ACT Vocab List 1

Abate

to lessen or reduce in degree

Aberration

Something unusual or out of the ordinary

Abstain

to refrain from doing or enjoying something

Adversity

difficulty, hardship, or misfortune

Aesthetic

concerned with beauty, art, or appearance

Amicable

friendly, agreeable, or cooperative in nature

Anachronistic

out of place in time, chronologically misplaced

Arid

extremely dry or lacking in interest

Assiduous

hardworking, diligent, and persistent

Benevolent

kind, charitable, and generous in spirit

Condescending

Acting superior, patronizing, or looking down on others

Conformist

a person who follows customs, rules, or standards

Convergence

the process of coming together or uniting

Deleterious

harming or damaging in effect

Demagogue

a leader who appeals to people’s emotions and prejudices

Digression

a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing

Diligent

persistent and hardworking in effort

Discredit

to dishonor, disprove, or bring into doubt

Disdain

lack of respect, contempt, or scorn

Divergent

moving apart, developing in different directions

Hypothesis

a proposed explanation based on evidence, to be tested

Impetuous

acting quickly without thought or care, impulsive

Impute

to attribute blame or responsibility to someone

Inconsequential

unimportant, not worth considering

Inevitable

certain to happen, unavoidable

Intrepid

fearless, adventurous, and brave

Lobbyist

a person who tries to influence political decisions for a cause or group

Mundane

ordinary, commonplace, lacking excitement

Novice

beginner, someone new or inexperienced

Opulent

wealthy, luxurious, or lavish