SAT Hit Parade (word list)

Candid

openly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness, honest,blunt

conjecture

a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence):guesswork

didactic

instructive (especially excessively)

effusive

extravagantly demonstrative

euphemism

a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term

extrapolate

extend the application of; predict on the basis of known data

incoherent

unable to think or express your thoughts in a clear or orderly manner

insinuate

v. to suggest or hint slyly; to edge into something indirectly

loquacius

very talkative

lucid

capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner

rhetoric

study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking): loud,confused and empty talk

accumen

Noun

The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain: "business acumen".

adroit

quick or skillful or adept in action or thought, clever, dexterous; deft

ascertain

find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort

astute

shrewd; wise; observing, perceptive; sharp-witted

circumspect

careful, cautious, heedful of potential consequences; prudent; sensible

aesthetic

relating to beauty, aesthetically pleasing, artistic

aural

of or related to the ear or the sense of hearing

cacophony

loud confusing disagreeable sounds

dirge

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

electic

made up of a variety of sources or styles;diverse, Wide ranging

incongruous

lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness, out of place, Not fitting; absurd

sonorous

full, deep, or rich in sound; impressive in style

strident

loud, harsh, grating, or shrill

debacle

a complete failure; a total collapse, disastrous or ludicrous defeat; fiasco

debilitate

impair the strength of; weaken, enfeeble

tumultous

noisy, disorderly, chaos

extraneous

irrelevant; inessential, extra; unnecessary; unimportant

juxtapose

To put side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast

novel

strikingly new or unusual, original

synergy

combined action or operation of two things (muscles or drugs for example) to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects

tangential

merely touching or slightly connected; only superficially relevant

disseminate

to spread or scatter widely; distribute; broadcast

erudition

the knowledge acquired through many years of study, deep, extensive learning

pedantic

excessively concerned with book learning and formal rules, tending to show off one's learning

perspicacious

acutely insightful and wise, extremely intelligent

pragmatic

practical rather than idealistic

precocious

exhibiting unusually early intellectual aptitude or maturity, talented beyond one's age

prolific

abundantly productive

prospectus

a formal proposal, a catalog listing the courses offered by a college or university

rudimentary

basic; elementary; in the earliest stages of development ; crude

abstruse

difficult to understand; complex

callous

emotionally hardened, unfeeling, insensitive

convoluted

twisted; complicated ; intricate

disaffected

having lost faith or loyalty; discontent

enigma

a puzzle, mystery or riddle

inscrutable

difficult to understand; impenetrable; not readily understood; mysterious

reticent

quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings

staid

serious and dignified; quiet or subdued in character or conduct

demeanor

behavior; manner of conducting oneself

arcane

esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener; known and understood by only a few

assimilate

absorb; digest, incorporate, blend in

autonomy

immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority: political independence; personal independence

cosmopolitan

representative of all the world; at home in all countries, broad-minded, of worldwide scope or applicability

derivative

something that comes from another source, copied or adapted; not original

esoteric

intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

gaffe

a clumsy social error; a faux pas

idiosyncrasy

characteristic peculiar to an individual or group

insular

narrowly restricted in outlook or scope, isolated; narrow-minded ;circumscribed ;cut off

orthodox

in agreement with established or generally accepted beliefs or ways of doing things, conventional

conventional

in accord with or being a tradition or practice accepted from the past

potentate

a ruler who is unconstrained by law, monarch; one who holds power over others

castigate

Verb

Reprimand (someone) severely.

Synonyms

punish - chastise - chasten - scourge - discipline

censure

to criticize severely; to officially rebuke

denounce

Publicly declare to be wrong or evil.

Inform against.

reclusive

Withdrawn from society; secluded

relinquish

turn away from, to retire from; give up or abandon

renounce

leave (a job, post, post, or position) voluntarily, to give up, especially by formal announcement

vituperative

(adj.) harshly abusive, severely scolding

circumscribe

to draw a circle around; limit, define, restrict or confine, "I limit you to two visits to the pub a day"

contiguous

very close or connected in space or time, touching; adjoining

conciliatory

appeasing; making peace; attempting to resolve a dispute through goodwill

credible

believable, plausible

exonerate

pronounce not guilty of criminal charges

incontrovertible

indisputable; not open to question

indict

to charge with a crime; accuse

litigious

inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits

partisan

an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity or party or cause

parity

equality, as in amount, status, or value (antonym: disparity)

rectitude

moral uprightness; righteousness

remiss

neglectful in performance of one's duty, careless

repudiate

to disown , cast-off, reject, or deny the validity of

sanctimonious

Making a show of being morally superior to other people, holier-than-thou, feigning piety or righteousness.

scrupulous

(of a person or process) Diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive to details.

Very concerned to avoid doing wrong.; meticulous

solicitous

anxious or concerned

substantiate

to support with proof or evidence; verify

veracity

unwillingness to tell lies, truthfulness

vindicate

clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting proof

anachronistic

chronologically misplaced ; in a wrong time.

adj. of a person having an opinion of the past; preferring things or values of the past; behind the times; over-conservative.

archaic

antiquated, old, out of use, Ancient, old-fashioned

dilatory

to delay or procrastinate on purpose , slow , habitually late

ephemeral

lasting for a very short time; transitory; brief ; momentary

redolent

Adjective

Strongly reminiscent or suggestive of (something): "names redolent of history and tradition".

Strongly smelling of something: "the church was old, dark, and redolent of incense".

Synonyms

fragrant - odoriferous - odorous - aromatic - scented

temporal

not eternal(relating to the everyday world as opposed to that which is spiritual or eternal), , temporary

clandestine

Adjective

Kept secret or done secretively, esp. because illicit.

Synonyms

secret - surreptitious - undercover - furtive - privy

subterfuge

something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity, deception, evasive dodge in order to escape, ruse, trick(EX. "he wasn't sick--it was just a subterfuge"; "the holding company was just a blind")

surreptitious

secretive; sneaky , intended to escape observation; made or accomplished by fraud

dearth

a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine

modicum

A small, moderate, or token amount

paucity

an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth