SAT Vocab Words #701-800

trowel

(n.) a flat-bladed tool used for spreading cement

dislodge

(v.) to force out of a concealed position

loath

(adj.) unwilling, reluctant

zenith

(n.) maximum; the highest point

dank

(adj.) unpleasantly damp

dormant

(adj.) inactive, but capable of being active

haggard

(adj.) appearing tired and thin, as from anxiety, disease, hunger, etc.

masonry

(n.) stonework or brickwork

dilettante

(n.) one who engages an art with only superficial skill; an amateur

jocular

(adj.) characterized by joking

antipathy

(n.) a feeling of strong repulsion or aversion

quarry

(n.) a hunted bird or animal; prey

ingenuous

(adj.) innocent; naive

implicate

(v.) to incriminate; to show or suggest involvement

paternal

(adj.) relating to or characteristic of a father

aver

(v.) to affirm or declare

liberal

(adj.) generous; giving freely

perennial

(adj.) lasting through the years

levy

(v.) to impose or collect, usually taxes

prevail

(v.) to triumph over; to be or become most common

prowess

(n.) superior skill or ability

abdicate

(v.) to willingly give up the position of king, queen, etc.; to choose not to fulfill a role or duty

accord

(n.) agreement

palpable

(adj.) capable of being handled, touched, or felt; easily perceived

spontaneous

(adj.) occurring naturally or without forethought

pedantic

(adj.) putting unnecessary stress on minor or purely academic knowledge

lithe

(adj.) limber and graceful; supple

fiasco

(n.) a major disaster

drone

(v.) to make a continuous, low buzzing or humming sound; to speak monotonously

abide

(v.) to tolerate

fluctuate

(v.) to move back and forth or up and down, especially unpredictably

harp

(v.) to talk or write about excessively

preeminent

(adj.) superior in status or fame to all

specious

(adj.) seeming to be truthful on the surface, but actually false

contract

(v.) to reduce in size by drawing together

inadvertent

(adj.) unintentional; accidental

serendipity

(n.) unexpected gift or discovery

malicious

(adj.) spiteful

inanimate

(adj.) without any character or life; dull

plaintive

(adj.) expressing sorrow

thwart

(v.) to prevent or frustrate

regress

(v.) to return to a previous state

adept

(adj.) very skilled, especially natural talent improved by practice

idiosyncrasy

(n.) a particular, peculiar, or eccentric trait

uncouth

(adj.) uncultured; crude

herald

(v.) to bear news; to announce

sparse

(adj.) thinly spread or distributed; not dense or crowded

bifurcate

(v.) to divide into two parts

arbitrary

(adj.) determined by chance or individual

dais

(n.) a raised platform

savor

(v.) to taste or smell, especially with pleasure; (n.) the taste or smell

fluster

(v.) to make nervous or upset

relief

(n.) a distinction or prominence due to contrast

habitat

(n.) the place where a person or thing is ordinarily found; a particular type of natural environment

platitude

(n.) a commonplace remark delivered as if it were important

sabotage

(v.) to deliberately obstruct or destroy

minutiae

(n.) trivial details

effervescent

(adj.) giving off gas bubbles; showing high spirits or excitement

desiccate

(v.) to dry completely

gregarious

(adj.) seeking and enjoying the company of others; tending to move in a group

sojourn

(n.) a brief visit

listless

(adj.) having no interest in what is going on about one; languid; spiritless

secular

(adj.) not religious; worldly

defer

(v.) to delay; to put off

surfeit

(n.) an excess

compunction

(n.) a feeling of uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt

decapitate

(v.) to cut off the head

rejuvenate

(v.) to restore energy or an appearance of youth

chronology

(n.) arrangement of events in time

provincial

(adj.) limited in perspective; unsophisticated

pliant

(adj.) easily bent; pliable; adaptable or compliant

melodramatic

(adj.) exaggeratedly emotional or sentimental

paramount

(adj.) supreme; ranking higher than others in power or importance

precocious

(adj.) developing earlier than usual, especially mentally

syntax

(n.) the way words are arranged to form phrases, clauses, and sentences

euphoria

(n.) a feeling of great happiness

detach

(v.) to separate from a larger mass; disengage or remove (physically or emotionally)

animosity

(n.) bitter hostility, especially that which provokes punitive action

bard

(n.) a poet

revere

(v.) to honor

guffaw

(v.) to laugh loudly and crudely; (n.) a loud burst of laughter

inveterate

(adj.) established for a long time; habitual

tenable

(adj.) able to be maintained in argument; rationally defensible; able to be held against assault; defensible

mitigate

(v.) to improve by lessening the severity of

giddy

(adj.) dizzy; lightheaded

diction

(n.) word choice in speech or writing; degree of clarity in speaking

negligent

(adj.) careless; inattentive

omnipotent

(adj.) all-powerful

propagate

(v.) to multiply or reproduce; to transmit; to extend to a wider area

malinger

(v.) to act sick in order to avoid work

convene

(v.) to bring together

eschew

(v.) to avoid; to shun

arable

(adj.) suitable for growing crops (of land)

optimum

(adj.) the most favorable point or condition

err

(v.) to make a mistake

scoff

(v.) to make fun of; to ridicule

saturate

(v.) to soak or fill to capacity

excruciating

(adj.) severely painful

douse

(v.) to wet thoroughly

restitution

(n.) compensation for a loss