incorrect

evince

show clearly

exacting

demanding, having severe requirements

exasperate

annoy

excise

remove

explicit

fully expressed, leaving nothing implied

exploit

1. (verb) benefit unfairly from something 2. (noun) bold or heroic deed

facile

1. shallow, simplistic 2. effortless