SAT Challenging Vocabulary

accentuate

to emphasize

accrue

to increase over a period of time

adroit

skillful and clever, especially in dealing with people

agglomeration

a group of things put in no particular order

aggregate

made up of several amounts that are added together

ambivalence

the simultaneous existence of opposing feelings

ambivalent

having opposing feelings

ameliorate

to make better

amenity

a feature that makes a place pleasant

analogue

two things that are similar

aperture

an opening that allows light to reach a lens (especially in cameras)

apprise

to tell or inform someone

assuage

to ease an unpleasant feeling

augment

to increase the amount or value of something

banal

containing of nothing interesting or important

belie

to give a false impression

bemoan

to complain

boorish

very unpleasant or rude

brusque

behavior that is abrupt or blunt

buttress

to support or give strength

candor

to quality of being open and honest

canonical

conforming to an accepted rule, standard, or general procedure

chafe

to make a surface or skin sore and irritated through friction

clade

a group of organisms that consists of a common ancestor and all of its descendants

clique

a small, close-knit group of people who associate exclusively with one another and actively exclude outsiders

collocation

the act or result of placing or arranging together

concur

to agree

conflagration

a large destructive fire

conflate

to combine into one

conjecture

an opinion formed from guessing

consternation

feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected

contentious

quarrelsome, inclined to argue

contingent

depending on a certain event to happen

corollary

a situation or argument from an established fact, idea, or proved theorem

corpora

collections of written or spoken texts

courser

a swift horse

cutlery

the hand implements used for preparing, serving, and eating food

cynical

doubtful or distrustful of the goodness or sincerity of human motives

deference

the act of showing your respect

denigrate

to criticize unfairly

desiccation

the process of becoming completely dry

destitute

lacking in

desultory

lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm

detractor

a person who tries to make something seem less valuable by criticizing it

discrepancy

a lack of compatibility or similarity between two or more facts

disdain

to regard with scorn

disingenuous

insincere, not genuine

disparage

to criticize, belittle, or degrade someone or something

disparate

fundamentally different; distinct

disseminate

to scatter or spread widely

diverge

to move or extend outward in different directions from an origin

divest

to strip or remove

dogmatic

stubbornly opinionated

drawing room

living room

efficacy

effectiveness

elicit

to draw forth, bring out from some source

eminence

high rank

empirical

based on observation or experiment

emulsion

any mixture of two or more unmixable liquids in which one liquid is dispersed in the other

enfranchise

to give the right to vote

engender

to produce, cause, or bring about

entail

to involve or require something a necessary consequence

entreat

to beg, implore, ask earnestly

ephemera

things that are important or used for only a short period of time

ephemeral

lasting for a short time

epitomize

to be a perfect example of

evice

to show clearly

exorbitant

excessive, unreasonably high

expound

to explain in detail

extant

still in existence

extrapolate

to infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information

facade

a deceptive outward appearance; a misrepresentation

facsimile

an exact copy

festoon

a decorative chain of flowers, leaves, or ribbons hung in a curve

fiscal

pertaining to finances

forestall

prevent by taking action in advance

frivolous

of little weight or importance; silly or amusing

frugal

characterized by or reflecting thrift and efficiency in the use of resources

furrow

a long, narrow trench, groove, or depression in a surface

galvanize

to excite or arouse action

gaudy

extravagantly bright or showy, typically so as to be tasteless

gentility

state of refinement, member of the upper class or gentry

gravitas

dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner

hallmark

distinguishing mark

haphazard

marked by lack of plan, order, or direction

harbinger

an omen or sign

hitherto

until now

husk

the outer, inedible covering of a seed or grain

hyphae

the filamentous structures that make up the mycelium of fungi

idiosyncratic

somewhat unusual

impart

to communicate information, or to bestow a quality, feeling, or flavor to something